No Quarter -- Britain's government on Tuesday signaled it would not protect U.K. online gaming execs from extradition requests from countries where they had taken Internet gambling wagers illegally. "People have to abide by the laws of particular countries," sports minister Richard Caborn told a news conference when asked how England would treat extradition requests. "We will not acknowledge people who operate illegally." Caborn spoke at Tuesday's international summit on remote gambling, which the United States did not attend. The United States enacted prohibitive online gambling legislation on Oct. 13, 2006.
Executive Decision -- Online gaming group Gaming VC said Tuesday that CEO Steve Barlow has stepped down, as the company prepares to defend a lawsuit it faces in Massachusetts. The suit, reportedly filed by Fort Knox Consulting, alleges Gaming VC had failed to acknowledge an alleged agreement between the group and Fort Knox regarding a 5 percent commission for any M&A work. According to eGaming Review, Gaming VC has since denied any connection between Barlow's resignation and the pending litigation. A company spokesperson said that the law suit ". . . did not spur the board change." He added, "The share price has taken a hammering of late. Barlow is a major shareholder and he thought it was time for a change at the top."
Jackpot Takes Flight -- European low fare airline Ryanair today announced an online gaming partnership with United Kingdom-based online bingo operator Jackpotjoy.com. Ryanair customers booking on its dot-com site will now have access to bingo and instant win games, as Jackpotjoy looks to expand its customer base on one of Europe's most popular discount travel Web sites.
New Release -- I-gaming software provider Microgaming today announced the addition of Poker Arena to its poker network. The card room is the first brand the organization is launching with Microgaming, the company said in a prepared statement. Poker Arena also plans to open another card room, PaxPoker, in the near future. Poker Pro Bjørn-Erik Glenne, recent winner of the European Poker Tour's tournament in Barcelona, also inked a sponsorship deal with the card room. Poker Arena will launch in Sweden and Norway before its global release.
Changing of the Guard -- Online gaming software developer Net Entertainment (NE) today announced the appointment of its new CEO, Johan Ohman. Ohman will replace Pontus Lindwall, who spent 10 years at the helm and will remain on as chairman. Ohman joined NE in 2003 as head of sales.
Correction -- IGN recently featured an article displaying a list of U.S.-facing I-gaming operators who continue to take U.S. play even after the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Among the list of operators not changing their policies was World Poker Tour. While it is true that WTP has not changed its policy, it should be noted that the company has never taken bets from U.S. players and, therefore, should not have been included in this list.