Virtual Wheel -- Skill games provider WorldWinner.com and the official Web site for Wheel of Fortune (www.wheeloffortune.com) have begun offering real-money games simulating the TV show experience. WorldWinner will promote the launch with its first-ever television ad, which will air during broadcasts of Wheel of Fortune. WorldWinner in December will host a two-week tournament though which the winner will go to Los Angeles to attend a taping of Wheel of Fortune and an audition for the chance to appear on the show.
I-Gaming Goes Primetime -- If regulated Internet casinos could bring billions of dollars in tax revenues to the United States, why is the government so opposed to the idea? CBS news program "60 Minutes" on Sunday will tackle this controversial topic, with a focus on the government's argument that online casinos corrupt children and create gambling addicts. Sportingbet CEO Nigel Payne, MGM Mirage CEO Terry Lanni and U.S. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., will all be featured on the program, which will air at 7 p.m. (EST).
Celebrity Beat -- The New York Times reports that former Minnesota Governor (and former wrestler) Jesse "The Body/The Mind" Ventura has jumped on the celebrity-endorses-online-gambling-site bandwagon by becoming the new spokesman for Costa Rica-based sports betting site BetUS.com. Online casinos in have signed deals in recent months with a lineup of celebrities that includes actor Tom Arnold; model-turned-TV host Brooke Burke and former NFL quarterback Jim Kelly. As the article points out, however, they might want to familiarize themselves with the potential legal problems that could come their way. "There's a good chance they are criminally liable for the crime itself," I. Nelson Rose, a law professor at Whittier Law School in California, told the publication. "For celebrities who draw attention from law enforcement officials, the downside danger is enormous." Ventura said he was unaware that federal law prohibited Internet gambling operations The Justice Department declined to comment for the Times article.
License Granted -- The Alderney Gambling Control Commission has granted a gaming license to Sportswinbet. The group says it is working on a control system submission, which the commission must approve for the license to be fully operational.
SecureSwipe -- E-commerce payment solutions provider Citadel Commerce Corp debuted its latest innovation, SecureSwipe, last week at the European Interactive Gaming Expo in Nice, France. Four years in development, the new product is a handheld device that facilitates secure PIN-based debit credit card purchases from home. The process is similar to point-of-sale transactions in retail stores.
Six More for Prima -- The Prima Network launched six new card rooms this week: AllInPoker.com, betEd.com, DreamPoker.com, PokerTime.com, PokerArena.com and 5DogsPoker.com. Seventeen card rooms have joined the network in the last year, bringing the total number of card rooms to 40.
On the Move -- The newly established U.K. Gambling Commission has announced that it will set up its head office in Victoria Square House in central Birmingham. After a review of government agencies, Sir Michael Lyons, former chief executive of Birmingham City Council, decided that all new official bodies should be located outside the capital. The move will begin in January 2006 and should be completed by June.
L&G Swallows Two -- Leisure and Gaming (L&G) , the parent company of Curacao-based sports book and gaming operator VIP, is expanding its portfolio by acquiring U.S. sports book Nine.com (licensed in Curacao with operations in Costa Rica) and Antigua-based casino operator English Harbour.com. Nine was acquired for an initial consideration of US$36 million ($21.6 million in cash and $14.4 million in shares) paid on completion of the deal. An additional deferred payment of up to $21.1 million will be paid depending on the profitability of the Nine brand for the years ending Dec. 31, 2006, 2007 and 2008. Initial consideration for English Harbour was $16.5 million--$8.25 million in cash and $8.25 million in shares--and deferred consideration of up to $6.75 million dependent upon the profitability of English Harbour for the years ending Dec. 31, 2006 and 2007.