BingoKnights -- A new online bingo site, BingoKnights, will launch soon, hoping to capitalize on what it estimates to be a $700 million Internet bingo market. Besides the www.bingoknights.com web site, the company is also introducing its Affiliates4Bingo program, offering affiliates rewards for sending customers to the site.
Mobile Game Security -- Mobile security company Diversinet Corp., and Spiral Solutions, Ltd. have signed an OEM and marketing agreement to integrate Diversinet's technology into some of Spiral's proprietary mobile-based gaming, lottery, and pari-mutuel applications. The two companies will work closely together to develop and market the new products. Spiral will pay Diversinet a one-time license fee for the right to use the security solutions and will continue to pay royalty payments on all transactions from applications that use Diversinet's Passports suite of secured mobile solutions.
Spam Bust -- In late October, a California court charged a company a $2 million fine for sending millions of spam e-mails. The court also enjoined the owners of the company from owning or managing any company that advertises over the Internet for the next ten years without providing written notification to California's Attorney General beforehand. The law suit was filed under the state's old Anti-Spam law. A more strict law will take effect January 1, 2004.
TAB War -- A letter from TAB chairman Graham Kelly revealed that TAB has asked Tabcorp to pay the $5 million severance fee that would be required if TAB were to merge with Tabcorp rather than UNiTAB. Kelly also demanded that Tabcorp's offer remain binding before discussions between the two companies proceed any further, and he requested information about discussions the Tabcorp has held with the New South Wales government and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. In a public statement Tabcorp replied, "Tabcorp has not sought disclosure of non-public information by TAB and believes that the termination of the Merger Implementation Agreement between TAB and UNiTAB Limited is a matter for the board of TAB to consider based on the relative merits of the competing proposals."