Melbourne Cup -- The Melbourne Cup, Australia's biggest annual racing event, took place today, with Makybe Diva winning the Cup to become only the fourth horse and the first mare to take the honor two years in a row. New South Wales' Tab Ltd. raked in a record $51.3 million in wagering on the Cup, an 8 percent increase compared to last year's event, while Victoria's Tabcorp received $31.1 million in bets for a 4.2 percent increase and Queensland's UNiTAB received $30.3 million in bets for an 8.5 percent increase. During the night before the race, vandals pumped quick-drying glue into the door locks of 25 of Tab Ltd.'s betting shops so that the doors could not be opened. Locksmiths repaired the damage without too much inconvenience to punters. No one has claimed responsibility for the vandalism.
iGGBA's 50th -- Gambling Federation, an I-gaming operator and affiliate marketing firm, has joined iGGBA (interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association) as its 50th member. The company provides casino software, operator management and marketing tools, customer and licensee support, financial, billing and payment services and hosting and technical support in 15 languages and multiple currencies. iGGBA is an E.U. I-gaming industry body that works with governments and regulators to formulate fair and proper regulation, uphold probity and trustworthiness in the industry and support standards of appropriate social responsibility.
NJ Lottery -- The New Jersey Lottery plans to add an online game of Tetris to its product offerings. Players can purchase scratch-off tickets from retailers and then enter an access code on the lottery's Web site to play the game. The cost to play the game of chance is $3, and prize payouts are as high as $10,000. The New Jersey lottery launched its first online game, "Cyber Slingo" (tickets for which must also be purchased at retailers), in February to much success. Cyber Slingo has brought in $12 million since its launch.
Betinternet Casino -- Isle of Man-based sports book Betinternet has signed a deal with Casino Webcam, a software provider of live online gambling services, to launch a live casino before the end of the year. Betinternet receives a majority of its revenue from Asian jurisdictions, and Casino Webcam hopes that the companies' agreement will help it obtain a wider consumer base in Asia. eGaming Review reports that a major U.K.-based sports book is expected to make a similar announcement in the next few weeks that it will be launching a live Web casino targeting Asian markets.
New Shoes for Golden Palace -- Representatives from GoldenPalace.com attended the Stuart Weitzman Celebrity Shoe Auction for Breast Cancer Research over the weekend and purchased shoes decorated by: Celine Dion, Hilary Duff, Destiny's Child, Jessica Simpson, Cher, 50 Cent, Queen Latifah, Pink, Peter Frampton, Alicia Keys and Macy Gray. The company spent over $18,000 in total, and all proceeds will fund breast cancer research. The shoes will join Beckham's ball and an Ellen DeGeneres look-alike Cabbage Patch Kid on a trip to space in the Golden Palace-sponsored spacecraft.
Welcome Aboard -- The Responsibility in Gambling Trust, which was established after the British government-commissioned independent Gambling Review Body (the Budd Report) recommended that an independent trust be set up to research and limit problem gambling, has announced that Robin Burgess will take over for retiring CEO David Beeton. Burgess joins the Responsibility in Gambling Trust from the Home Office (Drug Strategy Directorate) where he advised Home Office Ministers and helped formulate policy on the impact of drugs in such settings as clubs, the street, public housing and the workplace. . . .
Online bingo portal Bingo.com has promoted Jason Williams to the position of vice president of business development. The company credits Williams, who joined Bingo.com in September 2001, with spearheading its sales and marketing activities and helping to create and execute its business strategy. Williams was formerly employed as a business development representative with Vancouver-based software company Blue Zone, Inc. and as a business analyst with RBC Dominion Securities. . . . VirtGame Corp., a company that provides server-based software solutions to the regulated gaming industry, has appointed Arnaldo F. Galassi to replace resigning Chief Financial Officer Bruce Merati. Galassie will oversee VirtGame's financial operations and reporting, budget and strategic planning, treasury operations and asset management.