Chinese Customs -- Xinhuanet reports that customs officers in Beijing have seized 3,544 CDs used for online gambling in three cases this month. In two separate cases early in the month, authorities seized 44 CDs "containing over 17 games in Mandarin and Cantonese." In a third case, customs confiscated 3,500 CDs labeled "Best On-line Gaming City." The publication reported: "According to the Customs, the smugglers wanted to cash in on the coming festivals like Christmas, New Year's Day and the SpringFestival, when people tend to spend more time on the Internet." Customs did not indicate whether there are suspects in the case or what the penalties would be.
New Stuff -- Casino Fortune on Tuesday signed an agreement with Saturn Gaming through which Casino Fortune's new bingo site, www.SunnyBingo.com, will become part of the Saturn Bingo Network. Using the network, players can access Saturn's white-label bingo games via partners' branded sites.
Coming Very Soon... -- Europmedia reports that the U.K. National Lottery could launch an iTV service via Sky Active by the end of 2003. The two groups announced the signing of a deal this month to jointly develop an interactive version of the popular charity-funding draw.
British Invasion -- TimesOnline reports that Swedish online poker group PokerRoom.com will spend £1.75 million in the United Kingdom on competing with the country's "Big Three" bookmakers (Ladbrokes, William Hill and Coral), all of which operate poker rooms. The group will apply for a license in England when the country's new gambling laws are in place. With 10 percent of its clients already coming out of the United Kingdom, the company maintains that it doesn't need approval to target British bettors, but COO Patric Selin said a license would serve as a "stamp of approval." The company reported profits this year of £2.5 million on turnover of about £10 million, making it the 19th most profitable business in Sweden.
Party Time -- BetonSports.com has opened an onsite VIP club in San Jose, Costa Rica and brought in a handful of celebrities to partake in the festivities. On hand were Carmen Electra and the Pussycat Dolls (who provided musical entertainment) as well as the cast from Fox Television's "That '70s Show" and others. The club serves an oasis for regular users of the BetonSports.com, should they choose to visit Costa Rica. It features a live gaming area, a spa, manicure/pedicure facilities, a gym, a sauna, a restaurant and a bar. For the party, the club was transformed into a collection of exotic theme rooms, which included a Garden of Eden with loin-clothed women, a bondage room with dominatrix and slave and an office with a dancing maid entertaining an executive. "There's no party without show," said CEO David Carruthers, "and we like to put on a good show."
Politics -- The World Lottery Association has reportedly offered its full support to the United States in its World Trade Organization dispute with Antigua and Barbuda. The association has allocated an undisclosed substantial budget for activities connected to this case.