UK Gov. Affairs -- The British government decided Friday that the next National Lottery license will last 15 years--more than doubling the length of the current seven-year license held by Camelot. Earlier in the year it seemed that Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell would attempt to divide the license into three licenses to govern the different lottery products separately, but last week's decision restores the single license for the distribution of the main lottery game, scratch cards and games played through interactive channels. Bidding for the next license will not begin until 2006, and major gaming companies like Ladbrokes, Rank and Virgin are expected to vie for the prize. The Observer speculated that bookmakers might try to enter agreements with partners from other industries to quell fears among the public that the lottery will be operated by bookies. . . . Peter Dean, chairman of the U.K. Gaming Board, stated that the board's proposed transformation into the new Gambling Commission will be delayed due to the government's decision to relocate the Gaming Board outside of London and the South East. Dean says the move will result in the board losing some of its experienced personnel at a time when an experienced transitional team is needed for a quick and smooth transformation. Although the board has suggested that the commission be fully functional by the beginning of 2006, Dean stated at the BACTA Convention that the target date will probably not be met.
Hong Kong Policy -- Hong Kong's Football Betting & Lotteries Commission has asked Jockey Club Football Betting Limited to limit advertisements for soccer gambling to off-course betting facilities. The commission said that curbing ads would help achieve its goal of diverting demand from illegal bookies to the regulated operator without encouraging gambling. The commission is especially concerned that adolescents could be receiving the wrong impression about gambling. Noting that football and horse racing games are available on the Jockey Club's Web site, the commission stated that access to such services should be restricted to betting account holders whose ages and identities are verified. The commission's next plan of action is to ask newspaper editors to separate sports betting odds and other gambling information from the sports news pages. Some local papers have already done this.
Spread Betting Case -- A British High Court has ruled in favor of spread betting firm Spreadex in its case against a former customer. To protect themselves from potential loss, spread betting services usually require customers to make a security deposit that is calculated by multiplying the stake by a given figure and a margin based on the exposure of a customer on a losing open bet at the time the calculation was made, according to law firm Olswang. In the case of Spreadex Ltd v. Battu, the customer failed to pay the £40,000 margin within the required five days, so Spreadex closed his account. Believing he did not owe £40,000, the customer filed a law suit against Spreadex. The court eventually ruled in favor of Spreadex, stating that the margin requirement was well known and understood in the financial industry.
Mobile Providers -- Mobvision, a U.K.-based provider of mobile content and solutions, has launched Arabian Nights Mobile Casino, which has four games (slots, poker, blackjack and Hi-LO) and is available on all British mobile networks through any Java-compatible mobile device. The company's gambling division, Mobwin.com, emphasizes the effectiveness of its age and ID verification systems. Mobwin says it offers partners a fully licensed and U.K.-operated mobile casino and is keen to attract U.K./European affiliates as well as large brands wanting a white-label mobile casino. . . . GigaSlot, a company that operates and develops Internet and mobile gambling solutions, recently released its first game in the form of a five-payline, three-wheel slot machine. The game--and all of GigaSlot's future releases--can be downloaded at wap.gigaslot.com. The group, which says it is willing to build strong relationships to accelerate its wireless gaming startup, offers mobile content for free or for royalties through wireless content providers. GigaSlot Wireless Casino intends to release at least one new game each quarter.
P2P -- Betfair announced Thursday that it had already paid out £367,000 in cash to 414 out-of-pocket customers of Sporting Options, which had gone into administration on Nov. 15. After Sporting Options ceased operating, Betfair stated that it would compensate the company's customers by paying in full the amount they lost in Sporting Options, up to £1,000. Those who lost over £1,000 would receive either £1,000 or 20 percent of their Sporting Options account balance, depending upon which is greater. When Sporting Options went into administration, a total of 5,342 customers lost money. So far Betfair has received 650 application forms by post and 414 have been processed and paid out. About 200 application forms are being received by post each day. Another betting exchange, IBetX, is offering a similar compensation package to former Sporting Options customers. . . . Betfair also announced that racing broadcaster Brough Scott will be on hand Dec. 1 to celebrate the opening of a second Betfair office in Stevenage.
Quoteworthy -- "The arguments presented by the DOJ in their motion to dismiss were seriously flawed. We anticipate a prompt decision by the district court upholding our right to bring this lawsuit against the Department of Justice."
--Michael Corfman, president of Casino City, the Louisiana-based gambling portal that has challenged the U.S. Department of Justice by asking a court to rule on the legality of the department's attempts to stifle online gambling advertising by threatening media advertisers with aiding and abetting charges.
New Microgames -- Software developer Microgaming has added eight new games to its Viper-powered casino suite. The proclaimed flagship of the new games is "Reel Strike," a five-reel, 15 paylines slot game with a blue-water game fishing theme. A second slot game, "Ladies Night," features five reels, nine paylines and graphics such as lipstick, cocktails and Chipendale waiters to appeal to female customers. Also included in the new suite is a festive Christmas-themed slot called "Ho Ho Ho," a slot called "Bar Bar Blacksheep," a video poker game called "Double Joker" and "Bonus Video Poker," which has two variations.