Bye Bye, Billions -- Shares in Las Vegas Sands, the world's largest gaming company, slid 6.8 percent on the NYSE Friday, meaning the pockets of CEO Sheldon Adelson -- the world's sixth-richest person, according to Forbes -- were $2.1 billion lighter. The drop in share value accompanied a third-quarter net loss of $48.5 million, or $0.14 a share. The Sands is expected to launch its online casino in early 2008. Shares in the company were down $4.00, or 3.43 percent, to $112.77 in late-afternoon trading Monday.
Game On -- WagerWorks has agreed to supply Sportech with a suite of games for its Littlewoods GameOn and Littlewoods football pools site, including Cleopatra, Monopoly and Wheel of Fortune. "Following a strategic review the company is committed to reinvigorating the football pools and games business," said Sportech CEO Ian Penrose. "The partnership with WagerWorks will allow us to give our customers new, dynamic and exciting fixed odds games, providing a solid platform for growth in a very competitive marketplace."
En Español -- Online operator Bodog has launched a Spanish-language call center, with plans for a Spanish-language gaming site in the works, it said.
OP up for Tipp24 -- Germany-based Tipp24 AG has launched mylotto24.co.uk, a U.K.-licensed online lottery site designed to compete with the country's National Lottery. Like operator Fluxx AG, Tipp is working to grow its business internationally, thereby reducing its dependence on -- and exposure to -- the German market, which is set to be governed by the oft-maligned Interstate Lotteries Treaty as of January 2008. The announcement came on the release of the company's half-yearly results, which highlighted a 17 percent jump in operating profit to 28.5 million euros.
Downgraded -- Analysts for Morgan Stanley downgraded shares in Ladbrokes to underweight from equal-weight, William Hill, to equal-weight from overweight. "Growth at these bookmakers is "likely to disappoint," analysts wrote in a note to investors. Ladbrokes was down 8p, or 1.99 percent to 393.50 and William Hill was down 10p, or 1.66 percent to 591.50.
Stock Watch -- On the LSE, London Capital Group was up 3.50p to 385.50, Playtech was down 6.75p to 351.00 and Sportech remained even at 10.25p.