Making Deals -- Finnish lottery operator Veikkaus Oy has chosen GTECH Holdings Corp's subsidiary GTECH Global Services Corp as the preferred bidder to introduce new interactive lottery software, a new integrated online and instant lottery system, and new lottery terminals in Finland. GTECH and Veikkaus are expected to sign a definitive agreement by mid-December, at which time the details of the agreement will be publicly disclosed. GTECH has provided Veikkaus with lottery equipment and services since 1990.
WhichBingo -- Phil Fraser, owner of bingo directory WhichBingo, has launched a UK bingo portal at www.whichbingo.co.uk. Focusing exclusively on the British bingo market, the site features a land-based section with a large database of UK bingo clubs and a daily updated news section. WhichBingo also offers an online bingo section that features site reviews, a guide to playing bingo online, and a database of online bingo sites.
Quoteworthy -- "He said 'if you want to know where the real money is, it's in the syndicate that's going on around the world right now, speculating on the likelihood of certain results of occurrences. He said there were top athletes involved, and did I notice that Manchester United had been upset the other day, and that Andre Agassi had been eliminated from a major. He said 'look those things are not coincidences.'"
--Stephen Fleming, captain of New Zealand cricket, describing in his new book Balance of Power how he was invited to join a match fixing syndicate in 1999. Fleming claims he was approached by Auhim Khetrapal, an associate of Indian bookmaker Sanjeev Chawla, in the bar of his team's hotel during the 1999 World Cup in England.
Directorate Change -- Sportech, owner of Littlewoods Gaming, has appointed Roger Withers as executive director. Withers will take over for Managing Director George Rushton, who is resigning in order to pursue other interests. 62-year old Withers has served as non-executive director for the company since 2000. He will remain executive director until a successor to Rushton can be appointed.
Software Switch -- Prestige Gaming, which operates Prestige Poker, Diamond Club Poker, and Playgate Poker, is to begin using software platforms provided by I-gaming software developer Playtech. The new software will allow players to view the poker room from above the table in a two-dimensional view or in a three-dimensional side view with animated avatars. Prestige previously licensed software from Swedish company Boss Media.