Ready, Get Set . . . -- The U.K. National Lottery competition for the chance to win a 10-year license to run the lottery officially got underway Tuesday. Project board chairman for the National Lottery Commission, Robert Foster, said the license is being extended to 10 years with the hopes that the winning bidder will invest more during the latter period. The incumbent, Camelot, will have some stiff competition from Ladbrokes and Australia's Tattersall's. Virgin Group Chairman Sir Richard Branson is even considering throwing his hat in the ring. The winner will be the company that introduces the best new technology and demonstrates the ability to develop new lottery platforms. Applications are due by March 2007.
US Blockade -- After only two months in operation, online poker site PokerShare.com, the white-label version of Ultimate Bet (both of which operate on the Excapsa network), has reportedly closed out its U.S. accounts. IGN will report further on this development as details are made available.
Crime -- Remember the gentleman who left a £7 million IOU in Halifax Bank's safe after stealing £10 million to cover his gambling debts? He was sentenced to 12 years in prison at Swansea Crown Court Tuesday. Graham Price, 58, who stole most of the money from elderly investors, was given a stern scolding by Judge John Diehl QC, who said, "Any words of mine are almost bound to be inadequate to reflect the extent and effect of your dishonesty and deceit." He said individual investors lost homes, pensions and inheritances to a bogus land scheme that devastated their lives. . . . Steffen Karl, the former first division German football player charged in connection to the match-fixing scandal, in court on Tuesday denied taking €20,000 ($23,500) from alleged ringleader Ante Sapina to throw lower league matches in 2004.
United Regulatory Front -- After three years of discussions, The Kahnawake Gaming Commission and e-Commerce Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA) are working together to ensure that companies operating under both entities are meeting common standards. Subject to certain conditions, the commission agreed that operators using software supplied by eCOGRA members (56 operators to be exact) will not be required to submit to review and monitoring processes the commission uses for other applicants and operators. The commission will, however, continue to employ due diligence investigations on all applicants to determine their suitability for license.
Raising Sin Taxes -- Sri Lanka Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama on Tuesday announced the 2006 budget, which includes higher taxes on gambling. Members of the opposition chose not to hear a reading of the budget. "This is just the reading of a piece of paper," Rajitha Senaratne, a spokesman for the opposition said. "There is no debate or a vote on the budget before the presidential election on the 17th, so what is the point of this budget?" Amunugama also raised taxes on tobacco and liquor.