PlayNow -- British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), an operator of lottery, casino and bingo games across British Columbia, Canada, has created a Web site called PlayNow that allows B.C. residents over the age of 19 to play and purchase four sports-based games over the Internet. Three of the games--"Sports Action Point Spread," "Oddset," and "OverUnder"--are already popular traditional games at BCLC outlets, but the fourth, a football pools game, is exclusive to the PlayNow site. Before playing games, users must register an Account Wallet. They may not deposit more than $70 into the Account Wallet per week. BCLC is only the second lottery in North America to offer its products over the Internet. The PlayNow Web site can be viewed at www.sportsactionbc.com.
Tattler Reward -- China's police ministry on Sunday issued rewards ranging from $60 to $240 to individuals who report pornographic Web sites. Since launching a massive campaign against pornography in July, the Ministry of Public Security has arrested 445 people and shut down about 1,125 Web sites for offering pornographic content. Gambling and fraud-related Web sites are also government targets, with 290 of them having been shut down. The government's crusade against porn also entails ordering TV stations and video game makers to reduce or eliminate violent and/or sexual content. In June the government established a committee to review and censor video and online games that contain objectionable material, such as sex, violence, gambling and misrepresentations of gambling.
Welcome Aboard -- British betting exchange Betfair has appointed Nick Irens as a non-executive director to the company. Irens, 58, is now a chairman of Northgate Information Solutions Plc, Westminster Healthcare Holdings Plc and Esporta Limited. He is also a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a former chairman of Cannon Group Plc.
Profitable Play, which owns and operates Internet-based instant-win gaming site Jackpotjoy.com, has appointed Miranda Ryder as its online marketing manager. Ryder is a former marketing manager for Ads Dot Com, where she undertook the redesign and marketing of InterCasino.com. She has also served as Head of Digital Media for The Response Team, a direct response ad agency that handled campaigns for Oxfam, Vegas Red and Accident Advice Helpline.
Gambling Bill -- Sources at The Observer are saying that gaming companies are preparing for British Parliament to introduce the Gambling Bill this week. The government has not given official notice of plans to do so.
Making Deals -- Scientific Games Corporation's subsidiary, Scientific Games International, has signed a letter of intent to enter into a joint venture with interactive games developer GameLogic to design and develop a portfolio of Web-enabled games. The joint venture will use GameLogic's proprietary HomePlay service as a component of Scientific Games' Internet Lottery Gaming Service. Games will be playable in instant and online formats throughout North America.
Virtual NHL -- Even though the National Hockey League (NHL) in North America will probably not hold a 2004/05 season due to a lockout, Intertops.com will deliver a virtual NHL season beginning Oct. 13. The sports book's new game assigns each team a ball in one of each Wednesday's and Saturday's North American Lottery draws by order of draw. The schedule is similar to the official 2004/05 NHL Schedule with fixtures and odds posted two days before the virtual games take place. Intertops.com customers can wager on their favorite teams, their opponents or the tie, as well as the over and under for total goals.
Mobile Video Poker -- Finnish I-gaming provider European Game & Entertainment Technology Ltd Ab (EGET) has delivered a mobile video poker game called Joker Poker to Aland-licensed operator Alands Penningautomatforening (PAF). Joker Poker is playable on Java-enabled cellular phones with GPRS capabilities, and the game can be easily downloaded from the PAF web site. Joker Poker is five-card draw poker game where jokers serve as wild cards. Players also have the opportunity to take a chance on doubling the pot after a winning hand.