Intralot, Meet Ladbrokes -- Hilton officials have confirmed that Greek lottery titan Intralot and Hilton's Ladbrokes betting unit are partnering to bid for the next U.K. Lottery license. According to Greek news source the Reporter, Intralot CEO K. Antonopoulos has also confirmed the news.
Going through Withdrawal -- The London Times Sunday edition reported that Gala will withdraw from the bidding for the U.K. National Lottery after completing its £2.2 billion acquisition of bookmaker Coral Eurobet. Gala CEO Neil Goulden said that due to the demand of time and the integration of the two businesses, it was "almost certain" that Gala will not bid. Goulden added that the new company is not interested in joining the race to set up Britain's first Las Vegas-style super casino.
Not during Football -- Media regulator Ofcom found Viasat Broadcasting in breach of the broadcasting code over Bet24Poker logos appearing on screen during football programs on channels TV3 and ZTV. Viasat argued that the sponsor of the programs was Bet24Poker and not Bet24, but Ofcom rejected the argument on the grounds that the brands were so inextricably linked that Bet24 could be considered to be the sponsor of both broadcasts.
Backgammon Anyone? -- Pokerzone Sky Channel 226 on Dec. 7 will begin airing taped footage of the 30th Annual World Backgammon Championships. Viewers can also catch a behind-the-scenes look at the high-stakes players as they prepare for the big event. Prior to the beginning of the series, Pokerzone will air a three-part documentary called "Ernie's Game," detailing the high-stakes life of a U.K. backgammon player. The tournament took place at the Fairmont, Monte Carlo in July 2005.
Psychic Betting -- AIM-listed TV Commerce Holdings PLC says it has been given the green light from the Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre to advertise its psychic and betting TV channels on channels owned by third parties. The company can now advertise its "Your Destiny TV" and "Mobile Betting" on channels such as UK Living, Sci-Fi, Hallmark, Sky One and E entertainment.
Deal 'Em In -- Sun Online, the online version of U.K. newspaper the Sun, has launched its own online poker room with a tournament that will send the final top-nine players to the Grand Final at London's Palm Beach Casino in December. The new site, Sun Poker, is the product of a deal signed between Sun Online and, Gibraltar-based Victor Chandler.
1st Tech License -- On the heels of multiple patent and trademark infringement lawsuits filed by Internet and multimedia technology company 1st Technology against online gambling providers, Excapsa Software Inc.'s Game Theory subsidiary in August entered into a license agreement with 1st Technology, covering core multimedia patents for advanced gaming products.