Betfair's Uncertain Future -- Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon says that an announcement on U.K.-based online betting agency Betfair 's future in Australia will be made by Dec. 1, when Tasmania's house of assembly and legislative council finish their sessions for the year. Lennon says he has been examining new information from the Australian racing industry in the past few weeks. The industry has been vocal about its concerns for Betfair's integrity and probity. "I met personally with key members of the Australian Racing Board and the Victorian racing industry," Lennon said. "I had further representations from them, and I am giving it the due and proper consideration I undertook to do. But there comes a time when decisions such as these need to be made, and we are fast approaching it." Lennon says that community consultation has decreased concern about the deal, which is backed by Kerry Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd., and that he is aware that a decision in favor of Betfair could harm the local racing industry. "Some damage could possibly be done to the Tasmanian industry if we don't move carefully on this," he said.
Giving It Another Go -- Despite a lack of public interest almost a year ago, Dublin-based discount airline Ryanair is set to launch an online casino that will operate in tandem with a new in-flight entertainment service. Along with the usual cartoons, movies and TV shows, passengers will get to gamble as part of the new service, available for €7 a flight. The airline is believed to be finalizing plans to launch a virtual casino on its Ryanair.com Web site before Christmas.
Packing 'Em In -- According to treasury documents released to a London newspaper, lobbyists for media tycoon and Crown Casino owner Kerry Packer admitted that Australia's gambling boom was having an adverse impact on its society. Packer, who owns Melbourne's Crown and Perth's Burswood casinos, is reportedly planning multiple casinos in Britain worth billions of dollars, including a $500 million joint venture with London gambling entrepreneur Damian Aspinall to build a new casino built in Cardiff. Packer's gaming empire also stretches into the Far East, where he is involved in a joint venture in Macau. Consolidated Press Holdings, a private investment company owned by the Packers, hired a former Downing St. adviser to help lobby the British government.
Telecom Expansion -- The Guardian reports that satellite broadcasting company BSkyB is planning a move into the broadband market, rolling out a high-speed network across much of the United Kingdom, that would put it into direct competition with British Telecom and enable it to offer much better interactive services, including gaming and gambling. Sky is also said to be considering installing its own broadband equipment in BT's local exchanges--a process known as local-loop unbundling, which enables rival telecom operators to offer different wholesale services that can potentially be faster and cheaper while using BT's own telephone network infrastructure.
Sponsorship Deal -- BetandWin has entered into a partnership agreement with FC Slovan Liberec, the Czech division one soccer team, which will last until July 31, 2008, with an option to extend it beyond this date. BetandWin will acquire an extensive sponsoring package under the terms of the agreement. Apart from displaying the BetandWin logo on players' jerseys in all of the club's matches--including games played in the UEFA Cup and the Champions League--the sponsorship includes extensive branding of the club's stadium, the rights to pictures of players and the team and a presence on the club's Web site.
Preemptive Strike -- Singaporeans, who spend billions of dollars per year gambling and are regular customers at Asian, Australian and U.S. casinos, now have an online resource for problem gambling. The Singapore government-appointed National Council on Problem Gambling says that the launch of its Web site (www.ncpg.org.sg) is the beginning of a public education campaign on gambling addiction. The site, launched four years before Singapore's first casino is set to open, has a range of information on problem gambling, including tips on how to identify the warning signs and where to seek help and treatment.