Resolution -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported today that a civil action filed by U.S. federal prosecutors against BetonSports (BoS) should reach resolution by next week, lawyers said Monday in federal court in St. Louis. Jeffrey Demerath, legal counsel for BoS, told U.S. District Judge Carol Jackson that, on Thursday night, the company received a proposed consent order from prosecutors. The company's board of directors will use this week to review the document, as they were unable to convene over the weekend. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Fagan reportedly informed Jackson that there was no substantive disagreement over the proposed order, and that a week's delay should allow both sides to reach terms. "We're confident that a week … will make that possible," Demerath said. Last summer, federal prosecutors from St. Louis and Washington, D.C., filed civil and criminal charges against the company, which, on Aug. 11, announced that it would no longer accept U.S. wagers.
Furthering the Mêlée -- Furthering the anti-monopoly mêlée in Europe, British bookmaker Ladbrokes said today that it will file a complaint with the European Union after losing an appeal case in the Netherlands preventing it from accepting bets from Dutch citizens. The Dutch court's decision will require Ladbrokes to block Dutch gamblers from its Web site, Ladbrokes.com, and the state operator had instigated the legal proceedings to protect its monopoly position. Ladbrokes said it would attempt to reverse the decision in the Dutch Supreme Court as well as complaining to EU Commissioner for the Internal Market, Charlie McCreevy.
Changing -- Online sports content and gaming company ukbetting announced Monday that its shareholders voted in favor of changing its name to 365 Media Group. Effective Monday, the company will use its new name; and beginning Oct. 18, the company's new TIDM code on the London Stock Exchange will be 365. The company will also seek reclassification within the Alternative Investment Market's (AIM) sub-sectors. "The group now has 4 distinct revenue streams, namely: advertising, affiliate, content syndication and gambling," said Peter Dubens, chairman of 365. "We feel that 365 Media Group plc is a better reflection of the company's current position and future aspirations."
And the Winner Is . . . -- I-gaming software provider Chartwell on Monday announced a licensing agreement with U.K.-based online betting exchange Betfair. According to the agreement, Chartwell will design and integrate a casino and soft gaming section to complement Betfair's existing exchange betting platform. . . . Betfair Games, Betfair's gaming arm, has launched a new casino with no house edge. The Zero Lounge offers adapted versions of blackjack, roulette, jacks or better and baccarat which give the customer the advantage. For instance, the zero has been removed from roulette, which means that for players betting on a color, there is a 50 percent chance of winning, rather than the 48.6 percent offered in standard European roulette. Players betting on zero roulette will be paid fairly according to the chance they take. And as always, a larger catalog of traditional casino games is offered in the standard Betfair Casino.
Macau -- Gaming receipts are up in Macau, where the gaming and betting industry recorded gross receipts of $4.34 billion during the first eight months of 2006, a year-on-year increase of 12.6 percent. In August alone, the industry raked in gross receipts of $584 million, according to figures released Monday by the government-run Statistics and Census Service (SCS). The SCS figures also indicated that August's receipts set a new monthly record, besting the $578 million the gaming and betting industry generated last March. The region, with a population of over 500,000, has a 150-year history of gaming and reportedly remains the only part of China where casino gaming is legitimate. Macau's 22 casinos pay 35 percent of their gross receipts as direct tax to the government.
Globalizing -- India's Kerala State Lottery is reportedly set to go global via the Internet. According to local media sources the Kerala government plans to market the state lotteries through the State Lotteries Department's new Web site as part of the government's program to revamp the state lotteries and make it more attractive, but 'non-addictive.' Future plans for the lottery include linking it to social causes such as welfare and relief programs and orphanages. The site is set to go live in three weeks.