UK News - Officials with the newly formed Racing UK announced Thursday that 16,200 subscribers have signed up for the paid satellite channel in the last two months--a period in which it has switched from a free-air service to a paid subscription service. RUK began broadcasting May 29 after a two-month lapse of satellite TV racing following the closure of Attheraces and launched its 24/7 subscription-only service Oct. 1. The company has said that the new channel, which is owned by the 13 participating racecourses, needs 20,000 subscribers to break even, and its business plan is based on achieving the target within a year to 18 months.
P2P Developments- Irish betting exchange Betdaq launched a new financial markets P2P site this week. The site, "Trader Games," fuses P2P skill gaming with financial betting by enabling users to make virtual trades on the foreign exchange markets in direct competition with each other. It's the first of several planned sites to offer financial betting on a P2P platform.
Promoted -- Trevor Beaumont was appointed to fill the British Tote's chief executive vacancy today. Beaumont spent 27 years with the Coral Group and was also racing director of the British Horseracing Board. He is currently managing director of the betting and gaming division of ukbetting Plc, the AIM-listed sports content and gaming company.
Hackers Details -- More details have come to light on the Russian ring of hackers that targeted the online gaming industry through DDos attacks. The LA Times reports that the group was brought down after BetCRIS owner Mickey Richardson brought in Sacramento expert Barrett Lyon in the absence of help from the Costa Rican authorities. Lyon remotely tracked the crooks and inserted his fictional would-be DDoS persona into IRC channels, where he built up a profile as a bot program author from Vancouver who had 250 machines under his control. During hours of online talks between January and March of this year, Lyon ingratiated himself with the crooks and communicated with them often. He learned that most of the hackers were college-age students in their early 20s and led authorities to their homes in Russia. Armed with the results from the extorted money trail and Lyon's information, British authorities went to the Russian Interior Ministry and suggested several arrests. Police arrested three men in July and are looking for two additional suspects.
Making Deals -- PokersStars.com has announced a partnership with some leading European land-based casinos to launch the "PokerStars European Poker Tour." The first season of the EPT, sponsored by PokerStars, will include events in Barcelona, London, Paris, Vienna and Dublin. The final event will be held March 15-19, 2005 in the majestic Monte Carlo Casino in Monaco. Prize money is expected to be more than €2 million for the final event, with more than €1 million going to the winner. Each event will be televised in 2005 as a 90-minute program, and will culminate with the airing of the Grand Final in Monte Carlo. Winners of the preliminary events will win prize packages worth €15,000, including entry into the finals at the Hermitage Hotel in Casino Square, Monte Carlo.
Halloween Games – Slotland.com is in the Halloween spirit with the rollout of a new Halloween-themed slot. "Halloween Magic" combines bats, ghouls and magic lanterns with five reels, five paylines, a bonus feature and the a fast-growing progressive jackpot. The Halloween-themed slot will be available for a limited time.