Betfair's Opposition -- While Tasmanian Premier Paul Lennon seems to back Betfair's licensing bid in Australia, the Tasmanian Thoroughbred Racing Council (TTRC) strongly opposes the deal and is accusing Lennon of ignoring Tasmanian racing in his negotiations. The TTRC plans to launch an advertising campaign this week debunking what it calls Betfair's false economic predictions. Opposition racing spokeswoman Sue Napier, meanwhile, said on Sunday that almost every major international horseracing organization and every other state labor government opposed the deal. . . . Consulting firm Access Economics has warned that Betfair's new loyalty program, which offers punters bonus points for betting frequently, could lead to problem gambling because punters who do not gamble for four weeks lose 48 percent of their loyalty status and pay higher commission on future winnings. Betfair spokesman Andrew Twaits disputed Access' findings, however, saying that Betfair does not charge a higher commission on inactive accounts. "It is a reward scheme, not a penalty scheme," he said.
In Other Betfair News --
Following last week's announcement of a six-month contract extension with software supplier CryptoLogic, Betfair today disclosed its acquisition of software developer Aglet Technolgies and the "Poker Champs" poker platform, fulfilling Betfair's long-held plans of acquiring its own poker software. Under the agreement, Betfair will operate as Betfair Development Denmark.
Neteller Nets Netinvest -- Online money transfer service provider Neteller Plc has acquired independent payment service provider Netinvest Limited and its subsidiary, Netbanx Limited, from Transact Group Limited. Netbanx processes approximately £10 million in credit card payments each month. Neteller will retain all the existing employees of Netbanx and continue its operations at the existing Cambridge, U.K. facilities.
Gambling Trumps Alcohol -- Australians apparently love gambling more than drinking. New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics shows that Aussies spent $17.4 billion spent on gambling in the past year, with money spent on alcohol coming in at $10.6 billion. The average Australian spends about $17 a week on gambling: $2 on the races and the remainder on lotto, pools, pokies and casino games.
Virgin Boss -- Boss Media today added Virgin Poker, part of the Virgin Games Group, to its platform, but as a condition of the agreement, Boss will be relocating to Malta, satisfying Virgin's requirement to be regulated in a white-list jurisdiction. With the re-launch of Virgin Poker, the mega-company will give its players the chance to earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points for every hand they play, which has already proved successful on the Virgin Casino site.
Welcome to the Mobile Zone -- Software developer Zone4Play Inc. , in conjunction with Cosmotrade Investments Ltd., operator of the largest online casino in South Africa, announced the European launch of mobile-based casino games system Mobile777. The platform provides four casino-based games--Lucky 7's, video poker, blackjack and roulette--and is compatible with more than 100 models of handsets in the U.K. market.
Networking -- Funtime Hospitality Corp.'s Check n Raise Poker site is joining the Ongame poker network. Each partner of the network retains ownership of its player database and earns commission for the lifetime of the players as they compete across the network of nearly 6 million worldwide poker players. Ongame will provide Check n Raise with customer support and an online payment system and will enable Check n Raise to offer its customers 24/7 access to live poker games.
Bodog's Hoop Dreams -- Bodog.com CEO Calvin Ayre is standing behind his company's offer last week to cover fines for violations of the National Basketball League's new wardrobe policy. "The league could possibly have a dress-code battle on its hands," Ayre said. "We have been in talks with Allen Iverson's people, who are considering our proposal to cover any fines levied by the league with a match donation to Iverson's Crossover Foundation."