Add Eight -- The European Commission is examining eight more countries for national laws that restrict the free movement of sports betting services, a commission official said Tuesday. The commission sent letters in April to seven countries, including Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, asking them to respond to complaints from a number of bookmakers of national protectionism in their online gambling regimes. In mid October, the commission will announce its decision on whether to take these countries to court, and it has widened the investigation after receiving further complaints. "We may have to take other countries to court," said commission spokesman Oliver Drewes. "Today, there's eight more countries we're looking at. Next week, it could be 10."
bwin ban -- Austrian Internet bookmaker bwin has been banned from taking wagers from a second German state. Interior minister for Hesse, Volker Bouffier, said the company had one week to ensure that residents could no longer place bets on its Web site. bwin was banned in August by the state of Saxony after a federal court ruled in favor of a government betting monopoly.
GP Buy-in -- Interactive gaming software and technology developer Zone4Play, Inc. announced today that it has signed an investment agreement, through subsidiary, Gaming Ventures plc and its subsidiary, RNG Gaming Ltd., with online gaming operator Golden Palace. Under the agreement, Golden Palace will invest $600,000 in exchange for 20 percent equity in RNG Gaming Ltd., with an option to acquire an additional 30 percent stake in the company at a valuation of $18 million.
Online Poker Pride --Come out, come out, wherever you are. The world's first online poker site catering exclusively to the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender community went live today. ComeOutPoker.com boasts the first ever gay poker game, called ComeOut Hold'em. The rules are the same, but all straights are eliminated from the ranking of the hands. The site also gives players the chance to chat privately in real time with other players.
Tip Check -- Online betting exchange Betdaq has partnered with tipster monitoring provider Besttipping to launch "Tip Check," a new service that offers betting tips to customers. Tip Check features two services: naps of the day, which are tips from national newspapers; and private tipsters, which are professional tipsters.
Stock Watch -- Somewhere between the time that Peter Dicks resigned as non-executive chairman of Sportingbet and that the time a New York judge allowed him to return to the United Kingdom, Sportingbet's stock shot up in London. Shares were up 9 percent before Dicks appeared for his extradition hearing this morning . Sportingbet closed up 39p to 192. Other upward movers include Neteller, which gained 11p to 356, and World Gaming, which gained 11.50p to close at 60.50.