What Fortune -- The Bugle, a newspaper in Bend, Oregon, reports that the introduction of a new Oregon Lottery scratch card game called "Casino Fortune," has given Anitgua-based online gaming company Casino Fortune a surge of new customers from Oregon. The online company says the number of its customers residing in Oregon has grow by 50 percent (from 8,550 to 12,500) since the debut of the Oregon scratch card in May. More than 2,700 of the new Oregon customers responded to the registration question, "How did you hear about us?" with the answer: "scratch ticket." Casino Fortune spokesperson Kevin Mercuri said that court action over the possible trademark infringement is possible, but the company isn't sure whether such action would be worth it. He claims the confusion has already netted Casino Fortune close to $950,000.
Thieves -- Numerous U.S papers reported this week on two cases in which criminals committed theft to pay for online gambling services. Rebecca L. Shreiner of Racine, Wisconsin has been charged with stealing about $1,100 through personal ID theft. While staying at a couple's home, Shreiner used personal identifying information and bank account information of one of her hosts to access gambling funds. The second case involved John Woods of Austin, Texas, who was sentenced to 40 years in prison for stealing over $100,000 from 24 city halls across the state to pay off his online gambling debts. His technique was to rent a car, drive to another town, sneak into the city hall and then take all the money he could find.
Totalisators -- George Chapman, chairman of Queensland-based UNiTAB, said his company will maintain control of its wagering businesses and will not enter into joint ventures or alliances with any other totalisators. He also said he expects UNiTAB to continue to deliver increasing profits every year. The company reported a 31 percent increase in annual earnings last month for the year 2003-04. UNiTAB expects that the businesses it recently acquired from Tabcorp and Tab Ltd. will not be a large contributor to its success until 2005-06.
Victoria-based Tabcorp, now the fifth largest gambling company in the world after acquiring New South Wales-based Tab Ltd., has developed a new marketing strategy that involves increasing its $40 million marketing budget. The group recently presented a new look and motto: "the bigger better game." Tabcorp also plans to centralize marketing and cut a number of the agencies it employs.
Quoteworthy -- "It's not for the bookies to judge, it's the Australian people."
- Australia's opposition leader Mark Latham, who was surprised that bookies are listing incumbent John Howard as the favorite to win the Oct. 9 election for prime minister. He added, "Sometimes you get a winner past them."
BoS Summits -- The first discussion panel of
BetOnSports' "Proposition 1: To Regulate or Prohibit Online Gambling" series took place in New York today. Among the panel's contributing experts were: Koleman Strumpf, an associate professor of economics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who has extensively researched the subject of prohibition vs. regulation; Linda Goldstein, a partner with law firm Manatt, Phelps and Philips LLP, who is an expert in advertising and marketing; Frank Catania, a former director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, who now runs his own consulting firm; and David Carruthers, CEO of BetOnSports. The next tour stop will be in Washington tomorrow at the Occidental Grill. Panelists will include Emily Hancock, an e-commerce and technology lawyer; Robin Hanson an assistant economics professor, and Keith Whyte, executive director on the National Council of Problem Gambling. The summit will be in Chicago on Sept. 22 and Los Angeles on Sept. 24.
The 'New' Betfair -- Betfair announced that after two years of in-house development, it has moved from ASP to a J2EE server platform. The site is up and running on the new platform.