Bits from the US -- Park Place Entertainment is gearing up for a possible entry into the online gaming market, the company's CEO, Tom Gallagher, told CBS MarketWatch last week. Gallagher said that while the company is not convinced that "the business model is compelling," given the industry's legal issues, Park Place has "laid all the necessary groundwork to go into the business." ... On Thursday, an Allentown, Pa. man was convicted of running an illegal sports betting ring that used the Internet as part of its operations. George Atiyeh, 43, a former professional football player, was convicted in federal court on 15 counts of such charges as conspiracy, money laundering and operating an illegal gambling business. In an odd twist, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on Sunday that an alternate juror in the case is alleging that some of the other jurors slept during the trial and were so eager to have the trial over with that they sped through their deliberations. "Their attitude was, let's get it over with so we don't have to come back tomorrow," said Beth Ashman, the alternate juror. Atiyeh could be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years on each of his money-laundering counts. However, it is more likely that he will receive several two-to-four year sentences, according to federal sentencing guidelines.
Names and Faces -- Dawn Airey has been appointed managing director of BSkyB's Sky Networks, where she will be responsible for all programming and channels except Sky Sports.
New Stuff -- Mobile phone service provider Verizon Wireless and wireless media company Mobliss today announced that Verizon users will be able to play for-fun blackjack on their cell phones. The game, which was developed by Mobliss and is called Wild West Black Jack, is available with a one-time fee of US $4.99 and a monthly fee of $1.99. Verizon and Mobliss said they plan to release additional mobile phone games. ... Action Online Entertainment on Thursday announced the launch of www.clubfiore.com, an online casino licensed in the Isle of Man. Action Online is a venture capital-backed online gaming company that is financed by Crosspoint Ventures Partners. Its president and CEO, Jim McKennon, said the company is committed to regulatory compliance. "We are blazing the trial for the e-gaming industry with Clubfiore.com being the first and only start-up major online casino currently in operation," he said. "Given this fact, it is essential that every step we take, from the selection of our software to the establishment of our regulatory compliance system, is undertaken with the utmost consideration."
Bit from Asia -- The South China Morning Post reported today that the Macau Jockey Club experienced a 17 percent fall in turnover on Saturday's 12-race meeting, which was the first meeting of the season. A club spokesman links the downturn with Hong Kong's Internet gambling ban.