PokerStars UK -- Costa Rica-based PokerStars plans to open an office in London within the next few weeks. Initially the new office will staff just six employees, but the company says it is hoping to eventually make London its international headquarters. Having a British office should help the company raise its profile in the European market and add more legitimacy to its operations. PokerStars, the network that qualified the winners of both the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker No Limit Hold 'Em champions, will begin a marketing campaign in the UK near the end of 2004.
Quoteworthy -- This MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) is either a device tricked up to give them some semblance of legitimacy, or worse, it is a means of watering down access to information by our professional investigators."
--Andrew Ramsden, chairman of the Australian Racing Board (ARB). Following last week's revelation that British jockeys and other racing personnel have allegedly used the exchanges illegally, racing authorities in Victoria and NSW on Friday asked UK-based betting exchange Betfair to release information about Australian punters so that they can determine whether any individuals have placed wagers that breach the rules of racing. On Tuesday Betfair, which is not licensed in Australia and is not required to honor the request, refused to reveal the names of its clients. Ramsden made the statements above in response to Betfair's refusal. He added, "Betfair's so-called offers of assistance are next to useless. If Betfair is this uncooperative when they are on their best behavior trying to get a license, how much worse would their attitude be if we allowed them to become established here."
Crypto Version 5 -- I-gaming software company CryptoLogic, has released the fifth version of its casino suite with six new nine-line video slots— Coral Cash, Doctor Love, Dolphin King, Northern Lights, Salsa, and Sirens— that are all linked to one progressive jackpot that pays out in U.S. dollars, euros, and British pounds sterling. Licensed through CryptoLogic's subsidiary WagerLogic, Version 5 also introduces a turbo button that allows faster play for single-hand Blackjack and poker. Version 5 also includes an auto-play option that lets players automatically bet for a preset number of spins.
Proposition 1 -- Costa-Rica based BetOnSports is planning a broad public policy initiative in the U.S. called Proposition 1: To Regulate or Prohibit Online Gambling?, the goal of which will be to create a framework for sensible and realistic online gambling regulation in the U.S. Part of the initiative entails a national summit tour in September that will engage experts in law, academics, the gaming industry, and government in debates over critical issues. Among discussion topics are proposed legislation in Congress and the Justice Department's efforts to prohibit online gambling advertisements. The tour is scheduled to stop in New York, Washington, D.C, Chicago, and Los Angeles. After the summit tour BetOnSports will publish a white paper explaining the key findings of the initiative to assist lawmakers with regulatory efforts. The company also plans to host a series of debates at college campuses addressing important issues such as responsible gambling and the ethics of gambling on collegiate games. BetOnSports has already begun a television advertising campaign urging U.S. citizens to voice their opposition to federal prohibition attempts by signing a petition on the BetOnsports.com website.
Freeroll Tourney -- In December Kahnawake-licensed online poker room Royal Vegas Poker will host what it calls The World's Largest Poker Tournament-- a freeroll tournament with $100,000 in cash prizes. All of the money in the tournament (except for $5 buy-backs within the first hour) will be contributed to the prize pool by Royal Vegas Poker. To qualify for the tournament a player simply needs to become a first-time Royal Vegas Poker member by registering sometime before December 14th. Existing members can qualify by playing 2,500 raked hands before December 14th or by playing 1,000 raked hands in any month.
Chimera -- Las Vegas-based software provider Chimera Technology Corp., has announced the completion of its horse race betting platform that will offer real-time odds from most major North American racetracks. Chimera, which plans to eventually implement live video streaming of races, is now working to expand its network to include odds from Asian and European racetracks.
Design Specialists -- Glen Conybeare and Alex Kelleher have founded a new London-based design company called Cut and Deal (cutanddeal.com) that specializes in stock photography and images for the sports, betting, and gaming industries. Established to fulfill the demand for a one-stop gaming and betting design solution, Cut and Deal provides both royalty free and exclusive use images. In the past Conybeare has worked with Ladbrokes, Victor Chandler, Intercasino, and Paradise Poker and has also worked as a freelance consultant for design agency NOWWASHYOURHANDS. Kelleher founded his own design agency in 1995 that he built up to a staff of 50 employees before selling it to a large European agency in 2000. He also co-founded online marketing company Touch Clarity and has been involved in several e-commerce start-up projects.