BetCRIS Spells Relief
Costa Rica-based online bookmaker BetCRIS (BC) has put together a relief package for former customers of BetonSports (BoS). Customers located outside the United States can access their accounts through BetCRIS.com with their BoS username and password. Customers wishing to roll accounts over with BC will receive payouts only after wagering specified sums through the company.
Ladbrokes Expands in Italy
U.K.-based bookmaker Ladbrokes on Nov. 13 announced plans for Italian expansion with the purchase of three betting shops in Turin, Italy. It is the company's first purchase in Italy since announcing in August a joint venture with local operator Pianeta Scommessee. Ladbrokes CEO Chris Bell hopes to build up an estate of roughly 200 shops in Italy, which would contribute an estimated $38 million to company profits. The company said it would have the operation up and running within weeks. Securing the telephone and Internet betting licenses were "only a matter of process," Bell said. He is also optimistic about the company's entrance into the Spanish betting market, with the company planning to make an announcement in early 2007.
Betfair Inks Deal with PGA
Online betting exchange Betfair and the PGA Tour of Australasia have struck an agreement that will see the PGA Tour receive a fair share of the revenue Betfair generates from wagering activity on their events. The agreement is also designed to help maintain the integrity of the sport. "Importantly, this agreement also gives the regulators of professional golf in Australia complete access to our audit trail of betting transactions, including customer details, should they ever need to investigate betting transactions on a tournament played under their auspices," said Betfair's director of corporate and business affairs in Australia, Andrew Twaits.
Victor Chandler Enters Argentine Market
Gibraltar-based online gaming company Victor Chandler (VC) has been granted a betting and gaming license in Argentina. The company will offer a full range of Internet gaming services to Argentina. In addition to the traditional sports betting (vcapuestas.com.ar), the VC group will be launching their poker (vcpoker.com.ar), casino (vccasino.com.ar) and games (vcjuegos.com.ar) Web sites in Argentina. The customized, localized site will launch at the end of November.
EC OKs William Hill/Codere Venture
The European Commission said today that it has cleared the proposed joint venture between U.K. betting group William Hill and Spanish gaming group Codere. The groups in August signed a memorandum of understanding to create a sports betting business in Spain. Licenses were not available to private sports betting operators in Spain prior to the agreement, but several of the country's regions have begun developing legislation to regulate sports betting and introduce licensing regimes allowing the establishment of land-based businesses.
Sports Betting Remains Illegal in Vietnam
A month ago it looked like bets on foreign soccer matches would become legal in Vietnam beginning in 2007. Local newspapers in October quoted the nation's sports minister as saying that the National Sports Committee was seeking government approval to establish a joint venture with a foreign bookmaker to provide betting services on international soccer games. But on Nov. 20, the unicameral lawmaking National Assembly passed the Law on Sports, which did not include any sections on betting, keeping betting illegal in Vietnam. Minister Nguyen Danh Thai, chairman of the National Sports Committee said that betting was too sensitive an issue, adding that his agency would draft an ordinance legalizing gambling in the future, but not incorporate it in a law.