Friday, Aug. 20
BlueSquare -- Online poker solutions company Tribeca Tables has signed a deal to provide Blue Square with an online poker room. Blue Square's poker room will launch in early September, and its players will be aggregated into a larger network with players from Victor Chandler Worldwide, Golden Palace and Kinsdale Holdings. Tribeca Tables is in negotiations to add more major brands to the network, which is operated by U.K.-based Apex Poker. Blue Square recently launched its no-download casino with software from Wagerworks at www.Bluesqcasino.com, and the Rank-owned company is rumored to be finalizing a purchase of the Sporting Options betting exchange.
Powered by Microgaming -- Online gaming operator Vegas Partner Lounge will launch a new Canadian online casino Sept. 1. The site will be tailored to the needs of Canadian players and will enable customers to pay in Canadian dollars. The group has not yet announced the name of the casino and is holding a contest to see if anyone can guess its name. Already operating seven other Microgaming-powered casinos with eCOGRA certification, Vegas Partner Lounge hopes the Canadian site also will receive the eCOGRA seal once it has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Aztec Riches casino group has launched a poker room at www.Poker-Metro.com. Licensed in Kahnawake, the site is powered by Microgaming software and is part of the Prima Poker network.
Quoteworthy -- "We at AusTOTE are the first totalisator operation to recognize that such a business can be run with much lower overheads than the traditional TAB using advances in technology. We are, therefore, able to offer volume related commission rates in the range of 2-5 percent, with the punter enjoying the benefit of higher dividends."
- Mike King, CEO of AusTOTE, a Norfolk Island-licensed totalisator. King today issued a two-page statement faulting the Australian Racing Board's resistance to adopting a new funding structure to address new technology that can reduce the cost of doing business. The inevitable result, argues King, is that "wagering on racing is becoming increasingly less attractive than sports betting or even poker machines." He added, "We believe that taking advantage of technology to improve returns to punters is racing's answer to competing with other forms of wagering. Regrettably, instead of recognizing and adapting to the evolving low cost wagering phenomenon, the Australian racing industry's answer appears to be to invoke draconian restrictions on punters' freedom of choice. . . . In 2004 the choice is between racing and dozens of other alternatives, many of them just as compelling, easier to understand, and all of them legal. By erecting artificial barriers to prevent people betting where they will, all racing will do is to make itself even less appealing to the X-generation punter it so badly needs to attract."
Welcome Aboard -- Meg Tiveus is retiring from Swedish gaming operator Svenska Spel after serving as CEO for seven years, and the company has appointed Jesper Kärrbrink to take her place starting Dec. 1. Kärrbrink, 40, has served many top positions in media and information technology and helped launch the Metro daily newspaper in Prague.
New Jersey -- The New Jersey Racing Commission has initiated a 30-day period for public comment on the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority's presentation of an account wagering system for the state. The commission is expected to approve the system on or around Sept. 20, and Internet wagering services could be operating by Oct. 15. A call center will be constructed at the Meadowlands race track, and after its completion punters will be able to wager by phone as well.
Thursday, Aug. 19
Armchair QB Guide -- Costa Rica-based sports book Betmaker.com has completed the fourth edition of its "Armchair Quarterback's Guide," a booklet that contains match-up information, team histories and game schedules for all professional and NCAA football teams. "Betmaker.com prides itself on its superior customer service, and part of that service is showing our customers that we appreciate their business," Betmaker's marketing director, Sean Jameson, explained. "This guide is essentially a 'thank you' to all of our customers for doing business with us." The company is optimistic for the 2004 football season, having recently relocated to new offices, revamped its Web site and hired and trained a new customer support staff.
SportXction Launch -- Interactive Systems Worldwide Inc. (ISWI) has successfully launched the SportXction play-by-play betting system on Victor Chandler's U.K. betting site at www.victorchandler.co.uk. Victor Chandler will initiate an online marketing campaign, direct marketing and promotions. ISWI's subsidiary, Global Interactive Gaming, will operate the system for Victor Chandler UK for betting on football, cricket, golf, tennis and rugby, with more sports (including darts, snooker and racing) to come.
No Authority -- A tribunal established to investigate illegal betting and match-fixing in Italian soccer convened for the first time on Wednesday but was immediately suspended after the Italian Football League's Disciplinary Committee declared that it is unable to punish any players, coaches or clubs who are not in the top two divisions (Serie A and Serie B). Thirty-four individuals and 12 clubs were to stand trial before the tribunal, many of them belonging to lower divisions, such as C1, C2 and amateur leagues. The tribunal will remain adjourned while the Italian Football Federation takes the matter up with the Federal Court of Appeals.
Coming and Going -- Racing giant Magna Entertainment Corp has announced that Bill Davis has retired as a director of the company because of personal and health reasons.
VirtGame Corp, which provides software solutions to the gaming and lottery industries, has appointed Vincent DiVito as an outside director to the company. DiVito is currently vice president, CFO and treasurer of Lonza, Inc, a global specialties chemical business.
Expanding -- Britain's Channel 4, which through a partnership with Sky Bet provides interactive TV wagering for broadcasts of cricket, horseracing, "Big Brother" and more, will launch wagering services on Internet and mobile platforms before Christmas 2004. According to New Media Age, Channel 4 is reluctant to obtain its own bookmaking license because it is a public service broadcaster. It is, therefore, searching for betting partners for the new ventures. The new services will remain linked to Channel 4's broadcast programming.
Quoteworthy -- "Anyone who thinks that good can come from turning millions of Australians into unlicensed bookmakers and encouraging punters to make money from horses losing rather than winning is grossly naïve."
- Andrew Ramsden, chairman of the Australian Racing Board (ARB).
"It's no surprise that they have rehashed their Canute-like position in this manner, but in doing so they have only succeeded in further upsetting plenty of people here who want their country's racing board to demonstrate that it can recognize opportunity, rather than being frightened by change to the long-term detriment of the sport."
--Mark Davies, spokesman for Betfair.
(Executives of Australian Racing met on Monday to develop a unified strategy to prevent betting exchanges from penetrating deeper into the Australian betting market. )
Affiliate Programs -- Gaming site Slotland.com has announced a new affiliate program that removes some of the risk factors for webmasters. While most casino programs pay affiliates based on the net losses for referred players, Slotland's program pays affiliates 25 percent of player deposits for the lifetime of the player. Slotland has also decided not to deduct the value of credit card chargebacks from affiliate earnings.
Income Access, a Canadian company that provides software for affiliate networks, has designed a new program for UltimateBet.com that gives affiliates up to 35 percent in commission on revenue earned from referred players.
Wednesday, Aug. 18
Injury Books -- British Olympic swimmer Sarah Price gashed her leg on an underwater camera Monday during a warm-up for the semi-finals of the 100 meter backstroke, prompting Irish bookmaker Paddy Power to open odds on a number of freakish and horrific injuries. Paddy Power is offering 10-1 odds that a fencer is impaled by a sword, 33-1 that an archer receives an arrow in the eye, 11-2 that a steward is struck by a hammer, shot or javelin, 10-1 that a diver hits his head on a diving board (as Greg Louganis did in Seoul in 1988), 4-1 that a pole vaulter is hurt by a snapped pole, and 11-4 that a gymnast falls of the pommel horse. Paddy Power has already paid out on 6-4 odds that an equestrian competitor would be thrown from his horse and has consequently trimmed the odds of another rider being thrown to 5-4. The Longest odds are 66-1 that an athlete will be involved in a motorbike crash after missing a drug test.
Bet Among Bookies -- Bookmaker Victor Chandler has accepted a £1 million bet from rival bookie Fred Done that Man Utd. will finish ahead of Chelsea at the end of the Premiership season. Commenting on the wager, Chandler said, "It will make the season interesting for both of us. From my point of view it means that I have no idea who I will be championing later in the season. Obviously, with the volume of bets, both big and small stakes that we take during the season, the bet has no significance on our pricing. I will be switching my allegiance based on where the money goes in the company. Nevertheless, we will be looking for ways, as always, to pass some of the value back to our smaller customers in specials on Man Utd. and Chelsea."
Numbers Dispute -- Mintel International Group, a media and consumer intelligence company, has published a report stating that gambling on Britain's National Lottery has dwindled in the last five years while betting on horses, dogs and bingo is recovering. Mintel reports that 11 percent of British adults bet on horses, dogs or sporting events in November 1999, then only 6 percent placed such bets in May 2002, but by May 2004, 10 percent had placed such bets. Mintel's numbers also show that 76 percent of British adults purchased tickets for the Saturday National Lottery draw in November 1999, but only 63 percent did so in May 2004. According to Mark Brechin, a leisure analyst at Mintel, "The situation for Camelot does look pretty precarious." He added, "The introduction of new games has failed to sustain long-term interest. The biggest problem seems to be the way the lottery is run. People are bored with the main Lotto draw and want more prizes with lower jackpots. They also want to see the money they spend go back to their local communities." Camelot, the operator of the National Lottery, contests Mintel's findings, however, and has denounced its report as a "spin" that is riddled with inaccuracies. Camelot says that in April it released figures showing that the lottery was experiencing growth for the first time in six years. The company also claims the percentage of adults playing the lottery's main draw has lingered close to 70 percent, not as low as 63 percent as reported by Mintel.
Hard Time -- The Canadian who mounted an Olympic diving board wearing a tutu and GoldenPalace.com tattoos and then leapt into the pool has been sentenced to a five month jail sentence in Athens and fined 300 euros for a public order offence. He has been released for now and will likely appeal the conviction.
Personnel Changes -- Paul Collis has resigned as managing director of Stanley Leisure's gaming division. He is replaced by Michael Riddy, who joined the company as finance director in 1998. Colin Child, a former finance director and chief operating officer for Fitness First, will take over the finance director vacancy left by Riddy.
VirtGame Corp., which provides software solutions to the gaming and lottery industries, has appointed Mark Newburg as its new CEO and President. Newburg, who will also serve on VirtGame's board of directors, has over 25 years of experience in domestic and international gaming, hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, and financial services. He was once president of Aristocrat Technologies, a subsidiary of Australian Aristocrat Leisure.
OnlineCasinoNews.com reports that Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd., the Australian company that recently entered into a 50-50 joint venture with Betfair to develop a betting exchange for Australia, has begun reshuffling some of its top management positions in preparation for its entrance into the gambling industry.
Tuesday, Aug. 17
Blue Buying Options? -- The Racing Post reports that Blue Square could be on the verge of purchasing betting exchange Sporting Options. Lawyers for the companies are performing due diligence and are unwilling to discuss the matter, but an announcement to the London Stock Exchange could come as early as next week. The Racing Post estimates that the price tag for Sporting Options could be around £4 million. Such a deal would mark the first time a bookmaker has purchased a betting exchange.
Quoteworthy -- "We were pleased to see that the commission did not intend the directive to affect remote gambling. They were very receptive to the fact that a remote casino is one of the last gambling places a money launderer would pursue given that it requires them getting into the banking system through the use of a credit card."
- Andrew Tottenham, chairman of iGGBA, in response to the European Commission's decision not to impose new rules for online gambling operations under its recently proposed Money Laundering Directive. The directive would extend the requirements of "know your customer" identification and verification. Among other things, it would oblige land-based casinos to identify and verify individuals who exchange more than 1,000 euro in chips.
Golden Palace Strikes Again -- Olympic Games organizers have increased security at all athletic venues in Athens after a man wearing a blue tutu and clown shoes climbed onto a diving board during a synchronized diving competition, perched for a moment, dove into the pool and swam for several minutes until security fished him out. The trespasser, 31-year-old Ron Bensimhon of Canada, of course had "GoldenPalace.com" written across his chest and back. Bensimhon is the same man who crashed the women's world figure skating championships in Dortmund, Germany this year wearing similar attire and tattoos.
Skybetting on 4 -- A deal between Skybet and Channel 4's interactive arm, 4Interactive, will enable viewers of Channel 4 Racing to bet on races with a platform that is a significant improvement on the version offered by the old Attheraces. The service's picture-in-picture format will enable iTV users to access a betting screen without missing the live action. Punters can wager on a number of propositions, including win-only, each-way, forecasts, tricasts and accumulators. Placing a bet should only take about 20 seconds once an account has been established. The service is expected to go live on Saturday.
Easy Filter Tools -- Microsoft and the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) have teamed up to released a free add-in tool for Microsoft's Web page creator application, Office Front Page 2003. The new tool enables Web site authors to easily add ICRA content labels to web pages so that various content filtering tools will be able to restrict children from accessing adult-orientated web pages. The ICRA Content Rating Add-in can be downloaded from Microsoft for free.
Google IPO Betting -- SportsBook911.com temporarily suspended over/under bets on the Google IPO after receiving floods of wagers from California and New York bet that the price would be under $110. "The reality is that the general public does not usually buy stocks over $100, which we think will severely reduce the possible investor pool. Therefore, there will not be enough buyers to support that price," said Mike Nickels, president of GC Sports Group, the company that runs the site. "Given the financial connections of people in those two cities, we quickly recognized that we needed to change our wagering structure to level the playing field and make this more of a challenge for our customers who will have a way to make money on the Google IPO without having to actually buy a share." The sport book has reopened a revised betting platform for the Google IPO that includes five price points with varying odds for opening and closing prices.
Monday, Aug. 16
Match Fixing? -- Following an announcement in May from anti-mafia police in Naples that 12 Italian football clubs from Serie A, B and C were under investigation for mafia-related match fixing, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) last Monday ordered 33 people and 12 football clubs to face a sporting tribunal. The tribunal will commence sometime after Aug. 15 and complete its proceedings before the season starts on Sept. 12. Police investigators, who are continuing a separate investigation, claim to possess tape-recorded evidence of telephone conversations proving that at least three AC Siena players were involved in fixing, but so far all 33 of the implicated individuals deny any wrongdoing. Any of the players, coaches or club executives found guilty by the tribunal could face fines or bans from football, and any guilty clubs could also face fines or relegation or could have some of their points docked.
TradingSports Moving -- AIM-listed betting exchange network provider TradingSports Exchange Systems is moving its headquarters from London to Glasgow. The move is part of a recovery plan that also includes raising £4.5 million through a private placement that will give former bond trader Terry Ramsden a 12 percent stake in the company. Ray Ranson, a former Birmingham football player, will also purchase shares under the private placement, and both men will play a significant role in the company's future business developments. The company's headquarters will relocate to West of Scotland Science Park, where its technology division already resides. A strategic review of the company's business, which was ordered in June by chief executive Roger Mitchell, who was taking over for Joe Tighe, recommended the consolidation of the two divisions. The company may also change its name to The Trading Exchange to suggest that its system allows trading on more than sports bets.
Poker Newcomer -- Steve Morrow, co-director of the 2002 World Series of Poker and former poker room manager for PokerStars.com, has formed Paradigm Poker Consultants, Inc., a company that will offer its expertise and knowledge to new and developing poker rooms. The company's corporate Web site also serves as an online poker portal, with tournament updates, news and more.
£1 Million Game -- Just in time for the new season, British bookmaker Ladbrokes has created a new soccer betting game that gives punters the opportunity to stake £2 to win £1 million by correctly predicting the score of 20 Premier League or Football League matches. The game, which will be promoted with the slogan "Play it, win it, live it," is the first by a U.K. bookmaker to offer a prize so large.