Friday, June 10
Mobile Citadel -- e-commerce payment solutions provider Citadel Commerce Corp. has signed a five-year license agreement with Phantom Fiber so that it may use Phantom Fiber's wireless platform to extend its myCitadel payment solution to mobile customers. Now Citadel customers can download the company's mobile wallet application to their mobile devices, which they can then use to fund their myCitadel account and make gaming credit purchases… Citadel has also become sponsor of the Online Series of Poker Leader Board. The Online Series of Poker is a tournament that will be held across Party Poker, Ultimate Bet, PokerRoom, Absolute Poker and Golden Palace Poker. Each site will host two tournaments, and the winner of each will not only receive the prize money from that tournament but also qualify for the final table event on Oct. 8 at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort in Atlantic City.
Norwegian Ban -- Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reports that a majority of Norwegian Parliament members now support banning the country's citizens from gambling with foreign-based websites. Politicians have until recently believed that banning foreign gambling sites would violate EU trade rules, but a recent ruling from the Supreme Court of the Netherlands may indicate that the country can proceed with a prohibition of foreign sites. Culture Minister Valgerd Svarstad Haugland said of the ruling, "This is good news for us. All signals from the EU show that this should be a national matter. And if so, the Storting (Norway's parliament) has already passed the necessary measures so it is just a question of execution."
Moving -- Online poker site PokerStars.com is rumored have obtained a license to operate from the Isle of Man. Currently licensed out of Costa Rica, PokerStars possesses the second largest share of the online poker market and is responsible for hosting the satellite tournaments that qualified the champions of both the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker champions.
Final Deadline? -- British television station Channel 4 has pushed its negotiating deadline with the horse racing and betting industries back once again following "the productive nature of today's talks with the Tote and the racecourses." After broadcasting horse racing for 21 years, Channel 4 has stated that it is losing money through its coverage of the sport. It had originally requested an £8 million subsidy to continue broadcasting races, but that request was unanimously rejected by the racing and betting industries only days before the expiration of the first deadline on May 31st. Yet, due to meaningful talks between some of the parties involved, Channel 4 pushed the deadline to the end of last week, then to the end of this week, before today stating that next Wednesday will be the final deadline. There now seems to be much hope and expectation that some sort of sponsorship package will be reached.
Cross Border Pools -- Woodbine Entertainment, the operator of Canadian horse race wagering site HorsePlayer Interactive (675bets.com), has been attempting to gain access to U.S. pari-mutuel pools ever since U.S. President George Bush signed a law that repealed a 30 percent alien withholding tax on bets foreign to the U.S. Woodbine says Canadian racetracks and more than 2,000 customers have petitioned the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency to permit common pool wagering within Canada using the rules of the U.S. tracks. Two U.S. states-Illinois and Ohio-- have already provided written approval to start common pool wagering with Canada by early July, but other states have progressed more slowly. In most cases, state regulators are reviewing whether or not their policies could permit the same minimum bet values in Canada and the U.S.
Ding Ding -- Charles Champion, CEO of Youbet.com Inc-- the largest provider of horseracing content and wagering in the U.S.-- had the honor of ringing the opening bell for the NASDAQ Stock Market this morning-- one day before the third leg of American horseracing's Triple Crown takes place at Belmont Park in New York.
Welcome -- iGGBA (interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association), an industry body for the European online gaming industry that aims to work with government and regulators in formulating fair interactive gambling regulation, has welcomed legal firm Manches LLP and gaming machine manufacturer Bell-Fruit Games to its ranks. iGGBA has more than 50 members and believes that by supporting a broad and diverse membership base, every necessary issue can be addressed.
VC White Labels -- Gibraltar-based gambling company Victor Chandler has signed an agreement to launch a white-label betting site for British high street bookmaker Jennings, which is one of the largest UK high-street bookmakers yet to develop an online presence. Managing director Ed Andrewes says that white-labeling remains an important part of Victor Chandler's business and that his company is already in late negotiation states with several other large brands.
Mobile Marketing Tools -- Finnish digital gaming solutions provider EGET (European Game & Entertainment Technology Ltd) has partnered with Finnish mobile marketing technology provider Add2Phone to offer player profiling, mobile CRM capabilities and advanced mobile marketing tools through its WinOne Mobile Gaming Platform.
Partners -- Internet services and solutions company Philweb Corp-- which is the primary technology service provider and marketing consultant to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor) in matters involving Internet-based gambling operations-has signed an agreement with FB Systems Inc, which is a subsidiary of Canada-based Futurebet Gaming Systems. Under the terms of the agreement, FB Systems will be Philweb's partner in providing technology, marketing, and distribution services to Pagcor. The agreement covers all North American sports and all Philippine-based sports except for soccer.
Exceeding Expectations -- Arena Leisure, operator of British horseracing television network At The Races announced today, exactly one year after the relaunch of At the Races, that the network has exceeded audience level expectations and has been able to deliver £2 million back to its racecourse shareholders and partners."
Thursday, June 9
Mobile Citadel -- e-commerce payment solutions provider Citadel Commerce Corp. has signed a five-year license agreement with Phantom Fiber so that it may use Phantom Fiber's wireless platform to extend its myCitadel payment solution to mobile customers. Now Citadel customers can download the company's mobile wallet application to their mobile devices, which they can then use to fund their myCitadel account and make gaming credit purchases… Citadel has also become sponsor of the Online Series of Poker Leader Board. The Online Series of Poker is a tournament that will be held across Party Poker, Ultimate Bet, PokerRoom, Absolute Poker and Golden Palace Poker. Each site will host two tournaments, and the winner of each will not only receive the prize money from that tournament but also qualify for the final table event on Oct. 8 at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino and Resort in Atlantic City.
Norwegian Ban -- Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten reports that a majority of Norwegian Parliament members now support banning the country's citizens from gambling with foreign-based websites. Politicians have until recently believed that banning foreign gambling sites would violate EU trade rules, but a recent ruling from the Supreme Court of the Netherlands may indicate that the country can proceed with a prohibition of foreign sites. Culture Minister Valgerd Svarstad Haugland said of the ruling, "This is good news for us. All signals from the EU show that this should be a national matter. And if so, the Storting (Norway's parliament) has already passed the necessary measures so it is just a question of execution."
Moving -- Online poker site PokerStars.com is rumored have obtained a license to operate from the Isle of Man. Currently licensed out of Costa Rica, PokerStars possesses the second largest share of the online poker market and is responsible for hosting the satellite tournaments that qualified the champions of both the 2003 and 2004 World Series of Poker champions.
Final Deadline? -- British television station Channel 4 has pushed its negotiating deadline with the horse racing and betting industries back once again following "the productive nature of today's talks with the Tote and the racecourses." After broadcasting horse racing for 21 years, Channel 4 has stated that it is losing money through its coverage of the sport. It had originally requested an £8 million subsidy to continue broadcasting races, but that request was unanimously rejected by the racing and betting industries only days before the expiration of the first deadline on May 31st. Yet, due to meaningful talks between some of the parties involved, Channel 4 pushed the deadline to the end of last week, then to the end of this week, before today stating that next Wednesday will be the final deadline. There now seems to be much hope and expectation that some sort of sponsorship package will be reached.
Cross Border Pools -- Woodbine Entertainment, the operator of Canadian horse race wagering site HorsePlayer Interactive (675bets.com), has been attempting to gain access to U.S. pari-mutuel pools ever since U.S. President George Bush signed a law that repealed a 30 percent alien withholding tax on bets foreign to the U.S. Woodbine says Canadian racetracks and more than 2,000 customers have petitioned the Canadian Pari-Mutuel Agency to permit common pool wagering within Canada using the rules of the U.S. tracks. Two U.S. states-Illinois and Ohio-- have already provided written approval to start common pool wagering with Canada by early July, but other states have progressed more slowly. In most cases, state regulators are reviewing whether or not their policies could permit the same minimum bet values in Canada and the U.S.
Ding Ding -- Charles Champion, CEO of Youbet.com Inc-- the largest provider of horseracing content and wagering in the U.S.-- had the honor of ringing the opening bell for the NASDAQ Stock Market this morning-- one day before the third leg of American horseracing's Triple Crown takes place at Belmont Park in New York.
Welcome -- iGGBA (interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association), an industry body for the European online gaming industry that aims to work with government and regulators in formulating fair interactive gambling regulation, has welcomed legal firm Manches LLP and gaming machine manufacturer Bell-Fruit Games to its ranks. iGGBA has more than 50 members and believes that by supporting a broad and diverse membership base, every necessary issue can be addressed.
VC White Labels -- Gibraltar-based gambling company Victor Chandler has signed an agreement to launch a white-label betting site for British high street bookmaker Jennings, which is one of the largest UK high-street bookmakers yet to develop an online presence. Managing director Ed Andrewes says that white-labeling remains an important part of Victor Chandler's business and that his company is already in late negotiation states with several other large brands.
Mobile Marketing Tools -- Finnish digital gaming solutions provider EGET (European Game & Entertainment Technology Ltd) has partnered with Finnish mobile marketing technology provider Add2Phone to offer player profiling, mobile CRM capabilities and advanced mobile marketing tools through its WinOne Mobile Gaming Platform.
Partners -- Internet services and solutions company Philweb Corp-- which is the primary technology service provider and marketing consultant to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor) in matters involving Internet-based gambling operations-has signed an agreement with FB Systems Inc, which is a subsidiary of Canada-based Futurebet Gaming Systems. Under the terms of the agreement, FB Systems will be Philweb's partner in providing technology, marketing, and distribution services to Pagcor. The agreement covers all North American sports and all Philippine-based sports except for soccer.
Exceeding Expectations -- Arena Leisure, operator of British horseracing television network At The Races announced today, exactly one year after the relaunch of At the Races, that the network has exceeded audience level expectations and has been able to deliver £2 million back to its racecourse shareholders and partners."
Wednesday, June 8
New Member -- iGGBA (interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association), an industry body for the European online gaming industry that aims to work with government and regulators in formulating fair interactive gambling regulation, has welcomed gaming machine manufacturer Bell-Fruit Games to its ranks. iGGBA has more than 50 members and believes that by supporting a broad and diverse membership base, every necessary issue can be considered in the interplay between the different parties.
Unitab Broadcasts -- The Australian Financial Review reports that Queensland-based gaming operator Unitab has signed a deal to carry ThroughVision racing broadcasts in almost all of its outlets across the Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia. The company says its comprehensive betting data will complement TVN's racing broadcasts for a rapidly expanding audience base.
Mahjong Deal -- Mahjong Mania (the trading name of Mahjong Systems Limited) has signed an agreement to provide its Mahjong software to Canada-based I-gaming software and solutions company Gambling Federation for use within its online gaming suite. The aggregate play-for-money Mahjong game, which pools players from all of Mahjong Mania's partners in order to ensure optimal liquidity and player numbers, will initially be available at Gambling Federation licensor Videopokerclassic.com. Mahjong is a popular household game in China, Japan, Korea and Taiwan, and Mahjong Mania, and the two companies believe that the Mahjong product provides the potential for operators of Internet casinos and sports books to penetrate the Asian market.
New Games -- Curacao-licensed online gaming operator InterCasino.com has added 12 new slots and two new scratch card-games from software provider CryptoLogic Inc to its suite of casino games, bringing its total to over 100.
WSOP Podcast -- Professional poker player and commentator Phil Gordon has begun streaming a daily podcast from the 2005 World Series of Poker. Fans and players can hear the podcasts for free at expertinsight.com, a website that sells and showcases an instructional video for poker.
Mobile Lottery -- The producers of concert charity Live 8 are distributing tickets to the star-studded show by holding a mobile lottery. People can enter the competition as many times as they like by sending a text message for the price of £1.50 per entry. Sporting Index predicts that text entries could raise up to £19.5 million.
NPA -- The rising popularity of poker has fostered the creation of the National Poker Association for players in the U.S. The organization intends to offer members benefits such as discounts on travel, entertainment and shopping, to promote enthusiasm for the game and to lobby for improved poker legislation. For $25 per year, members can purchase NPA logo apparel, access a land-based poker room locator, view tournament schedules and receive updates on legislative issues.
Tuesday, June 7
Exclusive Partner -- William Hill is the exclusive betting partner of a brand new mobile betting service called At The Races 3G, which can stream the entire At The Races television broadcast to any mobile device that is properly equipped to receive the transmission over 3's cellular network. Developed in-house by At The Races, the service will at first be available only to subscribers of the 3 network—which serves about half of the six million 3G devices in the UK—but At The Races is currently in negotiations with Vodafone and Orange to bring the service to their networks as well. The transmission stream of At The Races 3G lags only one second behind the TV broadcast, and the audio is apparently nearly perfect. Users can connect to the William Hill call center to place a bet simply by pressing the number '1'.
Remote Law -- Nevada's governor Kenny Guinn has signed into law a bill that will permit casino visitors to gamble with the house using remote handheld devices in public areas, such as at restaurants or poolside. Now that AB 471 is law, Nevada's State Gaming Control Board and Gaming Commission will draft rules to regulate the implementation of remote gambling at casinos. It will take several months or as much as a year for the agencies to draft the regulations. Remote gambling will not be permitted in hotel rooms or other private areas.
Data Rights Case -- In Britain, the High Court has denied bookmaker Victor Chandler International an injunction against the British Horseracing Board and its pre-race data service provider PA News. Shortly after the European Court of Justice delivered the BHB a defeat in its data rights case against William Hill last November, VCI applied for an injunction, charging that the BHB was forcing bookmakers to pay "abusively high and excessive charges." The court inevitably ruled that the BHB works for the good of racing and therefore also for the bookmakers who benefit through their commercial interest in the sport. VCI has been refused the right to appeal and must now pay £200,000 in overdue balance on its contract with PA News. Greg Nichols, CEO of the BHB, stated, “The ruling certainly disabuses a common misconception that the European Court of Justice ruling back in November disentitled the BHB from charging bookmakers for the supply of pre-race data." Within the next month a Dublin court will rule on a similar dispute that involves a group of Irish bookmakers who seek a £20 million-a-year rebate from the BHB over data rights contracts.
Partners -- Internet services and solutions company Philweb Corp-- which is the primary technology service provider and marketing consultant to the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp (Pagcor) in matters involving Internet-based gambling operations—has signed an agreement with FB Systems Inc, a subsidiary of Canada-based Futurebet Gaming Systems. Under the terms of the agreement, FB Systems will be Philweb's partner in providing technology, marketing, and distribution services to Pagcor. The agreement covers all North American sports and all Philippine-based sports except for soccer.
Deadline Extension -- Channel 4 has extended the deadline by which to reach an agreement with Britain’s racing and betting industries through the end of this week. The original deadline was set for May 31st, but was extended through the end of last week because discussions show the prospect of a positive outcome. The Tote confirmed yesterday that it was interested in contributing to a sponsorship deal now that new rules in program sponsorship allow bookmakers to lend their name to racing coverage. Betfair and the Racecourse Association are also reportedly somewhat interested in helping. By tomorrow or Thursday bookmakers could pitch a new offer that involves several of them joining together to sponsor coverage throughout the season, but the figure is not likely to come anywhere near the £8 million subsidy requested by Channel 4. After broadcasting horseracing for 21 years, Channel 4 has stated it is losing money through its coverage of the sport and is therefore requesting the subsidy. At least two stations, BBC and ITV, would reportedly be eager to inherit Channel 4’s burden.
Quoteworthy -- “Son, can I borrow your credit card?”
--Professor Joe Kelly of the State University of New York. Speaking at a recent meeting of the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States on the subject of new UK law provisions that exempt minors' credit cards from online gambling debt enforcement. Kelly envisioned a situation where a father might like to borrow his son's card.
Welcome Aboard -- Gianni Corrandini, a promoter and advisor of I-gaming software and solutions firm WorldMatch, has been voted onto Malta's seven-member Remote Gaming Council. Founded by Malta's Lotteries and Gaming Authority, the Remote Gaming Council advises the government on the most recent developments within the online gambling sector. The government itself does not actually sit on the Council, but does take part as an observer. The Council is made up of stakeholders from the online gaming industry, including license holders, data carriers, Internet service providers, as well as legal and financial professionals.
Upgrade -- Betfair recently upgraded its system improve its server capacity and also to launch Spanish and Turkish language versions of its site. The upgrade took longer than expected, and the 15 hours of downtime that resulted is the longest since the company's emergence five years ago. Betfair has invested an estimated £30 million in technology since its launch.
Mobile Slingo -- Mobile entertainment publisher Kayak Interactive has signed a deal with Slingo, Inc to offer two mobile multiplayer versions of Slingo, the popular web-based game that combines elements of bingo and slot machines. Kayak's Slingo-2-Go service will feature Slingo.com's popular titles Slingo Millenium and Slingo, 5-Card.
Monday, June 6
The Italian Pirate -- World Poker Exchange today announced an exclusive partnership with professional poker champion Max Pescatori (a.k.a. "The Italian Pirate"), who will serve as the resident odds maker for poker tournament betting lines. Pescatori will share his extensive knowledge with poker fans in his monthly column on the site, featuring tips for betting on poker. He will also represent World Poker Exchange during tournament appearances at the World Series of Poker and the London Open 2005, and starting in July he will host a regular "virtual table" at World Poker Exchange, where members will be invited to play against him. The betting lines will be available at World Poker Exchange's affiliated site, World Sports Exchange, as well. Terms of the agreement were not released.
Mahjong Mania -- Mahjong Mania (a trading name for gaming software developer Mahjong Systems Limited) today announced a software agreement with Gambling Federation through which the former will provide its mahjong software to the latter. The software will initially be available at Gambling Federation's premier licensor, Videopokerclassic.com. Mahjong Mania President Adriaan Brink said his company expects Gambling Federation's "significant Asian player base to enhance our overall liquidity and the playing experience for all of our customers."
Derby Damage -- Scotsman reports that the winning of the Vodafone Derby at Epsom by 3-1 favorite Motivator translated to six-figure losses for British bookmaker Coral. Simon Clare, a spokesman for the company, called the outcome "quite simply the worst possible result for Britain’s bookies, who will face a multi-million-pound pay-out." Damien Walker of totesport, meanwhile, estimates that the horse's win cost bookmakers £5 million.
More iGGBA Activity -- Kroopier Technologies, a provider of security solutions for remote gambling companies, has joined iGGBA (the interactive Gaming, Gambling and Betting Association). Kroopier Director Ignacio de Juan said that his company is looking forward working with iGGBA to bring a perspective on security concerns to international discussions on Internet casinos.