Friday, Aug. 23
Bit from the UK -- From the This Could Get Ugly file...A spokesman from the Department of Media, Culture and Sport told New Media Age recently that it is not getting involved in the dispute between William Hill and Betfair.com. William Hill chief David Harding has made no secret of his opinion that Betfair's person-to-person bookmaking operation is against the 1963 Betting and Gaming Act because it allows people to set bets without having a bookmaker's license. DCMS, however, said law enforcement isn't part of its job. Harding, however, isn't taking no for an answer. "It's clear this is an issue which needs to be addressed," he said. "As a guardian of the law, it's the responsibility of the government
to pass on the message to the legal authorities and we expect DCMS to do this." Betfair communications director Mark Davies said he's confident the company is not doing anything illegal.
Thursday, Aug. 22
New Stuff -- The former managing director of Ladbrokes International, Ed Ware, has set up an online betting and gaming company with plans to roll out a range of interactive products. Ware established Trafalgar
Betting and Gaming with the help of a number of private backers, and its first gaming product will be an online casino called 32Red. According to the company, 32Red will set itself apart
by offering a "British-focused experience."
Makin' Deals -- World Gaming plc is announcing the signing of an agreement with Nova Internet N.V. to bring two casinos to the Internet. The initial Web site, www.hotgoldcasino.com, is now live and available in English, French,
German, Italian and Brazilian Portuguese. The next phase of the launch will be the introduction of a sports book in September.
Say What? -- "Ms. (Julie) Anderson, PayPal's spokeswoman, said Wednesday that until the deal closed, the company would continue to take online gambling business from people placing wagers in states other than New
York." -- Paragraph from an article in The New York Times, Aug. 22, about PayPal's settlement with the New York attorney general.
Wednesday, Aug. 21
Tidbit from Down Under -- eBet Ltd. has received regulatory approval from the ACT Gambling & Racing Commission to commence fixed-odds Internet trading on www.sportsacumen.com. The Web site will be run by Sports Acumen Pty Ltd. , eBet's sports and race betting subsidiary that was formerly known as City Index Pty Ltd. The Web site will offer fixed odds and index betting options on a range of Australian and international sports, as well as most Australian and some international horse races.
Asian Tidbit -- Word has it that the government of Macau is looking to copy Nevada's gaming regulation model. The rumors surfaced after the Macau government tapped two prominent Las Vegas casino developers, Desert Inn owner Steve
Wynn and Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson, to build and operate resort-style casinos in the Chinese enclave. "I believe the government of Macau is serious about instituting sweeping changes," said Gaming Control Board Chairman Dennis Neilander.
Tuesday, Aug. 20
US Tidbit -- PayPa and eBay on Tuesday passed the anti-trust waiting period without getting a formal request for more information from the U.S. Justice Department. eBay's acquisition of PayPal--which marks the end of PayPal as a method for consumers to pay for Internet gambling--is still subject to shareholder and other regulatory approvals.
Testing News -- Technical Systems Testing received approval from the Alderney Gambling Control Commission as an accredited testing facility. The commission's stamp of approval allows the group to complete independent testing and assessment to assist gaming companies in attaining Internet gambling licenses in Alderney and ongoing technical and operational compliance. ... Gaming Laboratories International said Tuesday that its European office has achieved accreditation in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands Accreditation Body, also known as RvA (Raad voor Accreditatie) approved GLI to perform testing on Internet gaming software and gaming machines, among other things.
UK Bit-- Cirsa Group of Spain finished the evaluation and restructuring of its U.K. assets recently when Cirsa Corp. UK bought all the externally owned shares of Deith Cirsa UK. Cirsa said its main focus in the United Kingdom will now be on Leisureworld, a gaming operations company. Bob Deith, chairman of Deith Cirsa UK is leaving the company to spend more time at Deith Associates Ltd. , a European gaming consulting company.
Saying Goodbye -- Greyhound race betting and broadcasting site 24dogs is closing. Wembley plc, its owner, is shutting the site down because it was not profitable. Twenty-six jobs will be lost because of the closure.
Monday, Aug. 19
Makin' Deals --Bingo.com Inc. announced Monday that it is entering a partnership agreement with Walter Drake Inc. , an online catalog and retailer, to bring discount coupons to members of its online bingo halls. Players of
Bingo.com's bingo, poker and slots games receive Bingo Bucks, which can be used for purchase coupons of up to 15 percent off all the merchandise available at Walter Drake sites. ... Ladbrokes has signed two three-year deals to provide Premiership champions Arsenal and Liverpool with betting and gaming services. The deals make Ladbrokes.com the official interactive betting and gaming supplier to fans via the official Web sites at www.arsenal.com and www.liverpoolfc.tv. In May 2002, Ladbrokes signed a
four-year deal to provide betting services to Manchester United.
New Stuff -- PaySports.com has announced the release of its new multi-brand sports book affiliate program, which offers incentive packages to Webmasters who want to cash in on the upcoming football season. PaySports.com is
offering new members a 30 percent net win for as long as customer accounts remain active and in good standing--up to $60 per qualified customer--and 15 percent of the initial deposit per qualified customer.
UK Tidbit -- Fears are growing that the U.K. gaming industry will face a levy on its profits unless it coughs up an extra £2.2 million to fund treatment for gambling addicts. So far the industry has raised £800,000 to fund GamCare, which
promotes responsible attitudes toward gambling, and Gordon House, the country's only residential treatment center. All of this comes in the wake of the Culture Minister's announcement that warned gaming companies that they must find £3 million to pay for addiction treatment or the government will introduce a levy on gross profits.