Friday, July 26
Makin' Deals -- World Gaming released a shareholder update Friday in which it confirmed that it has had talks with one of its competitors about merging the two companies. IGN heard a rumor that the competitor is IQ-Ludorum. A spokesman for World Gaming said he couldn't comment on the potential merger. World Gaming also said today that David Craven has accepted the job of president and CEO and that Jim MacKay, who held the position from July 5-19, is no longer associated with the company. Mike Aymong resigned as president, CEO and interim chairman of the board of directors on July 5.
UK Tidbit -- Paddy Power said this week that it plans to open more betting shops in Britain. The Irish bookmaker has 129 shops in all, and as of now only two of them are in Britain. The company said it hopes to open 50 betting shops in the United Kingdom. Business for Paddy Power's U.K. telephone and Internet betting has grown in the last year.
Thursday, July 25
Makin' Deals -- UltimateBet and E-Gaming Ltd. are teaming up to launch UB-2.com, a new poker site. E-Gaming will market the site, which will use UltimateBet's poker software. According to the companies, funds that ordinarily would have been used for advertising the site will be funneled into a player rewards program. "Paying the players for word-of-mouth advertising is a revolutionary concept that we believe is
going to generate a lot of interest," said Warren Karp, COO of E-Gaming. ... Easyodds.com, which helps people compare bets, is looking to create partnerships with online bookmakers. "Essentially, we provide a perfect, targeted audience for betting organizations to market and advertise to which is far more cost-effective and results driven than traditional areas," said Tony Plaskow, an Easyodds.com co-founder.
Legal Stuff -- On Tuesday, a lawyer in Iola, Wis., was sentenced to one month in federal prison for helping run an offshore sports betting operation. Bruce
Meagher, 51, was also given five months of home detention and one year of supervised released and a fine of $20,000. Meagher pleaded guilty on April 23 on a gambling charge in connection with the case against Gold Medal Sports.
Tidbit from Down Under -- Australian site Adultshop.com is reportedly considering branching out into the online gambling business. The company has grossed AU$42.3 million from adult entertainment sales in the three months to June
30. Malcolm Day, chief executive of Adultshop, said the group is considering other online business opportunities. "Things like online dating and your online gambling and sports betting are some of the potential areas we will be focusing on," he said.
What Others are Saying -- "This is the same type of hypocritical moralizing put forth by anti-gambling zealots in Congress. If [New York Attorney General Eliot] Spitzer and other politicians really want to protect the public from pernicious forms of gambling, they could start at home and denounce state lotteries, the most extortionate gambling game in existence. (New York's lottery had revenues of more than $4 billion last year.) With their condemnation of gambling, they are not only trying to score some political points but also to protect the state's game from competition."
--Andrew Beyer, in a column in the Washington Post, July 25. Beyer's column addressed Citibank's refusal to process I-gaming transactions.
Wednesday, July 24
Names and Faces Changing Places -- For the second time in two weeks, CryptoLogic is saying goodbye to a high-ranking member of its management team. The gaming software company announced Tuesday afternoon that effective Aug. 2, David Outhwaite will resign his position as COO. "The decision to move on was a difficult and personal one," Outhwaite said in a press release. "However I believe that the accomplishments during my time here and the world-class team we have in place position CryptoLogic to capitalize on the rapidly growing and international gaming market." CryptoLogic's CEO, Jean Noelting, resigned July15. Yesterday the company also said Vice Chairman Robert Stikeman will be overseeing its regulatory compliance team along with John Chalmers, who began working
for the company in April.
Tidbits from the UK -- A committee of MPs is recommending that gaming companies be required to pay an extra tax that would fund problem gambling organizations and research about gambling addiction. While the U.K. gambling industry already pays into a
fund that supports programs that assist problem gamers, the committee is saying that those organizations should not have to rely on the voluntary help of the industry. The committee is calling for the "simply prescription of polluter pays." Between 275,000 and 370,000 people in the United Kingdom are estimated to be addicted to gambling. ... U.K. bookmakers are reportedly sighing in relief after Tiger Woods lost the British Open last weekend. Ladbrokes Spokesman Dave Greenwood said that if Woods had won all four major tournaments, it
would have cost the company £750,000.
New Stuff -- BETonSports is launching a new customer loyalty program that consists of a VIP Club at its headquarters in San Jose. The club will open on Aug. 24 and will include a restaurant, bar, rooftop pool, steam room, massage services and land-based casino. The telephone and Internet gaming company said "celebrities, athletes and media" like Carmen Electra and The Pussycat Dolls will be visiting the club.
Tuesday, July 23
Makin' Deals -- The Players Network will be acquired, pending due diligence and shareholder and regulatory approval, by Northfield Inc. , a Canadian company that is in the process of amassing gaming-related broadcast and media groups. The purchase is valued at US$4.16 million, or approximately 32 cents for the 13 million outstanding shares of The Players Network. Mark Bradley, president and CEO of The Players Network, said the company will continue to specialize in gaming content for TV and the Internet as a wholly owned subsidiary of Northfield. "Players and Northfield share the vision of creating an international media brand for the gaming enthusiast," he said. "I am excited by our opportunities for the future and the ability to significantly expand our business."
Monday, July 22
Makin' Deals -- Virtual Gaming Enterprises Inc. has entered into an Internet development agreement with InforFlash.com. Under the agreement, Virtual Gaming will redesign the existing Virtual Gaming sites and launch five new
gaming sites. This deal gives Virtual Gaming a total of 22 Web sites. "The agreement with Infoflash.com gives us a competitive technology advantage for simulated gaming over the Internet using flash games for desktops, laptops, PDAs and pocket PCs," said VTGE CEO Virgil G. Williams. "The synergy
between both our companies gives us the opportunity to streamline our infrastructure, (and) lower our cost, which increase our overall profit potential."