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Welcome to Bet Sage's
Online Gambling News Section, featuring the latest breaking
gambling industry news courtesy of
InfoPowa
News. This is your
one stop source for all
and any of the latest
developments concerning
all aspects of the
Online Gambling
Industry.
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Revenues up on Q4 but down over same period last year due to US situation
Online games developer and turnkey provider Playtech says total revenues for the first quarter 2007 are up on quarter 4 but lower than the same period last year when US players were welcome at the firm's licensees. Whilst total revenues rose 14 percent over the last quarter of 2006 to US$19.8 million, there was a 5 percent decrease when compared to quarter 1 revenues in 2006.
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Another eventful quarter from online gambling software provider
Veteran online gambling software provider Cryptologic has reported another eventful quarter, listing eight new licensee sites, 40 new games, interesting acquisitions and continuing Asian expansion among its achievements.
Reporting on financial results for the three months ended March 31 2007, the company revealed revenue and earnings of $19.6 million (down 27.5 percent on Q1 2006) and $1.5 million, respectively. CryptoLogic ended the quarter with $103.8 million in net cash.
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"Swords and sorcery" gamemaker to expand horizons
Undeterred by the online gambling-related visits of the FBI to America's "Second Life" virtual world (see previous InfoPowa report) the Chinese online games operator Shanda Interactive Entertainment is poised to start a Chinese equivalent, says chairman Chen Tianqiao.
Chen intends to expand his Nasdaq-listed company beyond the swords-and-sorcery gameplay milieu that has made it China's biggest Internet company, reports The Financial Times.
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Supreme Court rules that Finnish government has the right to deny gambling application
A Ladbrokes application for recognition of its rights to enter the Finnish gambling market again met with failure this week.
Helsingin Sanomat business news reports that the Supreme Administrative Court (KHO) ruled that the Finnish Government had the legal right to deny Ladbrokes' application to run a betting operation in the country based on the fact that a license already had been granted to state-run gaming company Oy Veikkaus Ab.
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Gambling man beats field of 72 to take $200 000 main prize
Old opponents clashed again in the final heads up of the current edition of the Party Poker Open 3 tournament, held in London recently....and this time yesterday's loser was the winner.
When 45 year old former betting shop owner Anthony "The Booky" Hardy and fellow poker pro Ian Woodley faced off in the heads up it was a reprise of a previous encounter between the two...but with a different result. Both men are professional players in the UK, and Woodley was victorious in their last clash in the Poker Den 3 tournament in 2005.
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The United States is the first member to attempt to modify its trade agreement....but it may not be the last
The United States Trade Representative filed a motion to change its original World Trade Organisation agreements on the international passage of goods and services this week amid widespread criticism.
The application to cut online gambling out of the agreement and the scope of the WTO is believed to be the first made in terms of Article XXI of the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) and although the Americans have attempted to sell the idea as a mere "clarification" necessary because there had been no intention to include online gambling a decade ago, few observers doubt that it is anything less than protectionism.
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Google and Yahoo against gambling
New Media Age reports that the search engine giant Google has refused to review its ban on gambling paid-search ads following new advertising that sidesteps the company's strict legislation.
The statement comes on the heels of a smart but legitimate circumvention of the rules in the UK by Sky, which this week launched a search campaign that directs users to a Sky Poker-branded page streaming footage from the Sky Poker TV channel.
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Professional preparation for a multi million dollar experience
Would be World Series of Poker champions will have an opportunity to be coached by some of the top names (and former champions) in the game before this year's epic starts.
With a projected 10 000 contestants and expensive buy-ins, participants may want to take every route they can to improve their chances, and the WSOP Academy is offering just such an edge.
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Heading for Asia....
Gaming professionals planning to attend next month's Global Gaming Expo Asia (G2E Asia) can look forward to a conference program filled with world-class educational content and the unique opportunity to hear directly from industry leaders about the trends and issues affecting the industry in Asia and around the world.
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August start for ex-BSkyB exec
It appears that the UK gambling group Coral's search for a managing director has come to an end with the reported appointment of Nick Rust (39) from television network BSkyB. Chairman John Kelly referred to the position and his search for a suitable executive in a recent financial report.
Rust has the right credentials for the job, having started work with Ladbrokes straight from college and rising over a 15 year career to a senior management position as Commercial Director in charge of the eGaming division, where he was responsible for marketing and operations of all internet, iDTV and telephone betting & gaming.
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Weaker performance of poker operation due to Swedish government monopoly entering online poker sector last year.
CEO Petter Nylander at Unibet plc had generally good news for investors in his release of first quarter results, showing pre-tax profit for the period from January to March rising to GBP8.8 million, up from GBP8 million in the same period last year.
Profit after tax was GBP8.3 million (2006 - GBP5.6 million) whilst gross winnings rose to GBP22.3 million (GBP17 million in 2006).
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US business is strong
The world's largest gambling group, Harrah's Entertainment Inc in Las Vegas has reported continued prosperity in its first quarter 2007 results released this week.
Revenues of US$2.6 billion (US$2.3 billion in 2006) were achieved, and profit for the period was US$185.3 million, a slight rise on US$182.4m in 2006.
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2007 State of the States showcases some big numbers, including tax contribuitions of $5.2 billion
Overshadowing the first quarter results from some of its members, the American Gaming Association released its latest report on land gambling, showing revenues across the United States up 6.8 percent to $32.4 billion - a new record.
Collated from state regulatory agencies on 460 commercial casinos in 11 states, the report reveals that casinos contributed $5.2 billion in gambling taxes to state and local governments, an increase of 5.5 percent from the previous year.
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New prize pool distribution plan means more rewards for more players
Revised payout schedules announced by the organisers of the World Series of Poker 2007 will mean a slightly lower main event winner's check, but a wider distribution of cash to participating players.
The new schedule has a flatter structure which Howard Greenbaum, regional vice president of specialty gaming for Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. says will "....keep more money circulating among more people in the poker community."
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130 leading Casino and poker brands to display eCOGRA's software fairness reports
The online gambling standards and player protection body eCommerce and Online Gambling Regulation and Assurance (www.eCOGRA.org) has stepped up its game fairness testing for online casinos and poker rooms with the appointment of a dedicated and fully qualified team to run the Total Gaming Transaction Review (TGTR) continuous monitoring and data analysis process.
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Land version of the popular online poker site stalled by competitors
Dog-in-the-manger tactics from competitors who themselves are not all operational has again stalled the big opening of Rob Yong's Dusk Til Dawn land poker club in Nottingham, UK.
Originally scheduled to open in November 2006, delays have plagued Dusk Till Dawn which has been on the drawing board since April 2005. The luxury venue will be 21 000 square foot in area, accommodating up to 500 players, making it probably the largest land poker venue in Europe.
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Players report electronic postcard scams increasing
Ever had one of those unexpected "you have a greeting card waiting" emails from unknown persons? You're in good company, as hundreds of players report the same scammer experience, which has now become the subject of an official warning from IT security firm Sophos.
Sophos is warning computer users to be wary of unsolicited emails and defend their web gateways, following the discovery of a spam campaign that poses as an electronic postcard, but is really an attempt to lure the unwary into being infected by a web-based Trojan horse.
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Bluff Europe on Brit newstands from June
Bluff Europe, a European edition of the most popular poker magazine on the market is due to appear in British newstands from June 1st. Circulation will embrace Britain, Scandinavia, Continental Europe and Russia.
Casino and club poker players will still be able to grab their copy of Bluff Europe at their favourite poker parlours, and anyone looking to subscribe to the magazine can do so online at www.bluffeurope.com or via the world�s first-ever SMS magazine subscription service, which allows readers to order and pay for their subscription to Bluff Europe via their mobile phones.
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Poker company reports net loss of $2.3 million compared to net income of $3.6 million in 2006.
WPT Enterprises, Inc. has announced financial results for the first quarter ended April 1, 2007. Highlights for the quarter include the delivery of five episodes of Season V of the World Poker Tour (WPT) television series and the signing of a Professional Poker Tour (PPT) Season I agreement in Finland, which represents the first executed agreement under the Party Gaming sponsorship agreement.
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Datisi debuts from Gibraltar
The PayZ EU Internet Payment System was launched by Gibraltar based Datisi Limited this week. The processor offers a payment solution for buyers and sellers alike. Consumers may use the service to send cash to others or pay for goods and services offered over the internet including sensitive industries such as online gambling and online pharmacies. Sellers may also use this medium to accept payments for a variety of goods or services offered on their websites as well as for distribution of affiliate commissions & payments.
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Spam is getting worse - and gambling is on the list of offenders
Every Internet user has experienced the irritating and time wasting hassle that uninvited hard-sell emails - spam - create, and this week the US specialist network and messaging management company Ipswitch Inc gave an indication of just how bad the plague has become.
The company published the result of its seventh Spamometer survey, revealing that 93 percent of all email received is spam; the highest rate since recording began. This compares with 84 percent the previous quarter and only 62 percent over the same period last year.
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$2 million ring used Internet sites offshore to place bets
New York law enforcement authorities mounted another major sportsbetting raid this week, deploying over 200 police officers in an operation that dismantled a $2 million organisation. Local police departments from New Rochelle, Mount Pleasant, Pleasantville, White Plains, Yonkers and Yorktown provided assistance in the raids on 30 different locations, in which 18 operators and bookies were arrested.
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Educating legislators and the public alike on safe and secure Internet gambling
The efforts of Congressman Barney Frank and other US politicians to introduce legalised and regulated online gambling to the United States (see previous InfoPowa reports) will receive a further boost this week by the news that two U.K.-based companies are planning a grassroots campaign in favour of legislation to regulate the multi-billion-dollar industry.
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"To call this opening Pandora's box must surely be an understatement..."
The respected London publication Tax-News.com says that the decision by the United States government to unilaterally modify its original World Trade Organisation agreements to remove online gambling from WTO authority is a slight to the global organisation.
Jeremy Hetherington-Gore of Tax-News.com writes that the decision has evoked a storm of outrage and concern following a statement in which John Veroneau, on behalf of the US Trade Representative said: "We did not intend and do not intend to have gambling as part of our services agreement. What we are doing is just clarifying our commitments."
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Gala and ITV ink agreement on televised tournaments
British viewers have a poker treat in store following an agreement between Gala Casinos and ITV4 which will result in all six festival events in the Great British Poker Tour being televised later this year.
Television production firm Presentable, which claims to have started the worldwide boom in television poker back in 1999 with Late Night Poker, is filming all the key play from each of the 5-day festival events that comprise the Great British Poker Tour in Edinburgh, Teeside, Nottingham, Bournemouth and Leeds.
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Three seperate political attacks shaping up on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
Three seperate political initiatives attacking the purpose of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the United States are currently in motion, with mainstream media coverage of the US decision not to comply with the World Trade Organisation ruling that US practices are discriminatory keeping the spotlight firmly on the industry.
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WPT's popular game now on a Blackberry near you
Mobile games developer Hands On Mobile, and Blackberry's BPlay have at last launched the eagerly anticipated World Poker Tour (WPT) Texas Hold'em game on Blackberry personal devices.
Players can buy the game by visiting bplay.com from their mobile phones, selecting Top 10, followed by WPT Texas Hold�em for a one off cost of $8.95 for unlimited usage (plus relevant carrier messaging charges).
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Gambling hypocrisy in America
The editorial in the LA Times this weekend carried a blistering attack on the inequities of American law concerning online gambling, suggesting that regulation and licencing would not only better protect players, but could generate taxes to address general gambling problem areas.
Referencing both the Barney Frank proposals to licence and regulate, and the latest confirmation that the US would not be changing its stance on Internet gambling despite World Trade Organisation criticism (see previous InfoPowa report) the newspaper describes the latest US government attempt to make the WTO problem go away by using a rarely deployed procedural mechanism as "...underscoring the hypocrisy of the government's approach to gambling."
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40 percent growth from Blue Square operations
Battling its way back from a 17 percent revenue dip last year, Rank group has reported encouraging figures in the initial third of 2007 with a revenue hike of 3 percent across its gambling portfolio of Mecca bingo clubs, casinos, online gaming and bookmaking services over the corresponding period for 2005.
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27 April deadline brought in new applications
The UK Gambling Commission has published the list of online and offline operators who have applied for prestigious UK gambling licences in time for the September advent of the liberalised Gambling Act.
Despite widespread speculation on the possibly dampening effect of Chancellor Gordon Brown's 15 percent tax regime announced earlier this year, the "remote gaming" section of the list carries a good range of well known, if mainly bookmaker, names.
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Discriminatory online gambling legislation is here to stay
A spokesman for the United States Trade Representative argued Friday that it was not required to comply with a WTO ruling to open its borders to the Internet gambling industry because of an "oversight" in a decade-old trade agreement.
The major news wire services carried a report this week in which the United States said it will maintain a ban on Internet gambling services despite an adverse World Trade Organisation ruling.
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Warning against "discounted rates" for Main Event seats
Enterprising crooks have apparently been trying to scam poker players with offers of heavily discounted seats for the main event of the 2007 World Series of Poker epic scheduled for July in Las Vegas.
WSOP officials have issued a warning after receiving reports about "sensational" offers currently circulating on email and instant messenging channels, cautioning the public about the scam and urging players to ignore the fraudsters' attempts.
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Third series of Poker Pro For A Year launched
With two winners already enjoying some of the benefits of the Poker Pro For A Year online poker promotion, Poker News.com and the Gibraltar-based Internet gambling group 888.com, working through subsidiary Pacific Poker have just launched the third series of the popular competition.
The tournaments in the year-long league culminate with a poker player's dream come true for the overall winner - an all-inclusive sponsorship to four of the poker world's greatest tournaments in 2008. The upcoming global freeroll for Series 3 is a package to the WSOP in Las Vegas worth $12 000.
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| 04 MAY 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Representative Berkely from the great state of Nevada proposes independent survey
Feisty Nevada politician Shelley Berkely has come through with her promise to propose an independent enquiry into the practicality of regulating and licensing online gambling in the United States.
American media are today (Friday) carrying initial reports that Representative Berkely has introduced a bill proposing an independent, 12 month study of online gambling to be conducted by the National Academy of Sciences.
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The wager: $55, the game: Atlantis video slot, the action: a single pull: the return: $100 080!
In a jackpot hit that the casino management describes as "phenomenal" this week, a French player at Everest Casino must have been knee deep in four leaf clovers, rabbits feet and horseshoes when he clicked in to the Atlantis video slot, made a single bet and hit the spin button to win $100 080.
Eduardo Santos, manager of the Grand Virtual powered casino, which is operated by Ultra Internet Media estimates the ROI on the deal at x 1800 the original bet. "This is a phenomenal win for this player and a huge event for Everest Casino," said Santos.
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New program launched by the merged Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet
The combined marketing clout of two major online poker companies, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker will be working for affiliates who join a new affiliate marketing program launched this week branded Chipleader.
"When it comes to affiliate programs, we're changing the game dramatically," said UltimateBet spokesperson George MacLean in a joint statement with David Clainer, senior vice president for Absolute Poker. "We're making it easier for existing and new UB and AP affiliates to increase their revenue."
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CEO of Gibraltar telecomms provider appointed an independent non-executive director
The Party Gaming online gambling group has announced the immediate appointment of Tim Bristow (51) to the Board as an independent non-executive director.
Bristow, who is a chartered accountant is the Chief Executive Officer of Gibtelecom Limited, Gibraltar's primary telecommunications provider, a position he has held since 2001 when the company was founded. From 1997 to early 2007, he served as the Gibraltar Government's Financial and Development Secretary. He was also formally a director at the National Audit Office, London and Private Secretary to the Comptroller and Auditor General.
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Mobile gambling provider Probability plc signs up for high speed SMS and WAP billing
The UK-based Mobile Interactive Group (MIG) will be servicing two objectives of the dynamic mobile gambling provider Probability plc following an agreement signed this week: superfast premium SMS and WAP billing and advertising services from sister company 4th Screen Advertising to boost marketing.
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Thrills, aliens and football feature in latest games
Online games developer and turnkey provider Playtech has released three new games into its online casino game inventory. The new arrivals are in addition to the expanded introduction of the progressive side game Dollar Ball to all of Playtech's non-progressive 5-reel video slots games.
Playtech's latest games release include the state of the art Alien Hunter, a 5-reel 25-line video slots games based on a Sci-Fi theme and featuring three different bonus rounds. Alien Hunter boasts Playtech's first ever Skill Based bonus round which lets players test their shooting skills by capturing aliens that appear randomly on the screen, with the player's performance determining the size of the bonus prize.
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Easy access and sometimes a need for money, push Canadian teens to VLTs, poker and lotteries says Catholic newspaper
Bishop Fred Henry revealed general gambling statistics among Canadian youth this week in an article in the Catholic Weekly, which claims to be Canada's largest religious weekly publication.
The religious leader says that young people are growing up in Canada with gambling options not only widely available, but eagerly and openly advertised and promoted. The long-term consequences of this cultural shift are still unknown," he writes "But for many adolescents, gambling is now seen as the new rite of passage."
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34 percent lift in pre-tax profits from Gibraltar-based group
The Gibraltar-based 888.com gambling group has shown investors just how resilient it is with a set of results that includes a 34 percent increase in year pre tax profit and first-quarter revenues that are 16 percent ahead of the preceding quarter. And all despite the depredations of last year's Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act which caused the group to exit the US market.
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CAP Euro is Barcelona bound
Following the remarkable success of the CAP Euro affiliate conference in London, the organisers have announced a follow up event to take place in Barcelona at the beginning of October and conveniently positioned to immediately follow the leading European iGaming event.
Barcelona will be an exciting, interactive 3 day event taking place on the 5th, 6th and 7th October and will include the best networking events, a topical line up of speakers, the ASOP (Affiliate Series of Poker) and an even bigger expo hall all situated in the 5 star venue, Hesperia Towers.
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