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Welcome to Bet Sage�s 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 leisure based wagering
activities on the internet.
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Watershed findings of Europe's top court of law will have far reaching effects
Yesterday's much awaited European Court of Justice grand chamber of judgement ruling in a critical case known universally as the Placanica issue continue to dominate the headlines with reaction stories that were generally optimistic and positive.
The case is seen as pivotal on the vexing question of whether member states of the European Union have the right to exclude betting companies from other EU states from offering their services to gamblers in countries where the state often holds a lucrative monopoly on gambling.
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Foreign gambling ban included in new law
It looks as if Austrian public company bwin was on the money last week when it expressed concern over the development of new Turkish anti-gambling laws.
The Turks have subsequently passed a law that forbids the offering of online gambling services by any *unauthorised* domestic or foreign company to citizens in Turkey. With the not-quite-snappy title (perhaps something is lost in the translation!) of �Law for amending certain articles of the law on bookmaking organisation concerning football contests�, the new legislation threatens to impose severe fines and up to between two and five years imprisonment to "anyone involved in enabling access, promotion or operation of sites offering egaming products to Turkish nationals."
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Bwin was expecting this one.....and clearly has its eyes on a Turkish license
Reuters reported this week that Austrian public company bwin has decided to temporarily withdraw its online gaming offers from Turkey following the passage of new anti-online gambling laws.
"Although on one hand, the new law prohibits online games of chance, on the other it also provides for the possibility of acquiring a license at a later date," bwin said in a statement.
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�The Bill sets up the most authoritarian gaming regime in the Western World," says leading expert
Turkey's latest legislative move against Internet gambling (see previous InfoPowa report) has attracted the critical comments of a leading legal expert, who described the new law as �....the most authoritarian gaming regime in the Western World," and "...a disproportionate and misguided challenge to the constitutional principles of free trade enshrined in EU law.�
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Cease and desist order served on newbie processor Youteller
Point spreads.com reports that Youteller.com, the nascent third party financial processor which launched recently (see previous InfoPowa reports) has attracted the legal wrath of embattled Neteller.com.
The gambling information portal reports that Neteller legal eagles have served a cease and desist order on Youteller, claiming that the newcomer is infringing on its registered trademark and believes that parent company Seed Capital's use of the YouTeller brand will cause consumer confusion.
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With plenty at stake, Ise of Man e-wallet hires the world's biggest legal firm
Neteller is starting to show some public signs of mettle after weeks of being perceived as allowing the U.S. Department of Justice to stomp all over it despite its Isle of Man registration as a financial institution and UK stock market positioning.
According to a news report in Legal Week, the British e-wallet has hired the professional services of Clifford Chance - arguably the world's biggest law firm.
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Whopping check for the winner in sold-out poker extravanganza
Germany's "green city" Dortmund is the venue for the next European Poker Tour event which starts in the city today (Friday)
The organisers report that the Euro 5 000 buy-in tournament has been fully sold out for the past two weeks, generating a prizepool of Euro 2.35 million which ensures that the top player in the 500 poker enthusiast starting field will pick up a paycheck worth a hefty Euro 681 600.
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Almost $102 000 for a $9 bet makes this player's day
A Swiss player at Everest Casino.com scooped a dream slot jackpot win this week when he scored almost $102 000 from a $9 bet while playing the online casino's Space Ace video slot machine.
Player R.L. won $101 999.84 on a $9 bet placed on 4 March, 2007 at 21:55 GMT. "We've had a number of remarkable jackpot strikes of late and I couldn't be happier about it," said Eduardo Santos, Everest Casino's manager.
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Tactless comment ignites anger in UK stock exchange circles and business press
A tactless remark by a senior policymaker at the US Securities and Exchange Commission this week has caused anger and embarrassment on both sides of the Atlantic...and a back-off by the official concerned.
Roel Campos, one of five commissioners at the US market regulator, sparked an irate response from the London Stock Exchange after a Dow Jones newswire report in which he reportedly said that 30 percent of companies listing on London's AIM market were "gone in a year".
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Beta version now live on Royal Vegas Casino
Turnkey provider Microgaming has announced that its new Multi-Player Viper (MPV) software will go live on Royal Vegas Casino (part of the Fortune Lounge Group) from today. Multi-player Viper is forecast to be one of the most dynamic growth and game development areas over the next few years, a company spokesman said.
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Fast growth as new poker rooms sign up for membership
London-based Gutshot Poker has become the latest online poker venue to join the burgeoning Microgaming Poker Network, which now boasts over 40 quality poker rooms and steadily increasing player liquidity and tournament activity.
Founded in 2001 by UK poker players, for poker players, Gutshot�s daily updated magazine format is widely known as being among the best information content sites in poker. Outside the British Isles, Gutshot has emerged as a thriving global brand with strong success in Scandinavian and European markets, ensuring significant growth in years to come.
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Innovative service will help players find the action, and operators tell them about it without losing out to spam filters
Players looking for the latest promos and tournament action have a new and very helpful facility at their fingertips this week in the form of the content rich Oggstore site ( http://store.oggs.com) where a centralised information hub has been assembled.
Starting March 7 2007, OGGStore service offers players and affiliates a centralised archive of gambling operator promotions and news. Operators and affiliate programs are invited to add OGGStore mailing addresses to their mailouts which are then collated centrally and made freely available through the OGGStore website or via email digests to opt-in subscribers.
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Popular online casino and poker room group will restrict membership of US players in states that specifically prohibit online gambling
Players dismayed at the decision by Vegas Partner Lounge group to withdraw from the USA can take heart - apparently after some consideration the blanket ban has now been modified to exclude only those US players who reside in the 11 states that have specifically made online gambling a criminal offence.
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ATE, Ladbrokes and PokerStars all have new execs aboard
It's been a week for new faces at major online gambling operations, it appears, with ATE-Clarion, Ladbrokes and PokerStars all reporting new arrivals to the executive suite.
Clarion ATE appointed Charlotte Skinner as its new Marketing Manager with direct responsibility for the London Shows ATEI, ICE and ICEi. 28-year-old Charlotte, a Business & Marketing graduate and holder of a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, brings experience not only from the event organising industry but has also worked in marketing for high profile organisations including the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), Churchill Insurance and most recently Britain�s Ministry of Defence (MoD).
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Among the highest pots ever at Betfair Poker, this one was also one of the fastest
In a hand that lasted only 29 seconds, online player Rosiepod took down one of the largest ever pots on Betfair Poker.
Having made a King High Flush after the flop, Rosiepod called several aggressive bluffs from her opponent Sincero which ended with each player contributing over $100 000 to the pot in a recent final heads up confrontation on the site.
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UK bookie group no longer interested in a takeover
UK Bookmaker William Hill has ruled out a bid for gaming company Rank after announcing a profit increase of 47 percent for 2006 (see previous InfoPowa report).
Chief executive David Harding, apparently in bear mode, said that a takeover was not on the agenda, explaining that because of the current climate in both the bingo and casino industry it was increasingly unlikely that multi-platform gaming businesses would evolve in the next few years.
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Technical glitch delays tournament, but players benefit from a bigger pot
This weekend's PokerStars Sunday Million was plagued by technical glitches that delayed the start-time, but the company made good on the wait by contributing an additional $100 000 to the prizepool, which pulled in 6 672 entrants hunting down a total of $1 434 400 with the added money. Both the run-up and the final table games were notable for high levels of action and big value exchanges before a confusing series of split agreements which resulted in the four remaining players at the final table deciding on a split ranging from a top prize of $123 346 down to a fourth place prize of $88 383.
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Latest results show that Brit betting group is still packing 'em in
William Hill, the British betting group regarded by many as an industry indicator has reported positive but unexciting full year results that include gross win from interactive operations up by 6 percent to GBP130.5 million, with operating profits showing a small increase to GBP61.5 million.
Online growth was �being impacted by the relative inflexibility of our current technology configuration� the company reported. To remedy the situation, the NextGen technology programme will be implemented during 2007 to overhaul and enhance its current infrastructure.
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31percent increase in turnover
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power's full year results show an impressive overall turnover increase of 31 percent to almost Euro1.8 billion.
Group gross win rose 36 percent to Euro219 million, boosted by a heartening 64 percent increase in win from online gaming and FOBTs, the company said.
Operating profit was up 51 percent to Euro 45.5 million while profit before tax rose 52 percent to Euro47.6 million. Paddy Power.
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US situation a serious problem
Under the headline 'Number's up for 888.com buyout', the Sunday Telegraph reported at the weekend that Ladbrokes' GBP470 million much talked about takeover of Gibraltar-based 888.com had run into trouble. The Telegraph quotes several sources close to the deal as saying the spectre of US litigation over 888.com's previous trading in America remains a sticking point that is insurmountable.
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UK betting group confirms that it has received a preliminary takeover approach, but won't say from who
The British betting group Sportingbet plc, which earlier this week published encouraging results showing a recovery from the ravages of the US Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is this week the subject of a possible takeover.
The UK business media has been speculating that the other party could be the Austrian public company bwin, but although Sportingbet spokesmen declared that talks were in progress, they declined to identify the other party.
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Best year in the company's history says CEO
Canadian bingo provider Parlay Entertainment reported quarterly and full year results this week, lauded by CEO Scott White as "the best year in Parlay's corporate history."
The Internet bingo software specialist said year on year increases in cash reserves totalledb 146 percent, ending the year with US$3.1 million.
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No more i-net cafes this year says the government
Agence France Presse reports that the Chinese government will not allow any more cybercafes to open this year, in a move by the nation's communist rulers to restrict the rising influence of the Internet.
Chinese authorities will not approve any more Internet cafe licenses, the official Xinhua news agency said, citing a new notice issued by 14 central government authorities.
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Classic card game added to mobile offering
Players using the Spin3 - Microgaming mobile gambling offering will have a new game to play this week as the popular Baccarat game is introduced to a growing inventory.
The game is now available to all Spin3 customers utilising the GameWire platform for their mobile casino systems, and offers the same high quality graphics and outstanding sound as other games in the suite.
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Gambling group's charity wing helps out in Antigua
Marking the first of several charitable projects to be carried out on the islands of Antigua & Barbuda, the Calvin Ayre Foundation has announced two initiatives aimed at advancing the educational opportunities of the local Antiguan youth: the construction of an eating facility at a local secondary school to house students participating in the government's meal program, and the financing of a fence around the school property, creating a safer environment for the students.
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Alberta's top cop says he has no intention of allowing another Kahnawake in his province
CNews reports that the top cop in the Canadian province of Alberta has warned a Cree band to halt plans to set up an Internet gambling haven on their reserve near the city of Edmonton.
Solicitor General Fred Lindsay says he's become aware that the Mohawks, who run what he claims are illegal gambling operations in Quebec, have been advising the Alexander First Nation, and he has no intention of allowing the Alberta band to copy the Mohawks, who operate a web hosting company to facilitate more than 400 Internet gambling sites around the world.
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No limit tables, faster game play, improved chat features and a simpler way to cash out winnings - all on mobile phones.
PokerRoom.com, one of the largest poker sites on the Internet, officially launched the latest version of its popular Mobile Poker application this week, featuring no limit tables, faster game play, improved chat features and a simpler way to cash out winnings - all on mobile phones.
PokerRoom.com was the first poker site in the world to offer real-time poker on mobile phones, claims a spokesman. Mobile Poker 2.0 offers improvements to game flow, usability, and real time no-limit play with a community of web and mobile users from around the world, he says.
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UIGEA hasn't held this venue back
A poker site that has shown remarkable growth despite having to blockade US players claims that since December last alone its player base has grown by 200 000, reaching a total of 300 000 players already this year.
Despite predictions that its graphics-heavy 3D nature would work against it, PKR.com has been packing the poker players in.
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Danish player beats out 143 field to win in India
Danish player Carl Hostrup took the lion's share of the $1 million prizepool on offer at this week's Asian Poker Classic competition for poker pros, held for the first time in India.
The tournament reflected the truly international nature of major poker events such as this, attracting players from 15 countries, with the final table occupied by players from Denmark, Great Britain, India, Poland, Sweden and Vietnam.
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Confident investment and a new client for gaming group
With a GBP15.3 million investment in its open server-based activities, Inspired Gaming Group plc faced the future in optimistic frame of mind this week. The company has not only received a substantial financial fillip from the international investment company FL Group, but has also announced a global agreement to supply its Open SBG technology to a high profile international gaming operator.
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A great birthday for Juha Helppi
Finnish poker ace Juha Helppi celebrated both his 30th birthday and a significant poker tournament win this week as he took the top spot in Party Poker's inaugural Premier League event filmed at Maidstone Studios in Kent, UK.
Facing 11 tough international opponents, Hellpi's experience proved invaluable. Entering the tournament, the young player already had an impressive track record, having grossed almost $1.5 million in tournament play that included a WPT victory and numerous WSOP final table appearances.
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LA lawyer tackles some of the world's hardest players....and wins!
The LA Poker Classic held at the Commerce Casino near Los Angeles has been taken by an LA lawyer, along with the massive $2.4 million grand prize.
Eric Hershler, a lawyer who was playing in his first big tournament, emigrated to the USA from South Africa and now lives and works in Los Angeles.
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Aussie pro loses the LA Poker Classic, but wins the NBC Heads Up
Australian runner-up in last year's World Series of Poker, Paul Wasicka may have been disappointed with his $455 615 fourth place exit from the LA Poker Classic, but he balanced the books with a convincing win in the NBC Heads-Up Poker Championship at Caesar's Palace in Vegas that paid him an impressive $500 000 - not bad income from two major tournaments in less than a week.
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Contract signed with Foundation Group Limited to supply peer to peer gaming software within China.
After several weeks of speculation the news is finally out - Playtech's Asian-facing gaming deal is with Foundation Group Limited and will involve the supply of peer to peer gaming software within China.
In an announcement today the turnkey provider and games developer said that further to its previous announcement regarding early stage negotiations with a pure Asian-facing gaming business, Playtech is pleased to announce that it has signed a contract with Foundation Group Limited.
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Purple Lounge the proof that bad news for some can be good tidings for others
The online poker and casino company Purple Lounge.com is proving the old adage that it's an ill wind that blows nobody any good with the news this week that new player signups have jumped over 30 percent, apparently as a result of players switching poker venues in recent weeks following the merge of Tribeca and Tain, and the subsequent takeover by Playtech.
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Two major hits within the hour boosts this Italian player's bank balance by almost $119 000
Everest Casino.com has announced a double big money win that made a very lucky Italian player a ton of money recently. The player hit two major wins totaling $118 970 in less than an hour.
Casino manager Eduardo Santos said that the wins were both on the same game, a recent addition to the Everest video slot inventory branded World Tour. The player initially won $60 045 late one evening after placing a $75 bet which gave him a return on investment of 800x. He then continued placing bets with the winnings and won a further $58 925 at less than an hour later.
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Six players face-off in the LA Poker Classic
Day 5 of the WPT LA Poker Classic has seen the emergence of the ultimate six survivors from a starting field of 791 at the Commerce Casino near Los Angeles, and the scene is set for an epic final table struggle for the $2.4 million main prize.
JC Tran ( chipcount $3.47M), Paul Wasicka ($3.39M), Jacobo Fernandez ($3.37M), David Bach ($2.27M), Eric Hershler ($2.16M) and Chau Giang ($1.37M) will all leave the table with large payouts ranging from $2 429 970 for the winner to $257 425 for the first man to go out when final play resumes.
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Latest results show 56 percent dip in profits at online gambling's biggest group, but the comeback is well underway
The long awaited Party Gaming annual results out this week show the adverse impact of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the United States, but an encouraging resilience and diversification into other markets by the group.
"Trading patterns since the year end have seen continued recovery in poker and casino revenue, in line with the board's expectations," the company statement said, noting gross revenue per day in the four weeks to February 25 has averaged $1.3 million.
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Adding to an impressive roster of clients
UK company Cellectivity has now added the giant betting group 888.com to its impressive roster of mobile gambling clients, which includes Ladbrokes, Victor Chandler, Paddy Power, Blue Square and major contracts with multimedia networks such as Orange, O2, T-Mobile and Vodafone.
The company announced this week that it has signed Gibraltar-based 888 to "develop and launch a new mobile casino platform" that will deliver blackjack, roulette and a progressive slot machine.
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If the EU prevails, we'll need to tax the foreigners, says French presidential hopeful
The apparent intent of French authorities to exclude all competition not approved by the government in its bid to protect its own monopolistic gambling agencies like the Fran�aise des Jeux has been in the headlines this week, again raising the debate on EU states hampering the full and free access of services and trade from other EU states.
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Too many regulatory hassles in the business....
The well established online casino site that bears the brand of one of the world's top retail stores, Harrod's Casino.com is no more.
The operator and software provider for the operation since 2003, London-based Kismet International says that the closure became effective on March 1st this week despite the casino performing well and being the preferred venue for many VIP players.
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Poker sites change platform
After a week of speculation it turns out that the new home for online poker sites Straightflush.com and BetUS.com is the Cake Network...and US pokerheads will be pleased to find out that this operation welcomes American players.
Players can get up to 33 percent rakeback on the Cake/Sportsbook.com Network, which will undoubtedly experience in boost in membership and action as a result of the new additions.
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Famous country singer's "The Gambler" the inspiration for new online poker portal
There's big bucks from the Barona land casino, and the iconic presence of country and western singer Kenny Rogers behind a new online poker site powered by Poker Creations and due for launch next (April) month.
The Rogers presence is strong on the trial site for The Gambler Poker Club currently up on the Internet, showing the country star in Western gear in a decidedly 1880's ambience. Once launched, players will be able to use the site to win prizes and tournament seats at the Barona, and even meet Rogers himself at one of his concerts at the casino.
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Affiliate program manager confirms that Canadian players will no longer be accepted
With Canadian players still trying to work out why they were banned recently by the Curacao-based VIP group (see previous InfoPowa report) they were presented with a similar puzzle this week when sister group English Harbour followed suit.
In a strangely cack-handed and unprofessional manner, the group reacted to rumours of its withdrawal rather than implementing a proper communications plan to inform all concerned. When the Canadian ban surfaced on an affiliate website, an affiliate manager from Casino Coins - the program that handles English Harbour marketers - commented:
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ICE show rumour becomes fact with Lasseters announcement
One of the most discussed rumours at the recent International Casino Exhibition in London was that the highly respected and Australian government-regulated online casino Lasseters was about to change to a new software platform (see previous InfoPowa reports) which would come from the UK.
This week Lasseters Corporation, confirmed that the change had taken place and that play was now available on the new software, strengthening the international competitiveness of the Lasseter gaming sites and allowing players to personalise their gaming experience.
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YouTube blockade raises questions on Turkish officialdom's attitude to free expression
The news this week that Turkey, an applicant for membership of the European Union, has decreed that the YouTube website be blocked to Turkish Internet users again raises the question of whether the government is ready for the freedom of expression that characterises Western nations.
Hard on the heels of attempts to stifle online gambling activities in the country, a Turkish court has ordered access to YouTube's Web site blocked because of videos on the free-to-post site allegedly insulting the founder of modern Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
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Landmark sponsorship agreement signed with China Mahjong Association
Playtech was in the news again today with a landmark sponsorship deal that will further its Asian business ambitions.
The turnkey provider and online games developer has been accepted as the exclusive sponsor of the China Mahjong Association (�CMA�), in a three year agreement which ensures that Playtech will also act as the exclusive software provider to the CMA.
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888.com launches a new twist to a popular game
The major Gibraltar-based gambling group 888.com has launched an easy to play and innovative version of Blackjack from its in-house Random Logic software studios.
Branded Crazy Blackjack, the new game includes multi-hand play and three new side bets: 777 Jackpot Bet, a US$1 bet where players can win up to US$150 000; Highest Hand Bet, where players can wager on which hand will be the highest and Safe Bet, which lets even the poorest of hands pay out.
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Experienced exec takes up responsibility for Unibet group finances
Experienced financial manager Ragnar Hellenius will join Unibet Group from 15 March 2007, formally taking over as CFO from Susan Ball, with effect from 1 July 2007 when she departs the company.
Hellenius spent eight years as a senior management consultant with McKinsey & Co, working with merger and acquisitions, corporate strategy and business development. During the last year he has worked as principal at Booz Allen Hamiltons Corporate Finance and Private Equity practice.
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British group selects Swedish software for its bingo, casino and poker room operations
Swedish no-download turnkey provider Net Entertainment has announced a new Casino Module deal with the London-based gambling company Parabol Limited.
Through its registered subsidiary Mantaray SA in Costa Rica, Parabol owns the Maria Bingo and Carlos Poker online gambling websites, which have hitherto used the Tain software.
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