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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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| 19 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Shares drop over 4 percent as losses due mainly to US situation are announced
The Austrian public company and major European gambling group Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG was being studied intently by analysts and market commentators this week after releasing a disappointing set of results that revealed a bigger than anticipated full year loss of Euro 539.6 million, compared to the previous year's profit of Euro 6.4 million.
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Police bust what they claim is the country's largest yet online gambling operation
The China Post reported this week on a major online gambling bust by Taiwanese police - this one in the Panchiao District, where prosecutors and police claimed to have uncovered the country's biggest yet online gambling website.
Police officials said the website had recorded total revenues of over NT$1.5 billion over a half a year period, and that some local police officers were involved.
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Arkin Sports gets a thumbs up from Channel Islands regulator
The number of licensees overseen by the Channel Isles regulator Alderney Gambling Control Commission topped 36 this week, reports the BBC, commenting that the island's government made over a million pounds sterling from licensing and regulatory activities last year.
Arkin Sports and Leisure Limited, which controls the Bet Arena online betting and gaming operation is the latest successful applicant to have passed Alderney scrutiny. Two further new licence applications, from TSE Holdings of London and Malta and Enter Gaming Limited of Alderney are currently being processed.
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Some US politicians may consider gambling to be evil, but the GOP still wants the money, it appears
The Washington DC publication "The Hill" reports this week on one of the contradictions in American political values.
In a country where almost every type of gambling (other than Internet gambling) is tolerated, it seems that the National Republican Congressional Committee has launched a fundraising initiative aimed at increasing donations from Indian tribes with gambling revenues to boost their incomes.
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Legal representative for Lawrence confirms new extension granted
More information is now to hand concerning the latest extension of a court date for Neteller founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre (see earlier InfoPowa reports)
Peter Neiman, the legal representative for Lawrence has advised that another continuance is now scheduled for May 16 to determine if both his client and another founder, John Lefebrve, will be indicted by the US government. Claims by Neteller Coalition members that the date of April 27 was set, were incorrect.
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A hint for operators - ask players before shunting them to another online gambling venue.
Online casino players at the Breakaway, Connect2 and Sci-Fi venues were critical this week of an email telling them that they were being transferred to another company....and another software platform, without prior consultation.
In an email headed "Important Changes to your Account" players were told that due to "recent legislation in the US", several casinos have stopped taking American players, including the RealTime Gaming powered Breakaway, Connect2Casino, and Sci-Fi-casino operations. These online casinos are owned by the Norwegian group PlaySafe Holding AS working on a Netherlands Antilles license.
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Online gambling lobbyists scheduled to meet with Financial Services Committee
Latest activity report on the proposed challenge to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the USA (see previous InfoPowa reports) is that a meeting between Financial Services Committee politicians and online gambling lobbyists regarding a strategy for the repeal initiative is to take place in Washington DC today (Thursday).
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Shares suspended - but detentions may be due to individual rather than company conduct
Asian marketers will be watching for more detail than is presently available following reports from Jilin province in China that two Betex senior employees have been arrested and a third is being sought. The news prompted Betex, a Chinese lottery scratchcard and gaming software operator, to suspend trading in its shares on the London AIM market, although it is not certain that the company is involved in the case.
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Legal fees, lobbying, and startup costs for operations in Spanish and Italian markets impact results.
Betbull, an AIM listed online gambling joint venture owned by FUNTech and the Austrian public company Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG. has reported mixed results for 2006, with record revenues on the one hand but high costs on the other which drove profits down.
Gross income increased by a factor of 4 over the 2005 numbers to Euro 89.4 million, and net gaming revenue grew 3.75 times over 2005 to Euro 15 million.
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Chief techie at Betfair estimates there are now 30 000 malicious botnets out there
Rorie Devine, the chief technology officer for the international online betting exchange Betfair, told a conference in London this week that Distributed Denial of Services attacks was a serious threat, and that businesses must work more closely with ISPs to prevent hackers from launching successful assaults designed to take sites offline as a basis for criminal extortion.
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| 18 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Did Lefebvre and Lawrence agree to a further delay in the hearing?
Neteller founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre have still not had their day in court despite being arrested and bailed some time ago in January this year by the FBI.
The case against the two Canadians, who were detained on US soil by FBI agents on allegations connected with Neteller's online gambling business despite no longer holding executive positions in the company, has now been postponed twice, with the latest hearing scheduled for April 16.
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32Red Bet will benefit from a sound group reputation
This week saw the debut of the extensively upgraded and re-branded Bet Direct sportsbook, acquired from Sportech last year by the 32Red group. Re-branded 32Red Bet, the improved site will benefit from the sterling reputation which its parent group has earned with players at its online casino and poker venues.
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Party Casino announces a new site jackpot record
A Party Casino.com slots player hit a life-changing slot jackpot of $847 801 and some change late last month, setting a new jackpot record for the site....and it came from a 45 cent spin!
Player Ricardo hit the jackpot on the Super Mystic online slot machine late last month. He and his wife now plan to put the money to good use and do something they have talked about for many years.
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Three Internet cafes raided
Thee Internet cafe owners, and six of their players are reported to be under arrest in Arta, Western Greece following raids this week by Greek police. The authorities claim that illegal online betting was taking place at the three venues, which had installed gambling software offering foreign-based online betting on games at an unspecified UK bookie.
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Note the name Anna Wroblewski - you may be hearing it more often in poker circles
Relative unknown Anna Wroblewski was $337 395 richer this week after winning event 9 of the Fifth Annual Five Star World Poker Classic at the Bellagio in Vegas - a $3 000 No Limit Hold 'Em competition.
In beating a field of 324 players that included highly experienced and tough opponents, Wroblewski became the first female champion, knocking out world class players and multiple competition champions like Erick Lindgren and Peter Feldman in the contest.
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Casino Red.com has big ambitions...and the experience to realise them
Casino Red.com, a white label operation from Gibraltar-based St.Minver, has announced that it is to build a GBP 5 million land casino in Huddersfield, UK.
Chief Executive Nicholas Boyes-Hunter told reporters: "We chose Huddersfield out of hundreds of possible towns and cities - but it was an easy decision. It is a vibrant town with a thriving social scene. We knew, on viewing the old cinema, that we could develop a spectacular site in a tremendous location."
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| 17 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Claim that reputation ruined by CBC program in 2001
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is currently being sued for libel by former Canadian government minister Doug Lewis, who alleges that his reputation was ruined by a negative program on Internet gambling aired in 2001.
After a distinguished political career in which he served as Minister of Justice in 1988, Minister of Transport in 1990, and Solicitor General of Canada in 1991, Lewis returned to private life and in 2001 was the chairman and shareholder of Oxford Software Developers Inc.
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NTRA official comments on WTO ruling against USA
Interactive Gaming News carried an informative interview with the president of the U.S. trade body, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association this week regarding the predicament in which the USA finds itself following the latest World Trade Organisation ruling in a dispute over online gambling with Antigua.
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Media company lets 28 employees go
The Eye On Gambling information portal and forum reports that Sports Direct, parent company for the popular information site Covers.com has had to lay off 28 staffers, including handicapping division head Shaun Torrey and the highly respected sports analyst Stephen Nover. Several writers were among those retrenched in cuts across various departments.
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"Rounders" is a top fave movie with many gamblers...now it could be on a cell phone near you.
When it comes to films about gambling, most players will include the cult movie "Rounders" on their list of all time greats about their passion. This week news emerged that a savvy Indian company is about to use it in a new mobile gambling offering.
"Rounders Poker" will give fans a chance to relive the movie in the role of lead character Mike, challenging the underground poker world in what promises to be an absorbing game.
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Investment expert sounds a positive note on some industry stocks
Investment manager Rupert Morell believes that online gambling stocks are undervalued following the controversy over online gambling last year, when the US Congress outlawed credit-card and money-transfer companies from accepting payments to gambling websites.
And he intends to do something about it, according to Citywire which quoites the head of Premier's GBP 13 million European Growth Fund as saying: "No-one is in this sector any more, since everyone said 'that's it for on-line gambling' last October. But there are real under-valued gems here."
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The championship will take place, but official French attitudes prevent television coverage
World Poker Tour has advised interested parties that it has abandoned plans to film for television its Grand Prix de Paris competition. The big event will still take place at the Aviation Club de France on the Champs �lys�es but it will not be televised following a refusal by French gaming authorities to provide permission.
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Official German attitudes towards online gambling make diversification necessary
Online gambling AIM listed company VC Gaming has released its latest full year results with pre-tax losses of Euro 28.8 million showing just how tough the market has become in countries like Germany, where the firm has been mainly focused. Over the same period last year a profit of Euro 12.8 million was achieved.
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Silver Heritage deal brings open server-based gaming into play
Inspired Gaming International, a division of Inspired Gaming Group plc, has announced a partnership with Silver Heritage Limited, one of the leading operators of terminals to licensed gaming premises in the Asia-Pacific region.
Together, the two companies will roll-out Inspired�s Open Server-Based Gaming platform and products in Asia, beginning with the deployment of 50 Multi-Win Roulette terminals next (May) month. The new terminals will, the company claims, revolutionise the market and drive casino revenue by using the power of Open SBG to increase machine income.
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| 16 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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New series of weekly tourneys could see you on the way to international poker competitions
"Passport Stamps" is the name of Betfair Poker's new game in weekly satellite tournaments starting from $5.50 and offering the opportunity to win buy-ins for leading global poker competitions.
The popular online poker site is offering its customers the opportunity
to win Passport Stamps which can be used to buy into any live poker event in the world. The unique Betfair Poker Passport Stamps are worth $3 000 each, providing unrivalled flexibility and choice. Players can either use the stamp to buy into local tournaments, which would normally be too expensive for the average player, or accumulate stamps in order to challenge for higher buy-in events such as the World Series of Poker.
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Following the recent Swedish police raids, tournament organisers are playing it safe
The action packed Swedish Poker Championship took place this week...in Tallinn, Estonia following recent Swedish police raids on poker tournaments. The last minute change of location did nothing to diminish a great event in which many leading stars took part, and an amateur player truimphed.
The No-Limit Texas Hold'em event was played Wednesday to Saturday last week and attracted a starting field of 268 keen players, seven women among them, with two of them reaching the final table.
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Summer in Madrid for top execs
The organisers of the successful Gaming Executive Summit conferences in Australia and Singapore have turned their hand to the European market with an inaugural European conference scheduled for July 10 to 12 in sunny Madrid.
An impressive list of senior execs has already been signed up, and the speaker's list reads like a who's who of European gambling.
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Another proposal for the benefit of the racino business
Over the weekend the US publication News Journal reported on suggestions by the racing industry in Delaware that legalising sports betting would be good for topping up state tax coffers....and getting gamblers to racinos and their slot parlours in the state.
Legalised sports betting, industry officials argued, could help the state fight back against the casinos opening across state lines. In a report published last week it was forecast that an additional $70 million in annual tax revenue could be generated if Delaware allowed its racinos to offer sports betting.
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Poker clubs don't like having to apply for casino licenses, or limits on membership fees
British poker clubs under the aegis of the U.K. Poker Clubs Association are considering measures to fight current proposals in the UK's new Gambling Act, which comes into force in September this year.
According to a weekend report in The Observer, the clubs are unhappy with certain provisions in the Act and intend to challenge it, through litigation if necessary. The clubs are especially concerned about limits on the daily membership fee, which the Act seeks to cap at GBP 3, and the requirement that poker clubs will have to obtain casino licenses.
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Biggest African poker event yet is only weeks away
Excitement is building internationally as Africa's biggest poker championship yet - the five day South African Poker Festival - moves closer. Scheduled for May 9 to 13, some of the biggest names in the poker world will convene in the southern part of Africa next month for the inaugural South Africa Poker Festival.
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Weekend success for EPT runner-up
Marc Karam may have just missed the top European Poker Tour prize in his heads up with Gavin Griffin recently, leaving with the second place check of Euros 1 061 820, but he went on to score bigtime in high stakes games on the Microgaming Poker Network, according to statistics published on the High Stakes database website this week.
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| 15 APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Will Google's anti-online gambling adverts policy extend to it's latest acquisition?
This week's massive $3.1 billion Google deal, in which the company acquired online advertising company Double Click for almost double what it paid for the fee video enterprise YouTube last year, could impact the online gambling industry say marketers.
Why? Double Click is arguably the biggest online advertising display server in the business...certainly one of the largest if not the leader. With Google's anti-online gambling advertising policy, marketers fear that this will be extended to embrace Double Click.... and that could make for tougher advert presentation.
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| 14
APRIL 2007 : HEADLINES |
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Toronto construction worker takes $150 000 Absolute Dream Package
The week started on a high note for a 31 year old Toronto construction worker and online poker player, who truimphed in the latest Absolute Poker Dream Package online tournament, winning a series of sponsorships worth over $150 000.
Father of three Daniel Boone finished first in last Sunday's online poker tournament to claim a prize package that gives him access to over $100 million in land-based tournament prize pools. Boone will join the first Absolute Dream Package winner, Scott Carroll, on the poker circuit where they'll each be sponsored to play in 10 of the richest poker tournaments and the world's biggest televised cash game. Boone will also receive pro training from poker aces appointed by Absolute.
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Poker ace collects a $365 995 reward
The biggest event yet in the World Poker Tour Classic playing out at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, the $5 000 No-Limit Texas Hold'em, has been won by poker pro Mike Hauptman who takes a champ's bracelet, a seat in the prestigious WPT championship final...and a healthy $365 995 pay check.
Despite a competitive field of almost 200 players that featured some high profile poker names, Hauptman prevailed to win his first major championship title, playing a commanding style of aggressive poker that finally saw him head to head with David Peat. Both players delivered some polished poker moves, but it was Haputman who took the victory and the spoils, leaving Peat with the second placing prize of $202 455. Even third placed Brian Rast went through the six figure barrier with a payout of $101 230.
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Up to US $ 50 000 a day flowed through this online network
This week saw the final denouement in a case against a Vietnamese gambling ring which was busted earlier this year (see previous InfoPowa report)
ABC Radio Australia reports that a Vietnamese court has jailed 12 members of the illegal online soccer betting ring for up to seven years, and dished out suspended sentences to less involved members.
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Satellite subscribers will have access to combination bingo and slot entertainment
US interactive TV entertainment provider PixelPlay, has signed up with Slingo Inc, a host for online games such as casino slot machines and casino table games, as part of an exclusive, international iTV partnership.
Slingo Classic and 5-Card Slingo will be the first offerings on PixelPlay's DishGAMES subscription service on DISH Network, a provider of Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) television products, in the United States and the initial offerings will gradually be expanded to include other iTV platforms in North America later in the year.
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The rumours were true after all - famous poker site announces its new destination
Speculation and rumour on where the famous Doyles Room.com online poker venue would relocate following the pull-out from the US of Tribeca-Tain-Playtech network came to an end this week with the announcement that the popular site has joined the expanding Microgaming Poker Network.
The move will allow Doyle's Room to expand into European markets and is seen as evidence of the continued success of the rapidly growing Microgaming network, which now has over 40 sites operating.
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NDS subsidiary is on a roll with another important licensee signed up
British group NDS subsidiary Orbis has signed up its third licensee for the OpenBet online gambling system in as many months following an agreement with UK betting group Sportech, which owns and operates Littlewoods Gaming.
The Openbet system is a critical element in an extensive revamp of the pools and gaming service, and Orbis is to deliver a variety of games from its Fixed Odds Games and OpenBet Casino modules inventory, together with the Openbet Marketing module. The OpenBet system will be seamlessly integrated into Sportech's existing third-party pools system.
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Cryptologic empowers licensees to get the best out of marketing
The veteran online gambling software developer and turnkey provider Cryptologic has been lending a helping hand to better enable its licensees to improve marketing techniques, reports DM News this week.
The firm has deployed Infor CRM Epiphany to help licensees of its wholly owned subsidiary, WagerLogic Limited, to optimise marketing programs...and according to the report the solution has contributed significantly to the company�s growth in revenues and end-customer base in the last year.
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New iPhone application surprises analysts....but not pokerheads
Observers and analysts alike were surprised to note that the first third party application for Apple's new iPhone is Scenario Poker, a Texas Hold �em Limit Tournament facility for on-the-move poker fans.
A report on the launch from Gaming Intelligence Group has been catching the attention of news sites involved in the industry, many expressing surprise that the first application is mobile gambling-related rather than productivity oriented applications anticipated by most industry experts.
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Victoria gamling regulators bowl Shane Warne out
One of the world's great cricketing legends, fast bowler Shane Warne found himself headed back to the pavilion in short order this week, but it was a UK-based gaming website, rather than a cricket pitch that witnessed his departure.
The Sunday Herald Sun in Australia reports that a gaming website promoted by Warne has been shut down by the Victorian Commission for Gambling Regulation following an investigation. The Commission ruled that PokerCricket.com broke state laws.
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74 years ago, the US government started dismantling a hugely unpopular law....one rather like the UIGEA!
Americans who appreciate the values of choice and personal responsibility raised a glass this week to the beginning of the end for the notorious Volstead Act, which like the modern day Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act tried to deprive online gamblers in the USA of their right to select a legal leisure pastime.
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$12 000 World Series of Poker sponsored prizes every week
Players Only.com has budgeted an impressive $150 000 for a new series of tournaments in which a World Series of Poker sponsored seat worth $12 000 will be won each week for the next three months.
The twelve weekly World Series Giveaway Tournaments that begin this weekend and continue through to the WSOP will take place each Sunday, beginning April 8th. PlayersOnly.com will host a multi-table Texas Hold'Em tournament and, each week, will award a $12 000 World Series Prize Package to the winner.
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Getting into that "big tournament" vibe to hone your poker skills
The major television network NBC and games developer 5000ft Inc have released a new video game that is going to wow pokerheads with a yen for some big tournament action. The new interactive game is based on NBC's action-packed Heads Up Poker Tournament television series, with the theme enhanced with really cool 3-D graphics.
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French researcher combines physics and games to study poker player behaviour
News reports of a French study of player behavioural patterns in the popular poker variant Texas Hold 'Em (see previous InfoPowa report) have been fleshed out in some interesting Easter holiday reading from The Scientific American this week.
The article reviews the work of Cl�ment Sire, a statistical physicist and champion bridge player working at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics, University of Toulouse, France. Combining his love of physics and games, he has created a model of Texas Hold 'em that enables him to do everything from predicting the length of a tournament to figuring out his ranking simply by assessing the average size of his opponents' fortunes.
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