The news in brief for the week of April 10-16
Betfair signed a £700,000 deal to sponsor this summer’s Test Match cricket coverage on Channel 4.
Bodog to be the first online gambling company to sponsor a charity event with a major US professional sports team inside the United States. The company will also be sponsoring eGaming Review’s Power 50 Summit, which will be attended by the top 50 poker and gambling industry leaders. The summit is scheduled to take place in London from April 24-26.
GamesGrid, best known for backgammon, released a new real-money site devoted to poker.
The Interactive Gaming Council approves the UK Gambling Bill, while the WTO ruling on April 7 demonstrated that the US is out of step with much of the world in its approach to online gambling. “This long-awaited reform in the UK is a huge step forward for the cause of regulated remote gambling. Finally a first world government, one that has successfully regulated terrestrial gambling for years, is taking responsibility for the regulation of this rapidly growing form of gambling. Rather than fighting it, as is the U.S. approach, or pretending it will go away, the British are stepping up to the challenge of regulation,” said Rick Smith, executive director of the IGC.
The Jackpot Factory Group has announced the launch of 7WIN7 Mobile Casino, a real-play Java based casino which can be played on mobile phones.
Billionaire entrepreneur Philip Green won more £2 million playing roulette at Les Ambassadeurs casino and a further £1 million at other casinos across London. The wins are considered to be one of the main reasons for a recent profit warning by London Clubs International, which owns Les Ambassadeurs and several other casinos around London.
Morgan Stanley Securities acquired a 3.45 per cent stake in Gaming Corp.
Reality InterActive Media has announced the introduction of a new interactive technology, allowing casino sites to offer ‘live’ interaction between players. RIAM’s patented technology allows online players to sit in their homes, thousands of miles away from their opponents, and still see and hear other players as if they were only across a short expanse of green felt.
SportsDirect to launch a new online poker magazine: PokerFan.com. This site joins existing media properties such as Covers.com and WagerLine.com in the SportsDirect family.
SkillJam, subsidiary of FUN Technologies, has entered into a two-year licensing agreement with New York-based Sonic Branding Solutions, to distribute Sonic Branding’s popular ‘Name That Tune!’ music game throughout the SkillJam network.
Tabcorp to establish a research and development centre in India to develop gaming technology.
VIPCasino.com launched VIP Premium Club, a multi-tiered reward program designed to redefine online casino customer rewards.
William Hill to show live broadcasts of Australian racing on its dedicated gambling channel starting on April 21.
Two brothers, Lee and Myles McNulty, beat thousands of fellow punters and some of the major syndicates from across the world in the Ten To Follow competition run by the Tote and won £500,000 from a £10 stake. The betting brothers selected 10 horses from around 15,000 entries and then followed their progress in the competition throughout the National Hunt season.
Some of the major European soccer clubs, including Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea, are closely watching the lawsuits filed by Real Madrid in Belgium, France and Germany against internet betting companies. The initial claim does not include a figure for compensation but some analysts suggested the team is keen to win damages and wants to draft contracts so that bookmakers would have to pay to use images of its players on their websites. The first case will be heard in Paris on May 12.
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