The recent approval of online gambling regulation in Bulgaria has been followed by immediate enforcement action by the Bulgarian police. This weekend police took down a criminal network involved in unlicensed and illegal online betting, the Ministry of the Interior announced Sunday. Novinite reports that the operation was organised by officers in the Computer Crimes, …
The UK newspaper The Sunday Times revved up the online gambling news scene over the weekend, reporting without explanation that interim 888.com CEO Brian Mattingly (58) was in line for the permanent job at the internet gambling group. Mattingley, who is deputy chairman of 888 Holdings plc, was pressed into service as interim chief exec …
The California lottery authorities have advised punters that the current MegaMillions jackpot, at $356 million, is one of the largest in recent times. No one picked the winning numbers for Friday’s drawing, and the next drawing is on Tuesday. The biggest Mega Millions jackpot ever won was $390 million in March 2007, with a cash …
Online betting exchange Betfair is to launch itself as a bookmaker in a move designed to prevent customers deserting to rivals such as William Hill and Ladbrokes, the publication This Is Money reported over the weekend. Interim chief executive Stephen Morana told This Is Money that Betfair will shortly be introducing its own fixed-odds sports …
The State newspaper in South Carolina reports the tragic suicide of a chief executive distraught over his accountant’s plundering of company funds to go internet gambling. Ten days after being reported as missing, Tom Sponseller’s body was discovered in a storage room off an underground parking area. Sponseller was the CEO of the S.C. Hospitality …
WMS’s innovative new social gaming offering Friendslot has been launched on Facebook by subsidiary Jackpot Party Casino as a free social slot game where players match their profile to those of their friends to win credits and learn more about their buddies at the same time FriendSlot https://apps.facebook.com/friendslotgame is an interactive free slot game played …
Police in Ohio have seized more than 80 computers and other electronic equipment from an internet cafe that authorities claim was being operated as a gambling house, Associated Press reports. The Chillicothe Police Department seized the equipment Friday afternoon in the execution of a local search warrant, a spokesman revealed, adding that two as yet …
Online gaming group Webis Holdings’ Finance Director Damon Waddington has resigned his position effective April 20, 2012. While Waddington leaves to pursue new opportunities, other directors along with financial controller Chris Allen will assume his responsibilities. Denham Eke, chairman of Webis said, “I would like to thank Damon for his valuable contribution over the last …
New Jersey-based gaming developer High 5 Games released two new online games this week. “The Prince of Lightening”, a 3×5 reel game is set in the future with the Prince of Lightening on a mission to keep his metropolis safe. The game offers super stacks and a “Capture Feature” that allows players the opportunity to …
Online mahjong software provider, Mahjong Logic Ltd has entered into a supply agreement with the soon-to-relaunch London land-based Hippodrome Casino. As Mahjong Logic’s newest licensee the Hippodrome Casino will be in a position to tap into a large percentage of Chinese and Asian players who know and love the game of mahjong. “We are excited …
The Sandstrom bill, introduced to the state legislature earlier this year by Rep. Stephen Sandstrom and aimed at preventing any acceptance of legalised online gambling in the state, has been signed into law this week by Governor Gary Herbert. Sandstrom’s move effectively preempts any attempt at legalising online gambling in the state, compelling legislators to …
The Danish and international mainstream media is having a field day with a Danske Spil boo-boo in which the national lottery sent an email to 300 people telling them they had won billions. The problem was – they hadn’t. Danske Spil ‘accidentally’ sent the emails congratulating them on being billionaire lottery winners, triggering dreams of …
According to the Irish Times in a report published Thursday, the founder and former chief exec of disgraced financial spreadbetting company Worldspreads Conor Foley has other irons in the gambling industry fire. The newspaper reports that Foley is the biggest shareholder (reportedly with 80 percent) in a recently established high-end bookmaking business based in Dublin …
The US Department of Justice may have backed away from its all-inclusive definition of gambling in terms of the Wire Act, but internet sports betting is definitely still a no-no, as two Missouri men found out this week when a federal grand jury in Springfield unsealed indictments against them and they were arrested in Joplin. …
Speaking to the newspaper USA Today on Thursday, American Gaming Association chief Frank Fahrenkopf said that 21 individual US states, along with Washington DC, are considering online lottery sales or other wagering such as internet poker. Illinois becomes the first state to go online with lottery ticket sales this Sunday New York and several other …
In Florida, commissoners in Palm Beach county have voted 5-2 for a plan aimed at blocking new Internet gambling cafes from opening by imposing a year-long moratorium on business licenses for such enterprises. Commissioners agreed in January to stop issuing new business tax receipts for the establishments while they considered a temporary ban. The moratorium, …
The latest contender to enter the increasingly crowded social gambling space is a new company titled Plumbee which has been founded by former EA Playfish execs with strong funding from the French venture capital house Idinvest Partners. Plumbee defines itself as a specialist social casino game studio, and the company launched its first offering on …
In Malta, the Ministry of Finance, the Economy and Investment announced this week that the winning bidder for the National Lottery of Malta concession is Maltco Lotteries Limited. In a bidding process, Maltco offered Euro 39,100,000 for the ten year concession, which will commence from 5th July 2012. Two bidders, Maltco Company Limited which has …
ABS-CBN News in the Philippines reports that a number of online gaming stations of state-run casino operator Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) are facing closure because they are operating in illegal locations. Francis Hernando, vice president of Pagcor’s Licensed Casino Development Department, said they may cancel the permits of several Pagcor e-Games cafés that …
LVS, the sports book software provider owned by French gambling giant La Française des Jeux, has announced that Nick Dutton, a former Ladbrokes IT exec, has been appointed into the new role of Programme Director. Dutton will have responsibility for overseeing and directing significant development and delivery programmes planned by LVS. LVS chief exec Simon …
Jackpot Party Casino has released its latest online slot, Gorilla Chief 2, which is an internet version of a popular land game developed by parent WMS. This 5 reel, 50 pay-line slot has a jungle and hidden treasure theme and features 10 re-triggering free spins, and access to a progressive jackpot. Preview the new game …
Australian gambling group Tabcorp Holdings Limited has announced that its offer of Tabcorp Subordinated Notes has been a success, raising A$ 250 million. A$200 million of the notes were allocated to institutional investors and brokers and a further A$50 million was raised from holders of Tabcorp ordinary shares and Tabcorp Bonds, and other investors. Tabcorp’s …
A private member’s bill launched by Canadian MP Joe Comartin seeking to allow single wager sports betting has passed its second reading in the Senate, having successfully survived the House of Commons. Ontario Senator Bob Runciman, who has championed the bill in the Senate, told the Vancouver Sun this week that he is confident that …
Kentucky judge Thomas Wingate, who earned some notoriety almost four years ago when he claimed jurisdiction and seized 141 internet gambling domains, has now issued a forfeiture order on 132 of those assets. Missing from the judge’s current hit list are Full Tilt Poker.com, PokerStars.com, Absolute Poker.com and UltimateBet.com, Doyles Room.com, True Poker.com, Bookmaker.com and …