International Game Technology CEO Patti S. Hart announced Thursday that John Vandemore is joining the company as chief financial officer and treasurer, effective February 13, 2012. Vandemore comes to IGT from The Walt Disney Company, where he most recently served as Chief Financial Officer of Walt Disney Imagineering and was responsible for overseeing multi-billion dollar …
Thursday’s hearing of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs covering the topic “The U.S. Department of Justice Opinion on Internet Gaming: What’s at Stake for Tribes?” predictably delivered a slew of different perspectives and an insight into Indian fears. The president of the Seneca Nation of Indians in New York, Robert Odawi Porter, voiced tribal …
Overall world gambling revenues climbed to a record $419 billion last year, led by growth in Asia, according to the Isle of Man-based Global Betting & Gaming Consultants, which released its latest study this week. Revenue rose 5.6 percent from $397 billion in 2010 and is forecast to reach $448 billion this year, with the …
Betdaq, a European online betting exchange, has agreed an expanded sponsorship deal for 2012 with Jockey Club Racecourses, the largest racecourse group in Britain by courses, fixtures, attendances, prize-money contributions and revenues. The six-figure deal involves 10 of the group’s 14 racecourses and includes a second year of support for midweek Flat racing at Kempton …
South Africa may have some draconian anti-online gambling legislation on the books, including the prosecution of individual internet gamblers a la Washington State, but can these be effectively enforced? Apparently not, according to a remarkably frank admission to the publication ITWeb by the chief executive of the National Gambling Board, Baby Tyawa. Tyawa said her …
The recession-plagued decline in Nevada gambling may have come to an end at last, with more improvement reported by the Nevada Gaming Control Board for December, where Las Vegas Strip casino gambling revenue rose 3.6 percent, bringing the full-year gain to 5.1 percent for a second annual increase. Strip betting revenue rose to $518.4 million …
Industry observers were speculating this week on the new career path of online gambling marketing guru Oscar Nieboer, who has departed his office as global marketing and brand director at Betfair after five years in post. In a brief statement Betfair announced that the responsibilities of marketing and brand creation and control would be taken …
Top European bookie firm Stan James and technology and software provider GTechG2 have announced a collaborative effort in working together to certify the GTech G2 Margin Maker World Till system for launch in South Africa. The two companies have secured certification in the Western Cape, and have initially launched five shops in Cape Town, with …
The online and land gambling company Rank Group plc has posted its six and twelve month results to end December 2011 showing good growth in most of its online interests and recording final victory in a long running tax overpayment dispute with HM Customs and Excise that brought GBP 253 million back into the gambling …
The Swedish internet gambling software developer Net Entertainment posted another impressive set of Q4 and Full Year results Thursday, showcasing a year of new initiatives aimed at sustaining the company’s remarkable growth. Q4 2011 highlights included: – Revenues increased by 21.6 percent to SEK 121.1 (Q4 2010 – SEK 99.6) million – Operating profit amounted …
Industry observers noted a massive win yesterday on Net Entertainment’s slot Hall of Gods. While little information is available at present, the progressive jackpot was reportedly hit by a Swedish man at Unibet Casino for GBP 6 408 252.03. Net Entertainment slot players have had a lucky run in recent times, with the Mega Fortune …
Caesars Entertainment’s IPO launch of 1.81 million shares at $9.06 each met with impressive success on the Nasdaq exchange this week, resulting in an 80 percent bonanza for the company as the stock climbed as high as $17.90 (valuing the company at $2.24 billion) before settling back into the plus $16 range. The company, then …
Betfair is trying its hand at comedy, hiring a team of writers to create content for its @Betfairpoker Twitter feed. Described as something of a social experiment, the media strategy focuses more on comedy than on poker itself, but it has boosted the brand’s social currency, claims head of central online marketing, Ben Carter. The …
The UK Football League’s exclusive data distributor, SIS, has in collaboration with Contagious Sports launched a new pool-based game which will for the first time allow bettors to bet into an in-running pool on live football matches to win jackpots. The Contagious Sports-developed game follows a simple format with each selected match split into 40 …
Vernon’s recently launched British-facing online casino and poker room Vernons.com is launching an extensive television and social media campaign to capture a bigger slice of the market by creating brand awareness. The company, better known for its “The Football Pools” will air its first television campaign this week on Sky, ITV4, Dave, FX, DMAX, Discovery …
A bill covering the taxation of offshore bookmakers introduced by Conservative MP Matthew Hancock was heard in the House of Commons earlier this week and has been given a second reading scheduled for March 30, 2012. The bill looks to the reform of the UK Gambling Act 2005 and proposes that all bookmakers servicing the …
Online gaming company Betclic has filed a claim of unfair competition against Pari Mutuel Urbaine (PMU) with the French Competition Authority, according to French journal Les Echos. PMU currently dominates the horse race betting sector in the French market with an 85 percent share according to French regulatory authority ARJEL, followed by Zeturf holding 10 …
The UK Gambling Commission has censured Simon Cowell’s Red or Black television gameshow for “glamorising” betting. Representatives from the Commission reportedly met with ITV Heads late last week to discuss concerns over the show making gambling look too easy. Unnamed sources claim that the regulator has requested that contestants “demonstrate some degree of skill to …
The Argentinian online gambling software developer Leander Games is enjoying a successful 2012 so far; last week it was awarded the Casinomeister accolade for best games provider in 2011, and on Tuesday it announced a supply deal with the UK-based online casino in the Sky group, SkyVegas. Two of the games to be supplied are …
Online gambling group 888 Holdings plc posted an impressive set of Q4-2011 results Tuesday, highlighting: * Group revenue US$91 million (Q4 2010: US$71 million), an increase of 28 percent year-on-year and 6 percent increase on Q3 2011, led by B2C Poker and Casino, beating the previous records set in that quarter * Revenue B2C US$79 …
Jdigital, the newly launched Spanish Association of Digital Play (la Asociación Española de Juego Digital) has estimated that the Spanish online gambling market based on gross gaming revenue (GGR) in 2011 has increased by 20 percent exceeding Euro 370 Million. Future revenues look bright based on the association’s belief that the market will reach Euro …
The Isle of Man-based Conister Bank has announced the launch of the Island’s first ever e-gaming dedicated banking product, created specifically for the Island’s e-gaming operators, with the approval of the local Gambling and Supervision Commission (GSC). The bank can accept gaming operators’ funds and place these on a fiduciary service with other banks. The …
International online gambling group Betfair has announced that it is to bow to court decisions in South Africa declaring online gambling illegal by cutting off South African online punters from February 14. From that date, the betting company will block SA-based IP addresses, Betfair public affairs manager Tom Tuxworth has announced. “Our Web site is …
UK television viewers do not want to see smoking, payday loans, prescription drug, gambling, cosmetic surgery or injury lawyer advertisements on their television screens during commercial breaks, a YouGov.co.uk survey has concluded. The 1732 television audience sample rated what they do and don’t want to see on their TV screens: – 79 percent say that …