Following a two-year tenancy as chief executive officer for Aristocrat Gaming, Atul Bali is taking up a new challenge as president of gaming at Seattle-based digital media group RealNetworks, and will soon relocate from his base in Las Vegas. An industry veteran with more than 20 years of global experience, Bali will oversee RealNetworks’ games …
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that UK land and online betting group Ladbrokes is the favourite to acquire Melbourne-based Australian online bookmaker Betstar in a deal worth A$20 million to A$25 million. Unidentified sources told the newspaper to expect an announcement on the deal Wednesday. Ladbrokes entered the Aussie online gambling market last August with …
WinaDay online casino has launched a new slot titled Sands of Gold on its proprietary software platform, bringing an Arabian Nights theme to its players. The new game is a 15 pay-line penny slot with a multiple Pick Bonus. An evil Sultan and a beautiful desert princess are among the game’s exotic symbols. Three Bonus …
Jack Tambini, an 18-year-old cash and carry apprentice got more than he dreamed for whilst making a delivery to a Dundee convenience store this week, coming away GBP 100,000 richer after hitting a top scratchcard prize. Tambini intended to spend his last pound on a packet of crisps, but a kindly store manager gave him …
Top British bookmaking company William Hill’s digital division has signed an initial two-year deal with the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) to sponsor the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace in London. The seven-figure deal will see Britain’s biggest bookmaker become the title sponsor of the event – which will now be known as the ‘William …
Five online casino sites accused of illegally accessing Danish punters and ignoring requests to stop doing so have been blocked by local internet services providers on the direction of the Danish Gambling Authority. In a statement this week the Authority said that it monitors the Danish internet gambling market to identify gambling providers who offer …
Live dealer online gambling provider Entwine Tech has inked a deal with Birmingham, England’s Rainbow land casino which will allow the Philippines-based company to stream live gambling action to online players. Ian Dunning, a spokesman for Entwine, said Tuesday: “This is a major step forward in Live Dealer gaming and EntwineTech is proud to be …
The UK Betfair Group plc has announced the long-awaited launch of its Italian online betting exchange following the conclusion of an extensive testing process with the regulator ADM and SOGEI. The Italian Exchange will operate with ring-fenced national liquidity and will be taxed at a rate of 20 percent on commission, the company says. It …
Researchers at Cambridge University in Britain are claiming a breakthrough in problem gambling research after identifying a part of the brain which they believe is linked to addictive tendencies. The Cambridge News reports that scientists led by senior psychology lecturer Dr. Luke Clark found that brain damage affecting insula – an area of the brain …
The fight to stave off a federal ban on all internet gambling in the United States (see previous reports) has clearly caught the attention of the national Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing (NACS), which has issued a statement calling on its members to support the Chaffetz and Graham banning bills just introduced to Congress …
The UK interactive television and online gambling operator NetPlayTV has published a sterling set of full year results for the reporting period ending December 31 2013, reporting the following highlights: * 31 percent increase in net revenue to GBP 28.5 million (2012: GBP 21.8 million) * 21 percent increase in EBITDA to GBP 5.2 million …
The Illinois State Lottery gave the pro-online gambling faction in the United States some useful ammunition this week when it revealed that since taking ticket sales online within the state two years ago, $36.9 million in ticket sales has been achieved without problems associated with geo-location, money laundering or age-verification. Using available technology common to …
A content supply agreement signed by software provider Net Entertainment and major UK operator Bet365 last December came to fruition this week with the announcement that a comprehensive selection of NetEnt online casino games has gone live on Bet365.com and is available through both desktop and mobile channels. Björn Krantz, managing director of Net Entertainment …
Official numbers just released show that Atlantic City’s fortunes continued to wane last year, with gross operating profits down by almost 35 percent on 2012. Associated Press reports that AC land casinos posted a collective gross operating profit of $235 million, down from $360 million in 2012. Things were a little better in the fourth …
Online gambling industry veterans will remember Australian entrepreneur Brian Goodman, who operated a number of RTG-powered internet casinos several years ago, but is now focused on his Elray Gaming technology and content solutions company. In his latest deal, Goodman has announced the acquisition of a virtual horse racing platform branded SimRacing from developer BetTek. Test …
Against a backdrop of media reports claiming that a UK government clampdown on bookies is shaping up (see previous bulletins), the Association of British Bookmakers wrote to prime minister David Cameron Monday, warning that heavy taxation and regulatory changes could put hundreds of jobs in the industry at risk. The letter claims that changes to …
International online betting giant William Hill plc has announced that it has completed the integration of its three Australian brands on to a common platform. Centrebet, Tom Waterhouse and Sportingbet Australia are now united on the technology and promotional platform, although William Hill has advised that the individual brands will remain active – probably a …
The hard-nosed Belgian online gambling authorities have lowered the boom on Betclic, with prosecutors charging that the company has been targeting Belgian punters in contravention of the European nation’s tough and protectionist online gambling laws. Our readers may recall that the operator took a Euro 60,000 hit recently when Belgian enforcement officials seized company funds …
Sunday’s Guardian newspaper online and print report on the Fixed Odds Betting Terminal issue (see previous report) has been followed with a supporting Youtube vid here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CB1dxt4YNH4#t=21 The vid includes some rather damning comments from betting shop employees and appears to focus mainly on the negative aspects of the terminals.
According to a report in the Guardian over the weekend, the British government is set to tighten up its operator requirements regarding fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in UK high street bookie shops. The newspaper reports that Britain’s prime minister, David Cameron, has taken a personal interest in the issue following extensive media and political …
In the United Kingdom, the Gambling (Licensing and Advertising) Bill has emerged from the Houses of Commons and the Lords and now awaits only Royal Assent, which is expected in May. The bill, which is founded on the concept that gambling takes place at the point of consumption, requires all remote gambling operators seeking to …
UK companies involved in the manufacture of the controversial Fixed Odds Betting Terminals found in UK betting shops are to meet with British government officials on the recent imposition of punitive tax rates, reports the publication This Is Money. FOBTs have become the subject of intense media and political debate over contested claims that they …
Reports by Australian players on several forums indicate that the quaintly-named Gnuf online casino has been absorbed by its larger sister Betway, and that Aussies are now excluded from both. Strangely, this seems to have been done with little thought given to actually telling players in advance what was about to happen, irritating Aussie online …
The report on internet gambling legalisation by the Pennsylvania Legislative Budget & Finance Committee is due for presentation in May and should reignite the debate on whether to legalise or not. Late in November last year the state Senate approved a resolution by Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati that tasked the committee to investigate …