Gambling news - page 1035

Christmas Luck

26 Dec 2012

There was a double helping of Christmas luck for a New Hampshire man this week when a ticket he was sold in error turned up trumps and won him $2.1 million. Scott Bennett (48) thought he was buying a Lucky for Life lottery ticket but was mistakenly issued two Megabucks tickets instead… and one of …

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Schleswig Holstein online gambling licenses not valid for all Germany

26 Dec 2012

The authorities in Schleswig Holstein, the northern German state which recently issued online casino and poker licenses to twelve leading international internet gambling groups has warned that the licenses are restricted to the provision of gambling services to SH residents, and are not valid for operations throughout Germany’s other 15 states. The clarification was accompanied …

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Blackjack dealer wounded

23 Dec 2012

It may be the season for peace and goodwill to all, but at the Bellagio blackjack pit in Las Vegas there was little evidence of that when a 50-year-old dealer, Brenda Wilson, allegedly pulled out a knife and slashed the face of a fellow dealer Friday. The unidentified injured party was rushed to hospital whilst …

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El Gordo lottery sales down this year

23 Dec 2012

Spains giant El Gordo (The Fat One) lottery was drawn Saturday, with the winning numbers 76058, distributing a total jackpot of $2.2 billion, with 43 percent of that going to ticket-holders who matched all five numbers. This year over 27 million individual prizes will be awarded, despite sales slipping 8 percent to Euro 2.47 billion …

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Chinese online gambling operators jailed

23 Dec 2012

The Shanghai District People’s Court was active last week, sentencing 25 defendants accused of being involved at various levels in operating an online gambling enterprise. Local media reports claimed that the accuseds were involved with an unidentified but internationally known top football gambling website based offshore, with prosecutors revealing that the busts were made in …

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Iowa online gambling interest revived

22 Dec 2012

Iowa gambling industry leaders acknowledged Friday that internet gambling is the future of the industry, but that the approval of the state Legislature is necessary before progress can be made. The Iowa Senate passed an Internet gaming bill in March 2012, but the measure was not considered in the House. Residents in the state did …

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Zynga gearing up for UK real money gambling action

22 Dec 2012

The US social gaming giant Zynga’s partnership with Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment is due to bear fruit soon, judging by publicity moves this week in which the partnership began promoting two online gambling websites in the UK. The Zynga Plus Poker.co.uk and Zynga Plus Casino.co.uk sites affirm earlier commitments by the partnership that real money action …

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Sports leagues have standing to challenge New Jersey on betting

22 Dec 2012

New Jersey has lost a round in its legal battle with US sports leagues over the Garden State’s new legislation permitting sports betting. In his judgement issued Friday following oral arguments earlier in the week by the litigating parties, Trenton District Court federal judge Michael Shipp said that the leagues had legal standing – the …

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Intralot in soccer advertising deal

22 Dec 2012

Intralot Italia is to widen awareness of its online casino brand following an advertising deal with top Italian football club AS Roma that will see the brand displayed on perimeter boards inside the team’s Stadio Olimpico home. The agreement covers all Serie A and Coppa Italia games held inside the 70,600-seat stadium this season and …

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Poll shows that Americans still like sports betting

22 Dec 2012

The latest in a series of regular PublicMind polls from the Fairleigh Dickinson University shows little change from previous studies, indicating that just over half of Americans are in favour of having legalised sports betting available in all states. However, when it comes to the wider choice of legalised online gambling generally (ie casino and …

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William Hill disputes Playtech bid to share in Sportingbet deal

22 Dec 2012

Playtech’s claim that William Hill’s acquisition of Sportingbet should benefit the two companies’ joint interest in William Hill Online has been quickly rejected by a Will Hill spokesman. On Thursday Playtech’s CEO Mor Weizer claimed in a company statement that in terms of the WHO joint venture agreement William Hill would be “…bound to conduct …

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New chief for NeoGames

21 Dec 2012

Online scratchcard and instant-win lottery games provider NeoGames International Limited has announced that Ilan Rosen has been promoted to serve as its new chief executive officer from the beginning of January 2013. Rosen has a proven track record of over a decade in finance, management and gaming experience, with the previous three years seeing him …

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World Match launches Touch Down HD game

21 Dec 2012

A new online slot has been launched by games developer World Match titled Touch Down HD, which presser material claims involves players in the atmosphere of a crowded football stadium, complete with player action and cheerleaders. “Our goal is to make the gaming experience more fun and realistic, and thanks to the 16:9 aspect ratio …

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Net Entertainment launches new live casino product in beta

21 Dec 2012

Net Entertainment revealed Friday that it has launched its in-house developed live casino product in beta format with two unidentified customers. Additional operators will be launched gradually going forward, a company spokesman said. In its last annual report for 2011, Net Entertainment informed shareholders that it planned to launch a live casino product at the …

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Top management changes at Paddy Power plc

21 Dec 2012

Irish land and online gambling group Paddy Power plc announced forthcoming senior management changes Friday, triggered by the intended retirement of Jimmy Mangan, Head of Irish Retail and Dial-a-Bet operations, scheduled for July 2013. Mangan has been responsible for the management of Irish Retail and Dial-a-Bet since the formation of Paddy Power in 1988. Management …

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Playtech could complicate William Hill – Sportingbet deal

21 Dec 2012

With the champagne corks still popping over Thursday’s agreement by William Hill plc and GVC plc to acquire Sportingbet plc , Playtech introduced a sobering note with a reminder that in terms of its participation in the William Hill Online joint venture, William Hill plc is “…bound to conduct its remote gambling business through the …

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New Jersey legislature again approves online gambling law

21 Dec 2012

The issue of online gambling legalisation is moving fast in New Jersey, with the state Senate emulating the Assembly in passing the latest Lesniak bill seeking to legalise the pastime in the Garden State. After passing successfully through the Assembly on a 48 to 25 vote earlier this week the bill went to a full …

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Sportingbet deal with Will Hill and GVC agreed

20 Dec 2012

After weeks of negotiations and time limit extensions from the London stock market, the acquisition of Sportingbet plc by William Hill plc and GVC plc has finally been agreed. The Reuters news agency broke the news Thursday, revealing that the consideration finally agreed was GBP 485 million. The recommended cash and paper deal valued Sportingbet …

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Sportech acquires North American horse racing company

20 Dec 2012

Sportech plc has announced the acquisition of eBet Online Inc, a US business to business online betting operator and technology and services provider focused on the North American horseracing betting market. Total consideration, dependent upon future performance, is to be up to $12.6 million (approximately GBP 7.8 million). The acquisition is expected to be earnings …

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Ladbrokes to take on IGT online games

20 Dec 2012

The UK online gambling group Ladbrokes is to boost its players’ choice of internet casino games by taking on board the full games portfolio of International Game Technology (IGT). The agreement will see Ladbrokes.com’s games inventory augmented by some 120 online and mobile game titles, including branded games such as Star Trek: Against All Odds, …

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Spanish lottery El Gordo expects record sales

20 Dec 2012

Spain’s giant Christmas lottery, El Gordo (The Fat One), is expected to break records this year as cash-strapped Spaniards pin their hopes in a life-changing win and queue round the block for tickets. Many would-be multi-millionaire punters say they are hoping to win so they can pay off debt or help relatives facing heavy economic …

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Turkey to privatise state sports betting enterprise

20 Dec 2012

The Turkish government plans to privatise the nation’s legal sports betting organisation, Spor Toto, in June 2013 at an estimated value around $10 billion, reports the publications Hurriyet and Milliyet. The government has already embarked on an extensive privatisation program of state assets which has included the sale of banking, roads and bridges to raise …

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Embezzling post office manager sent to jail

20 Dec 2012

Our readers will recall the story of an Irish post office manager, Tony O’Reilly, who over a 14 month period in 2010-2011 plundered the funds under his care in order to feed an increasingly voracious appetite for gambling. This week O’Reilly paid for his dishonesty in embezzling Euro 1.75 million with a four year jail …

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Betcris takes over Bookmaker.eu non-US players

20 Dec 2012

The major sports betting operator BetCRIS has announced that it has taken over all BookMaker.eu non-US accounts effective immediately. The company advises players that their account balances are 100 percent secured, with no restrictions and that they can use their Bookmaker log in and passwords on the BetCRIS site. All currently open wagers will be …

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