Police in San Jose, CA. launched raids this week on twelve internet cafes in the city suspected of offering illegal online gambling facilities. The raiding parties were supported with search warrants and operated under the coordinated “Operation Omni” umbrella, supported by federal agents of the FBI. FBI special agent Greg Wuthrich confirmed to local media: …
US gambling group Scientific Games Corporation posted its Q4 and FY 2014 results Wednesday, reporting that the integration of recently acquired Bally Technologies, Inc. is on track. The numbers for the 2014 fourth quarter and full year include the results of operations of Bally for the 40 days following the closing of the acquisition on …
Utah Representative Jason Chaffetz, who is spearheading this year’s reintroduction of the Adelson-inspired Restoration of the American Wire Act, displayed either arrogance or ignorance earlier this month in discussing the online gambling banning measure with lottery officials from a number of states. The discussion reportedly took place in a conference call that involved twenty state …
It’s still early days, but an Indiana bill, HB1270 which seeks to legalise internet betting on horse races, is moving forward in the state Senate. HB 1270 passed the House 81-15 late last month and was referred to the Senate (see previous report). On Wednesday the bill passed the Senate Public Policy Committee on a …
Interactive sports betting and gaming software provider SBTech has been awarded a remote gambling license for the supply of gambling software in the UK market by the Gambling Commission. Itai Zak, chief executive officer of SBTech, said: “The UK market is an important key market for the company and the licences will allow us to …
Novomatic-owned GreenTube has acquired US-based mobile social casino gaming company AbZorba Games LLC for an undisclosed consideration. AbZorba Games develops social casino and multiplayer games based on a proprietary gaming platform. It has a robust B2C mobile casino brand and delivers B2B white label turnkey solutions to a range of partners. Its product range includes …
Bitcoin-only Betchain Casino has integrated a selection of BetSoft Gaming and Amatic Industries games following content deals announced this week. A portfolio of 152 Amatic Industries’ popular land-based games, adapted for online, and BetSoft Gaming titles will be on offer following the deal. “Once we felt that we had a solid foundation to work with, …
Apollo Entertainment Limited has had two email advertisements scrutinised following complaints of misleading advertising relating to the wording used in a Palace Casino and UK Casino Club promotion. The company pinned the blame on one of their affiliates saying, “they were using using an automated mailing system which was thought to have been decommissioned in …
William Hill’s PR Director Kate Miller will leave the company to join Golin, a London-based communications firm, as head of UK media. Miller has held several positions within William Hill over the past seven years, her most recent position for around 2 and a half years.
Gambling services provider BetConstruct has launched Game Store, a platform for game designers enabling them to monetise their games. Vahe Baloulian, chief executive officer for BetConstruct said, “This type of opportunity offers the potential for any independent developer or game expert to have unfettered access to a revenue stream that has, until now, been mostly …
Police in the Liaoning provincial city of Dalian have reported the dismantling of an online sports betting ring and the arrest of 11 foreigners suspected of running the operation. Investigators have uncovered evidence showing that the illegal enterprise generated turnover of 57 million yuan (about $9.1 million) and had over 3,000 clients. This week police …
The Danish online gambling regulator Spillemyndigheden reported this week that growing numbers of Danish gamblers are using its licensed sites, with wagering up 40 percent over the past two years. One the reasons given for the popularity of online gambling is that licensed sites have become more efficient at providing “instant gratification.” HC Madsen, the …
The European online gambling group Bwin.Party.Digital Entertainment suffered its third straight annual fall in core earnings in 2014, seeing earnings decline 6 percent to Euro 101.2 million as analysts expected. Whilst there are bright spots among the results, the overall performance is unlikely to enhance the value of the company, which is reportedly the subject …
Intertain Group, a Canadian online gambling company closely associated with Amaya Gaming (the latter holds a 5.8 percent interest in the company) has posted an interesting set of 2014 annual results showcasing revenues from a zero base up at $40.8 million but a heavy debt burden as a result of a series of major acquisitions. …
Despite the benefits flowing from the Sochi Olympics and the football World Cup last year, Russian online sportsbetting operators suffered an 11.5 percent decline in traffic, a statistic made worse by comparison with 2013, when growth in traffic peaked at 29.3 percent. A study conducted by First Gaming attributes the decline to a number of …
In Canada, the recently elected provincial government of Port Edward Island has moved to uncover exactly what happened in the previous government’s abortive e-gaming venture, which has cost the taxpayer just short of a million dollars (see previous reports). The new premier, Wade MacLauchlan, has tasked the provincial Auditor General to conduct a thorough review …
Senator Lindsey Graham’s startling admission this week that he has never used email (yet feels qualified to discuss the perceived evils of online gambling) has been followed by another foot-in-mouth moment from Andy Abboud, one of land casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson’s lieutenants. In an interview with the publication Gambling Compliance Abboud opined that his employer …
Playtech plc subsidiary Ash Gaming has released its latest online slot, a 6-reel, 164 pay-lines game with a swashbuckling marine theme titled Sinbad’s Golden Voyage. Game features include expanding wilds, specially stacked symbols and a unique reel design.
Betcafe Arena, the Romanian retail sportsbetting operator, has reached an agreement with Spanish sports betting and e-gaming software development firm Optima for the future development and support of the Romanian firm’s online and retail sportsbetting platform, using the Margin Maker 2 product. Betcafe CEO Vlad Evghenie and his counterpart at Optima, Jacob Curciel signed the …
Metro Play and 666Bet are the latest operators to integrate a range of iSoftBet slots and table games across desktop and mobile platforms. “iSoftBet have a fantastic catalogue of content, especially in branded titles and mobile games so we are delighted to be working with them,” commented Andrew Lee, head of product at Metro Play …
Equity crowd funding platform GamCrowd has partnered with Innvotec Limited, an FCA authorised UK Alternative Investment Fund Manager, to launch the first Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS) aimed at the Gambling Industry. The GamCrowd 2015 SEIS Fund is targeted at UK Tax payers who will be able to claim 50 percent of their investment back …
The Gibraltar-based online lottery platform provider Lottonetix has launched what it claims is an innovative development for the lottery business – live-streamed lottery action with live presenters, the project motivated by the success of live dealer casino action in recent years. The company has developed the concept in collaboration with online lottery B2B solutions provider …
The Trump name will remain associated with an Atlantic City land casino following a deal this week between the enterprise’s main debt holder, Carl Icahn, and US businessman Donald Trump. The troubled Trump Taj Mahal casino is not owned by Trump but carries his name in a franchise agreement signed some time ago. Recently Trump …
Recent comments by Restoration of the American Wire Act political supporter Sen. Lindsey Graham have evoked some mirth and not a little marvelling in the online gambling industry this week as an indication of his lack of real-life engagement with modern technology. Whilst sounding off about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s questionable use of …