The life and times of super online poker e-cash processor turned US federal stoolie, Daniel Tzvetkoff, will soon be up on movie screens following the acquisition of the movie rights to his biography “Alligator Blood” by top director Robert Luketic (director of Legally Blonde, 21 and others). Author James Leighton told Poker News this week …
The head of the Australian online and land betting group Tabcorp has launched another attack on the internet bookmakers who represent an increasingly powerful competitive challenge for his company, claiming that they pay little tax, make only small contributions to the racing industry and rely on extending credit to their betting customers. Speaking at the …
A New Jersey woman who perhaps did not realise how much information online operators are required to record before accepting a deposit, or how effective location technology can be, has been charged with theft by deception after claiming that her identity had been stolen and $9,565 in gambling and banking fees had been fraudulently generated …
The respected US gambling journalist Steve Ruddock says in an op-ed article published by the information site Online Poker Report that there is little if any incentive for money launderers to use properly regulated US online poker sites for their criminal activity. Ruddock debunks the much-hyped claims of Sheldon Adelson’s Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling …
Our readers may recall a fake chip case last year at the Horseshoe Casino in Iowa in which US Navy Rear Admiral Timothy Giardina was implicated. The investigation attracted international media coverage due to Admiral Giardina’s sensitive professional position at the time – he was deputy commander of U.S. Strategic Command in Omaha, Nebraska and …
In the escalating public fight between bwin.party digital entertainment and shareholder SpringOwl, led by Jason Ader (see previous reports), a presentation at savebwinparty.com provides a detailed overview of ways in which SpringOwl believes that the “Company’s incumbent Board has overseen significant shareholder value destruction (approximately 60 percent decline in share price since the 2010 announcement …
A UK court has sentenced 54-year old Abbi Kinsella to four years in jail after she stole her mother, Margaret Bowyer’s GBP 100 000 life savings to fuel a gambling habit. Kinsella, a former lotto winner of GBP 175 000, left her mother destitute after she transferred GBP 61 000 from her mother’s account into …
Online gambling, tax exemption on all winnings and the preservation of casino operator taxes are included in the Swiss Federal Council’s newly launched consultation of a draft gambling law proposal that would replace existing law dating December 18, 1998. The draft legislation also introduces stronger measures to combat gambling addiction and money laundering while moving …
Bet-At-Home.com AG attributed a positive first quarter 2014 to positive developments in gross revenue, efficiency increases in marketing and an ongoing reduction in operating expenses. Key performance highlights include: – EBT increased by Euro 4.7 million to Euro 8.3 million (Q1/2013: Euro 3.5 million) – Increase in gross gaming revenue by 10.9 percent to Euro …
GTECH S.p.A. subsidiary GTECH Interactive Limited has completed the cash acquisition of the entire issued share capital of UK-based, AIM listed mobile gaming firm Probability Plc for around GBP 18 Million (see previous report). Renato Ascoli, GTECH S.p.A. President of Products & Services said: “With the mobile gaming market poised for significant growth over the …
Land-based casino network Princess Casinos International will launch an online gaming website with SoftSwiss at Princess Star.com in time for the 2014 Brazil Soccer World Cup. The company, which owns 36 casinos in Europe, South America, Asia and Africa, said it had evaluated a number of options that include prominent casino software providers before selecting …
Forum-goers at the 35th Asian Racing Conference in Hong Kong will be privy to Sportech Racing and Digital’s latest digital pari-mutuel waging products which include its new Digital Link suite of mobile applications. Sportech’s Apple App Store-approved Digital Link works in conjunction with on-track wagering devices and the racing consumer’s own smart phone providing services …
The state of New Jersey’s attempt to overthrow the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and implement intrastate sports wagering (see previous reports) has been a costly affair, according to a report from the Associated Press news agency over the weekend. In a series of court actions in which the state has been unable to …
During the March-April 2014 period Malaysian police in the city of Kota Kinabalu, Sabah province, arrested 33 people and seized 325 computers in a series of 18 raids on online gambling outlets, according to police spokesman Chief Assistant Commissioner Jauteh Dikun. He advised residents to set up safety and security committees to help police curb …
Sweden’s gambling monopoly Svenska Spel treads a fine line between maintaining its monopolistic advantage in the market place on grounds of customer protection, and the intensity of its marketing efforts that could be construed as a contrary motive by bodies like the European Commission. This week the consequences of the company taking its foot of …
Following a three-month public consultation, the UK Gambling Commission has framed the approach it will take to the protection of player funds, a particularly important issue from the online player perspective after some spectacular operator failures that have left players stranded (see Purple Lounge and other reports) In broad terms, the regulator will require that …
UK gambling group Sportech will have to wait until summer for the latest, and hopefully final, decision on its long-running tax dispute with Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs following the completion of appeal hearings on the GBP 95 million case this week. The Value Added Tax issue based on Sportech’s “Spot the Ball” game was …
Scientific Games Corporation announced Friday that it has signed an amendment to its contract with Loteria Nacional de Beneficencia of Panama to provide the country’s first online lottery game, Pega 3. Created by Scientific Games, Pega 3 is scheduled to launch in June 2014 as a standard Pick 3 game. “Pega 3 is our first …
Online cash payments provider, Ukash announced Friday that online gambling group Betfair has signed up to its popular service, which enables customers to use cash to transact online with betting companies. Betfair customers who pass strict verification processes will be able to make cash deposits into their accounts through Ukash vouchers, which are available from …
The world’s most consistently successfully land gambling enclave, Macau off the Chinese mainland, has again exceeded analyst expectations, delivering a 10.6 percent increase in revenues against analyst predictions of 6 to 8 percent. The Reuters news agency reports that casinos raked in 31.3 billion patacas ($3.9 billion) in gambling revenue in April thanks to strong …
James Thackston, a Florida-based software engineer who for the last nine years has pushed his anti-online gambling views forward in the political and media environment, could be embarrassed by four-year-old emails that have surfaced this week. Thackston’s emphasis has been on what he sees as the money laundering potential for criminals and terrorists in online …
Opponents of legalised online gambling in Pennsylvania received another setback Thursday when experts gave generally positive briefings to lawmakers in a House Democratic Policy Committee hearing. Kevin O’Toole, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board gave a professional presentation to support his conclusion after an extensive study that online gambling can be effectively …
The long-awaited approval for online slot and betting exchange action in the Spanish online gambling market has finally been given by the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego which has announced that it is working towards an implementation date of January 2015. Operators will be given 30 days to apply for licensing for the new …
Online gambling software developer High 5 Games has launched real-money online slots on New Jersey regulated internet gambling sites in the Caesars Interactive Entertainment group following a content supply deal with the company. The two companies signed a partnership agreement earlier this year (see previous reports). The newly launched slots include Dangerous Beauty and Jaguar …