Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment’s controversial new share awards to top management are now in effect, despite a third of shareholders opposing the plan, which was justified on grounds that the company’s share price had fallen so far that the previous incentive and bonus packages became untenable. With the company’s market capitalisation shrunk by almost 40 percent, …
Police in Phnom Penh, Cambodia report that in a raid on a luxury apartment complex they have arrested 15 South Koreans who were allegedly running an online gambling ring. National Police spokesman General Kirth Chantharith said the raid followed a week-long investigation after police received a tip-off. “This group was followed for more than a …
The National Conference of State Legislatures has joined the growing number of influential bodies challenging the Sheldon Adelson-funded attempts to federally ban online gambling in the United States through bills introduced recently by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Jason Chaffetz (see previous reports). The Washington DC publication The Hill reports that in a letter to …
Florida enforcement agencies are clearly determined to stamp out internet cafe gambling, embarking on a second wave of raids and prosecutions following the monumental Allied Veterans of America busts last year . The Associated Press news agency reports that raids across five Florida counties have resulted in a new wave of arrests which officials were …
Another trade association – this time the North American Association of State & Provincial Lotteries (NASPL) has come out against Sheldon Adelson’s attempt to ban all online gambling in the United States through federal bills introduced recently by Sen. Lindsey Graham and Rep. Jason Chaffetz . In a letter to Sen. Graham this week, the …
Former Playtech chairman Roger Withers has joined Teddy Sagi’s newly AIM-listed payment processing company SafeCharge International Group Limited as non-executive chairman of the board. Withers has more than 30 years’ experience in the leisure and gaming industries, and has been an advisor of Playtech Limited since October 2013, and is chairman of Tote Direct. He …
The French regulator L’autorité de regulation des jeux en ligne (ARJEL) has announced the appointment of corporate veteran Gilles Crespin as its new chief executive. promoting him from within the organisation to take the reins from Frédéric Epaulard, who is retiring. Crespin was previously a deputy director general and has been with the regulator since …
Online slots fans have much to look forward to in April, with both Microgaming and Net Entertainment lining up new games with diverse and interesting themes. Net Entertainment’s Lights slot is a 5-reel, 3-row, 9-line game featuring Free Spins and Floating Wilds set against a calm, Zen-like Asian landscape at dusk. During every spin, fireflies …
The Danish sports betting software company Enetpulse has sold off its football information site SoccerStand to Czech company LiveSportMedia for an undisclosed consideration. LiveSportMedia has revamped the site and says that it will be integrated into the company’s range of sports websites, benefitting from a visitor base of 40 million international readers. Technical work on …
The Cheltenham Festival racing week has gone into the books as a success, with online punters laying down GBP 74.6 million over four days, reports payment processor DataCash, which revealed Thursday that it had processed 2.77 million wagers over the four days of the festival last month. The volume of interest and wagering represents a …
An extensive study of the Australian gambling scene commissioned from local academics in 2011 by Gambling Research Australia, has been concluded and published under the no-nonsense title of ‘Interactive Gambling.’ Funded by the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments, the research was carried out by an impressive list of high profile Aussie academics, including: Professor Nerilee …
The Greek betting group OPAP is hoping that its online gambling venture, scheduled to get into gear this year in partnership with GTech, will help boost its disappointing recent results (see previous reports). In its latest annual report covering operations throughout 2013, the company says that sportsbetting will receive priority in the online venture, followed …
Minnesota governor Mark Dayton seems to be taking a neutral stance in the growing row between the director of the state lottery and members of the state legislature over the state lottery moves online. A number of lawmakers are up in arms over the lottery’s decision to offer tickets and scratchcards online, saying the legislature …
The Sheldon Adelson-backed Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling’s (CSIG) latest salvo is a web ad featuring the hit mobile game Angry Birds, Fruit Ninja and Candy Crush as gateway games to online gambling and addiction. The spot titled “Don’t Bet On It” features a tech-savvy teenager playing Angry Birds on a mobile device which eventually …
Cambodian Police have detained 15 South Korean men following a raid on a villa in the capital’s Tuol Kork district Wednesday. The men are suspected to have been involved in an illegal online football gambling ring. “We detained them for inquiries on the suspicion of online gambling,” Pov Sopha, deputy chief of the Interior Ministry’s …
Online casino software provider SkillOnNet will release 14 new online slots in April that include a mix of branded games from WMS Interactive and three new in-house titles. The new slots will be released over a 4 week period accompanied by extensive localised marketing campaigns undertaken by SkillOnNet licensees. Kevin Cremer, European product manager for …
Ontario MPP David Orazeitti announced the formation of the Sault Ste. Marie Digital Gaming Task Force this week, a body focused on ensuring a modern and profitable Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) along with new economic development and job creation for the city. Orazeitti said Sault already has a burgeoning digital gaming sector, the growth …
Teddy Sagi’s payment solutions provider SafeCharge launched its shares on the London Stock Exchange Alternative Investment Market (LSE AIM) today (Wednesday) with an initial public offering (IPO) of 149 759 260 Ordinary Shares selling at a placing price of 162 pence. The IPO raised $125 Million, $25 Million more than Sagi had predicted , giving …
French online operator France Pari has posted strong first quarter results it attributes to an 87 percent revenue rise contributed by B2B division Sportnco and a further 70 percent rise in operator activities. The company said an 80 percent increase in stakes amounting to Euro 3.5 million was achieved through growth in its live and …
The Swedish Gambling Authority Lotteriinspektionen has appointed the services of psychologist Håkan Wall to its Board, as deputy chairman Per Blinder steps down. Wall is a medical professional currently working at the Research Centre for Physiological Health which is affiliated to the Karolinska Institutet, a medical university that treats problem gambling amongst other conditions. Wall …
The UK Gambling Commission has published its first stage of amendments to the License Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) applicable to licenced gambling operators. Following consultations towards the end of last year, the commission will publish changes to the LLCP in three stages however all three are expected to come into force on August …
A fondness for online sports betting on the Betfair website proved to be a contributing factor in the downfall of British KPMG director and management consultant Brian Chapman this week when he appeared at the Old Bailey charged with making false expenses claims to the value of GBP 45,000. The court heard that although he …
Southern California-based software developer Gamblit Gaming has raised $12 million in financing that will be used for the launch of its new online gambling software this year. American Capital Strategies, a Bethesda, Md. publicly traded private equity firm has provided the new capital, having previously put $7 million into Hard 8 Games, the Boston-based parent …
A new games development studio is in the spotlight following a content supply deal announced this week with Unibet. Thunderkick AB is a Stockholm-based company with surprisingly little information on a website that simply states “We are Thunder Kick, and we make games .” Industry reports suggest that Net Entertainment veterans are behind the business …