With a general election not too far distant, and the recent storm of largely negative media coverage on FOBTs, it is perhaps not surprising that British Culture Minister Maria Miller has now recommended that the Association of British Bookmakers’ new code of practice be made compulsory. The BBC reported Sunday that the minister feels the …
Britain’s gambling reform bill has run into possible delays in the House of Lords as politicians there raise concerns regarding the alarming rise in gambling advertising and its possibly detrimental effect on minors. The Independent newspaper reported Sunday that the Upper House is worried about the amount of pre-9pm “watershed” adverts that are running on …
The future plans of soon-to-be-former Las Vegas Sands Bethlehem CEO, Robert DeSalvio, are no longer a mystery following reports in US media Friday that he has joined the Wynn Resorts group and will be involved in trying to secure casino rights in Massachusetts. DeSalvio’s surprise resignation on the heels of a serious hack into the …
The Poker Players Alliance action group reports that Sheldon Adelson’s dream of a US online gambling ban achieved by re-wording the 1961 Wire Act could be spearheaded by a Republican senator from South Carolina. The PPA identifies the politician as Lindsey Graham, advising that he will soon introduce a proposal in the Senate that seeks …
Industry fears that Italian politicians were moving toward a ban on internet gambling advertising (see previous reports) have been assuaged by news coming from Italy’s House of Representatives that TV and radio advertisements will have limitations imposed, but no ban. Lawmakers have approved a proposal this week that introduces some limitations by modifying the current …
Further revelations on the international hack of Las Vegas Sands corporate websites confirm that the intrusion and theft of data was far more serious than it was initially portrayed. In the latest developments, US media has accessed Securities and Exchange Commission filings by the company which show that the hackers were able to access and …
The latest land gambling stats from the Nevada Gaming Control Board show that revenues declined 3 percent year-on-year in January 2014 to $884 million. The Associated Press news agency reports that Las Vegas Strip winnings of just under half a billion dollars were down a little more than 1 percent, whilst downtown Las Vegas winnings …
The news that the Belgian Gaming Commission and state prosecution agencies had seized Euro 600,000 of Betclic’s funds held in Belgian financial institutions on allegations that the company had provided unlicensed gambling services to Belgian punters (see previous reports) appears to have shocked the French company, which reacted Friday by saying it was completely surprised …
The British land and online gambling group William Hill plc released its results for the 52 weeks ended December 31 2013 Friday, noting that it is to cut costs by around GBP 20 million in 2015 to accommodate the new UK point-of-consumption tax on remote gambling activity. Finance Director Neil Cooper estimates that the new …
Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is not one to shy away from a political confrontation, as she has previously demonstrated in various clashes with state officials, and in a year where she is reportedly about to make a bid for the state governorship she is taking on internet gambling. On Thursday Coakley declared her opposition …
The surprise resignation this week of Las Vegas Sands Bethlehem, Pa., chief executive Robert DeSalvio has sparked speculation that his departure may be linked to the extensive hacking of his and other Las Vegas Sands corporate websites earlier this month (see previous reports). Silvio denies this is the case, but has revealed little further about …
Silverio Califano (53) one of almost 20 defendants charged for involvement in the Costa Rica-based 44wager.com bust (see previous reports) was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant Thursday to 15 months imprisonment after pleading guilty last year. His period of imprisonment is accompanied by three further years of supervised release, a fine of …
Bubble Group NV, the parent company of online gambling software developer Sheriff Gaming, has had its licence pulled by the Alderney Gaming Control Commission following a regulatory hearing on Monday where commissioners found that the firm was “…no longer fit and proper to hold such a certificate.” Our readers will recall that Alderney suspended the …
Finland’s Cabinet Committee on Economic Policy has proposed the introduction of a special monitoring task force, which would be charged with assessing and recommending better ways to enforce respect for the Nordic country’s monopoly-oriented internet gambling laws. The set-up of the new group, and the results of its deliberations, is expected to be completed and …
The Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance in the United States and the government of the Isle of Man in Europe are distant in terms of both geography and demographics, but according to a TIGA statement this week, have similar motivation: to facilitate, regulate and promote legal internet gaming to the highest standards of security, integrity and …
Possibly with advanced deposit wagering and internet cafe gambling issues in mind, Florida lawmakers have moved to beef up existing state gambling laws by adding language that bans the operation of online wagering businesses, along with the transmission of gambling information. The changes were proposed to the state Senate Gaming Committee during deliberations on gambling …
Online gambling operator Betclic ran afoul of the Belgian Gaming Commission this week and suffered a Euro 600,000 seizure of its funds held by Belgian financial institutions following allegations that it was providing unlicensed gambling services to Belgian online punters. The seizure was carried out by the Public Prosecution Office on grounds that the funds …
The European online gambling solutions provider BetConstruct has inked a content deal with games developer BetSoft that will give it access to all desktop and mobile gaming content from the developer. BetSoft’s head of product development, Anthony Locke, said Friday that his company and BetConstruct had much in common: “Like us, they have built their …
Former Centrica chief Sir Roy Gardner has been appointed to the board of online and land gambling group William Hill plc as senior non-exec director with effect from May 8. Gardner led Centrica – the owner of British Gas – from 1997-2005, and is also a former chairman of Manchester United Football Club and catering …
Respected investment journalist Christopher Versace took to Forbes magazine this week to examine the possibilities for online gambling in the United States, concluding: “For those companies that don’t embrace online gaming or sit on the sidelines too long – Wynn Resorts, Las Vegas Sands, and others – they risk becoming a mobile phone in a …
In a statement issued on the heels of the news that Nevada and Delaware are to share their player pools (see previous report), online gambling group 888 Holdings issued a statement lauding the deal and expressing the hope that other US states would legalise online gambling and join the player-sharing party. Describing the Nevada-Delaware compact …
William Hill has appointed Sir Roy Gardner to the board as an independent Non-executive Director, with effect from 3 March 2014. Sir Gardner will serve as a member of the Audit and Risk, Remuneration, Nomination and Corporate Responsibility Committees, and will take over as Senior Independent Non-executive Director when David Edmonds retires from the Board …
GSN Games will acquire Bash Gaming, the creator of the hit social bingo game “Bingo Bash”, for an undisclosed consideration. Bingo Bash claims 4.8 million monthly active users playing across Facebook, iOS, Android and Kindle devices allowing GSN Games to build on its own skill games platform for real prize tournaments by leveraging Bash Gaming’s …
French operator Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) has until September 30, 2015 to separate its online horse race activity from it retail business. The French Competition Authority, l’Autorité de la concurrence, ruled on the long running complaint initially filed by BetClic in January 2012, who said PMU’s online business unfairly benefitted from sharing liquidity with its …