Sportingbet resumes trading; Shares plummet
Sportingbet resumed trading today (Monday) on the London Stock Exchange to a loss of 40 per cent. Shares were suspended last week at 239p after Chairman Peter Dicks was detained by U.S. officials on a warrant from Louisiana as part of an ongoing investigation into the betting firm.
Dicks granted bail; announces he will fight extradition
Peter Dicks was granted $50,000 bail by a supreme-court judge on the condition that he would surrender his passport and remain in the New York City area. At the hearing, Dicks' lawyer Peter Neiman said that they would fight extradition to Louisiana on the grounds that he was not personally in the jurisdiction in the period of the offence.
Genting betting on £484 million Stanley acquisition
Malaysian-based Genting has agreed to buy UK casino operator Stanley Leisure in a deal which values the company at £639 million. The group said that it would pay 860p per share, totalling £484 million, for the shares it did not already own.
Gala Coral preparing £540 million Tote bid
Gala Coral is reported to be preparing a £540 million bid to buy the Tote. The move will likely spark a bidding war among venture capital firms also looking to acquire the publicly-owned bookmaker.
Noble begins Blackpool high court action
The Noble Organisation has begun high court action against Blackpool's super-casino license bid, claiming it would be 'contrary to local planning guidelines'. The Coral Island owner said that it supported Blackpool's continuing regeneration, but believed the council's casino bid was 'misconceived' and 'damaging'.
MMO study disputes loner gaming myth
A joint study by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Illinois has suggested that multi-player video games boost players' social connections by serving as informal gathering places. The report says that MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) provide 'a new 'third space' for informal sociability', beyond the workplace and home that exposes players to a more diverse social environment.
Police minister admits 'pokies' used for laundering
Australian police minister Carl Scully has admitted that drug and organised crime gangs were laundering money through poker machines in the country. He added that a taskforce involving the State Crime Command, Crime Commission, Department of Gaming and Casino Control Authority has been formed to investigate.
Free E-Gaming Breakfast Seminars - Autumn Series
Manches LLP starts of its autumn series of free e-Gaming Breakfast Seminars with an update on regulation of remote gaming in the US and the EU. This free seminar will take place on 21 September at Manches LLP London offices in Aldwych. More...
New bingo site for men launched
Bingo 4 Him has been set up in partnership with Playing Bingo to entice men into the world of bingo. The new site, Bingo4him.co.uk, will cover the basics of the game, both off and online and gives men an overview of the more man-friendly online Bingo sites.
YooMedia provides Playboy with casino-style gaming
YooMedia has signed a multi-year deal with Playboy Enterprises to provide a 'casino-style gaming service' for Playboy's range of satellite TV channels and mobile phone services. The adult entertainment company will offer fixed-odds, casino-style gaming to all its customers in the UK and Ireland, and will market these services to its customers and databases via TV, the internet and direct communications.
Mission accomplished!
A total of 15 b2b writers from France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Poland, Taiwan and the UK last week attended an Inward Mission of journalists organised in support of the 2007 ATEI (London, 23/24/25 January). The three-day event provided a preview to the exhibition and briefings on the UK gaming and amusements industries. Speakers included Nick Hawkins of Harris Hagan, specyclopcasinots in gambling and leisure law, Teresa Tunstall of GamCare and Justin Burke of Sega Amusements Europe.
Brent secures Raptor Captor rights
Brent Sales/Namco have secured distribution rights for California-based 5 Star Redemption's new version of Raptor Captor. The dinosaur-themed game will make its European debut at October's Preview exhibition.
Alphameric in BSkyB joint initiative
Alphameric has agreed a joint initiative to provide British Sky Broadcasting with a televised betting service in licensed betting offices in the UK and Ireland. Under the agreement, the company said it would distribute a data feed received from BSB's SkyBet platform to the LBO's Alphameric display systems containing betting opportunities and results aligned to selected live events on Sky Sports channels.
Pinnacle signs with the Hammers
Pinnacle Casino and Blue Chip Games have signed an exclusive three-year deal to become the official online partners of premiership outfit West Ham United. The agreement also includes Pinnacle Casino advertising on the East London club's official website, match day programs and television interview backdrops as well as LED time during live matches at Upton Park.
Paragon purchase troubled Canadian casino
Nevada-based Paragon Gaming announced that it had bought Vancouver's Edgewater Casino, which had reportedly been losing $150,000 per week. The operator said that it was applying for a liqour license for the gaming floor in an attempt to reverse the casino's fortunes.
Think Bingo Plus launched
Independent Technology Ventures is launching its third bingo site, Think Bingo Plus. The Jersey-based owners of Think Bingo and Bingo Scotland said that this stand-alone site would differentiate from its older brands by offering slots and other instant games.
Gambling institute awards $1 million in research grants
The Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders will award $1 million of research grants on behalf of the National Center for Responsible Gaming this year. The grants will go towards studying topics such as the gambling patterns of college students and the differing of brain functions between at-risk and non-problem gamblers.
Trek4Dylan raises £35k on Kilimanjaro
Quentin Stott and Kevin Temple successfully climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in memory of Quentin and Surjit Stott's son Dylan raising over £35,000 for Meningitis UK. Stott called the climb mentally and physically gruelling, and thanked everyone who pledged money for the cause
|