Gala executive steps down
John Kelly will relinquish his executive duties as chairman of bingo group Gala-Coral this week. Kelly, who will become a non-executive director, said Neil Goulden would continue as chief executive for the company.
MTV founder wants Hard Rock
MTV co-founder Robert Pittman's Pilot Group is thought to be the leading bidder for Rank's £500 million Hard Rock Cafe restaurant chain. Other firms interested are thought to include private-equity groups Permira and TDR Capital, and the American buyout firm Apollo.
PartyGaming and 888 hold 'early' merger talks
Executives from PartyGaming and 888 Holdings have held preliminary talks over a possible merger, with more planned in the near future, according to reports. Experts predict that the companies would have a market value of £1.6 billion if they were to merge.
Thistle Hotel granted Glasgow casino license
The City of Glasgow Licensing Board has granted the Glasgow Thistle Hotel a gaming licence allowing it to begin work on a £7 million project to convert its ballroom into a 'Las Vegas-style' casino. The Thistle Group argued that the casino would be a 'niche product' that was unavailable anywhere else outside London.
BetXTech launches Betting Kiosk in Birmingham
Software developer BetXTech showcased its new networked XSS EPOS terminal at the Betting Show in Birmingham's NEC last week. The Betfair integrated machine is fitted with bill acceptors, credit card swipes, thermal printer and touch-screen monitor, and boasts wi-fi capabilities.
River City announce new InDepth conferences
The River City Group has announced two more of its InDepth conference series focusing on casual games and bingo. Taking place across November 9-10th in Vancouver, the conferences will discuss legalities, software developments, marketing and community-building issues in both sectors.
Horseracing to attract £300 million investment by 2012
A report commissioned by the Racecourse Holdings Trust has found that British horse racing will attract £300 million in investment by 2012. Deloitte & Touche found that increased investment in racetracks and the extended racing calendar will cause a rise in attendance and turnover, making the sport the country's second most popular sports investment sector after football.
Bally considers selling Rainbow
Bally Technologies has appointed Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC to evaluate the sale of its Rainbow Casino in Mississippi. The gaming technology company said that it was considering a sale to reduce a portion of its long-term debt before acknowledging that the announcement would likely result in a 'dilution of the company's earnings per share.
Ontario proposes Internet advertising ban
The Canadian province of Ontario is hoping that a proposed ban on Internet gambling advertisements will prompt a federal crackdown on online gambling. The province's minister of government services, Gerry Phillips, said that the ban aimed to stem the flow of young people gambling online.
British tourist board reports 44-1 ratio
VisitBritain reported that it had generated an average return on investment of £44 visitor spend for every £1 spent on marketing inbound tourism over the past three years. In its annual review for 2005-06, the tourist organisation showed that it had also dealt with nearly 10 million enquiries.
Olympic proposal wants more lottery money
A proposal by the UK Treasury has suggested that all non-arts related Lottery funding be used to finance the 2012 Olympics project. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed that it was studying a revised Olympic budget, which could be up to three times the initial £2.4 billion estimate, and that lottery players could be a source of extra funding.
Asia is new online prize
Asia is going to be the 'prize' of the online gambling industry when it overcomes its current legal issues according to Simon Holliday of Global Betting and Gaming Consultants. Speaking at the Remote Gambling Associations AGM, Holliday said that the Chinese online gaming market, 94 per cent of which is unregulated, would take time to crack.
Sun revenue rises by 16 per cent
South Africa gaming group Sun International has reported an increase in revenue by 16 per cent for the third-quarter compared to 2005. In its trading report, Sun revealed that overall earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation margin was 34.3 per cent, compared to 31.2 percent in the same period a year ago.
Jowell issues 'prohibition' warning
British culture secretary Tessa Jowell has compared the US' stance on Internet gambling to alcohol prohibition in the early 1920s and said that it would force customers to seek unregulated alternatives. She went on to add that the UK's plans to regulate the industry will do most to protect children and vulnerable people.
G2E reports international increase
The American Gaming Association has reported a 20 per cent growth in international exhibitors, a 54 percent rise in event sponsorships as well as a 15 percent increase in pre-registration for its Global Gaming Expo. G2E takes place at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Nevada from 14-16th November. Click here for more details.
Parlay and Chartwell merger terminated
Parlay Entertainment and Chartwell Technology have terminated their already postponed merger plans, citing market uncertainty due to the passing of the United States' Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Parlay's shares dropped by 19 per cent after the announcement.
Betfair launches Russian football probe
Betfair has launched an enquiry into suspicious betting patterns surrounding a Russian football league match between FC Luch-Energia Vladivostok and FC Tom Tomsk. The betting exchange's integrity division was alerted after an estimated £800,000 was taken on Luch winning, which was over a 'hundred times' what would normally be bet on such a match.
IGC and Coca-Cola project extended
Amusement machine developer Inspired Gaming Group said that it was expanding a machine trial development begun in Ireland with drinks giant Coca Cola. The new vending machines will sell Coke as well as ring tones and pre-pay top-up vouchers for mobile phones, act as jukeboxes and allow customers to burn CDs and play computer games.
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