Betex suspends shares after Asian arrests
Shares in Betex have been suspended after two of its senior software staff were arrested at its Beijing office and a third went on the run. It is believed the three were attempting to defraud the AIM-listed lottery specyclopcasinot. Go to IGamingNews for more on this story.
Tote meeting cancelled
A meeting between the DCMS and the Treasury over the proposed L400 million sale of the Tote was called off amid 'mounting tensions' within the racing consortium vying to buy the state-owned bookmaker. The Racecourse Association’s chairman, David Thorpe, recently wrote, in a confidential memo seen by the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper, that the consortium "did not like the deal."
Nova appeal dismissed
Nova Productions has had its SWP copyright protection appeal against the High Court's ruling last January dismissed. The Court of Appeal also ordered that Nova should pay costs of the appeal in addition to those of the trial, and refused Nova leave to appeal to the House of Lords.
Bookmaker suspends PFA betting
Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has suspended betting on this season's PFA Player of the Year award after an 'avalanche' of bets on favourite Cristiano Ronaldo. The Manchester United midfielder opened betting as the 4/9 favourite, but caused the bookmaker to cancel betting after the number of bets, including 'several substantial four figure sums' drove his price down to 1/10 in less than 24 hours.
DCMS consultation strikes at lottery machines
The DCMS has launched a new consultation paper, the Gambling (Lottery Machine Interval) Order, which could have major implications for the member's club segment of the market. And two of the big casualties, should its main recommendations be accepted, will be the lottery ticket machine Fortune 2000 produced by Reflex Gaming and the Lottery Terminal developed by Intouch Games. For the full article, read this week's Coinslot, published today (Thursday).
Greek authorities make online gambling arrests
Greek authorities have arrested nine people for 'illegally' betting with an unnamed British bookmaker. Police arrested the owners of three internet cafes, which had installed gaming software offering foreign-based online betting on games, as well as customers.
Poker clubs threaten Jowell with legal action
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell is facing fresh opposition to her gambling laws after the UK's poker clubs announced that they were forming a trade body and were considering taking legal action against the government. A spokesperson for the newly formed UK Poker Clubs Association said that it had already hired top legal advice and
PR firm Citigate as lobbyist.
BBFC publishes video gaming report
A new report on video game players' habits and game effects has found that the vast majority of gamers reject the notion that video games encourage people to be violent in real life or that they have become desensitised to violent acts. The paper, published by the British Board of Film Classification, added that gamers know that they are playing games and don’t misconstrue the act as real life.
Cameron playing politics with casino recommendations
Conservative leader David Cameron has reportedly caused 'astonishment and dismay' amongst his party's MPs over the way he played politics with the recent Parliamentary vote on where the new casinos should be sited. Cameron had originally backed the Casino Advisory Panel's findings, before deciding to oppose the recommendations weeks later. A full report appears in this week's Coinslot, released Thursday.
BACTA northern region backs special school
The In-Store Group's David Robinson and Andrew Robinson from World of Rides have presented the special needs Villa Real School a cheque for L1,000 on behalf of the Northern Region of BACTA. The money will go towards the L20,000 needed to help the school achieve Government Specyclopcasinot status.
Video games becoming fully fledged advertising channel
Video games are becoming a fully fledged advertising channel in the US according to a new report by Internet usage data and research company eMarketer. The paper, entitled Video Game Advertising: Getting to the Next Level, projected that almost 60 per cent of 2007s total $502 million game advertising spend will go on in-game advertising, with the rest being spent on advergaming – the creation of games for the purpose of promoting a brand.
Great expectations for new Dickens theme park
Work has almost finished on the L62 million 'Charles Dickens' theme park in Chatham, Kent, where the novelist lived as a boy. The park is scheduled to open this summer and will include a Great Expectations boat ride, a house haunted by Ebenezer Scrooge and a Dickensian-style courtyard complete with Fagin, Artful Dodger and Little Nell characters.
Northampton questions arcade numbers
Milton Keynes-based Agora Amusements has run into objections over its plans to create what locals are describing as a 'super arcade' in the centre of Northampton. During a meeting of the local borough council's planning committee, councillors said that, while not being against arcades in general, the town already has sufficient gambling facilities.
Swedish government considers Privatisation
Swedish MP Tomas Tobé is spearheading the drive to privatise the country's gambling industry. Tobé and his party colleagues from Gävleborg County will put forward a proposal during the Moderate Party's conference in October 2007 to end Svenska Spel's gaming monopoly. Subscribe to IGamingNews for the full story.
Macau posts record 1Q revenue
Macau's first quarter gaming revenue jumped 44 per cent to US $2.25 billion according to figures issued by the enclave's Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau. Experts are predicting that Macau's gaming revenue could reach US $8 billion in 2007, outstripping Las Vegas' predicted $7 billion revenue for the year.
Arcadian to stand in May council elections
Marcus Kravis, director of Lincolnshire Automatics in Minehead, is to stand as a Labour candidate in May's local council elections. Kravis said that he had put himself forward in response to his local authority's failure to focus on the regeneration of Minehead.