Casino News Juni 2006

[Casinonews]

Gambling Commission sets out methods of regulation
The Gambling Commission has set out how it will monitor and regulate gambling operators, and the action it will take against those who fail to comply with its rules. The Commission said it will use spot checks and 'mystery shopping' to make sure children are kept out of gambling, as well as ensuring that people who may have a gambling problem are protected from harm and that gambling is fair and open. It has the power to levy unlimited fines, and to prosecute illegal gambling.

MP to meet Tessa Jowell over CAP shortlist
Geoffrey Robinson, the MP for Coventry North West, is to meet Tessa Jowell next week to try and revive the city's bid for a super casino. Commenting on the Casino Advisory Panel's (CAP) shortlist for the one regional license to be made available, Robinson said it was a mistake that none of the prospective sites were in the Midlands and called for it to reconsider.

GamCare warning over rise of mobile gambling
Gamcare has responded to a report that suggested the value of the mobile gambling market could swell to $23bn by 2011 as the popularity of mobile lotteries surges. Andrew Poole, a spokesman for the charity, said that gambling in the UK is already 24/7 due to the internet and could become more problematic if people are able to gamble whilst on the move.

Swire warns government not to 'renege on its promise'
Shadow culture secretary Hugo Swire has maintained his stance against increasing the number of regional casinos, citing figures leaked from GamCare that suggest an upturn in the number of people seeking help for problem gambling. He stated: "It is important that we have clear criteria to judge success or failure of the pilot scheme."

One in three British adults to gamble during World Cup
Research by UK-based financial services company Liverpool Victoria claims that approximately 6.7m people - one in three British adults - will gamble over the next two months, predominantly on the World Cup and the National Lottery. It predicts that Britons will spend an average of over £27 per person on the National Lottery over the next two months, with the average World Cup bet per person in excess of £33.

Etches delight at regional casino shortlist
Blackpool's survival on the Casino Advisory Panel's shortlist for the destination of Britain's first regional casino has delighted the former managing director of Leisure Parcs and gaming consultant Mark Etches. However, he warned that the government's decision to award just one regional casino licence would have severe repercussions for the seven that miss out, particularly Blackpool.

HB Leisure provide fun for Sven's men
Amusement operator HB Leisure has been contracted by The Tussauds Group to create a bespoke games room within the German hotel that the England squad will use as its World Cup base this summer. It will feature the latest equipment from some of the biggest names in the amusement industry including Electrocoin, Excel Leisure, Namco, Sega and Sound Leisure.

Death of a showman
The coin-op industry has been rocked by the loss of another renowned figure, after it was revealed that popular showman and operator Stanley Ayers Snr. had died this week. The news was announced by contemporary Billy Edwards, who said: "It is with much sadness that we announce the death of Stanley Ayers Snr. He died at the age of 66 on 28 May 2006."

Students gamble to clear loans
A report by the National Union of Students (NUS) has said that thousands of undergraduates are playing online poker in a bid to clear student loans and big overdrafts. Veronica King, an NUS spokesperson, said that some may be tempted by what is perceived as an easy way to top-up a loan, and asked those in serious financial trouble to go to their students' union.

Video games at next Olympics?
Ted Owen, the man behind the Global Gaming League, a media company focused on the lifestyle and culture of gaming, is currently in talks with the Chinese government with the aim of introducing video gaming to the 2008 Olympics as a demonstration sport.

Scott Tod hoping for happier times
Cash handling and ATM company Scott Tod has issued a statement this week outlining what it hopes will be the start of happier times for the firm, which has experienced a prolonged period of turbulent trading. The statement announced that it had renewed contracts with its largest customer, pub company Mitchells & Butlers, for a period of three years, as well as declaring that a further announcement on the possible acquisition of Scott Tod will be made "in due course".

IAEA signals return to normal
The Irish Amusement Equipment association (IAEA) has published its latest overview of Ireland's coin-op market, in which it declared that 2005 witnessed a return to normal in terms of income from amusement and gaming equipment, after the detrimental effect of the introduction of a nationwide smoking ban in March 2004. It also pointed to the fact that, unlike the UK, Ireland has had a successful review of its machine stake/prize configuration.

Ladbrokes eyes Vietnamese market
British bookmaker Ladbrokes is looking to provide betting and gaming football lottery services in Vietnam to help control rampant illegal betting on the country's premier football competition, the V-League.

Astro Corporation sets its sights on Italy and Peru
Taiwanese arcade machine manufacturer Astro Corporation has revealed it is to target markets in Italy and Peru in a bid to generate new orders for the second half of the year. In addition Astro is also planning to boost its business by developing the market for arcade machines in casino hotels.

Gextech heralds successful GIGSE debut
Interactive gaming content provider Gextech has declared its presence at the Global Interactive Gaming Summit and Expo (GIGSE) as a 'highly successful debut'. Chairman Mark Campbell said: "The response we received was excellent. The multi-platform aspect of GIGSE is ideally suited to our business as we develop content across all sectors."

Disney quashes Malaysia rumour
The Walt Disney Company has denied that it has any plans to establish a theme park in Malaysia, despite reports that government officials from the country had held talks about the possibility of building one with the Japanese company that runs Disneyland Tokyo.

RIGT to fund sophisticated data analysis
The Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT), an organisation set up to tackle problem gambling, wants to fund research into helping those with gambling issues more effectively. Speaking at the recent Global Interactive Gaming Summit and Expo (GIGSE) in Montreal, RIGT director Robin Burgess told delegates that the trust is keen to see remote operators using the information at their disposal in order to swiftly recognise those showing signs of problem gambling.

[Casinonews]

French lottery faces fraud claims
Suspicions that the state-run French lottery, La Française Des Jeux, is controlled more by marketing executives than the laws of chance have been increased after Le Monde newspaper revealed that a ?450,000 (£315,000) out-of-court settlement had been made to a player who said claimed scratch cards had been distributed by a system designed to produce regular small wins.

Inspired announces successful IPO and Admission
Inspired Gaming Group has announced the successful IPO and Admission of its issued share capital to trading on the AIM market of the London stock Exchange. Trading commenced last week under the ticker symbol INGG.

Greenwich residents given deadline to air casino views
The Casino Advisory Panel (CAP) has given residents and businesses of the London borough of Greenwich until the end of June to air their views on the possibility of having a so-called 'super casino' on their doorsteps, after it was named on CAP's shortlist of eight prospective sites.

32Red buys Bet Direct
UK Casino and poker operator 32Red Plc has announced the acquisition of Bet Direct from Sportech for a total of £11m plus account liabilities. The firm said that with the acquisition it is gaining access to a strong database of customers, a strong brand image and strong marketing and affiliate agreements.

National Lottery rival's shares plunge
Shares of Chariot, the company that operates the Monday lottery, have fallen from a peak of 213½p to just 8p, a drop of 96 per cent, leaving it to declare plans to raise additional funds through a deeply discounted share placing.

Casino group attempts to woo Bishop of Sheffield
According to reports, in an attempt to win over a Church of England bishop who is strongly opposed to plans for a super-casino, the Sun City has apparently met with the Rt Rev John Nicholls, the Bishop of Sheffield, to discuss how its £200 million gaming complex planned for the city's Don Valley stadium could benefit Church projects, including a centre for the homeless, if it is given the go-ahead.

Swedish rules PCs used for gambling require gaming licence
UK Casino and poker operator 32Red Plc has announced the acquisition of Bet Direct from Sportech for a total of £11m plus account liabilities. The firm said that with the acquisition it is gaining access to a strong database of customers, a strong brand image and strong marketing and affiliate agreements.

Brent Sales to host England memorabilia competition
As a support to the fundraising efforts at this Wednesday's Park Avenue Open Day, Brent Sales is hosting an England memorabilia competition on its Striker Pro football game. Anyone presenting a voucher for a free game will have the chance to win one of many England football prizes.

Ladbrokes backing Blackpool
Speaking at the Ladbrokes annual general meeting in London, chairman Christopher Bell has put his company's support firmly behind Blackpool's bid to become the venue for the UK's first regional casino.

Photo-Me receives takeover approach
Surrey-based passport booth operator Photo-Me International has received a preliminary approach from Bahraini investment firm Arcapita about a full takeover or acquisition of a strategic stake in the firm. The result of discussions between the two parties has yet to be declared.

Fairground to acquire Spin Palace despite US concerns
The Isle of Man-based investment group Fairground Gaming is to buy online operator Spin Palace in a $65.4m (£35m) deal, despite continuing moves in the US to outlaw online gambling.

Bridlington wheel gets go-ahead
Objectors to the 100ft tall observation wheel proposed for the seafront at Bridlington have failed in their bid to halt its construction after a High Court judge gave his approval to the project.

Punters to wager £1m for every hour of World Cup
Bookmakers William Hill have said that gamblers will wager over one million pounds during every hour of the World Cup tournament, a statistic that it believes will account for the record-breaking £1bn figure that it is expected to pass through bookmakers' hands while the event takes place.

Arcade application causes concern
An application submitted to Macclesfield borough council to build an amusement arcade in the town has raised the concerns of its business community. The arcade, which would be housed on a former retail site, would be the third such development within a 900ft stretch of Macclesfield town centre.

UK Betting directors profit from share sale
The top two directors of online gambling firm UK Betting have sold around 3.7 per cent of the company. Chairman Peter Dubens gained £1.29m by selling 2.15m shares at an average price of 60p per share, with chief executive Eric Semel doing the same.

And finally...betting on the end of the world
Online sportsbook BetUS.com has posted odds of 10-1 that the Apocalypse will happen tomorrow - the 6/6/'06. "There is much debate over the interpretation of the Bible, especially over Revelation, but if we are to interpret 2000 as the end of the millennium 6/6/'06 could be the end of the world," a company spokesperson stated.

[Casinonews]

Antigua pushes for WTO panel
Antigua and Barbuda has taken steps toward establishing a World Trade Organisation (WTO) panel to investigate whether the US' laws comply with international trade rules by issuing a request asking Washington for consultations over its restrictions on Internet gambling within the next two-weeks. If the US does not agree then a WTO panel would be established to report on the country's compliance.

Video games to utilise brain waves
Two start-up companies in California, USA are developing technology aimed at using a player's brain waves to control action in video games. CyberLearning Technology, who are utilising NASA technology, and NeuroSky have both developed sensor-ladened headsets to monitor brain waves, which will potentially allow the signals to control interaction within games.

Chariot marketing director steps down
Andrew Williams has stepped down from his position as marketing director of Chariot in the wake of its business restructuring plans. The lottery company has said that it is not looking for a replacement, but is handing over some of the duties and PR to communications director Stuart Handley, while also considering consultancy support options.

Porter internet gambling study gains momentum
42 US politicians have so far endorsed Nevada congressman Jon Porter's Internet gambling study proposal, which calls for a Congressional investigative committee to explore every facet of online gambling. The Internet Gambling Study Commission Act is co-sponsored by Nevada representatives Jim Gibbons and Shelley Berkley, and if implemented would mark the first political study of its kind.

BISL publish this years Active Annual
Business in Sport and Leisure has published its sixth annual Handbook, The Active Annual 2006/07. The book outline's its aims and objectives in the 'context of an analysis of the current state of the Leisure Industry and examines the opportunities and threats facing the sport and leisure sector.

Betting outage on World Cup
Several of the UK's leading online betting sites have been hit by brief outages of between 45 minutes and two hours during the same general time period in the World Cup. It was not clear what caused the BetDirect and UKBetting sites to go down, but experts are looking at the possibility of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks and heavy traffic as reasons.

Betfred plans central risk management system with Finsoft
Independent bookmaker Betfred has agreed a deal with Finsoft to migrate its entire estate to MarginMaker EPOS system in the next few years. With the addition of the system, Betfred looks set to become the only large-scale UK based operator with one central risk control system for all channels in real time.

Victorian Green's pledge to cap poker machines
The Green party in Victoria, Australia has pledged to tackle social problems arising from poker machine abuse as part of its new Gambling Reform policy for the upcoming state election. If they are voted into office in the November elections, they plan to impose caps on the state average density of poker machines as well as phasing out machines from convenience locations, such as shopping centres.

AGI declares war on Russian pirates
Austrian Gaming Industries announced at the World of Games exhibition in Moscow that it would be launching a legal campaign to cut down on people who infringe its intellectual property. The subsidiary of Novomatic went on to demonstrate its commitment by steam rollering pirate copies of its product in the exhibition parking lot.

Vegas signs direct flight deal with Korea
Las Vegas tourism officials have signed a direct service deal with Korean Air in a move to attract more Asian business, which will allow the air company to fly its Boeing 777s directly, three times a week, on a non-stop route between Seoul and Las Vegas. This partnership will potentially increase tourist numbers from South Korea by 50 per cent in the first year, with 200,000 Koreans currently making the trip annually.

PartyGaming awarded responsible gaming certificate
Internet gambling company PartyGaming has been awarded GamCare's Responsible Gaming certificate. Geoffrey Godbold, CEO of GamCare, said: that the award reflected the company's 'commitment to providing a secure, responsible and trusted online gaming environment.'

Electronic bingo hall shows increased spending
Rank has said that attendance was up and spending per head had increased at its fully electronic bingo hall, the Fountain Park Mecca Bingo club in Edinburgh. The club boasts 500 touchscreen terminals, provided by IBM Retail while XPress Ordering delivered software that links food and drink ordering.

Premier Bet signs with Microsoft
Interactive Games Holdings (IGH) has signed an online sponsorship deal with Microsoft, which will allow the gaming and gambling company to run 4 Premier Bet banners on the fantasy football section of the MSN website over the World Cup. The deal marks IGH's first major marketing drive."

Cotton joins Skills Council board
Bob Cotton OBE has joined the board of People 1st, the Sector Skills Council for hospitality, travel, leisure and tourism. Cotton was appointed chief executive of the British Hospitality Association in 2000 and is also chairman of the Tourism Alliance.

Sunderlands celebrates 60th
British independent bookmakers Sunderlands is this week celebrating its 60th birthday with the launch of a new online betting site sunderlands.co.uk. The new site is registered in Malta, despite the company hailing from Croydon, UK and offers betting, poker, bingo and backgammon.

Gambling Commission clamp down on unlawful machines
The Gambling Commission and Wirral police have carried out a joint operation to stop the illegal supply of gaming machines, and recovered eight games machines from fast food takeaways in Wallasey, Pensby, Liscard, Heswall and Hoylake. "The Gambling Commission is concerned with keeping crime out of gambling, making sure gambling is fair and open, and protecting children and vulnerable people from harm," said Phill Brear, Director of Operations at the Commission.

Macclesfield businesses object to third arcade
Ten businesses in Macclesfield, UK have submitted letters of objection to plans for a third amusement arcade in the city's town centre. They are arguing that Red Rose's planned venue could lead to increased anti-social behaviour and that there is no demand for more fruit machines in the area.

I-Gaming exhibition raises $130,000 for charity
The River City Group announced that the eighth annual Global Interactive Gaming Summit and Expo (GIGSE) in Montreal last month drew over 1,800 attendees from 60 countries with 127 companies exhibiting or sponsoring key event activities. The event also raised more than $130,000 for Gordon House, a gambling addiction charity.

Stan James' Swedish summer
Stan James' StansPoker is to host the Swedish freeroll poker tournaments this summer. The competition is set to take place at a number of venues across the major towns in Sweden, with the grand final taking place in Stockholm in August.

And finally... Bingo win grandmother to search for sister
A British grandmother who recently won a £101,000 bingo jackpot at Carrick Gate's Gala bingo in Surrey is planning to use her winnings to launch a search for her adopted sister. The 60-year old pensioner, Louisa Brock, has been playing bingo for 40 years and hasn't seen her sister in over 55 years.

[Casinonews]

BiSL call for wider gaming summit
Business in Sport and Leisure's (BiSL) chief executive Brigid Simmonds has called on Tessa Jowell and the government to widen its online gaming summit, which aims to deal with regulation of the sector and how to encourage operators to move their businesses onshore. Responding to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announcement that, although not finalised, the list of invitees would include mainly politicians, she said: "I cannot see how they can do it without the operators as well."

Leisure & Gaming buys BetShop
Interactive betting and gaming company Leisure & Gaming has entered into a conditional agreement to acquire European online sports betting firm BetShop Group, owners of BetShop.com and the 600 strong estate of BetShop Italia shops, for just over £32 million. Initial consideration payable for BetShop is £12.69m in a mixture of cash and shares, with the full additional consideration of £19.37m payable subject to the business achieving its maximum EBIT earn out targets.

Channel 4 sign 3-year deal with British racing
Channel 4 has beat competition from the BBC and signed a three-year deal, reputedly worth less than £1million, with Racing UK for terrestrial rights to UK horseracing and the joint development of new services across a number of digital platforms, including broadband, mobile and pay TV. Alongside this agreement, the Tote has also signed a three-year deal, worth £5.5 million, to sponsor racing on Channel 4.

Endemol's MacSweeney to speak at MPG
Endemol Gaming's creative director Brian MacSweeney will be appearing at MPG 2006 to discuss taking mass market digital entertainment onto multiple platforms and in turn bringing the mass market to gaming. MacSweeney and 20 others will be sharing their insights into how to successfully boost revenue through innovative product and business strategies at The New Connaught Rooms, London on Tuesday 4th and Wednesday 5th July.

Century enter agreement to acquire Polish casinos
Austrian based Century Casinos Europe announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire Polish company G5 Sp. z o.o. subject to conditions, including approval from the Polish Anti Monopoly Authorities. The deal for G5, which holds 33.3 per cent of all shares in Casinos Poland, is estimated to be worth over $8 million.

Lowestoft bookmaker faces corruption charges
Lowestoft bookmaker Owen Churchill has been charged by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority (HRA) for providing information for reward, misleading an official and hindering an investigation. HRA spokesman Paul Struthers told Gaming Industry News: "There will be a directions hearing on 29th June, where the board will determine the dates for the enquiry itself." Churchill was unavailable for comment.

Green Party blast Sheffield council
Sheffield's Green Party councillor, Jillian Creasy, has said that a growing number of people were expressing concerns about the lack of "informed debate" on the city's super-casino application. She accused Sheffield Council of breaching its own Code of Corporate Governance by stifling debate and failing to deal with the issue in an open and accountable manner.

IGT set to acquire software company Venture
International Game Technology (IGT) is attempting to acquire San Diego firm Venture Catalyst for $21 million, according to reports by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. According to the report IGT is said to be preparing a $2.58 per share deal for the software company.

Bits in pieces?
Bits Corp has warned that it will report a loss of £2 million for the year ending 2005 citing a setback on writing off the cost of developing video games and extra investment in creating products for the on-line gambling industry. The company's share price fell 8 per cent to 11.25p after the news, which valued the company at just over £6 million.

Winner buys St Helens bingo club
Adult gaming centre operator Winner's has acquired The Hippodrome Bingo Club in St Helens, Liverpool from Mike Pilkington for an undisclosed sum. The Hippodrome represents Winner's second foray into the bingo club sector.

Hastings Pier closed
Hastings' Borough Council was forced to take emergency action last week and closed Hastings Pier citing public safety issues. In a statement issued by the council, the pier was being closed after consulting engineers Gifford of Southampton concluded that at least five trusses have 'failed' its inspection of the main covered walkway around the main facade entrance.

Australian state launches Responsible Gaming Week
The government for Victoria, Australia launched Responsible Gaming Awareness Week today, which will be accompanied by an 11 week advertising campaign aimed at raising gaming and gambling awareness. The state government is expected to earn $1.5 billion from gambling revenue over the next financial year.

Swedish gambling commission reports editors
The editors of four Swedish magazines and newspapers have been reported to authorities by the country's Gaming Board for publishing adverts from foreign gambling companies. The editors have all called the law, which only allows adverts from the state monopoly Svenska Spel to be published, inconsistent with EU law.

Ho listing plan delayed
Stanley Ho's Sociedade de Jogos de Macau (SJM) now looks likely to postpone its HK$15 billion listing after facing difficulties, most notably from Stanley Ho's sister Winnie. Winnie Ho is appealing against a rejected injunction against a shareholders meeting of STDM - which owns 80 per cent of SJM - that approved the listing plans of SJM.

Alderney appoint Le Prevost
The Alderney Government has announced that it had appointed Robin Le Prevost to head up the development of its eGambling Industry. David Jeremiah, Chief Executive of the States of Alderney commented, "Appointing Robin will bring a new level of expertise to the promotion of Alderney. We are now increasingly confident that we can grow from here to be a major force in the eGambling industry."

And Finally... Socceroos cleared by betting investigation
Australian football players have been cleared by FIFA of any wrongdoing after squad members bet among themselves on who would score their country's first World Cup goal. FIFA were said to be unconcerned with midfielder Tim Cahill's revelation that several team-mates had backed him to score his side's first goal and that reserve keeper Zeljko Kalac was the team's unofficial bookmaker.

[Casinonews]

Proposed merger to create casino super-group
Stanley Leisure and London Clubs International (LCI) are in the 'early stages' of merger talks aimed at creating a new gaming company worth nearly £700 million. Genting, the Malaysian group who own a 29.7 per cent stake in LCI and a 13.4 per cent stake in Stanley, are backing the nil-premium merger.

New smoking ban poll angers Scottish opposition
A new poll conducted by Cancer Research UK suggested that the smoking ban in Scotland would not lead to losses for the pub trade as only 10 per cent of the 1,000 people surveyed were less likely to visit a pub since the ban came into effect. Speaking on the BBC website, Paul Waterson of the Scottish Licensed Trade Association (SLTA), reacted by saying that it was too early to judge the effects of the smoking ban, and told Cancer Research UK to "stick to their own area."

Top Ten share hike
Top Ten Holding's shares have jumped 7 per cent after the bingo hall operator announced that it's pre-tax profit had risen by 44.5 per cent to £2.4 million for the year ending March 2006. Turnover also rose by 70.5 per cent to £23.7 million in the same period.

Quarter of US' adult population visits casinos
A survey commissioned by Harrah's Entertainment has revealed that a quarter of US adults (52.8 million Americans age 21 and older) had visited a casino to gamble during 2005. The study found that Americans also averaged just over 6 casino visits a year (roughly 322 million casino trips in total) during the same period.

Casino kick-starts property spend
Companies are thought to be attempting to cash in on Blackpool's bid for a super-casino license by buying properties across the resort, with one firm, Sagon Holdings, believed to have purchased more than 100 flats close to the beach front. Solicitors representing Sagon said that the $1.4 billion regeneration bought by a regional casino would go a long way to improving the area and increasing house prices.

ParyGaming introduces Backgammon
PartyGaming, after promising to give gamers a wider variety of gambling entertainment, has launched its new Backgammon service complete with full support service, school with complete rules and interactive tutorials. PartyGaming will also be hosting both static and progressive tournaments, and Sit and Go's.

Online profits 10 times bigger than betting shops
£19 million is being staked on internet gambling every day in Britain, and according to Nigel Payne, chief executive of Sportingbet, profits are already 10 times bigger than the betting shops. He went on to say that Sportingbets' online poker has 'five times the number of tables playing poker than all of the Las Vegas casinos put together.'

Californian company develops PhysX chip
California-based Ageia Technologies has developed a computer chip called PhysX designed to give video games a better sense of reality by basing games in the realms of Newtonian physics. Firms are thought to be developing games that take advantage of the new chip, which aims to take the strain of physics calculations away from the central microprocessor, freeing the computers memory to work in other aspects of the game.

Broker suggests Unitab split to break deadlock
Brokerage and financial services firm Citigroup has said that the deadlock between gaming firms Tabcorp, Unitab and Tattersall's could be resolved by Tabcorp and Tattersall's agreeing to split Unitab. Tatterstall's had agreed to a 'merger of equals' in March with Unitab, but Tabcorp launched a 'superior' $1.9 billion take-over offer for Unitab, creating an impasse.

Police investigate Russian arcade blast
Police in Russia are investigating an explosion that destroyed a slot arcade in southern Moscow over the weekend. Investigators did not rule out the possibility that the attack could have been 'masterminded' by the owner of the arcade, after the government recently ordered its closure.

Australia bracing for mergers and acquisition spate
Australia's $3 billion gambling industry is bracing itself for a spate of mergers and acquisitions following Tabcorp and Tattersall's battle for control of the Queensland-owned UNiTAB. Experts believe that the battle, when resolved, will likely trigger a consolidation in the number of casinos in the country.

Irens joins Sporting Index
Sporting Index has appointed ex-Betfair non-executive director Nick Irens as the company's new chairman. Entrepreneur Chris Akers will also become part of the group after being appointed as a non-executive director of the spread betting firm.

Coral sponsors Scottish Grand National
Bookmaker Coral is to sponsor the Scottish Grand National, providing at least £160,000 in prize money for the race till 2009, after striking a three-year deal with Ayr racecourse. Coral's managing director Wilf Walsh said: "We are committed to working with Ayr to take the Coral Scottish Grand National Festival to even greater heights over the coming years."

Manches LLP free E-Gaming Breakfast Seminar
The Coming of Age for Remote Gaming and Betting Industry Employers is Manches LLP next free e-gaming breakfast seminar. Secluded for Thursday 26th July, at Manches Aldwych office, the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 comes into force on 1st October of this year, and this seminar will guide you through the Regulations and provide practical tips on how to comply with them.

River City publishes I-gaming PO report
The River City Group has published the 296-page digital I-Gaming Public Offerings report which contains business and financial profiles of 97 publicly listed companies in the online gambling space. The report provides information on most of the world's public companies in the 'operating world that participates in the operating or servicing of gambling via the Internet, mobile phone, and interactive television.'

Casino debate rages
Sun International, which is hoping to open a £200 million casino and entertainment complex in Sheffield (UK), released a survey of city residents that showed 66 per cent were positive or neutral towards gambling, with 33 per cent against. The study also stated that people were more concerned about drug and alcohol abuse, anti-social behaviour, crime and health.

Konami to acquire Blue Label
Japanese gaming developer Konami Digital Entertainment has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire mobile software solutions provider Blue Label Interactive. Chairman and CEO of Konami Digital Entertainment, Kazumi Kitaue, called the move an attempt to blend both online and offline technology elements to creatively develop entertainment channels.

Illinois regulators enforce casino ID checks
Gaming regulators in Illinois have announced that the casino operators in the state will be required to check ID on customers that look under 30 in a move aimed at 'keeping compulsive gamblers from feeding their addictions.' The licenses or state IDs will be checked against the state gaming board's self-ban database to automatically flag problem gamblers.

And Finally... Scottish police in prohibition style raid
100 policemen in Scotland raided the country's only poker club as four off-duty officers played at the tables. Players called the raid 'farcical' and a 'huge bungle' after none of the clubs 35 customers were charged.

[Casinonews]

Wembley super-casino plans poised for withdrawal
Brent's new Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition has promised to withdraw Wembley's super-casino application. New council leader, Paul Lorber, wants the application made to central government withdrawn immediately and plans to stop a £25,000 public consultation calling it a waste of money.

Beckham boot boosts British economy
The UK's Centre for Economic and Business Research (CEBR) said that an additional £100 million will be spent in the week leading up to England's clash with Portugal. Bookmaker William Hill added that Beckham's free-kick on Sunday was worth up to £50 million in turnover for the gambling industry.

Half of Scotland's bingo clubs could close
The Bingo Association has said that up to half of Scotland's 86 bingo clubs are at risk of closure in the long run because of the smoking ban introduced in March. The association's chairman Sir Peter Fry said that adapting venues to the new smoke-free laws would take time and a 'considerable amount' of investment, which would prove effectively impossible for smaller clubs to achieve.

Scottish raid a 'massive over-reaction'
The owner of the Glasgow poker club raided by over 70 policemen earlier in the week called the move 'over the top' and a 'massive over-reaction'. Officers from the Gambling Commission rounded-up 40 staff and players and questioned them for over 5 hours without arresting or charging anyone.

Super-merger would make company a target
Analysts are suggesting that the proposed merger between Stanley Leisure and London Clubs International (LCI) could make the giant casino company a takeover target for a larger gaming company. It is understood that Stanley would remain based in Liverpool after a merger.

ROA calls on bookmakers to name own prices
The Racehorse Owners Association's outgoing president has called on British bookmakers to produce their own individual starting prices in his final speech before standing down. Speaking at the association's annual general meeting in London, he said that bookmakers would be better off and the horse racing industry would see its income rise if they made the decision.

Alphameric to place new shares
Alphameric said it would fund a proposed joint venture into the media rights market by conditionally placing 12 million new shares on the market to raise a total of £8.4 million. The software company expects to invest about £6.5 million in the project over the first 18 months.

Women fuel mobile gaming surge
A survey produced by Telephia has found that women subscribers account for up to two-thirds of mobile phone games sales. Games based on puzzle and strategy were the highest mobile revenue earners, with women accounting for 74 per cent of those subscribers.

Report suggests PartGaming moving into sports betting
A report in the UK's Guardian newspaper is suggesting that PartyGaming is on the brink of unveiling plans to raise up to £500 million in a bond issue, to fund acquisitions that will see it expand into sports betting. It said that talks are at an advanced stage and could be unveiled within the next fortnight.

Edinburgh casino application causes controversy
Stanley's £7 million Circus Casino redevelopment application for Edinburgh's Fountainbridge site has finally been approved after the operator agreed to close one of its other three sites in the city. Grosvenor's application for a casino in the city was rejected for the second time almost immediately after on grounds that there was already 'ample provision' for gambling in the area.

Centerbet IPO oversubscribed
Centrebet has said that its initial public offering (IPO) had been heavily over subscribed, after receiving strong support from institutional and retail investors. Centrebet will trade as Centrebet International Ltd after the IPO and expects to have a market capitalisation of $174 million upon listing.

Center Parcs' application called inappropriate
Planning officials for Mid Beds District Council have recommended that Center Parcs' £160 million application for a new holiday village in Woburn, Bedfordshire be turned down. Officials rejected the application "because of the harm to the open countryside, harm to the visual amenity of the Green Belt and because the encroachment of such a development into the Green Belt could create a precedent which would further threaten the local countryside."

Aristocrat sells stake in African operations
Aristocrat Leisure has completed the sale of a 28 per cent interest in its African operations to Yabohle Investments, a consortium led by Matemeku Investments. The gaming machine company said that it would record a net profit of roughly $6 million based on the partial sale.

Wimbledon player calls betting patterns unbelievable
Tennis player Richard Bloomfield has called the allegations over irregular betting patterns on his first round victory against Argentinean Carlos Berlocq 'unbelievable'. Betfair had alerted Wimbledon's organisers after more than £300,000 was staked on the 259th ranked British player.

eCOGRA plays it safe with 12 more seals
Online gaming standards body eCOGRA has accredited 12 new gambling sites with their 'Play It Safe' seal. The independent standards authority has now registered 85 online casinos and poker rooms this year, putting it easily on target for the 100 that it predicted for 2006.

American Indian casinos revenues at $23 billion
Gambling revenues in the American Indian casinos climbed nearly three times faster than traditional gambling operations in 2005, to nearly $23 billion. They now, directly and indirectly, accounts for $6.9 billion in tax revenue and attribute the growth to 'expanded offerings at existing casinos and stepped-up marketing by tribes.'