Online Casino News, Februar 2007

[Newsflash]

EU may challenge US restrictions
The EU's internal market commissioner Charlie McCreevy has warned that the European Union may challenge the current US restrictions on internet gambling. McCreevy labelled current US legislation 'restrictive', and argued that the country was just protecting its own gambling industry.

BetXTech deploys kiosks with Pagebet
Software solutions provider BetXTech has announced the deployment of its sports-betting Kiosk, XSS-EPO, with Durham-based bookmaker Pagebet. The initial deal will see the terminal placed in two of the UK-bookmaker's shops, with the potential to role them out across Pagebet's full estate in the future.

Betfair go to the high court
Betting exchange Betfair has gone to the Australian high court in an attempt to overturn new West Australian legislation banning customers from placing bets with them. The online bookmaker instigated proceedings, arguing that the laws breach Australia's constitution because they restrict free trade between the states.

Australian gaming industry driven by women and seniors
Women and seniors are Australia's fastest growing audience for video games according to a new study by the IEAA (Interactive Entertainment Association of Australia). The report found that 41 per cent of respondent gamers were female, with 8 per cent over 60. The average age of the Australian gamer was found to have risen by four years to 28, with the report concluding that the average age would rise to 42 by 2014.

Sportingbet's Blandford steps down
Sportingbet's Mark Blandford and Bob Holt have stepped down from their position as directors of the company with immediate effect. Andrew McIver, group chief executive, said in a statement that the online company had agreed to reduce the size of the board and the pair had decided to concentrate on other business interests.

Danoptra reports £82 million loss
Leeds-based amusement machines to facilities management group has reported a loss of £82 million, despite stronger trading in its manufacturing components. The accounts, filed for the financial year ending September 2005, showed that the sum was largely due to a substantial non-cash charge of £61.4 million for goodwill impairment and other non-cash and exceptional items. For a full report see this week's Coinslot, released today (Thursday).

Jowell rejects Las Vegas claims
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell told the House of Commons that Manchester would not become the new Las Vegas and that there would be no further super-casinos in the current Parliament's lifetime. She also rejected claims that the door was now open for a spate of new super-casino, saying that proper evaluation had to be made of the social and economic effects of the 17 casinos before progressing further.

Chariot directors resign
Chariot's chief operating officer Matthew Waterman and managing director Philip Evans have resigned after the company announced a first half pre-tax loss of £7.93 million. The former operator of the Monday lottery also announced that the sale of all its trading business activities meant it would now become an investing company and would need to find a suitable reverse takeover target within the next 12 months.

Ladbrokes in Asian venture deal
UK-bookmaker Ladbrokes is reported to be in talks with Hong Kong-based technology company Megainfo over forming a joint venture company to develop products for the Chinese betting market. The betting firm has invested over £300,000 for a 49 percent stake in the business, which is will be called Asia Gaming Technologies.

Clarion ATE launches online legal blog
Clarion ATE has launched an online legal blog dealing with current legal and regulatory issues relating to the gambling industry. Edited by Andrew Gellatly of Casino Review, Gambling Law Debate is billed as an online network for legal professionals, lobbyists, gambling operators and regulators to discuss and comment on all the key developments taking place in all sectors of gambling law and regulation today.

Blackpool won't take legal action
Blackpool's chief executive Steve Weaver has confirmed that the town will not be taking legal action against the Casino Advisory Panel's decision to give Manchester the UK's first super-casino. He added that Blackpool would be preparing for the next round of super-casino bidding, 'even if it means waiting for three or four years'.

Lottomatica expects eight per cent rise in sales
Italian lottery firm Lottomatica SpA said that it was expecting a seven to eight per cent rise in year-on-year annual sales over the next three years, after announcing that its revenues for 2007 were forecast at 1.65-1.75 billion euros. Marco Sala, chief executive of Lottomatica's Italian business, added that results for the full year 2006 were "consistent with the performance seen in the first nine months of the year."

DCMS publish gambling ad restrictions
The Department of Media, Culture and Sport has published plans to protect online gamblers from crime and exploitation by banning gambling adverts from poorly regulated countries. The new initiative will mean that gambling jurisdictions outside Europe will have to apply to the UK if its companies wish to advertise their gambling services.

Yeo fails with daylight saving bill
Despite support from attractions association BALPPA and the Tourism Alliance, Conservative MP Tim Yeo has failed in his attempt to move the UK to 'double summertime'. The Energy Saving (Daylight) Bill failed to get either government backing or the 100 votes required to enable it to proceed to the next Parliamentary stage. See this week's Coinslot (released Thursday) for a full report.

Stanley in line for Manchester casino bid
UK casino operator Stanley Leisure said that it would be bidding to become operator of Manchester's super-casino in what it hoped would be an open and transparent process. The Liverpool-based firm, which was acquired last year by Malaysian gaming giant Genting in a £639 million deal, said that they were surprised by the Casino Advisory Panel's decision, but thought they stood an excellent chance of successfully bidding for the licence.

Showman saves Cromer amusement park
Showman Victor Gray Jr has stepped in to save the UK's Children's Corner amusement park in Cromer. Gray has agreed to take on the Norfolk attraction, tidy it up and relaunch it as Cromer Kiddieland in time for the Easter holidays.

Fleetwood Pier's auction price halved
Lancashire's Fleetwood Pier could be sold for less than half its value next month after auctioneers Pugh and Co said the attraction was now 'virtually empty and not bringing in rents'. The pier was put up for sale last year with a reserve price of £1.3 million, but is being listed with a guide price of between £500,000 and £600,000 in February's auction.

[Newsflash]

US officials watch Superbowl wagering
The FBI and federal prosecutors were reported to have been monitoring online betting during the lead up to yesterday's Superbowl in Miami. Justice Department officials told US reporters that they were watching the event, which is likely to fuel over $5 billion in wagering, closely.

888 and Rileys sign three-year poker deal
888 Holdings and snooker club chain Rileys have signed a three-year agreement to launch a series of online and face-to-face poker tournaments. The pair will also develop a Rileyspoker website as well as a national tournament to be shown on television.

Treasury invites Remote Gaming Duty comments
The UK Treasury is inviting comment on draft legislation for Remote Gaming Duty due to be introduced in the Finance Bill 2007. The Treasury said that it would welcome the online gaming industry's input on the details of the draft legislation, to "ensure that it has the intended effect and that proposals for the administration of the tax are workable and efficient".

CryptoLogic repeats with casino software award
CryptoLogic has won the Gambling Online magazine's Top Casino Software Award which is based on the votes of readers, players and website visitors. Organisers said that the company has been recognised for its state-of-the-art casino gaming software, exclusive gaming concepts and outstanding player security delivered through its wholly-owned subsidiary, WagerLogic Ltd.

BCA examining possibility of legal challenge to government
The British Casino Association has hired City solicitors Herbert Smith to examine the possibility of a judicial review of the government's current plans to open 17 new casinos. The BHA said that it was seeking advice on a challenge on competition grounds, arguing that 11 of the new casinos selected were in areas which its members already ran gambling operations.

Astra puts out Party Time
Welsh gaming manufacturer Astra Games has launched a new 50p/£35 version of its Party Time Double Decker game. The Section 34/Category C games presents a dual stake - 25p/50p - offering based on its familiar Party Time brand according to a company spokesperson.

France offers tax credits for video games
French Parliament has approved legislation which will give tax credits to local companies developing video games. A statement from the Ministry of Culture said that producers of video games with a 'cultural dimension' will receive credits to finance 20 per cent of its production costs, to a maximum of 3 million euros a year.

Ladbrokes in CVC takeover rumours
Shares in UK bookmaker Ladbrokes rose by over three per cent last week as rumours circulated that private equity company CVC Capital Partners was preparing to launch a renewed bid for the betting company. More than 22 million of the company's shares were exchanged, which caused the price to hit a peak of 454p per share on Friday.

Camelot bolstering lottery bid
National Lottery operator Camelot is in talks with telecom giant Orange to create mobile lottery games and a 'lottery ticket shop' for broadband users should it win the new lottery licence. It was revealed last week that Camelot has also been in talks with ticket agency Ticketmaster as a way of strengthening its licence renewal bid.

Gamestec launch FHM quiz game
UK gaming and amusement technology operator Gamestec has teamed with FHM to launch an official branded quiz game based on the international men's magazine. Developed in association with game developer BOO Innovations, the official FHM game will be produced and rolled out across Gamestec's flagship product Gamesnet.

UK bookmakers resist Sky price hike
The UK's three largest bookmakers Ladbrokes, Coral and William Hill have taken action against BSkyB's 25 per cent rise in sub....ion charges by drastically cutting the number of venues showing the sports channels. William Hill's chief executive David Harding headed the protest saying that he had taken Sky out of over 200 of their shops, halving the company's sub....ions.

Hill enters bingo world
Bookmaker William Hill has entered into the online bingo market with the launch of williamhillbingo.com in association with Prego. Hill's web team will work closely with Leeds-based Prego, who will handle initial brand development of the product as well as ongoing offline communications.

Densitron announces management buyout
Densitron Gaming announced that it had undergone a successful management buyout as of the 31 January. Densitron will continue to be run by the same management with all staff and office locations remaining in place.

Gaming VC names Alexander CEO
Online casino company Gaming VC has named Kenneth Jack Alexander as chief executive with effect from 1 March. In further news from Gaming VC, fourth-quarter revenue rose one per cent to 9.8 million euro compared with the same period last year, while daily revenue rose by five per cent for the quarter to 107,000 euros against the previous quarter.

BHB appeal successful
The Court of Appeal has ruled that the British Horseracing Board had not abused its dominant market position by supplying pre-race data to television channel At The Races. Appeal judges overturned last year's High Court ruling, saying that the BHB's business practices did not involve excessive or discriminatory pricing, nor did they amount to a refusal to supply and therefore were not abusive.

Inspired and EUK invest in The Music
The Inspired Gaming Group has said that it will be making a 'significant' investment through subsidiary EUK Digital over the next two years in its broadband enabled The Music jukeboxes. According to a company spokesperson, the project will see The Music estate grow from 1,300 to over 3,000 in the UK by 2009.

BetonSports ruled to be in contempt of court
BetonSports has been found guilty of contempt of court for failing to answer charges of racketeering and violating interstate gambling laws in the US. Judge Carol Jackson ruled that the UK-based online gaming company had violated a December order to appear in the St. Louis court and is now considering a daily fine on the company's officers until a representative appears.

Gaming companies eyeing Manchester development
A number of the world's biggest gaming companies are set to compete with Kerzner International to develop the UK's first super-casino in Manchester. Nevada-based Harrah's Entertainment said that it was looking forward to finding out about the bidding process, while Stanley Leisure last week called for an open and transparent bidding process after announcing its interest in the project.

Packer tops Oz rich list
Casino magnate James Packer has topped the Forbes list of Australia and New Zealand's richest people for the second year running, with a fortune of $7.1 billion. Packer saw his wealth rise by six per cent in the past year and remains the youngest person on the list at 39.

[Newsflash]

Neteller confirms funds were seized
Online payment processor Neteller has today (Thursday) released a statement to the London Stock Exchange confirming that the United States Attorney's Office had obtained court-ordered seizure warrants for "funds pertaining to the group's transactions". The company said the amount was no more than $55m, which was largely in the process of being transferred from the group to its US customers or vice versa.

Antigua and Barbuda looks to join forces with EU over US gaming "protectionism"
The European Union's labeling of the US's Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act as "protectionist" has garnered support from Antigua and Barbuda gaming officials. Antigua and Barbuda's WTO Attorney Mark Mendel said he would be seeking to meet with EU Internal Market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy to explore how his country's trade dispute with the US could benefit from expanded EU support.

888 agrees poker partnership with Georgica
Online gaming group 888 has agreed a partnership with Georgica to launch a poker website linked to Georgica's Rileys snooker clubs. Rileys is currently rolling out poker tournaments in its 168 snooker and pool clubs, and these could be twinned with online poker competitions.

Coastal amusement operators not concerned by new casinos
Despite high jackpot gaming heading to the seaside following the Casino Advisory Panel's announcement last week, the coastal FEC sector is not perturbed. Both Michael Cole, managing director of Coles Amusements Enterprises in Great Yarmouth, and Jimmy Botton, managing director, of Bottons Pleasure Beach in Skegness told Coinslot the new casinos would not affect family-oriented amusements. For a full report see the latest edition, published this week.

Video games improve vision by 20 per cent
Researchers at the University of Rochester have found that playing video games containing a high level of action for a few hours a day over the course of a month improved the ability of those in its study group to identify letters presented in a clutter - a similar test of vision used by regular ophthalmologists.

Las Vegas Sands joins race to operate super-casino
US casino group Las Vegas Sands has revealed it will launch a bid to run the UK's first Las Vegas-style super-casino in Manchester. A company spokesman explained that Manchester was now its only choice for a new development and said it was now in the process of drawing up its bid.

Manchester to set up responsible gambling unit
Manchester City Council is proposing to assemble a responsible gambling unit to combat fears that the UK's first super-casino will impact negatively on vulnerable young people. Funded by the operator of the new casino, the unit will co-ordinate counselling and support services for problem gamblers.

Caborn expecting favourable decision on Tote sale
The Racing Post has reported that UK sports minister Richard Caborn is expecting a favourable decision "in principle" on the sale of the Tote to a racing consortium and current management within a month. It said the £400m bid was submitted to the DCMS on the 26 January deadline day, and that Caborn indicated it fulfilled all the requirements laid down by his team and the Treasury.

Sega Sammy profits fall 23 per cent
Sega Sammy Holdings has announced a 23 per cent fall in profits in the first nine months of the financial year. The group blamed the downturn in profits and revenues on falling sales of pachinko machines from the Sammy side of the business, which were not offset by solid amusement equipment sales and steady video game software sales from Sega.

Remote industry left waiting for remote gaming duty rate
HM Customs and Excise has released a consultation paper regarding the taxation of online gambling, but has not supplied the actual gross profits percentage that the remote gambling industry has been waiting for nearly two years to hear. The industry will now have to wait until the chancellor's next Budget to discover what the tax rate will be. For a full report see the latest edition of Betting Business, published this week.

Conservatives warn of casino loophole
The UK Conservative Party has raised concerns that a loophole in new gambling laws could see as many as 14,000 high-value slot machines installed in the UK. It claimed the possibility of more high-value machines in existing casinos is an entirely different prospect to what had been previously been discussed in Parliament.

US officials linking internet gaming to terrorism
Sue Schneider, president of River City Group, has joined a growing number of gambling experts who believe that federal investigators in the US are trying to link online gaming with terrorism. She warned that the probable outcome of such demonisation would be to drive business underground.

Griffiths claims major role in foiling Blackpool's super-casino bid
Mark Griffiths, professor of gambling at Nottingham Trent University, has told the Guardian newspaper he played a "crucial part in sinking Blackpool's chances of getting the super-casino". He also identified remote forms of gambling as posing the greatest danger because they attract new types of gamblers, such as women, who would not otherwise go to land-based casinos or betting shops.

Disney denies Bahrain theme park talks
The Walt Disney Company has used its own news website to deny reports that suggested it was in talks to open a theme park in Bahrain. Following the news linking it with Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal over the project, the official Disney news site, Mickey News, quoted a company spokeswoman who said that no negotiations were taking place.

Gala Coral group not considering super-casino bid but still eyeing 16 other new licences
One of the three main British contenders to build the super-casino in Manchester, Gala Coral Group, has confirmed it will not enter a bid. However, Gala Coral chief executive Neil Goulden said that the company is still interested in all of the eight new large casinos and eight new small casinos.

New horse racing channel's efforts dealt a blow
The efforts of new horse racing channel Racing UK to compete with the existing Satellite Information Services (SIS) channel have taken a blow in recent days. The UK's two biggest bookmakers, Ladbrokes and William Hill, have indicated a reluctance to take on Racing UK despite its coverage from the Aintree, Cheltenham and Newmarket courses, and the UK's largest independent bookmaker Betfred recently signed a long term deal with SIS.

EC official slams betting sector's lobbying efforts
The European betting industry has been accused of a catastrophic failure to build a lobbying consensus by Jean Bergevin, head of unit services at the European Commission's market directorate. Bergevin suggested that more bad news lay ahead for the industry as no political will for change now exists in Brussels. For a full report see the latest edition of Betting Business, published this week.

Overseas operators to enter battle to run UK National Lottery
Indian and Greek lottery operators are likely to enter the battle to run the UK National Lottery this week. But gambling industry sources have still placed current operator Camelot as the frontrunner before tomorrow's (Friday) government announcement of the list of bidders for the contract to run the lottery from 2009 to 2019. The winner will be announced in June.

Bingo industry's tax warning ignored
Simon Hannah, managing director of Riva Gaming, has warned that the bingo industry's calls for a fairer tax system in line with of gambling sectors, are being ignored by the government. He said that bingo operators were being double taxed because they are forced to pay VAT on gross profit tax, worsening the hit experienced once Section 21 machines are withdrawn and the smoking ban comes into effect. For a full report see the latest edition of Coinslot, published this week.

Belgrade to host its first gaming expo
The Serbian capital Belgrade is set to host the inaugural Gaming Expo Belgrade on 20-22 February. Its organisers said the show would be the latest in a series of events that stood as testament of Serbia's economic recovery after the Balkan conflicts of the past few decades.

[Newsflash]

CryptoLogic announces three-year contract with Holland Casino
e-gaming software developer and supplier CryptoLogic has announced an exclusive three-year licensing contract to provide both poker and casino software for Holland Casino, the Dutch government-licensed casino operator. The new site, run by Holland Casino on behalf of the Dutch government, is expected to launch in June 2007, and will be available to residents of the Netherlands only.

Sportingbet to close Paradisepoker
Sportingbet has announced it is to close the Paradisepoker platform, incurring a write-off cost of £55m. The company said it would transfer Paradisepoker players to its Sportingbet poker platform, run by Boss Media software, and also announced a three-year extension to its Boss poker and casino deal.

Antigua and Barbuda expecting key role in development of remote gambling regulations
According to its Financial Services Regulatory Commission, Antigua and Barbuda is expecting to play a key role in developing international regulations and legislation for remote gambling following the publication of a statement on the 2006 International Summit on Remote Gambling by the UK government. The Honourable L. Errol Cort, Antigua and Barbuda's minister of finance and the economy, said the country "offers its unique experience and insight wholeheartedly" in developing regulatory standards for the international remote gambling industry as part of the expert working group proposed by the DCMS.

Aristrocrat announces new MD
Aristocrat Technologies Africa has announced the appointment of William Wilsnagh as managing director. William will replace Dominic Barbieri, who moves into a non-executive directorship position with effect from 1 April 2007.

Labour MP leads fight to save Hastings Pier
Labour MP Michael Foster has led a public meeting aimed at securing the future of Hastings Pier. Foster hoped it would maintain pressure on the town's council to commission a survey to see what should be done to keep the pier open.

RIGT calls for use of tax revenue to combat problem gambling
The Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT) has called for the tax revenues from gambling companies to be used to help fund measures to tackle problem gambling. RIGT chairman, John Greenway MP, said that while firms like PartyGaming had been big donors, others were less forthcoming.

AEG Europe will not contest award of super-casino licence
According to reports, the owners of London's O2 (formerly the Millennium Dome), AEG Europe, will not mount a legal challenge to obtain the UK's first regional licence. David Campbell, AEG Europe's chief executive officer, told the BBC that instead the firm will concentrate on opening The O2 as a world-class venue in July.

Camelot promises world's first global lottery draw
Camelot has promised to launch the world's first global lottery draw as part of the package of games it listed in its bid for the next licence to operate the UK National Lottery, which will create up to 100 millionaires every month. It said the World Lottery Draw had attracted interest from 48 countries, and would also offer one annual mega-prize of an even bigger jackpot.

BSkyB and Camelot plan interactive lottery games
Should it win the UK National Lottery licence for a third time, Camelot will join forces with BSkyB to launch a series of games that can be played across the broadcaster's interactive platforms. The two firms propose to create a new co-branded Sky and National Lottery "hub", and are exploring opportunities to make Lottery products and services available across the whole range of Sky's interactive platforms -- including broadband internet, interactive TV and mobile.

Malta tightens regulations on operation of Video Lottery Terminals
New amendments to Malta's Lotteries and Other Games Act are expected to introduce strict regulations on the operation of Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) in the country. The amendments, drawn up by the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA), will change in classification of VLTs from amusement to gambling machines, impose age limits on their use and ratify on-line monitoring of the machines.

Council passes 75 per cent smoking ban in Atlantic City casinos
Atlantic City Council has closed three-quarters of the loophole in state anti-smoking legislation by passing an ordinance that will require casinos to ban smoking on 75 per cent of the gaming floor. But with 31 of the 33 people that addressed the council during a hearing calling for an outright ban, further action appears likely.

London shows surpass 25,000 visitor landmark for the first time
Combined attendance levels at the 2007 editions of the Amusement Trades Exhibition International (ATEI), International Casino Exhibition (ICE) and interactive gaming show (ICEi) hit new heights with overall participation surpassing 25,000 for the first time. In total 25,055 people from 117 international jurisdictions attended the three-day event, a marginal 0.57 per cent increase on 2006, comprising 13,032 ATEI-dedicated visitors, 9,662 in ICE and 2,361 in ICEi. The 2008 show takes place at London's Earls Court Exhibition Centre on Tuesday 22 to Thursday 24 January.

GamCare critical of decision to allow bookmakers to open 12 hours a day
Problem gambling charity has expressed concern at the UK government's decision to allow betting shops to open for 12 hours a day, all year round, under the Gambling Act. The Salvation Army was also critical of the announcement.

Report confirms Hong Leong group's Quek as major player in UK casino market
Hong Leong group's Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan has cemented his place as a major player in British gaming by taking 25 of the 89 casino licences awarded in the past two years. Using figures from the Gambling Commission, The Business magazine found that the Malaysian billionaire now accounted for 28 per cent of permissions granted.

Illegal Super Bowl betting outweighs legal bets in US
The USA Today newspaper has estimated that around $8bn was wagered on the Super Bowl this year through sources that are illegal in the US - back-street and offshore bookmakers and on the internet. The figure vastly outweighs the $93m in legal bets that were made through bookmakers in the state of Nevada, where sports betting is legal.

O2 boss not upset by super-casino decision
Peter Erskine, chairman and chief executive of mobile phone company O2, has said that the decision to award the super-casino licence to Manchester and not London's Millenium Dome - which O2 paid £36m to rebrand in its own name for six years - did not upset the company. He added that in the fullness of time he expected the attraction to be awarded its own regional casino licence.

Remote gaming companies discuss global code of coduct
Top players from the remote gaming sector met last week for talks aimed at furthering GamCare and eCOGRA's initiative to create a global code of conduct covering individual gambling websites and software providers. Roger Raatgever, CEO of organisers Microgaming, said that one clearly defined international code demonstrating best practice would strengthen communication to both the players and the industry as a whole.

RIGT calls for use of tax revenue to combat problem gambling
The Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT) has called for the tax revenues from gambling companies to be used to help fund measures to tackle problem gambling. RIGT chairman, John Greenway MP, said that while firms like PartyGaming had been big donors, others were less forthcoming.

Pagebet sells 44 betting shops to Gala Coral
Bookmaker Pagebet has sold 44 "mature" betting shops - the bulk of its 59-strong estate - for an undisclosed sum to Gala Coral. Founders David Archer and Austin Carney said they would use the funds to get back up to 50 shops within three years.

Two bidders confirmed for UK National Lottery licence
The National Lottery Commission has confirmed that it has received bids from current incumbent Camelot and Sugal and Damani, India's biggest lottery operator, for the next licence to run the UK lottery. The winner will be announced by the end of June and the licence will be finalised by late August.

PartyGaming boss charts firm's recovery
PartyGaming chief executive Mitch Garber has announced the online gambling group expects to post a full-year profit of over $140 million, despite its withdrawal from the US market in the latter half of 2006 following the signing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Garber reported that PartyGaming had now almost recouped its player numbers from before the US pull-out, and predicted it would be one of the leading players in the sector's drive into the Asian and Russian markets.

[Casinonews]

Norwegian gambling survey launched
Scandinavian independent research organisation SINTEF is to begin a population study of gambling addiction in Norway as a follow up to a similar study financed by the Norwegian Gaming Board (NGB) in 2002. Atle Hamar, director of the NGB, said that the study was necessary as authorities were interested in how internet gambling, which was not subject to controls, has affected problem gambling over the past five years.

Betgenius launches Premiership micro site with Coral
Betgenius has announced the launch of a new English Premiership microsite on bookmaker Coral.co.uk's website. The partnership will incorporate live Coral odds with Betgenius' statistics and content, alongside features such as live commentary, stats, fixtures and results.

888 makes fourth quarter recovery
Online casino company 888 Holdings announced that non-US sales for the fourth quarter rose by 12 per cent to $40 million, with poker revenue increasing by 26 per cent to $18 million in the period. Total net gaming revenue for the Gibraltar-based company fell by 39 per cent to $47 million due largely to the US online gaming ban passed by President Bush in September.

BMI appoints Jacobs
BMI Gaming has appointed Paul Jacobs to the newly created position of executive vice president. Jacobs, who previously held executive positions with Universal and Capcom, will immediately take charge of business development for BMI and assume the day-to-day management of both the business to-business and business-to-consumer sales units.

Yugobet begins Serbian operation
Intralot's Serbian subsidiary Yugobet has begun its three-year operation of Videolotto in the Balkan State after successfully completing a pilot programme in 2006. Under terms of the deal, Yugobet has connected a network of over 30 points of sale through 100 terminals connected directly with Intralots LOTO system.

GIN passes the 20K mark
Latest figures have confirmed that Gaming Industry News has broken the 20K confirmed subscriber mark for the first time in its two year history. The twice-weekly newsletter now arrives in the inbox of 21,419 unique, email-verified subscribers.

London venue for ABB AGM
The Association of British Bookmakers (ABB) will be holding its Annual General Meeting in London's Waldorf Hilton on 22 February. Deputy chief executive Russ Phillips will join guest speakers including sports minister Richard Caborn and leading licensing barrister Phillip Kolvin in discussing recent developments in regulation from an industry perspective.

DCMS publishes gaming machine regulations
The DCMS has published its official consultation entitled "Gaming Machine Regulations Under Sections 240 (Use of Machines), 235 (Gaming machine: single apparatus) and 241 (Supply of machine)". The document aims to clear up grey areas of machine operation and offer guidance on gaming machine configurations. For a full report see this week's Coinslot, published today (Thursday).

Commission on the hunt for machine test houses
The Gambling Commission said that it is getting ready to invite applications for 'test houses' to assess compliance with its standards on gaming machines and remote gambling systems. Under the Gambling Act, the regulator has been given the power to appoint external bodies to ensure that gaming machines and their software come up to standard. See this weeks Coinslot, published Thursday, for the full article.

Milliken to make Chinese Open appearance
UK cloth supplier Milliken has been chosen by Beijing-based snooker table supplier Xingwei Sports Company to use its Strachan No. 10 Championship cloth at this year's China Open. Marketing director Duncan Kettell called it the 'ultimate accolade' and said that the Asian continent represented a huge market for the company.

Broadwood joins Fatspanner
Games developer FatSpanner has appointed former JPM International sales and marketing manager Tony Broadwood to its management team. The West Midlands-based company has also moved Lee Timmins to the role of product support manager as part of the group's current restructuring process.

Scottish bingo boss presents tax cut petition
Edinburgh bingo boss Mike Lowe has presented the Scottish Parliament with a petition calling for tax breaks on the industry to help it recover from the effects of the smoking ban. Lowe, operations manager at Premier Bingo, gathered over 1400 signatures from members asking for VAT on stakes to be cut, in order to bring bingo in line with the rest of the gaming industry.

Neville Porter Racing saddles up for AIM float
County Durham-based bookmaker Neville Porter Racing is to float on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) at the end of February with the intent of raising £850,000 for business expansion. Owner Neville Porter said he plans to use the additional funds to develop the internet betting side of the business and expand into the Irish market.

Rank to close nine bingo halls
Rank is planning to close nine of its Mecca Bingo clubs in England and Wales in preparation for July's smoking ban. The gaming group said that it wanted to improve the quality of its clubs portfolio ahead of the ban, but added that it did not expect the closures to have a material effect on 2007 profits.

Welsh culture minister sends Olympic lottery warning
Welsh charities and sports bodies could lose up to £36 million if the UK government decides to divert lottery funds to pay for the 2012 London Olympics according to Welsh culture minister Alun Pugh. In a letter to Tessa Jowell obtained by the BBC, Pugh outlines concerns from a lottery body and a group working with voluntary organisations, who warn that a loss of funding would see a number of projects "go to the wall".

Dart Cruise nets charity £10K funding
BACTA's West of England Region has raised £10,000 for nominated charity BIBIC from a River Dart Casino Cruise sponsored by Bobby Butlin. Regional chairman Mal Kravis said that BACTA were proud to continue its support of BIBIC, a registered charity helping children diagnosed as having autism, autistic tendencies and brain damage.

Flybe integrates online gaming into booking site
Exeter-based low cost airline Flybe has announced that it will partner with charitable gaming operator PAF to offer games including bingo, keno, blackjack and roulette while they are booking flights. The move follows last year's deal between rival airline Ryanair and UK bingo website Jackpotjoy.com, which saw the pair launch a Ryanair branded online gaming site.

[Casinonews]

Cryptologic profits drop by 70 per cent
Gaming software provider CryptoLogic has posted a fourth quarter profit drop of 70 per cent, from $5.8 million to $1.7 million, in its first report since the US banned online gambling. Despite announcing a record annual profit of $24.8 million and revenues of $104 million, revenue for the quarter fell to $19 million from $25 million in the comparable period last year.
Faulty sensor halts Blackpool's Big One
A faulty sensor was blamed for customers being walked down to safety from Blackpool Pleasure Beach's Big One rollercoaster after it stopped mid-ride. The park said the rollercoaster, which at 71.6 metres ranks as Europe's tallest, had stopped automatically after water in the sensor set it off.

Neteller to cut 250 jobs
Money transfer firm Neteller plans to cut 250 jobs to ensure a sustainable business following its withdrawal from the US market. Chief executive Ron Martin declared that the previous six months had been highly challenging.

Harrah's declares interest in super-casino development
Casino operator Harrah's Entertainment said that it was 'very interested' in running Manchester's regional casino, but only if it made economic sense. A statement from the company also urged Manchester Council not to get carried away with promises of 'convention centres, motorways and airport terminals' in the decision process.

BCA launches legal challenge over unfair competition
The British Casino Association (BCA) has unanimously voted to take legal action to redress what it sees as "unfair competition" created by the new Gambling Act. The BCA is arguing that the new law will create unfair competition by giving the 17 new casinos an unfair advantage that existing sites will be denied.

Jackpot Factory receives eCOGRA seal
Player standards authority eCOGRA has awarded The Jackpot Factory's VIP Lounge Casino its "Play It Safe" seal and accreditation. The non-profit organisation said that they were pleased to present the award as the site had a proven track record over the past five months.

Bingo clubs to help customers quit smoking
Mecca Bingo is looking at helping players quit smoking by providing them with free patches and chewing gum, as well as holding advice sessions for members. Bosses at owner Rank said that it was one of several strategies they were looking at implementing to help members cope with the upcoming ban.

Jowell and Cameron to discuss Olympic funding
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell will hold reconciliatory talks with Conservative leader David Cameron over the funding of the London Olympics 2012. The two recently fell out over the spiralling budget, which is widely expected to be met by additional lottery money.

Noble Organisation claims Blackpool council highlighted negative image
The Noble Organisation has backed the Casino Advisory Panels decision to award the UK's first super-casino licence to Manchester. A statement said that Blackpool's bid had falsely inflated the town's negative aspects in order to present itself as a town in need of regeneration.

Virgin casino partner pulls out
Australian gaming firm Tabcorp has reportedly pulled out of talks with Richard Branson's Virgin Group over plans to build and run a $3 billion casino in Macau. Sources said that Branson's organisation was still talking to other potential partners about the resort development in the Chinese territory.

Arena submits formal 'Racino' plans
Arena Leisure has submitted its £23 million plans to develop a destination casino, 170-room hotel and leisure complex at Wolverhampton Racecourse. The leisure group called the proposed development "crucial" in securing the long term future of the racecourse.

Tote bid debt raises government concerns
Concerns have been raised by the government over the level of debt involved in the racing consortium's bid to buy the state-owned Tote bookmaker. According to the UK's Sunday Times newspaper, the Treasury is said to be scrutinising the PIK (Payment in Kind) part of the debt, which carries an interest charge of 28 per cent, in order to make sure the business is sustainable after the sale.

Atlantic City posts revenue drop
Overall revenue in Atlantic City casinos declined nearly three per cent for January compared with a year ago, while slots revenue fell seven per cent for the period. Industry analysts cited new restrictions on smoking and competition from Pennsylvania as reasons, and warned that it could be the start of a yearlong trend.

Winston banned in HRA investigation
Robert Winston has been banned from riding for a year after being found guilty by the Horseracing Regulatory Authority of passing information about rides to former bookmaker Ian Nicholl. Nicholl, who subsequently used the information to place bets through various online betting accounts, was also found guilty and banned from licensed premises, such as stables and courses, indefinitely.

Report suggests violent behaviour and video games not linked
A new report from Texas A&M International University's Department of Behavioural, Applied Sciences and Criminal Justice claims that violent video games do not increase violent behaviour. The study concluded that although violent videogames appear to increase people's aggressive thoughts they do not appear to increase aggressive behaviour.

Ladbrokes extends Curragh sponsorship
Bookmaker Ladbrokes announced that it has agreed to sponsor five of the seven races at Curragh on the opening day of the new Flat racing season. Racecourse manager Paul Hensey said "We have a great working relationship with Ladbrokes and we are delighted that they have agreed to extend their sponsorship portfolio at the racecourse."

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Betfair submits Australian High Court challenge
Betfair has filed a claim with the High Court of Australia seeking to get a law which would see Western Australian bettors facing fines or imprisonment for using betting exchanges overturned. The UK-based betting firm argues that the new legislation, which also makes it illegal to operate a betting exchange, is unconstitutional.

Dean Laments focus on new casinos
Gambling Commission chairman Peter Dean believes that the national media has ignored protections the Gambling Act is bringing to the public in order to concentrate on the 'Las Vegas-style' super-casino earmarked for Manchester. Addressing the Casino Advisory Panel, he labelled media coverage of the Commission's proposed licensing conditions and codes as 'disappointing'.

New Jersey discussing casino smoking ban
New Jersey state senators have moved to place a smoking ban on Atlantic City's casinos by amending a bill it passed last year that banned smoking in bars, restaurants and most other public places but exempted casinos. Senator Joseph Vitale said that it was "time to save the lives of the thousands of casino workers who are at risk because of second hand smoke."

Pleasure Beach tops visitor attraction list
Blackpool Pleasure Beach topped the latest annual Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (Alva) listings with over 5.73 million visitors. London's Tate Modern came in second with 4.9 million visitors while the British Museum rounded out the top three with 4.83 million visitors.

Hill paying out on Oscar success for Mirren
British bookmaker William Hill is paying out to punters who backed Helen Mirren to win Best Actress at Sunday's Oscar ceremony, after odds of 1-66 suggested that she was virtually unbeatable. A spokesperson for the company said that the decision to pay out had not been taken lightly, but confirmed it had been one-way traffic on Mirren since betting opened.

Amuse takes 2007 holiday
Amuse UK will be taking a break in 2007 following extensive consultation across the industry due to the current industry climate. Organisers ATE said that the decision had been made after retailers and operators said they weren't ready for the show because of the very difficult trading conditions.

Report identifies disproportionate division of wealth in amusement industry
A new report on the UK amusement parks and arcades industry has uncovered massive inequalities in the apportioning of revenue during 2006. According to the research by industry commentators Plimsoll Publishing, 93 per cent of last year's sales growth went to just 12 firms. For the full report see Coinslot, released today (Thursday).

Government begins casino consultation process
The UK government has begun the consultation process on a code that will govern how licences for the 17 new-style casinos are awarded. Ministers intend to finalise the code in time for local authorities to start the bidding competitions in July.

Video games help surgeons
A new paper entitled "The Impact of Video Games on Training Surgeons in the 21st Century" claims that playing video games will help surgeons become more skilled and make fewer mistakes. The research from the Beth Israel Medical Center found that surgeons who had previously played video games more than three hours a week had made 37 per cent fewer errors and were 27 per cent faster in completion of surgical procedures.

Aristocrat performance hit by new Japanese laws
Gaming manufacturer Aristocrat Leisure's net profit fell two per cent to $239 million in 2006 as a result of new gaming laws in Japan. The Sydney-based company said that it had achieved a strong underlying performance with the exception of Japan, and that overall market and regulatory conditions across global gaming markets had created year-round challenges.

Ainsworth appoints new CEO
Ainsworth Game Technology has appointed Danny Gladstone as its new Chief Executive Officer effective immediately. Gladstone has had a gaming industry career spanning 35 years, most recently holding the position of Director of Konami Australia.

BACTA aims to preserve members' rights
BACTA is set to issue members with guidance notes to completing the Gambling Commission operating and personal licence forms. The notes represent further clarifications from the Commission and include examples of the way in which forms are to be completed. A full report appears in this week's Coinslot, released Thursday.

Ladbrokes post record profit for 2006
UK bookmaker Ladbrokes reported an operating profit of £268 million, the highest in company history, in a preliminary statement of results for the year ending December 2006. The company showed a rise in gross win of 9.9 per cent to £1,008.9 million and stated that it had had a "good World Cup" with a total gross win of £17.5 million across the tournament.

Gaming to reign in Spain
The Spanish gaming market has the potential to grow into a Eur39 billion industry by the year 2010 according to a new report from Dublin-based Research and Markets. The paper, entitled "The Spanish Gambling Market - a Key Region for Future Growth" also forecast that the country's online sector would grow by 240 per cent, to a Eur4.2 billion industry in the period.

Freedom Party calls for tighter gaming restrictions
Austrian Freedom Party politician David Lasar has called on the mayor of Vienna to cut the number of amusement arcades in the city. Lasar also urged Dr Michael Häupl to instigate a control system on the arcades akin to the ones already in place for casinos.

Blackpool MPs hold positive meeting with Jowell
A delegation of Blackpool MPs called yesterday's talks with culture secretary Tessa Jowell 'positive', after meeting to discuss the selection of Manchester for the new super-casino development. Blackpool South MP Gordon Marsden commented that Jowell was left with no doubt about the strength of feelings over the decision.

Natural History Museum to host virtual horserace gala
The Natural History Museum and Betbrokers are hosting a Virtual Horse Race Gala on 28 February to help raise money for the medical and veterinary laboratories of the Museum's new life science complex. Guests for the event include ex-jockey Lester Piggott who will also be taking part in six of the fund raiser's virtual races.

GamCare appoints Hagan
John Hagan, a partner at gambling law specyclopcasinot Harris Hagan, has been appointed by GamCare to its board of trustees. Hagan called the appointment a privilege and said that the role of the problem gambling charity would take a greater significance under the new licensing regime. For the full article see Coinslot, published today (Thursday).

Tabcorp halts expansion plans
Australian gaming company Tabcorp Holdings has halted expansion plans after first-half profits fell by 22 per cent to Aus$224.1 million on lower earnings from casinos and betting shops. Matthew Slatter, chief executive officer of the Melbourne-based company, said that mergers and acquisitions were off the agenda until the business was delivering better results.

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BetOnSports gets government assist
Antigua's financial regulators are to help UK gaming company BetOnSports collect its debts to pay bettors and employees according to a statement from the country's government. Clive Archer, BetOnSports director, said the company had been hampered recently by the 'slow return of funds' owed.

China launches online crackdown
China has launched a three month crackdown on Internet gambling aimed at 'purifying the cyber environment' according to a number of governmental departments. A joint statement from the Ministry of Public Security and the Ministry of Information Industry accused online gambling of ruining the online environment.

Macau warned about too many casinos
Deutsche Bank has warned that Macau is facing a potential oversupply of casinos due to the 'relative ease' of revenue-sharing arrangements between non licence holders and concessionaires. Karen Tang, analyst for Deutsche Bank, said that the franchise arrangements being negotiated by some of the six official licence holders in Macau highlighted the 'supply-side risks' in the region.

Betfair appoints new Australian CEO
Betting exchange Betfair has appointed Anthony Klok as the new CEO of its Australian operations. Klok replaces Betfair co-founder Edward Wray, who has returned to the UK to take the role of chairman of the Betfair group globally.

Turkish Parliament approves gambling legislation
Gaming firm Intralot announced that the Turkish government had approved legislation preserving the contract its unit Inteltek has to run the state-owned betting game Iddaa. The Greek company said the legislation, which has yet to be approved by President Ahmet Necdet Sezer, will uphold Inteltek's existing contract until a new tender process is launched.

Brown to announce online incentives
Chancellor Gordon Brown will use the March budget to announce that companies could obtain a British license and still remain based overseas in return for a tax, possibly set at around two per cent. Citing unnamed sources, the UK's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported that the new tax would be named Remote Gaming Duty and would enable gambling firms to avoid paying British VAT.

Green Party opposes online site
New Zealand's Green political party wants online gambling site Race-O shut down because it 'threatens the viability of the country's racing industry.' Green Party MP Sue Bradford is claiming that it contravenes the Gambling Act passed three years ago which made betting on horses illegal unless they were laid with betting agency TAB.

Skill 4 Prizes signs with Finsoft
Skill 4 Prizes has signed an agreement to provide content for sportsbook platform provider Finsoft's FINAL Gaming portfolio. The games, which include a range of picture puzzle titles and an Internet 'Brit Quiz', are scheduled for release around mid 2007.

Lottery players don't know the odds
A new survey has found that 60 per cent of people surveyed did not perceive the lottery to be gambling, while half the people surveyed did not view Premium Bonds as a form of gambling. The report by independent financial comparison company Fool.co.uk also suggested that many people who play the National Lottery do so without knowing the odds.

End of the Century bid
Century Casinos said it will not be making a firm takeover offer for the South African gaming company Peermont Global. The gaming company, which is listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, issued a statement saying that it was not able to sufficiently verify some of the key assumptions underpinning its initial, non-binding proposal signed in January.

DCMS call for no favour in casino decisions
The UK's Department for Culture, Media and Sport told councils that there must be no favour in casino decisions, adding that any previous agreements with casino operators could not come into the equation when handing out contracts. It stated that licensing authorities must 'run fair and open competitions for the premises' licences.'

Jowell concerned about casino revolt
Culture secretary Tessa Jowell is thought to be 'very concerned' about a potential revolt in Parliament over the Casino Advisory Panel's surprise decision to award the UK's first super-casino licence to Manchester. According to a report in The Daily Mail newspaper, a number of peers used a private meeting to tell Jowell that the government would lose an approval vote in the House of Lords 'heavily'.

Ladbrokes planning Irish expansion
Bookmaker Ladbrokes is planning to open up to 45 betting shops in Ireland over the next two years according to Joe Lewins, managing director of the company's Irish operation. Lewins said that the UK-based gaming firm was currently looking at a mixture of greenfield sites and acquisitions, mainly where it has little or no presence.

Televisa plan $60 million gaming investment in 2007
Mexican media organisation Televisa is planning to invest $60 million in 2007, mostly into its gaming business. Executive VP, Alfonso de Angoitia, said that the company wants to have an extra 6,500 lottery terminals in pharmacies and convenience stores across Mexico alongside a further 10 bingo parlours by the end of the year.

Cambosix signs Euro football betting deal
Cambodian gaming company Cambosix has signed a five year deal for exclusive rights to run gambling on European football in the South Asian country. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed although the betting company declared it would be paying taxes directly to the Ministry of Economics and Finance.