ATEOnline Gaming News / April 2006

[Newsflash]

Blackstone rumours push Rank shares
Rumours that Blackstone Group is going to buy Rank re-emerged at the end of last week, causing shares in the leisure and gaming firm to rise by just over 5 per cent. The private equity firm is thought to be preparing a £1.4 billion offer according to insiders sourced in The Business newspaper.

Mansion to sign record shirt deal
Manchester United's four-year £60 million shirt sponsorship deal with online gaming firm Mansion will be finalised early this week. Mansion owner Putera Sampoerna's son arrived in England at the weekend to finalise the deal with United.

Betfair fourth on Times profits list
Betfair has been listed as fourth in The Sunday Times' Fastest Profit Growth Firms list, despite not featuring last year. The online betting firms' annual profit growth for 2004-05 was 145.81 per cent, with profits of £23,185,000.

Sportechs announces £6.4 million loss
Littlewoods Pools' owner Sportechs has announced a £6.4 million annual loss, mainly due to charges of £16.1 million for pulling out of an interactive gaming deal with ITV.

Super-casino contenders announced this week
Contenders bidding for the UK's only super-casino license will be announced tomorrow (Tuesday), with the winner declared at the end of the year. The application process closed on Friday with an estimated 47 towns and cities vying for the development.

Jewish holiday hampers objection plans
Jewish traders objecting plans for a large William Hill bookmaker in Fortune Green, London won't be able to attend the court hearing due to it being set during Passover, a Jewish holiday. They described the date as 'beyond belief', and are lobbying the magistrate's court for a change of date.

Locals oppose Earl's Court casino plan
Residents in Kensington and Chelsea are planning to oppose Stanley Leisure's proposed bid to turn London's Earls Court Exhibition Centre into a casino when it comes before the council's planning committee on Tuesday. In a letter sent to the council, they argue that a 24-hour casino would be 'highly disruptive' to the area.

'Gangster' rapper cancels casino show
US rapper Snoop Dogg has been forced to abandon a scheduled concert in Las Vegas after venue owner Harrah's Entertainment called on the gigs organisers for it to be cancelled. Nevada's Gaming Control Board, who had been asked by police authorities to discourage 'gangster rap', requested the move.

Blackpool calls for help
Sir Peter Hall, chairman of Blackpool's regeneration company Re:Blackpool, has called for the North West to back the town's bid for a super-casino. Speaking at the launch of the North West's Regional Economic Strategy in Bolton, he pleaded for the area to help get the town 'off its sickbed'.

Manx government in talks with online operators
The Isle of Man is thought to be in talks with six online gaming firms over placing back-up systems on the island. Operators are now allowed to run support facilities on the island for up to 24 hours without a license or paying duty on money earned in that period, after the Manx government relaxed gaming regulation last month.

Tories to debate super-casino numbers
The Conservative party is holding a seminar in Westminster this month to discuss changing its policy on permitting just one super-casino license in the UK. The UK opposition party is considering a U-turn after a number of its local authorities lobbied to get a super-casino in their district.

Premiership footballers betting with insider knowledge
Premiership footballers are breaking FA laws by using insider information, such as team selections, to bet on match outcomes according to a report in Sunday's News of the World. It alleges that an English international won over £200,000 on Bolton beating West Ham last month, after finding out that West Ham was resting a number of its first team players.

Melco profits rise on one-off sale
Melco International Development has announced that full-year net income had risen to $71 million in 2005, up from $59.7 million in 2004. The profit included a one-time gain of $66.29 million from the sale of a casino stake.

RDF acquire Late Night Poker company
RDF Media has acquired Presentable, the Welsh production company responsible for Late Night Poker, and All Star Poker Challenge. Presentable had already sold the international rights to these shows, among other poker shows in its portfolio, to RDF last year.

Violent video games account for one per cent of sales
A study by think-tank organisation The Progress & Freedom Foundation has found that only one per cent of video games sold in the US in 2004 were rated Adults Only. Foundation director Adam Thierer also pointed out that 86 per cent of all games sold were rated Teen or below, and that violent crime by juveniles had fallen by 43 per cent in the decade leading up to 2004.

Gamebooker announces Swedish site
Gamebookers has started a move into the Scandinavian market by launching a Swedish version of its gamebookers.com website. The sports betting website has also recently launched Polish and Russian language sites for its product.

Hastings discuss casino application
Hastings' council discussed the 'moral dilemma' of opening a casino in the Sussex town last week. The majority of councillors supported an application after weighing the implications of potential gambling addiction, saying that it would have a 'number of controls' in place.

Kazakhstan plan Las Vegas complex
Kazakhstan's authorities have said that the country is in talks with investors over building a Las Vegas style gambling and entertainment complex in a desert area near Almaty. Officials think that such a complex would help control gambling in its commercial capital.

HomeATM to launch online payment site
HomeATM has announced the launch of its online payment process TheHomeATM.com. The site will potentially allow gaming companies to take payments from PIN debit and ATM Bankcards online, while utilising a host of encryption technology.

[Newsflash]

EU serves notice to restricted countries
The European Commission has sent letters of formal notice to seven countries in the EU demanding that they open up to sports betting companies from abroad or face legal action. Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Hungary all have restricted betting services in their countries.

No U-turn by Conservatives
In response to recent articles claiming the Conservative party was planning a U-turn over super-casino numbers, Shadow Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport Hugo Swire issued this statement to Gaming Industry News: "[We] will not be changing our position on the number of regional casinos allowed in the UK. We remain concerned about the potential harmful effects on problem gambling and gambling addiction and for that reason, we want to see the pilot scheme of one regional casino, with a proper evaluation and assessment of the impacts, undertaken."

Industry expects internet gambling to be legalised
BETonSPORTS' chief executive David Carruthers has said that he expects internet gambling in the US to be legalised in a few years, after current attempts to ban it failed. "I would be very, very, very surprised if any of these bills get any longer lifeline than the month of July," he said.

Mansion were Man Utd's 'stalking horse'
Online gambling firm Mansion have accused Manchester United of 'using them as a stalking horse' in attempts to attract sponsors, despite its £15 million offer. Reports suggest that the Manchester United board was reluctant to enter into a high profile deal with the gambling industry.

Doctors should screen for gambling addiction
Professor Mark Griffiths of Nottingham's Trent University has said that doctors ought to be screening patients for potential gambling problems in the same way that they would check on smoking and drinking habits. Speaking on the BBC's Real Story programme, he stated "Gambling should be seen under the NHS like other addictions."

Gamcare refutes casino problem gambling claims
Geoffrey Godbold, chief executive officer for problem gambling agency GamCare has issued a statement rebutting claims that introducing new casinos will cause an increase in problem gambling. He said that there is 'no evidence to show that the introduction of new casinos will increase the number of problem gamblers in an area' and that 'with a programme of public awareness and the provision of prevention and treatment, an overall reduction in the incidence of problem gambling can be achieved.'

Crown Direct optimistic over amusement industry
Crown Direct's head of sales, Dean Harding, has praised the government's new legislation on issues such as child access to machines. Speaking in Coinslot's Seaside Amusement Sector Supplement, out today (Thursday), he commented that although there had been a great deal of uncertainty for operators of coastal arcades, they now know that their businesses have a future that they can look forward to. For more on this and other stories, please click here.

Empire eying acquisitions
Funding for racing's training and education programmes has been given a £24,000 increase by the Levy Board. The total allocation granted to the British Horseracing and Standards Trust now stands at £692,000.

Aintree expecting record crowds
Crowds in excess of 150,000 are expected at Aintree this weekend for the betting industry's most popular event, the Grand National. Andrew McCarron, Editor of Betting Business, gave his insight to the meet: "The Grand National is the one race that everyone has a flutter on and bookmakers will be confident of surpassing last year's betting figure of £250m on the race. While Hedgehunter is a warm favourite after its win in 2005, it could be argued that Clan Royal would have won the race had it not been blocked by a rider-less horse. It might make amends for that piece of bad luck this weekend."

US fails to comply with WTO ruling
Antigua and Barbuda is seeking sanctions against the US after it failed to comply with the WTO's deadline to end discrimination against foreign online betting companies. The US said that it would 'clarify' restrictions on horseracing without opening itself to online gambling.

Ipswich's surprise casino bid
Ipswich has emerged as a surprise contender for the super-casino license after its council submitted a bid before last week's deadline. The council said that it was 'realistic' about the initial chances, but hoped it would be in the running for one of the sixteen smaller casinos to be approved by the government.

US video game ruling violates free speech
An American federal judge said that a law banning the 'sale or dissemination of violent video games' violated free-speech provisions of the US constitution. Judge George Steeh from Detroit also said that the proposed law was 'too vague', and would have forced shop owners to decide which games were to be banned.

Denver gambling website firm under investigation
A Denver based company is being investigated by Colorado's Bureau of Investigation and the Arizona Department of Gaming after it allegedly sold people internet gambling websites they could run from their homes. Venture Concepts has had its offices raided and computers confiscated.

Thanet receives 350 letters of objection
Thanet Council in Kent has received over 350 letters of objections over its proposed redevelopment of the Dreamland amusement attraction. Campaigners are trying to halt a retail and residential plan put forward by the council.

Sega Europe purchases Sports Interactive
Sega Holdings Europe has acquired UK game studio Sports Interactive Ltd, developer of the Football Manager titles. The purchase is part of Sega's plan to bring more of its developments in-house.

BHST get extra £24,000
Funding for racing's training and education programmes has been given a £24,000 increase by the Levy Board. The total allocation granted to the British Horseracing and Standards Trust now stands at £692,000.

Bingo fire levels hall
Bingo players in Llangefni, North Wales were forced to flee when a number of explosions destroyed the club in which they played. No one was hurt and reports suggest a fire started in an electrical cupboard causing the events.

Postcode lottery
The UK Postcode Lottery has launched in the North East of England, with early ticket sales of over 30,000. The new lottery has pledged support to a number of charities which include Children North East, The Sunshine Fund and Just for Kids.

Gaming Business Media win publishing licence
Gaming Business Media, the new company launched by John Sullivan in partnership with Scott and Jones Communications, has secured a three-year licence from owners Clarion Events to publish Coinslot International, Betting Business and Casino Review. The leading b2b titles serving the amusements, betting and gambling sectors, will continue to be edited by Chris Murphy, Andrew McCarron and Phil Martin respectively.

[Casinonews]

Betfair worth £1.5 billion
Betfair has been valued at £1.5 billion, after Japanese internet group Softbank paid £335 million for 23 per cent of the company, equivalent to £13.20 per share. The betting exchange is now planning to invest £45 million directly in the company, while the rest is being returned to investors.

RIGT start 3 year research into gambling
The Responsibility in Gambling Trust (RIGT) and the Economic and Social Research Council have announced a joint three-year, £920,000 research venture into the impact of gambling on society. The study will look at those involved, social contexts for problem gambling and the broader implications for society, and hopes to have an impact on how future gambling policy is formed.

32Red sign with Premiership club
Online gaming company 32Red plc has signed a two-year shirt sponsorship deal with Aston Villa FC, beginning in the 2006/2007 season. The club will get an undisclosed six-figure sum and additional revenues under a marketing affiliate arrangement.

Smoke free bars to encourage female binge drinking
A report from the University of West of England has warned that smoke-free bars and public houses would attract more female customers and lead to a rise in binge drinking among women. It suggested that as 'bars and pubs become more appealing venues to women, female customers would be more likely to consume larger amounts of alcoholic drinks.'

Aristocrat purchases EssNet
Aristocrat Leisure has signed a deal to purchase Tattersall's Ltd's 25.16 per cent stake in gaming industry supplier EssNet Interactive. The share purchase agreement is expected to be completed in May.

Ladbrokes putting together bingo squad
Ladbrokes online is searching for the UK's most successful bingo players to join its pro squad, dubbed 'The Blue Rinse Mob'. The group will represent Ladbrokes at events across the country and will provide help to players on its new online bingo site.

Minister's clamp down on illegal lottery TV shows
Ministers and official watchdogs are planning to clamp down on TV shows which ask 'easy questions to encourage contestants to phone in or text answers', saying that no skill is required in the game and therefore could be categorised as illegal lotteries. They are working on new guidelines for such competitions, which will ensure harder questions.

Butlins in minimum wage ruling
With Butlins about to celebrate its 70th birthday this week, an employment appeal tribunal has ruled that the holiday resort chain had broken minimum wage laws. The case bought by the National Minimum Wage Compliance Unit and union GMB ruled that the holiday camp unlawfully charged redcoats £3 per week for light and heat, taking the workers below minimum wage levels.

Mansion's tobacco links worried United
In a report by The Telegraph newspaper, Manchester United's withdrawal from the proposed Mansion sponsorship deal had as much to do with one of the company's major shareholders Sampoerna being a cigarette manufacturer than its gambling association. Mansion confirmed that the Indonesian firm was a shareholder, but refused to disclose any further details.

National Bingo Game Association to rebrand
The National Bingo Game Association has hired design agency The Workroom to give the National Bingo Game a new brand identity. Referred to as 'The National' it is the UK's second largest computer controlled game after the lottery, and runs in about 550 bingo clubs across the country.

Grand National increases numbers of employees gambling online
The number of employees using gambling web-sites increased 73 per cent in the week leading up to the Grand National according to a survey by ScanSafe. Betfair was the most visited site, followed by Ladbrokes and The Racing Post.

Pool championship abandoned after '1980s football violence'
The four-day Inter District Pool Championship on the Isle of Wight was abandoned last week after ten of the two-hundred entrants were involved in 'flashpoints and fighting'. Organisers likened the violence to English football in the 1980s and said the incident had put pool 'back into the gutter'.

Aintree winner's name helps bookies
Grand National winner Numbersixvalverde's unusual name was a factor in its long odds which helped save bookmakers on Saturday according to Paddy Power. "It's very rare that we come out on top when there's an Irish winner" said a spokesperson for the betting firm.

FA to talk with Rooney
The English Football Association has said that it will talk with Wayne Rooney over his alleged £700,000 gambling debts. The Manchester Utd. striker is said to have ran-up the debt after being introduced to a business associate of fellow England striker Michael Owen.

Glasgow casino to employ onsite advisors
Glasgow Council bosses have said that it would take measures to make sure people didn't overspend if it got a super-casino license. "We'd be looking for operators to have on-site advisers to speak to people who are spending too much. The operators seem quite amenable to this kind of thing," said City regeneration chief Steve Inch.

Winner Channel signs with Mad4Games
The Winner Channel, a joint venture by Zone4Play and Two Way TV, has signed a deal with distribution partner and mobile content service provider Mad4Games, to distribute a fixed odds games service to its mobile games offering. The service will be available from May.

GameAccount appoint new CEO
Kevin Dale has been appointed to replace John Jones as CEO for GameAccount. Dale has previously been marketing director with Sportingbet and Betfair.

Ascot admission limited
Officials have said that public admission to Ascot's first meeting since its £200 million redevelopment will be limited to promotions and advance bookings. 'Pre-Opening Day' will be held on May 27th, with the official opening taking place on June 20th.

[Casinonews]

Brady blasts Birmingham's casino decision
Birmingham FC director Karen Brady has spoken out against the council's decision to stick with the NEC's super-casino bid. "In their blind pursuit to save the NEC, the council may have cost Birmingham the chance of having a super-casino and all the regeneration that it would have bought."

Antigua advised to seek UK alliance
Antigua & Barbuda has been advised by former director of offshore gaming, Ron Maginley, to seek an alliance with the UK in its WTO dispute with the US. He suggested that the UK would be a 'much better source of support' because it had a 'vested interest in ensuring that Antigua and Barbuda is successful'.

Online poker to fund Olympic gymnast
King Solomons Poker brand has announced that it will pay gymnast Ben Brown's training and living costs as he prepares for the Beijing Olympics. The 21-year old, who starred in a poster for the London 2012 bid, had quit the sport after failing to get the £15,000 funding needed to train full-time.

Nottingham council leader attempts casino block
Jon Collins, leader of Nottingham City Council, is attempting to block new casino plans over noise fears. Developers want to change the original plans for a bingo hall in the Glasshouse building, which is being primarily developed for student accommodation, into a casino.

Coinslot Golf Tournament announced
This year's Coinslot Golf Tournament will be played at the Forest of Arden Golf Club in Meriden, Warwickshire on the 12-13 July. Returning to its traditional format, the competition will be played across two courses: The Arden, the venue for the 2003 British Masters, and the slightly more demanding Aylesford course. To find out more, call John Sullivan on 01204 396 397, or email [email protected].

No faith in new casinos
The Methodist Army and the Salvation Army have joined forces in order to build up opposition to any new casino proposals under the Gambling Act. The organisations have said that they will provide lobbying resources for any faith or local action groups wanting to get involved in the debate.

Regulatory body to cooperate with Malta
eCOGRA (eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance) has agreed to have closer cooperation with the The Lotteries and Gaming Authority of Malta over player protection measures in the country. Subject to conditions, members of the British regulatory body will not have to submit to further review required for a Maltese online gaming license.

Southend adoption process for pier repair
Southend council is set to launch an adopt-a-plank scheme to help fund repairs to its fire damaged pier. The scheme will help finance the multi-million repair work due to begin on the pier next week.

Arsenal manager denies gambling problem
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has stated that there is not a gambling problem at his North London club. "We have hundreds of rules here at Arsenal," commented the French manager, "but not one on gambling because I have never felt it was a real problem."

Ho's casino Macau development delayed
Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd and Melco International's $300 million Crown Macau casino development has been delayed by six-months. Lawrence Ho, owner of Melco, denied problems with the hotel's construction, and instead said that they wanted the casino and hotel, which is due to open in April 2007, to open together.

VC announce £12.8 million profits
Gaming VC has announced pre-tax profits of £12.8 million, and a two per cent average revenue growth per month for the last year. The gambling firm also reported that, as it does not take bets from the US market, it would not be affected by legislation on the industry.

Sands development approved
Plans by Benchmark Leisure to develop Scarborough's North Bay have been approved by the borough council. The £120 million 'Sands' development will house bars, restaurants and a waterpark.

Ladbrokes handle 3.8 million calls
Ladbrokes bookmaker has reported that it has handled over 3.8 million telephone bets since last year's shareholder meeting. An average stake of £91 was placed on each bet according to a spokesperson.

Bally to link slot cards to bank accounts
Bally Technologies, with partners Cash Systems and Scotch Twist, has announced that it will develop a product linking casino club cards, used at slot machines, to cash from credit cards and bank accounts. Development will take up to twelve months with a three-month test period after.

Deutsche Wurlitzer UK plan open day
Deutsche Wurlitzer UK is planning a two-day event at its Didcot premises to mark the launch of its new 2100 Glass and Chrome machine. The open days will take place on May 17-18.

Enterprise returns nearly £200 million
Enterprise Inns has announced that it has so far purchased 21.1 million of its own shares under its buy-back programme, at around £9.05 each. It has so far returned a total of £191 million to its shareholders.

Leisure Link completes record roll-out
Leisure Link has completed its roll-out of 6,000 Rainmaker FOBTs across the William Hill betting estate in 'record time' according to management of the machine supplier. "The swap-out process has gone really well," said business development manager Vince Bateson.

Butlins bingo campaign to support cancer charity
Butlins' will be supporting the men's cancer campaign Everyman throughout 2006 with a campaign entitled 'Eyes down - check your balls'. The initiative will run in conjunction with the holiday resorts' new online bingo site.

[Casinonews]

Cameron faces party donor questions
UK Conservative leader David Cameron is facing fresh questions over the party's gambling policy after it emerged that Lord Steinberg, chairman of Stanley Leisure, is a long standing party donor. The opposition party has denied that any policy had been influenced by Steinberg.

PartyGaming announces 54 per cent revenue increase
PartyGaming has announced 'better than expected' first quarter revenues of £194 million, a 54 per cent increase on the same period in 2005. The number of active online poker players has increased by 40 per cent over the year, to 872,969, with 75 per cent coming from the US and 6 per cent from the UK.

Parkinson's drug and gambling addiction link reinforced
The University of Calgary, Canada has released new evidence which reinforces the link between problem gambling and some drugs for Parkinson's disease. The study found that 6 per cent of a test group of 195 Parkinson's patients developed a gambling addiction while taking medication as opposed to the 1.5 per cent of the general population thought to have a gambling problem.

Theme park chips visitors
Alton Towers will start tagging visitors with a RFID-enabled wristband, which holds a frequency identification computer chip, to track people and goods. Uses for the theme-park's new scheme include helping security to locate lost children, and allowing guests to be identified and videoed as they go on rides and attractions for the purpose of creating a personalised DVD of the day.

888 snooker sponsorship off to controversial start
Online betting firm 888.com has begun its five-year sponsorship of the Snooker World Championship amid threats of a 'player uprising' last week. Regulations that prevent professionals wearing logos of competing companies have been criticised by players such as Stephen Hendry and Mark Williams, who are considering boycotting interviews until the matter is resolved.

Pokerstars float 'up and running'
Pokerstars has been to be in talks with a number of investment banks, including HSBC and Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein, over a planned £1 billion-plus float according to the UK's Times newspaper. An insider cited in the Times said: "It's early days, but this is a live situation. It's up and running."

BMA invites businesses to stub-out smoking early
The Welsh division of the British Medical Association has launched the Why Wait? campaign, urging venues to pre-empt next year's smoking ban. BMA Cymru Wales will issue stickers with the slogan 'Doctors Support Health' to businesses which ban smoking before the proposed 2007 deadline.

Beckham quells gambling problem talk
David Beckham has moved to quell rumours of gambling problems in the England camp. He stated: "There have always been betting and card schools in football, certainly in every team I've played in, but there is no problem and there never has been."

Caborn hosts 'anti-cheating' summit
UK Sports minister Richard Caborn is holding an anti-cheating summit at Twickenham, London tomorrow. At the event, aimed at cracking down on fraudulent punters, leading governing bodies will be asked to sign up to a ten-point practice to safeguard confidence in their events.

Earls court casino decision delayed
Kensington and Chelsea council has delayed a decision which could see Earls Court become a 24-hour casino. The extra time will allow the English Heritage to finish its assessment of the building's curved facade, which if listed, would scupper any casino plan.

Gala helps visually impaired play bingo
Gala's bingo hall in Dundee, Scotland has installed Electronic Dabber machines to help visually impaired people play the game. Club officials have said that the machines, which automatically register the numbers being called after they are beamed to the device, have also proved popular to all the venue's regular customers

£10 million upgrade for Cinque
Cinque Ports Leisure has announced that it plans to spend £10 million over the next 6 years to upgrade facilities across its 19 holiday parks. The caravan and holiday home group was recently the subject of a £130 million management buy-out in January.

Edinburgh fun park redevelopment fears
A proposed plan for Edinburgh's Portobello Fun Park, which would see the amusement arcade turned into beachfront flats and a snooker hall, has come under fire from local opposition, who support the redevelopment but have doubts over the proposed snooker venue. "The arcade isn't a problem at the moment, but if you add alcohol to the mix, that could change," said one local resident.

Betfair agrees with the Post
Betfair and the UK Post Office Ltd have signed an agreement which will enable the betting exchange to verify the name, address and payment method of selected customers using the P.O. as a trusted third party. Customers will be able to download a form, fill it in and take it to one of the Post Office's 14,500 branches with ID documents for verification.

Good Friday racing result by May
The Department of Culture, Media and Sport will let the British Horseracing Board know 'in about a month's time' whether it would support legislation permitting racing on Good Friday from next year. Currently racing is not allowed on either the Easter Holiday or Christmas Day.

Japan to investigate effects of video games
The former deputy governor of Tokyo, Yutaka Takehana, is leading an investigation by Japan's National Police Agency into the effects playing video games and watching anime have on children. In response, the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association (CESA) has suggested a voluntary programme to prevent the sale of games rated over eighteen to minors.

[Casinonews]

UK manufacture at worrying levels
BACTA has revealed that the number of AWP machines manufactured in the UK has fallen by 23 per cent, marking the second consecutive annual decline. The consolidated manufacturing statistics, collated by research company IRN, show that the manufacture of £25 all cash AWP machines - the industry's core product - has declined from 53,000 in 2004 to 41,000 in 2005. For more insight and analysis, see this week's Coinslot.

PFA chairman speaks out over insider betting
Brendan Batson, chairman of the UK-based Professional Footballers Association, speaking at Wednesday's Integrity in Sports Betting summit warned players that sharing inside information for the purpose of betting could cost them their careers. Citing that such incidents were rare he added: "Players are very much aware of what they can or cannot do with regards to betting."

OFT ruling favours bookmaker Hill
William Hill will be able to keep its shops in Doncaster and Kidderminster, acquired in last year's Stanleybet estate takeover, after the Office of Fair Trading released a statement saying: "the reduction in the number of LBO fascia resulting from the merger no longer appears to give rise to the competition concerns previously identified in these areas".

US reaches $7.2 million gambling ad agreement
Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's website, Sporting News, has reached a $7.2 million settlement with the US Government's Department of Justice after it ran advertisements for online gambling sites. Under the agreement, Allen's site must surrender $4.2 million in ad revenues and run $3 million of anti-gambling advertisements over the next three years.

Stanley lodge Elland Road casino application
Stanley Leisure has lodged an outline planning application for a multi-million pound gambling complex at Leeds United's Elland Road. The casino firm paid £5 million for first option on the site behind the ground's Revie Stand, which is currently used for matchday parking.

Partygaming pair on Asian rich list
PartyGaming's founder Anurag Dikshit and Vikrant Bhargava, marketing director for the online gambling firm, have both made the UK's 10 richest Asian businessmen list. Dikshit made third place with an estimated wealth of £1.7 billion, while Bhargava followed up in seventh place with a net worth of £592 million.

Gambling ads branded irresponsible
The Advertising Standards Authority has branded ThePool.com as 'socially irresponsible' after it distributed advertising leaflets with the slogan 'Why wait 'til 18. Bet at 16'. Pool betting is legal for over 16s although the advertising code bans adverts aimed at under 18s.

GIGSE nominate UK charity
UK based problem gambling charity Gordon House has been named as the Global Interactive Gaming Summit and Expo chosen charity. Donations so far have amounted to £32,000, with PartyGaming pledging £14,000 and BetOnSports giving £5,700.

Ex-Camelot staff launch Chariot
Chariot, the lottery group led by former Camelot chief executive Tim Holley, has been launched today. The Monday lottery has seventy British charities signed up, with five receiving a portion of the game's proceeds each week.

UK mother wins record bingo prize
A mother of three has won a world record £162,701 playing bingo online. Jo Collins from Luton, Bedfordshire had reportedly been playing at Galabingo for five days when she took the record win.

PartyGaming completes Empire acquisition
Partygaming has completed its $250 million acquisition of EmpirePoker.com. The deal will now see Empire reinstated as a skin of PartyPoker.com, and PartyGaming gain control of AceClub.com and StarLuckCasino.com.

BACTA & ATE's Iron-men prepare for London marathon!
Leslie MacLeod-Miller, BACTA's general counsel & head of administrative affairs, will run this year's London Marathon on April 23rd in aid of the BACTA Charitable Trust and BACTA's chosen charity, BIBIC (British Institute for Brain-Injured Children). Clarion ATE's Jon Hales is also running, on behalf of Asthma UK, whilst bravely enduring an injured foot! Click here to sponsor Jon & click here to sponsor Leslie.

Milliken reappointed by WPBSA
Milliken Woolen Speciality Products has been re-appointed as sole supplier to the World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association (WPBSA). Under terms of the deal, its product will be used at all WPBSA events through to 2009.

Bingo caller search underway
Entry forms for this year's annual National Bingo Caller of the Year competition have been sent out by the National Bingo Game Association. The only requisite for entry is that contestants must be main stage callers and call at least three games per week.

Mahjong world cup for December
Dynasty Gaming Inc will jointly create and sponsor, with the Ho Group, the first World Cup of Mahjong tournament, provisionally set for December. The event will take place in Macau at one of Ho's casinos in the area.

Czech counting record number of machine stakes
Petra Krainova, spokesperson for the Czech Republic's finance ministry has revealed that Czech players last year staked a record CZK50bn on gambling machines. The number of games on location hit a record high of 52,185, while operators paid CZK3.2bn in licence and other fees.