888 bounces back
The chief executive of casino and poker operator 888 has praised his company’s marketing efforts after its fourth quarter trading statement showed it had bounced back following its enforced departure from the US in October. Despite its exit from the US, 888 saw revenue for the 12 months to the end of December rise by 7% to US$290m. Non-US net gaming revenue, meanwhile, rose 28% to US$157m and there was a 35% increase in real-money registered member accounts to 3.6 million.

Gigi Levy, chief executive, said: “Following our exit from the US market in Q4 2006, the company has worked hard to continue expanding its non-US business and we are especially pleased with the results released today and our performance in recent months.”

One lucky player from River Belle online casino has just become almost half a million Euros richer. In the first week of February, progressive slots player Alvaro C., from Portugal, struck it lucky on the Major Millions progressive jackpot to take home a welcome Euro 447 184.07.

UK technology firm Betgenius has launched a microsite for Gala Coral focused on the English Premier League. The site will be accessible from links within Coral.co.uk and will look to promote client retention through in-running markets, live odds and news and stats content.

Last year the Unlawful online gambling Bill seemed to make it illegal for US Citizens to gamble online, including games like poker and at online casinos. However, almost 4 months since the bill was passed there are still poker rooms and casinos allowing US players to play at their sites.

Riders of the Unibet.com cycling team had to start yesterday’s GP d’Ouverture La Marseillaise in France with their sponsor’s name replaced by a large question mark on their jerseys. This follows weeks of debate over the issue of sponsorship between Unibet, race organisers Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) and international body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), which issued Unibet with the Pro Tour licence that will enable it to enter major races such as the Tour de France.

A new global initiative and international code of conduct to address responsible online gambling procedures is under discussion by the industry following a top-level roundtable discussion held at a recent London trade show. The roundtable, convened by top software developer microgaming, discussed the need to review what is currently being done by the industry and how a single common code might be created and implemented globally. The resulting draft code of practice is likely to cover individual operating sites as well as software providers.

The Inter effect lands in Great Britain. The decision of Snai, in order to pay in advance the bets on the Inter club, seems in fact to proselytize. A British bookmaker has decided to pay in advance the football winning of Manchester, because people don’t believe that Chelsea can regain the difference in points from the championship leader. agicos

Gambling software developer and turnkey providerPlaytech suddenly announced that it was in negotiations with “…a pure Asian-facing gaming business” regarding the award of a new licensing agreement.

Betfair spokesmen reacted with disappointment to the news this week that the Western Australia state government is to prosecute gamblers in the state’s jurisdiction for wagering on betting exchanges.In terms of new laws that came into force this week, such gamblers could face fines of A$10 000 or up to 2 years in jail. “The legislation effectively prevents Western Australian residents placing bets with Betfair, and prevents betting exchanges operating in Western Australia,” said Twaits Director of corporate and business affairs.

online gambling companies based outside Europe and Gibraltar will have to apply to the government if they want to advertise their products in the UK when the activity is legalised on September 1, reports the Financial Times. Quoting Tessa Jowell, culture secretary in the British Cabinet, the newspaper said a ban on websites run by companies with poor regulation would protect online gamblers from crime and exploitation.

Gaming VC released its key performance indicators. Customer registrations increased by 91% to 28,704 in Q4 2006, compared with 14,996 in Q4 2005, with 10,672 new depositing customers recorded in the quarter, compared with 7,452 in 2005. Revenues in the quarter were €9.8m (US$12.7m), up 1% on the previous year.

Ongame has added Danish sportsbook Scandic Bookmakers to its poker network. Scandic was previously on the Tain network. It has already migrated its player base and went live on Ongame on 29 January.

In Virginia, a longtime foe, Delegate Kelli Sobonya, R-Cabell, is preparing 40 amendments to the proposal that would let voters in dog-and-horse track counties of Hancock, Jefferson, Ohio and Kanawha vote on table games. “I have every intention to kill the bill,” she declared, moments before the House version of the table measure game was officially put on the list of fresh bills.

Playtech announced that Videobet has entered into a long-term licensing contract with Entretenimiento De Mexico (EMex), a leading Mexican casino operator. EMex has contracted to add Videobet’s revolutionary server based gaming product to its existing and future gaming estates.

French authorities acted recently to ban advertising images of both Pokerstars and Moneymaker at the club. Le Salon des Ambassadeurs, a French club, was due to run a promotion for Pokerstars.com that includes images of Chris Moneymaker, a well known poker personality and former World Series of Poker champion.

Gaming revenue in Macau surged 22% in 2006 to surpass takings from the Las Vegas Strip according to data released by Macau’s Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau and estimates by Morgan Stanley’s gaming and property market strategist Rob Hart.

Gaming revenues in the enclave totaled $6.95 billion in 2006 against $6.5 billion in gambling revenue on the Las Vegas Strip. However, The Nevada Gaming Control Board has not yet released 2006 figures for gaming revenue.

‘The development (in) Macau in 2006 was broadly in line with mine and market expectations,’ said Rob Hart. At the end of 2006, Macau had 24 casinos operating 2,762 gaming tables and 6,546 slot machines. Four new gambling and entertainment complexes are expected to open this year and About $20 billion has been invested in new casino and hotel complexes by six casino companies for projects that are planned for completion in the next few years. Dow Jones Newswires

Former Neteller director John Lefebvre has been granted bail after an appearance in court in Los Angeles. According to Rebekah Carmichael, press spokesperson from the US Department of Justice, ‘he will be released after satisfying the bail conditions of $5m fully secured by cash or property; pre-trial supervision; surrender of all travel documents; and travel restricted to the Central District of California, except for trips to Southern District, New York for Court.’ The other former director Stephen Lawrence is currently in court in St Thomas in the US Virgin islands, attending an, “advice of rights” hearing.

“Internet gambling is a multibillion-dollar industry. A significant portion of that is the illegal handling of Americans’ bets with offshore gaming companies, which amounts to a colossal criminal enterprise masquerading as legitimate business. There is ample indication these defendants knew the American market for their services was illegal. The FBI is adamant about shutting off the flow of illegal cash” - FBI Assistant Director Mark Mershon, United States Attorney’s Office press release, January 16, 2007

The Turkish Cabinet took up a bill on Prevention of Cyber Crimes on Tuesday. The bill, which was presented to Parliament following the Cabinet discussion, seeks to block access to Web sites with content containing the sexual exploitation of children, obscenity, prostitution or content encouraging suicidal tendencies, gambling and certain other crimes defined under the Anti-Terrorism Law.

Pinnaclesports.com announced on its website that it will no longer be accepting bets from American patrons. 1/11/07, was the last day for American customers to withdraw their funds.

Associated Press carried a new report this week that shows Nevada’s major hotel-casinos posted their highest net income ever in fiscal 2006 - a combined $2.1 billion. As a percent of total revenues, casino games accounted for 49 percent of the total, down from 49.9 percent. Hotel rooms revenues increased 14 pecent to $4.89 billion, or about 20 percent of the total.

“The UIGEA has been a godsend to unquoted offshore companies which have sucked in all the extra business,” says an expert in the field. “The shift has been particularly lucrative for sites that offer online poker, which is predominantly American.” Companies are taking advantage of a 270-day legislative ‘window’ granted by the US federal authorities to the banks and credit card companies, which have to find a way of stopping the flow of cash from customers to betting sites, but will not be penalised if this is found to be an impossible task.

Polish poker players will this year join thousands of their European counterparts in following the European Poker Tour action, as the wide ranging contest adds the Eastern European country to its list of venues.

One of the must-attend annual business events for online gambling industry professionals is undoubtedly the International Casino Exhibition, which this year opens at Earls Court in London on 23 January and ends of the 25th. The growing online gambling section, branded ICEi this year is well illustrated by the current list of committed exhibitors on the http://www.icei-exhibition.com website, which includes a wide range of well known and perhaps not-so-familiar companies offering various services and technologies to the industry.

CryptoLogic has agreed to purchase Scandinavian poker room Parbet’s brand and assets for E9m. According to its statement, CryptoLogic will “license the Parbet assets, poker software, payment processing services, multi-lingual customer support and services to a private Maltese online gaming company that will operate “Parbet”.

For sale: the world’s smallest country with its own flag, stamps, currency and passports. Built in World War Two as an anti-aircraft base against German bombers, the derelict platform was taken over 40 years ago by retired army major Paddy Roy Bates who went to live there with his family. Apply to Prince Michael of Sealand if you want to run your own storm-tossed nation. (reuters)

City AM this morning analyses Ladbrokes’ “Spanish slot machine venture” with Cirsa. The piece says that several regions are looking to follow Madrid’s lead in offering betting licences.

The BBC’s European press round up reported over the weekend that “according to the bill on combating indecent broadcasting and online gambling”, the Turkish “Information Technology Security Agency will have the authority” to stop its citizens form accessing online gambling sites and “will work like a ‘huge eye’” in monitoring online activities for the Turkish market.

GigaMedia, a Taiwanese online gaming software company, is to host the MahJong World Championship after it revealed it has signed a five-year deal with the World MahJong Organisation. The companies will jointly run regional qualifying tournaments in Asia, Europe and North America throughout 2007. GigaMedia hopes that the tournament will promote the game to a worldwide audience and help to broaden its appeal.

365 Media Group has completed the migration of its Totalbet and Ukbetting casinos to the Playtech platform, bringing all its casino products on the same system. A single wallet has also been launched, allowing customers to play poker, and bet on its sports and casino products. Roger Marris, director of gaming at 365 Media, said: “This not only offer a simple interface and greater reliability, it also represents a big step forward in technology, which enhances the gaming experience.”

The next Presidential election is 22 months away but the race by Democrats and Republicans to carry their party standard on November 4, 2008 is already hot. Sportsbook.com, the world’s largest online sportsbook and casino, has odds on both the potential Democratic and Republican party nominees.

Alastair Gillepsie, a professor of mathematics and chairman of the Scottish Mathematical Council believes that introducing simple gambling games that use dice and playing cards could increase Scottish student’s mathematical comprehension and probability skills. “Things like tossing coins and cutting cards are simple techniques which teach pupils about basic maths and I think it would catch the interest of students if we were to introduce that in schools.”

Dozens of Costa Rican employees were laid off by one of the online gambling industry’s largest companies, BetUS.com, which is the latest group to significantly downsize its Costa Rica operations. Bodog.com announced similar plans last month.

Florida, NY Open New Casinos The Mardi Gras Racetrack & Gaming Center made its debut on December 28 in Hallandale Beach and features 1,147 slot machines. Also opening this week was a new gaming floor at the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in western NY. It is the first permanent part of $160 million casino which will replace a temporary facility. Next up for the Seneca Nation is a casino in downtown Buffalo.

In an interview with Playtech CEO Avigur Zmora this week, Reuters reports that integrating the players of former rival Tribeca, which Playtech agreed to buy in November 2006, would probably be completed by the end of the first quarter of 2007.

London-based Purple Lounge is set to launch its online casino in February.