Dragonfish, the b2b division of online gambling group 888.com, branched out into other e-commerce sectors this week, inking a major e-Payments processing agreement with Linden Lab, the creator of the virtual world Second Life, thus diversifying its business beyond the gaming industry.
Seventy key online gambling personnel working at eCOGRA-accredited operations in four countries received responsible gambling training from the standards and player protection body this year, the fifth in which courses have been offered.
The sluggish progress of the South African government’s initiative to legalise and license online gambling in the country remains bogged down in legal and technical issues and is unlikely to be implemented in the immediate future, it appears.
The land of the free again failed to live up to its name this week as another online gambler was sent to jail for refusing to testify before a Grand Jury investigating online gambling in Kansas City.
Last week’s dismal warnings from German lottery company JAXX AG have been ameliorated this week by a set of positive YTD results from Hamburg-based Tipp24 AG.
The Cyprus-based online bingo software and network provider Interactive Playnet appears to be in trouble, advising players that it has been forced by processor problems to cease taking deposits and will have to restrict bingo pots.
Betfair’s ‘Right2Bet’ campaign for a more open European Union gambling market this week introduced a new service for online gamblers – a direct line of communication to Members of the European Parliament.
Webmaster Dave Sawyer and his team at Bathrock Media have been busy with launches and re-launches this week as the online gambling information company upgrades its offerings.
William Hill plc’s Virtual Horseracing, Virtual Greyhound Racing, Virtual Speedway and Virtual Motor Racing are now all accessible from the ‘Virtual World’ link in the menu at sports.williamhill.com.
A report commissioned by the state of Florida earlier this year has been presented to state officials, showing how the state could earn up to $90 million in tax revenues each year by legalising online poker.
The European-facing sportsbetting and i-gaming operator Offsidebet.com has enhanced its online gambling offering with a suite of CTXM casino and fixed odds games.
The Israeli authorities renewed efforts to clamp down hard on Internet gambling operations allegedly operating from within the Middle Eastern country this week, with the Jerusalem Post reporting that three hundred police officers and tax authority officials raided 37 homes across the country and arrested up to 30 suspects.
Ireland’s Sunday Independent newspaper lauded betting group Paddy Power’s deal with the former French gambling monopoly Pari Mutuel Urbain this week as a move that will further reduce the quoted bookmaker’s dependence on its Irish and UK retail betting shops.
Wednesday this week will see the Australian branch of online gambling giant Betfair in court again, this time fighting a 1.5 percent levy on its turnover attempted by Racing New South Wales.
A joint police action against electronic gambling in Greece and Cyprus has resulted in the arrest of a 44-year-old Athenian man and a continuing manhunt for a second accused, reports the Cyprus Mail newspaper.
Online gambling software developer Cryptologic experienced another tough third quarter this (2009) year, posting results which reflected a loss of $3.4 million as predicted in its earlier trading update.
Fresh from a similar deal with Tain, white label Internet sportsbook provider OddsMatrix Limited has entered into an agreement with Best Games Holdings Limited for the provision of a fully managed sports book.
The treaty between German states banning online lottery operations continues to have a profoundly adverse impact on German lottery service provider Jaxx AG as the group struggles to reposition itself as a betting rather than a lotteries company.
The independent player protection and standards organisation eCOGRA has announced that Digitote, a provider of advanced sportsbetting software and ancillary web development and back office applications, has successfully achieved the required standards for its Certified Software accreditation seal.
Irish online and offline bookmaker Paddy Power has confirmed its deal with the French gambling monopoly Pari Mutuel Urbain (PMU) which will smooth its path into the liberalised French gambling market early 2010.
Sweden-based online casino Mr Green.com is probably still celebrating this (Thursday) morning after being voted top gambling website in Sweden on making it through to the finals.
Aideen Shortt, formerly the dynamic VP sales and marketing for Canadian online gambling software developer Chartwell Technology, has moved to Paddy Power subsidiary Airton Risk Management, a sporting risk business where she has been appointed an associate director. She joins a team that includes David Lyons and Rod O’Callaghan.
Renowned for its poker players, the Nordic country of Finland also appears to have more than its share of problem gamblers, which gives the lie to government claims that state monopolised gambling is safer than an open market.
The affiliate program Income Access issued a timely warning against the San Diego-based online gambling software group MahjongTime this week, citing ‘payment concerns.’