Indian media reports Monday indicate that Hong Kong Stock Exchange-listed online lottery firm AGTech Media, in which Alibaba Group holds a controlling stake, has entered into a joint venture with mobile wallet and payments firm Paytm to set up a gaming company in India. Paytm will hold 55 percent in the new joint venture while …
Police in the central Chinese province of Hunan have shuttered an illegal online gambling enterprise that used the instant messaging service WeChat to attract punters, according to the state news agency Xinhua. A police spokesman said that 14 arrests had been made in the operation, which was mounted after a three-month investigation, and that documentary …
The French online gambling regulator ARJEL has wasted no time in moving on the cross-border shared poker liquidity agreements it signed July 6 with Italy, Spain, and Portugal, this week issuing initial guidelines for interested French-licensed online poker operators, who could include Winamax, PokerStars, iPoker and Partypoker. The regulator warns that the first step will …
Kristof Fahy, an experienced marketing executive who joined Ladbrokes plc in 2015 as chief marketing officer (see previous reports) is to leave the recently merged Ladbrokes Coral group in September, the company has confirmed. Fahy is currently group chief customer officer following structural changes in the merged group. The Ladbrokes Coral statement on Fahy’s departure …
Scientific Games has reported continued revenue growth for the seventh quarter running, driven by the company’s gaming and interactive divisions. The group’s Q2-2017 results include: * Revenue up 5 percent y-o-y to $766.3 million, despite an $8 million adverse foreign exchange impact; * Operating income doubled to $117.3 million, reflecting revenue growth, a more effective …
Nottinghamshire-based online gambling games developer Reflex Gaming has followed up its online content deal with William Hill earlier this year (see previous report) with an agreement to supply a range of games to BetVictor – some designed exclusively for the operator. The developer has also indicated that it has further Tier 1 online operator deals …
The UK Gambling Commission has issued a series of informative notes covering issues of interest to players, affiliates and operators. New online complaints support tool: From 1 August, UK gambling consumers will be able to use Resolver, an online support tool, to make complaints related to gambling. Resolver is a free, independent tool for consumers. …
Both land casino and betting shop, and online self-exclusion facilities for punters who suspect they are developing a problem are being used on an increasing scale, according to figures released by the UK Gambling Commission. The figures show that across all forms of gambling in the UK in 2013 there were 30,000 self-exclusions for periods …
After two years as a subsidiary of Providence Equity Partners, ICE Totally Gaming organiser Clarion Events has a new owner following the acquisition of the majority shareholding by private equity firm Blackstone. The news was broken to staff in a brief Friday by Clarion CEO Russell Wilcox, who claimed that Blackstone is one of the …
The Australian newspaper reported over the weekend that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has withdrawn its application for an injunction against the Tatts – Tabcorp proposed merger pending the outcome of a federal judicial review it requested regarding the Australian Competition Tribunal’s approval of the deal (see previous reports). ACCC chairman Rod Sims …
The Chinese Ministry of Finance has released its monthly lottery sales numbers for June 2017, reporting that overall sales fell 0.3 percent to RMB 33.8 billion (US$5 billion). Although Welfare lottery sales rose 88.8 percent to RMB 17.8 billion, Sports lottery sales declined 8.9 percent to RMB 16 billion, the figures show. On a year-to-date …
Online gambling games developers Yggdrasil and BetSoft launch new slots this week with widely disparate themes, giving players a choice between medieval battles for power and lucky Irish leprechauns. Yggdrasil’s Rainbow Ryan offering features a hopefully lucky leprechaun with a penchant for heavy rock music, an animated theme which underpins a six-reel game with two …
In an analysis of this year’s gambling legislation the Czech Human Rights Ministry is critical of manner in which its drafting was influenced, claiming that the interests of the industry were positioned above those of the public. The Prague Monitor reported over the weekend that the analysis found that practices such as favouritism, non-standard lobbying, …
Irish bookmakers may be required to turn away bets in excess of Euro 2,000 unless the punter produces ID when anti-money laundering regulations drafted by the European Union are implemented, according to a report in the Irish Independent. The changes will have a major impact on the gambling industry regarding large bets and pay-outs, the …
Dafabet Kenya Limited, an indoor sports spaces design enterprise, has launched litigation against Asia Betting and Gaming Enterprises, alleging that the latter’s use of the brand Dafabet in its illegal offering of betting facilities to Kenyan punters is creating confusion around the brand. Dafabet Kenya is not involved in betting and gambling, and has had …
Financial and business media outlets reported Friday that Shimon Akad, COO and Israel CEO of Playtech plc, had sold 18,856 shares the day before to earn GBP 181,583.28. Joining Playtech in 2011, Akad headed Videobet operations and served as VP Operations responsible for development, delivery and day-to-day operations, according to the Bloomberg news service. He …
Nigerians now have a wider choice of lottery providers following the launch of Western Lotto by a Nigerian-registered company of the same title. At a press conference in Lagos last week Western Lotto managing director Elvis Krovokuca said that the company was initially offering Powerball, Euro Millions, Euro Jackpot, UK Lotto and Mega Millions, and …
Finnplay, the Finnish-based open gaming platform provider, has announced that it has migrated the operator Norskespill.com, to its gaming platform. Martin Prantner, chief executive officer of the Finnplay Group, said in a statement Sunday: “We are delighted to provide our licensed technology platform to NorskeSpill. The desktop and mobile experience has had a complete redesign, …
On Friday New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed a bill calling on the US President and Congress not to introduce federal prohibitions on online gambling. Earlier this month the bill was passed by the New Jersey Legislature, with a motivation that a federal prohibition against internet gambling would negatively impact New Jersey, “dismantling the investments …
On Friday the Mr Green online casino group posted an impressive set of second quarter and half-year 2017 results, highlighting the following: Q2-2017 * Total revenue increased by 36.3 percent y-o-y to SEK 287.8 (211.2) million; * EBITDA up a remarable 337 percent to SEK 52.4 (12.0) million, with margin up 12.5 percent at 18.2 …
A Tampa, Florida bookkeeper, Paul Wheeler (34) was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment this week after being convicted of wire fraud perpetrated over 15 years and involving six different employers. Prosecutor Thomas Palermo led evidence before US District Judge Mary Scriven that Wheeler diverted almost $850,000 from his employers to bank accounts under his control, …
MarathonBet, a sports betting company that has two licensed retail outlets in Russia, has extended its operations to the online environment despite rather onerous restrictions that require punters to physically register at a retail betting shop, and hefty tax and mandatory donations to Russian sports bodies. Through its membership of the local Bookmakers Self-Regulatory Organisation, …
The Mansion online gambling group is to launch television advertising to support its recent resurrection of its legacy Casino.com brand. The advert theme is “We are ready to play. Are you?” and features a party being enjoyed by a diversity of guests (press material indicates that some of the walk on extras are company employees). …
Online gambling games developer Tom Horn has announced a content provision deal with internet gambling solutions provider EvenBet that will see the latter company taking on board an extensive collection of licensed video slots, including Blackbeard’s Quest and Book of Spells, along with recent additions like Monster Madness and 243 Crystal Fruits. EvenBet will make …