- Sportingbet Confirms One Employee Freed, One Still Held In Turkey
AIM-listed online betting company Sportingbet Plc said on Monday that
one of their two employees detained by Turkish police in May had been
released following an appeal and had returned to Britain. The other
employee was refused bail after his appeal and remains in custody
awaiting charges.
29/07/2008
- Consultants Called In To Scrutinise Tainted Kahnawake Operator
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission has appointed an external consulting firm to investigate Tokwiro Enterprises, the parent company of Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, both of which have been involved in cheating scandals in recent months. The move comes after calls from a former US politician that the jurisdiction takes decisive action over the scandal.
29/07/2008
- Taiwan Regions Push For Singapore Style Casino Duopoly
Government officials from two regions of Taiwan that are seeking to host casino gambling have called on the Government to closely follow the example of Singapore’s two integrated resorts when planning the island’s new gambling policies.
28/07/2008
- Macau Sees Growth Falter In Second Quarter
Revenues from the first six months of gambling activities in Macau exceeded 70.6 percent of the total revenues posted last year, according to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (GICB). But despite an overwhelmingly upward trend year on year, a dip in the second quarter figures, the first since 2005, led analysts to speculate on what might happen next.
25/07/2008
- Table Gaming Sees Slow Start In West Virginia
The long-delayed debut of poker and table gaming in West Virginia’s Kanawha County is imminent, according to some observers. But with the impact of a consumer downturn and higher gasoline prices beginning to bite, questions remain over the schedule of subsequent casino development in the area.
23/07/2008
- Casino Evaluation Schedule Divides Taiwan
Recent comments by Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou, reaffirming his commitment to casino development on the outlying Penghu island, have prompted a leading policymaker to fast track an ongoing feasibility study, but environmental campaigners have raised concerns that the issue requires further attention.
23/07/2008
- WTO Treaty Obligations Not A Defense, Rules Judge
A judge in the case being brought against BetonSports and Gary Kaplan has denied a motion to dismiss their indictments based on the United States' violation of the WTO’s General Agreement on Trade in Services.
22/07/2008
- Long Awaited UK Tote Sale Now Scheduled For Autumn
The government has begun preparations for a possible sale of state-owned bookmaker the Tote on the open market in the autumn, sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe said yesterday. Few should be surprised, however, that uncertain market conditions might yet jeopardize the sale once more.
22/07/2008
- Russia Research Report
With less than twelve months remaining before the $4.5bn Russian
gambling market faces closure or relocation to four remote gambling
zones, market players are weighing their diminishing options, according
to a new report by Gambling
Compliance's research department.
18/07/2008
- New Consensus Building For Casino Legislation In Japan
An extraordinary behind the scenes gathering of Japanese politicians, which took place just days before the end of this summer’s parliamentary session, agreed to put in place a cross party study group to examine casino legalisation in Japan. The move is seen as a vital step towards building the elusive bi-partisan league of congressman that a new casino law will need.
18/07/2008
- European Machine Technology Expo Set For October Debut
Gambling Compliance has announced its first European Gaming Technology Expo, scheduled to take place in London later this year. The two-day conference will focus on Italy, Germany, Estonia, Latvia, Czech Republic and Slovenia and will bring together regulators, manufacturers and testing labs from across Europe to discuss the latest regulatory and technical developments.
17/07/2008
- HMRC Appeals Rank’s Landmark VAT decision
Bingo operator Rank Group confirmed last week that that Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has appealed the far-reaching decision of the VAT and Duties Tribunal, relating to VAT paid on interval bingo.
14/07/2008
- Road To Online Growth Blocked By Regulation Says Lucien Barrière CEO
The slow pace of regulatory change across Europe is leaving its casino operators battered by a slowing land-based economy while the more dynamic growth story of the online casino world passes them by, according to the bosses of Europe’s leading casino groups.
14/07/2008
- Time Ran Out On Italian Venture, Says Codere CFO
The chief financial officer for Spanish operator Codere has clarified the company’s reasons for withdrawing from the Italian betting shop market last week, but did not rule out a possible return to Italy in the future.
10/07/2008
- Appeal Court Backs New Jersey Regulator Over Tropicana
In a strong endorsement of the state gaming regulators, a New Jersey appeals court last week heaped further criticism on the former owner of Atlantic City's Tropicana casino and flatly rejected its plea for a new operating license.
07/07/2008
- Tennis Federations To Address Betting Integrity
The four governing bodies that supervise international tennis have announced that they plan to create an independent integrity panel to deal with gambling and other issues in the sport. The announcement came towards the end of a Wimbledon Championships that saw unprecedented amounts of money wagered.
07/07/2008
- Seminole Compact Overturned By Florida Supreme Court
Florida’s Supreme Court has ruled that Governor Charlie Crist exceeded his authority when he negotiated a compact last year that let the Seminole tribe offer Class III games including blackjack and baccarat at its Florida casinos. The decision is a setback for the cash-strapped state and its preeminent tribe, who vowed to challenge the ruling.
04/07/2008
- Ontario’s Casinos Push For Sportsbook Gambling
Casinos in Canada’s eastern province of Ontario are lobbying to iron out inconsistencies in the nation’s gambling laws that would allow them to take a wider range of sports bets. The casinos argue that the change would substantially increase their revenues and attract customers from the US.
04/07/2008
- Event-Rich Motorcycling Stakes Out Betting Rights
The leading international motorcycling competition, MotoGP, is halfway through the 2008 season, with online betting company Bwin as the title sponsor of multiple Grand Prix events in Europe. Bwin is also the main sponsor of the MotoGP website in a sport whose world governing body showed itself to be ahead of the curve in jumping into the betting market early in Italy, where MotoGP betting is commonplace.
04/07/2008
- NagaCorp Looks To Grow Cambodian Market With Sub Concessions
NagaCorp, the monopoly casino operator in the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh, has indicated that it may sell sub-concessions to foreign companies to encourage further development of the VIP market in their low tax gaming market.
02/07/2008
- Market Downturn Hits Galaxy’s Macau Business
In one of the first signs that new mainland visa restrictions may be having a sustained effect in Macau, Galaxy Entertainment has announced they are laying off 270 resident workers from their mass-market casinos in Macau.
01/07/2008
- Kansas Court Gives Green Light To State-Run Casinos
The Kansas Supreme Court has ruled that “state-owned and -operated” casinos are constitutional, opening the way for Las Vegas style casinos at at least four locations in the mid-western state.
30/06/2008
- Harrah’s Retains UK Lobbyists For Casino Push
Las Vegas-based casino operator Harrah’s Entertainment has engaged a well-known UK public affairs group to assist its lobbying efforts as it ponders its next moves in bidding on some of the UK’s new large and small casino licenses.
30/06/2008
- Online Gambling Bill Meets With Early Defeat
The U.S. House Committee on Financial Services yesterday voted down a bill put forward by Barney Frank and Ron Paul that would have halted the creation of regulations for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. The vote put an early end to a measure that, in any case, had little chance of success in a US election year.
26/06/2008
- Chinese Tourists Face Gambling Ban in Taiwan
Mainland Chinese tourists looking to visit Taiwan under newly signed agreements to promote cross-straits travel will find themselves barred from gambling and other activities. The news is a blow to Taiwan’s established slot parlours, and could threaten the viability of future casino projects.
23/06/2008
- Thai Casino Rhetoric Falls Short Of Reality
Public statements by Thailand’s Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej have raised hopes among developers that progress towards developing casino gambling in the country may be imminent. But in the context of Thailand’s tangled political world such comments mean little, say observers.
23/06/2008
- Playtech Builds Acquisition Warchest With US Cash
Gaming software supplier Playtech said it has successfully raised £112m through a placing of 21.62 million new shares. Proceeds from the issue will be used to finance acquisition opportunities.
19/06/2008
- Anticipating Ballot And Recession, Missouri Halts New Casino Licensing
The Missouri gaming commission has placed a moratorium on new casinos in the state until voters decide a measure in November that may prohibit additional casinos beyond those already in existence or approved and under construction. The commission also expressed concerns over the impact of the US economic slowdown on the casino industry.
18/06/2008
- New York Leaders Find Resolution To 'Financially Flawed’ OTB
New York State Governor David Paterson has intervened to save New York City's off-track betting operations. The deal averted a shutdown at the financially battered OTB where 1,500 jobs at were at stake.
17/06/2008
- Vulture Funds Swoop On UK Machine Firm
Hedge fund investor Bluebay and investment bank Credit Suisse have announced an £85m deal to take over Danoptra, the gaming machines and health club group formerly known as Kunick, which operates nearly 40,000 machines across the UK.
17/06/2008