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(Update 21-December-2006)

NO MORE ONLINE GAMBLING FOR RUSSIA

Duma bill outlawing online poker and gambling passed

The burgeoning online gambling market could be slowed down by a bill passed this week in the State Duma , the lower parliament of Russia. If the Federation Council and President Vladimir Putin sign it off, a highly likely outcome as the latter proposed it, the bill will become law.

The Bill creates four gambling zones in the country, outlaws online gambling and online poker, and sets the minimum gambling age at 18 years. Its purpose is to restrict the uncontrolled spread of gambling outlets throughout Russia.

After July 1 2009, any gaming facility operating outside of the four approved gambling zones will be banned. The State began the crackdown on gambling when President Vladimir Putin ordered lawmakers and the Cabinet to put an end to it, especially in large urban centres, last year.

On October 6 this year the president asked the Duma for four gaming zones. The Duma approved the bill in its first reading, but the did not specify the location of the zones. Following intense debate and not a little controversy, the Duma's Economic Policy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism Committee defined the location of the zones when the bill was formally presented and approved on December 15 for its second reading.

The zones are well away from the main urban centres of Russia: the Altai Territory (southwest Siberia), Primorye (Far East), the Kaliningrad Region (Russia"s exclave on the Baltic Sea), and on the border of the Rostov Region and the Krasnodar Territory in the south of the country.

Duma Deputy Alexander Lebedev explained that the committee took into account which regions would attract the most foreign tourists, and the distance of regions from Moscow to take the pastime away from this area.  No gambling in Moscow could wreak dramatic change, closing high-profile nightspots like the Golden Palace and the numerous slot machine parlors that have proliferated everywhere in the city, including metro stations, beneath underpasses and ground floors of many apartment buildings.

Contrary opinions on the choice of the four gaming zones continue to surface, with Primorsk the most understood. 

"The Chinese will gamble in the Primorsk region, where the casinos are already living off the Chinese," said Samoil Binder , deputy managing director of the Association for the Development of the Gaming Business. "But you've got to be kidding yourself if you think you'll find someone to sink US$ 100 million to US$ 1 billion in some hypothetical hope that some day people would want to come gamble there."

Yevgeny Kovtun , a spokesman for the Gaming Business Association, more or less agreed with Binder. "With the exception of the Primorsk region, the locations of the other zones don't make any economic sense."  Muscovite gamblers were more likely to fly to Riga or Kiev, capital cities where casinos are established, Binder said.

Another contentious point in the gambling bill is the high asset levels that casino owners must prove. Gambling companies have to be Russian, and must have not less than 600 million rubles in assets (about US$22.4 million or GBP 11 million) as of June 1, 2007.

The bill also bans any gambling establishments from locating in apartment buildings, street kiosks, childcare centers, educational or healthcare institutions, railway terminals, airports, seaports, public transport, passenger lounges and waiting areas, sports facilities, state and government agencies, or religious organizations.

COACHED BY THE BEST

World Series of Poker champs to teach at the inaugural Academy

Some of the top names in poker, and former World Series of Poker champs will be passing on their expertise and knowledge at the first WSOP Academy in Tunica next January 27 - 28; on the tuition staff roll call are Greg Raymer, Joe Navarro, Scott Fischman and Alex Outhred.

Post Oak Productions , a Toronto-based live events company is organising the tuition after collaborating with Phil Hellmuth on a series of successful camps at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas before connecting with Harrah's Entertainment to bring the WSOP Academy to Harrah's properties in America.

The two-day camp will focus on poker education and interaction with the pros and is comprised of poker seminars; interactive workshops and the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in a No Limit Texas Hold 'em tournament with the pros.

"We have designed a curriculum that has been written and endorsed by our team of pro instructors," a Post Oak spokesman said. "It provides players with the tools that will take their game to the next level."

There are three teaching methods used during the camp: live demonstrations, seminars including Q&A, and tournaments. Areas to be covered include skills, tournament strategies and applications, the tells of pokers, Internet poker, cash games and sit-n-go's. Although the two-day session is pricey at $1 699,  many of those who attended past camps feel it is a worthwhile investment that will have a payback when they use their new skills to win their share of pots.

For more information on the academy and the sessions, or to sign up, visit WSOP Academy.com .

DOBROSOFT SOLD TO D.G.N.

Surprise acquisition by newcomer

The Gibraltar-based poker software firm and network Dobrosoft was sold this week in a surprise move following a deal concluded with Digital Gaming Network , a newbie private company operated by a team of industry veterans that specialises in multi-player gaming software development and is based in Costa Rica, with development divisions in Eastern Europe and Asia.

The jobs of existing Dobrosoft employees appear safe, as according to a DGN spokesperson the buyer intends to retain all staff in order to meet expansion targets in the online poker and multi-player gaming space.

The spokesperson revealed that DGN is installing a new team of experienced industry professionals to take over the Dobrosoft operations. "We are adding many features to the product and are focused on providing the ultimate poker platform to gaming companies so that they may take advantage of the unprecedented opportunities in the online poker and peer to peer gaming space," said company spokesperson Nicole Sims .

"We are pleased that the core Dobrosoft platform gives us a springboard into the marketplace and gives us a solid base," she added. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Dobrosoft has already contractually secured some major network partners that will be announced shortly, adding significantly to the new network's player liquidity over the next six to eight weeks, and announcements can be expected as additional network partners make public their moves to the DGN platform.

Dobrosoft has been in operation since 2000 and was one of the first companies to bring multi-player poker software to the industry. Dobrosoft's owners will be working with DGN's new management team to transition the operation over the next 90 days. Dobrosoft's software team of 60+ individuals, most with 6 or more years of online gaming software experience will be retained by the new company and will be expanded by the addition of several industry savvy IT professionals and management staff.

Digital Gaming Network has already invested heavily in the new venture and increased its staff by 50 percent with a hand-picked team of experienced industry executives, software engineers, managers and operational staff members. "In preparation for the take over, the company has already made significant investments in human resources, hardware upgrades and in the increased scalability of the product," sais Sims.

NEW JERSEY ROOFING CONTRACTOR TAKES MAJOR POKER POT

$368 096 WSOP paycheck and a $10 000 WSOP seat the prize

37 year old New Jersey roofing contractor Rick Rosetti took home the big money - all $368 096 of it and a $10 000 WSOP sponsorship to boot - this week when he won the Harrah's World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOPC) main event in Atlantic City.

In an exciting heads up with management consultant Alex Gomez , who had a dominating lead in chips Rosetti played a blinder of a game for 75 hands to truimph, winning the cash, the sponsored 2007 WSOP seat and a champion's ring.

Gomez, a management consultant from Brooklyn, N.Y., took home a sizeable consolation second prize of $202 453 for his trouble.

HACHEM TRUIMPHS AGAIN

WSOP champ takes the WPT crown, too

Melbourne, Australia poker ace Joseph Hachem added a World Poker Tour Doyle Brunson North American Poker Championship win to his c.v. this week and in the process pocketed a winner's check for almost $US2.2 million at the Bellagio Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. His winnings include a $25 000 seat sponsorship in the WPT World Championship .

The event is the biggest tournament on the World Poker Tour circuit, the rival code to the World Series of Poker, in which the former chiropractor pocketed $10 million when he achieved final victory in July last year.

"He's very emotional, very humble and over the moon," Hachem's brother Tony said last night. "But he's beaten the best players in America, some of whom have been playing the game for 40 years."

The respected poker website Cardplayers.com estimated that up to two million Australians followed 39-year-old Hachem's progress online. The next stop on the Aussie's tour will be to play in the $10 million Poker Stars Caribbean Adventure in the Bahamas next week, before returning to his homeland for the Australian World Series at Melbourne's Crown casino.

"I'm more excited than I was when I won the World Series," a jubilant Hachem told PokerListings.com after taking down runner-up Jim Hanna in heads-up play at the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

Second-placed Hanna won big, too - a  $1 099 430 prize.

Joe Hachem is now one of only four men - Doyle Brunson, Juan Carlos Mortensen and Scotty Nguyen - who hold World Series of Poker Main Event and World Poker Tour titles.

IRISH POKER OPEN 2007 VENUES REVEALED

First Irish Poker Open Live Satellite Venues

Card rooms across Ireland and the UK are gearing up for live satellites for Euro 2 million guaranteed Paddy Power Poker.com Irish Poker Open 2007 , with the betting company announcing the first wave of venues holding live satellites for the big event.

Dozens of Europe's leading card rooms are hosting satellites from January right up until the start of the Irish Open main event from April 6-9, 2007 in the landmark Burlington Hotel, Dublin.

Dublin's Jackpot Club, the official card room for the Irish Open 2007 has satellites each Thursday from January onwards with a minimum guaranteed one ticket worth Euro 3 500.

Card rooms and casinos currently confirmed to run regular Irish Open satellites include:

Dublin
The Jackpot
20 Montague Street, Dublin 2

The Sporting Emporium
Anne's Lane, South Anne's Street, Dublin 2

Cork
The Macau Sporting Club
16 Patrick's Quay, Cork City

Galway
4 Aces
18 Dominic Street, Galway

Kerry
The Cue Club
Hilliards Lane, Killarney, Co Kerry

Carlow
Big Slick Poker
Charlotte Street, Carlow

Banbridge
The Bridge Club
28B Scarva St, Banbridge, BT32 3DA

Bangor
The Fortune Rooms
1A Valentine Rd, Bangor BT204JH

Belfast
The Winners Club
Yorkgate Leisure Complex, Belfast, Co Antrim, BT15 1WA

Derry
Lucky's Bingo

Edinburgh
Gala Maybury Casino
5 South Maybury, Edinburgh, EH12 8NE

Players can also qualify online at the Paddy Poker.com website.

This year's event, which will be filmed for TV, has been claimed to be the biggest in Europe with a Euro 2 million guaranteed prize pool and a capacity for 700 players paying Euro 3 300 (+ Euro 200 registration) to play over Easter Weekend 2007 against the best players in the world.

What sets the Irish Open apart from other poker tournaments is its historic legacy, unique atmosphere, famous Irish hospitality, and legendary reputation for camaraderie and 'craic' or spirit.

Last year, Dubliner Vincent Melinn won the Euro 350 000 first prize in only his second ever live tournament and the final table was broadcast live across Europe -- a world's first. This year the event doubles in size.

Unfortunately PaddyPower.com does not accept bets from US residents.

GERMAN POKER FROM POKER STARS

New series 3 EPT event will take place in Dortmund, Germany

The growth of the European Poker Tour has been further strengthened with the announcement of a new Series 3 event to be staged in Dortmund, Germany from 8-11 March, 2007.
 
Capped at 400 players, the four-day, the Euro 5 000 buy-in no-limit Texas Hold’em tournament at Hohensyburg Casino in Dortmund will be part of the PokerStars.com -sponsored, televised EPT TV series.
 
EPT director John Duthie has been planning an EPT event in Germany for several months.

"There are not that many venues in Germany with the space and facilities required to host an EPT tournament, but Casino Hohensyberg in Dortmund is an outstanding casino and comfortably meets the high standards required," says Duthie. "Poker players will be pleased to hear that there will be a full schedule of tournament activities alongside the main event, and cash games will also be available."
 
Players can qualify for the Dortmund EPT on PokerStars.com from January 1st next year.

DID DoJ CANADIAN RAID CLOSE DOWN VANCOUVER ONLINE MARKETING FIRM?

"Silence is golden" appears to be the official line....

Over the past few weeks industry personnel and players alike have been trying to work out what really happened in a United States Department of Justice and apparently RCMP -sanctioned "visit" to a Canadian marketing company in a Vancouver, British Columbia suburb in November.

Much of the interest has centred on the apparently unlimited reach of the DoJ's enforcement arm across the international US-Canadian border, and whether it was an online gambling-related incident.

It has been alleged, at this stage on hearsay and reports from persons at two removes from the still un-named company involved, that the DoJ accompanied by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officials, pitched up at the marketing company, which apparently carried out straightforward promotional work for or was connected with the Absolute Poker online poker provider.

Staff at the company were allegedly questioned, although the content of the questions is not known. Despite this, speculation is running rife that the "raid" was designed more to intimidate than prosecute, because as far as is known no arrests were made and no subsequent criminal action undertaken.

If the goal was to intimidate, it certainly worked according to some reports, which now indicate that the company is closed to all intents and purposes with employees carrying out their duties from their homes. Sources within the company have been quoted as saying that "vital" employees have been given 3 months to accept transfers to Costa Rica, implying that the marketing company is re-locating following the not-so-friendly official visit.

More recently, other company insiders are alleged to have claimed that the long arm of the U.S. law reached into Canada as a result of a routine domain check that unearthed the B.C. location of the marketing company. This domain has now been edited to reflect a Belize address, lending credence to the report.

In an attempt to get some first hand confirmation on the largely hearsay-based story, InfoPowa on several occasions contacted Absolute Poker , a webmaster who ran with the story on a YouTube video insert and a former Absolute employee called Gian Perroni who was the original source of the story.

Despite repeated attempts the search for more information was ignored and the visited company remained unidentified, making it difficult to engage directly with the staff who had been questioned by the DoJ officials.

The wall of silence grew higher when an official request for a media comment was lodged with the RCMP officer who was apparently involved in the case, S/Sgt. Fred Pinnock who is the NCO in charge of the Integrated Illegal Gaming Enforcement Team (IIGET) "E" Division in Burnaby, B.C.

We asked for the name of the company approached, who was questioned and in what connection and whether the presence of United States officials "visiting" Canadian citizens on Canadian soil was sanctioned or supported by court order, warrant or treaty. We also drew attention to the widespread speculation that the visit may have had an intimidatory objective.

S/Sgt. Pinnock's reply gave an indication of the nature of the DoJ visit, but no detail. In a courteous but firm "no comment" the officer said: "I apologize. I'm not at liberty to provide you information beyond the fact that attendance was made at the request of US officials. They were not participants in the conversation." 

S/Sgt. Pinnock did, however, say that he had referred our enquiry to the U.S. Department of Justice, but nothing has been heard from that organisation and the RCMP did not give any detail on a follow-up contact in the States. We're not holding our breath pending a comment from the US officials.

All that is known at first hand and for certain therefore is that US officials were present and instigated the visit, escorted by Canadian national police from an illegal gambling team. And the nature of the visit and the questions asked (the RCMP claims the American officials were silent) will not be disclosed.

Quite apart from the mysterious silence of everyone directly involved in the incident, and the intriguing identity of the company concerned it is a strange and worrying sequence of events, especially if the speculation is true that the company shut down as a consequence of this visit.

Regrettably, the situation remains unclarified by official statements as to exactly what the objective was in November, when an apparently official enforcement "visit" by US and RCMP officers was sufficient to at least temporarily shut down a thriving business.  

GOOD NEW YEAR POKER VIEWING FOR AMERICANS

"Poker After Dark" action poker TV debuts on January 2

American poker fans can look forward to some entertaining and perhaps educational television on their pastime of choice early in the new year, when NBC debuts "Poker After Dark."

The show is an exclusive visit to the Las Vegas poker scene that debuts on January 2 at 2:05 a.m. ET/PT. The nightly hour-long show, hosted by Shana Hiatt , one of poker's most recognisable faces, will air Monday through Saturday and features six poker professionals vying for a winner-take-all $120 000 first place prize.

Hosted by former World Poker Tour host Hiatt, each night of original programming will feature an intimate look at one table as it develops over the week, culminating with a winner on Friday night. Saturday night's show – the "director's cut" – will recap the week's events with Hiatt and that week's winner offering commentary and insight into their winning strategy.

Set in the back room of various casinos on the Vegas strip, "Poker After Dark" gives viewers an intimate look inside a poker game usually reserved for the eyes of the professional poker players themselves. The show will feature the world's top pros, all miked during the weekly battles for the $120 000 pot and including Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Doyle Brunson, Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson, Erick Lindgren, Jennifer Harman and Gus Hansen.

"There's a vibrant late night audience looking for original programming," said Marc Graboff , President, NBC Universal Television , West Coast. "We felt this inside look at the professional poker scene is perfect for late night television and those viewers seeking an unique and original broadcast."

MILLION DOLLAR WIN FOR LADBROKES POKER ACE

London nuclear physicist takes the Ladbrokes Poker Million

Rajesh Modha , a middle aged London nuclear physicist and father of three was celebrating a million dollar poker achievement this week as he banked a $1.2 million check from the Ladbrokes Poker Million having started the tournament as an outsider in a field of 25 000 players.

After nine months of intense competition, the starting crowd of 25 000 was reduced to just one as Modha capped a sensational fight back to scoop the richest prize in European poker history - the Ladbrokes Poker Million – despite entering the competition through a $9 satellite qualifier and going into the final a 22-1 outsider.

The 44 year old fought off a Scandinavian invasion after a tense four hours of poker play to scoop the bumper $1.2 million payout and make him the newest poker millionaire.

The victory of Northampton resident Modha was broadcast live from Sky’s studio to over 100 million viewers around the world, with the families of the finalists watching from Ladbrokespoker.com’s celebrity poker party at The Marriott Hotel, Grosvenor Square. The big guns table included an eclectic mix of personalities including infamous poker player Mel Judah and Belfast born Marty Smith who both played a risky game to get their hands on the first prize and the coveted trophy.

‘Foggy71’ as he’s known on Ladbrokespoker.com, qualified for Poker Million back in April and was one of 72 poker enthusiasts who made it through to the televised stages of the competition. He has been playing poker now for just over a year and practices regularly on Ladbrokespoker.com.

Rajesh Modha the Ladbrokespoker.com Poker Million V winner said, “I can’t believe I’ve won! I always knew it was going to be a tough game and I was playing against some strong characters at the table but I just played the only way I know how and it worked for me tonight! Claus and the other players played some great poker and I’m just overwhelmed that I’ve won. It couldn’t have come at a better time and I’m looking forward to a great Christmas!”

Danish ace Claus Markessen took second place after playing a strong game from the start and looked set to steal the glory on a few occasions. He’ll be heading back to Denmark a happy man with a win of $500 000. In third place came Norwegian Andreas Hoivold (winner of the Ladbrokes Tallinn Challenge where he won his seat) who scooped $250 000.

Celebrities who entered Ladbrokes Poker Million but did not make the final table included Austin Healey, Leilani Dowding, Helen Chamberlain, Tim Lovejoy, Steve Davis and Jimmy White.

(Update 20-December-2006)

LANDMARK CHINESE ONLINE GAMBLING DEAL FOR PLAYTECH

Playtech and SSI will be the first major distributor and promoter of Texas Hold'em Poker in the Chinese market.

Online gambling software provider Playtech earned itself a Christmas bonus this week when it clinched a landmark five year software licensing agreement with China's leading gaming group, Sino Strategic International . Certainly the investors were cheered by the deal, news of which pushed Playtech stock up 5 percent.

SSI is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and is a diversified investment holding company. Its primary operations are in the large and fast growing Chinese gaming, internet and mobile media markets that are currently the focus of online gambling companies seeking new business to replace American opportunities impacted by the UIGEA.

SSI's subsidiary, Shanghai Kelo , operates the largest corporate retail gaming network in China, distributing the legalised keno, lotto, and Video Lottery Terminal (VLT) games. Shanghai Kelo currently runs more than 460 Point of Sale ("POS") gaming outlets in Shanghai under license from the Shanghai Welfare Lottery Centre . In October 2006, the license agreement was extended, allowing Shanghai Kelo to operate up to 600 outlets distributing keno and other welfare games for the next five years.

Playtech and SSI will be the first major distributor and promoter of Texas Hold'em Poker in the Chinese market. Following the launch of the poker product in the coming months, SSI expects to launch a selection of Playtech powered P2P Chinese tournament games through selected SSI outlets in China in the first half of 2007 after a testing, approval and implementation period.

Initially, a selection of P2P poker games will be offered, followed by games played more commonly in China such as mahjong, Do Di Zhu, Cho Da Di and To La Ji.

Avigur Zmora , Chief Executive Officer of Playtech, comments: "This is a major development for both Playtech and SSI bringing the Play for Real P2P tournament gaming experience to China at appropriately licensed gaming outlets for the first time. The Chinese market is a vast and incredibly exciting marketplace and Playtech is extremely well positioned to assist operators such as SSI in rolling out new gaming products in a phased manner in accordance with Chinese regulations. This license agreement will further establish Playtech's presence in Asia and is in line with the company's ongoing strategy. Playtech is increasingly Asian-facing and this transaction is another milestone in further diversifying the geographical reach of the business and its customer base."

Richard Li, Chief Operating Officer, Australia, of Sino Strategic International states: "In Playtech, we have found a software provider that has a clear understanding of the Asian gaming marketplace and who understands the intricacies of gaming in
China. The private gaming network, consisting of up to 5,000 terminals to be implemented by Playtech, will upon completion, expand the SSI gaming terminal network significantly. SSI also intends to further expand this network via franchising to other parts of China over the next five years."

CHARTWELL TECH 32 CARD POKER NOW AVAILABLE IN FLASH, TOO

Mac users can play on new non-download software

The Calgary-based Canadian online gambling turnkey provider Chartwell Technology Inc . has announced the completion and release of its popular European-style 32 Card Poker product in Flash technology, opening the way for more players to enjoy the game.

This new non-downloadable poker client offers immediate benefits to Chartwell customers and their player base and enhances the marketability of Chartwell’s poker community said a company spokesman this week.

For the player, the Flash product has all the full features that the C++ client offers and more. Quick access to player accounts and game play from within any internet browser that is available is a major selling point for the product.  Flash also gives the Mac players the opportunity to participate.

For the operator, the new Flash product allows a broadening of marketing appeal and reach, helping to add players to the database and poker room and opening up a larger percentage of what can be considered a browser-based market.

Chartwell’s Flash based Texas Hold’em product is due to be released Q1, 2007 with some additional and innovative new European-style poker products that will also be part of this release, the spokesman said.

Alongside the product release, Chartwell also revealed that one of its long-standing customers, Coral Eurobet , has agreed to license the Flash, 32 Card Poker product and join Chartwell’s growing poker community on the “Pokernexus” network. This will add to the overall player liquidity numbers and bring the total number of participants in the community to 21.

"Having partnered with Chartwell for almost 5 years it was an easy decision to add their latest offering '32 Card Poker' to our portfolio. The game has added an extra dimension to our suite of games and has proven popular with a wide section of our player base.” commented Dan Phillips , Head of E-Commerce Gaming, Gala Coral Group.

PENNSYLVANIAN SEQUEL

McNaughton re-submits ethical documents....and further revelations on gambling comps surface

The InfoPowa story earlier this week on the non-disclosure of gambling winnings by a Pennsylvanian Gaming Control Board appointee had an interesting sequel in the Philadelphia Enquirer (which has been scrutinising the appointee) this week.

Former State Rep. Mark McNaughton , amended his ethics statements to show that he won thousands of dollars at casinos in recent years.

The disclosure came two days after The Inquirer reported that McNaughton, a vocal critic of gambling, won nearly $15 500 between 2003 and 2005 in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.

He reported the winnings on his federal tax returns, but not on his Pennsylvania statement of financial interest, which state legislators and many other officials must file annually as a way of informing the public about their sources of income.

On Friday, McNaughton said he had not believed that disclosing the winnings was required. Like the IRS, however, the state Ethics Commission considers gambling winnings income, and they must be reported each year if they exceed $1 300.

McNaughton's amended ethics statements reflect winnings at the Flamingo Las Vegas in 2003 and at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City in 2005.

McNaughton, who retired November 30 after 10 years in the House, was nominated to the seven-seat gaming board that same day by House Speaker John M. Perzel (R., Phila.). McNaughton would replace Joseph W. "Chip" Marshall III when Marshall leaves the board sometime before January 16. A substantial salary is part of the appointment.

During his five terms in the House, McNaughton, a conservative Republican from Dauphin County, voted against nearly all efforts to expand gambling, including the 2004 law that legalised slots.

McNaughton could not be reached for comment when the newspaper attempted to speak to him this week.

Al Bowman , Perzel's press secretary, said legislators commonly had to amend ethics forms after filing them.

"Almost every person who has had to fill out those forms has had to correct them at some point," he said.

Perzel, who had said he was unaware of McNaughton's winnings, has not rethought the nomination, Bowman said. "His status has not changed," he said.

Perzel that he had appointed McNaughton because of McNaughton's strong opposition to gambling. "He would be an asset to the board as they take on the new role of ensuring the law is followed and enforced," Perzel said in a statement last week.

The Inquirer also reported Sunday that McNaughton had taken several trips to the Borgata with a lobbyist who represents the casino's owner, Boyd Gaming Inc. McNaughton last year had given a court deposition in a nasty divorce case in which he said his hotel stay was comped because he was traveling with a corporate lobbyist.

The lobbyist, Tom Blikle , said that was not the case. The Borgata, he said, gave McNaughton free rooms because he held a player's card, which provides accommodations to some gamblers.

BETTER CASINO LAUNCHED

Another Chartwell Tech European sign-up

Among the online casinos deploying the new Chartwell Technology 32 Card Poker product this week was Better Casino.com , a recently launched online casino, poker room and sportsbook owned by the UK retail bookmaking start-up Betting Shop Services Limited.

The casino also features blackjack, roulette, slots and baccarat, but Better chief executive Ian Hogg believes the 32-card game makes for “more exciting and quicker hand-to-hand action”.

BBS was launched in 2005 and offers players single account convenience for horse racing, playing poker or visiting the casino. 24 hour live customer support is included in the infrastructure, together with a loyalty program, poker school and sign-up bonuses.

Better Casino and Poker is powered by Chartwell Technology and the operation is licensed in the Netherlands Antilles. The operation is managed by the UK consultants Inside Gaming .

CONFERENCE CORNER

African Gambling Roundtable 2007

Tropical Durban on the east coast of South Africa will be the place for affiliates to be around the middle of 2007, when the big guns of South African online gambling put together a major, 300 delegate conference of global interest.
 
During the past year the international online gambling industry has gone through many changes that have required co-operation between operators, affiliate marketers and service providers in the industry. With the enactment of controversial anti-online gambling legislation in the US it has become even more important to educate and inform the public about their choices and the importance of fighting for their democratic right of choice.

The already tough industry is now even tougher. Marketing strategies that are in large part shared between all parties involved in the industry have become increasingly competitive and more complex. Search Engine updates have changed the importance of some of the online marketing strategies even more.

Linking partnerships have become crucial and viral campaigns have sub-divided even further into more specialised forms of viral marketing. Keeping track of this amazing growth has become complicated.

South Africa is home to many in the industry and is to a large degree a seminal location for the business. This fascinating country is therefore a logical venue for the industry to come together and team up for the future. With the South African government following the wise path of legalising online gaming, its involvement with such an event is crucial.

Pulling all of this together and providing a great networking environment is the planned Gambling Roundtable . An event where new friendships will be formed and leaders in the industry will share their expertise and insights.

Krevents.com in cooperation with the South African National Gambling Board , the Department of Trade and Industry , Durban City Council , the Local Government of Kwazulu Natal and the Gambling Industry Association will bring this event to Durban in Mid 2007.

Krevents will cover the accommodation and local travel requirements for 300 affiliates and speakers to ensure that affiliates can have a productive and a fun time.

The event promises to be a unique opportunity for affiliates, held in a uniquely African vibrant environment that will offer quality relevant topics. Over a period of 3 days an exhibition centre and 2 seminar rooms will be made available.

For more information as this major project develops, readers can contact the Krevents team at krevents.com or gamblingroundtable.com

B.C. OMBUDSMAN BEGINS LOTTERY INVESTIGATION

Another Candian provincial lottery falls under the spotlight

Further developments have occurred in our recent story regarding the high proportion of ticket retailer jackpot wins in the British Columbia lottery (see previous InfoPowa reports)

The Vancouver Province newspaper reported this week that the ombudsman for British Columbia has begun an investigation into how the B.C. Lottery Corporation ensures its lotteries are fair.

The newspaper reports that revelations that lottery retailers in B.C. win major prizes six times more often than the public have raised concerns that some retailers may be stealing customers' winning tickets, and claims that the lottery corporation's security records show at least four cases where retailers inappropriately claimed customers' winnings.

The investigation follows similar alleged anomalies in the high ratio of ticket retailer wins discovered in October by Toronto University statisticians, which led to the Ombudsman in Ontario declaring an investigation in the public interest.

FANTASY SPORTS SITE ACQUIRED BY IGC ENTERTAINMENT

Sector growth of 7 to 10 percent claimed

iGaming Corporation announced this week that its wholly-owned subsidiary, IGC Entertainment Corporation , has completed the purchase of the fantasy sports website Rotoplay.com from RotoPlay, Inc., a Pennsylvania-based corporation specialising in the online fantasy sports industry.

Fantasy sports operators have been claiming a carve-out for the genre in terms of the UIGEA recently.

The effective date of the deal was December 11, 2006, and IGC says the purchase of the RotoPlay assets offers a wide variety of unique and innovative fantasy sports contests based on football, baseball, basketball, golf, and auto racing, providing iGaming with significant exposure to the increasingly popular fantasy sports industry.

"The RotoPlay purchase represents an opportunity to broaden our product offerings to our core group of sports enthusiast customers. With a very significant database of such consumers, we are well-positioned to facilitate exciting growth for the RotoPlay asset," says Christopher Kape , iGaming's President and CEO. 

"RotoPlay offers shorter-term and tailor-made fantasy sports contests that have demonstrated market acceptance. The challenge now is to use our existing resources to increase the RotoPlay market share," he added.

In March this year the Fantasy Sports Industry claimed that the fantasy sports industry is growing at a rate of 7-10 percent annually and has approximately 15 to 18 million participants generating more than $1.5 billion per year in North America alone. 

Korey Gardner , one of the founders of RotoPlay, has been engaged as a consultant to IGC to assist with the integration and continued operation of RotoPlay as iGaming seeks to become a significant player in the fantasy sports area.

"The addition of a fantasy sports product will compliment iGaming's existing portfolio of assets and I am very confident that we can deliver impressive results", Gardner said.

The aggregate purchase price of the new acquisition is a maximum of US$300 000, of which a portion was paid upon closing and the remainder is subject to the purchased assets attaining pre-determined revenue targets for the iGaming's fiscal quarters which end between February, 2007 and November, 2007.

Kape said his company plans to vigorously market the new acquisition and cross-sell it to iGaming's portfolio of sports-related properties. "We believe that we can realise the benefits of increasing revenues while reducing overhead through existing synergies," he concluded.

The transaction is subject to Toronto Stock Exchange Venture Exchange approval.

POKER STARS IS TOPS, SAYS READERS' SURVEY

Close result for best poker room award

Piquing interest in its January issue now on sale, the popular poker magazine Bluff announced the top poker room award from its Readers' Choice Awards this week.

Poker Stars.com pipped Full Tilt Poker.com as most popular site, according to the magazine, which runs the awards in which readers vote for their faves in various categories.

Bluff reports that the award competition was intense and a close-run contest between Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker. The full list of the Annual Readers’ Choice Award categories and winners is published in the magazine's January issue.

In addition to the Best Poker Room category, poker enthusiasts worldwide had the chance to cast their ballot on a variety of categories including: Most Entertaining Poker Player to Watch, Best Brick-and-Mortar Poker Room and Best Poker Analyst.

(Update 19-December-2006)

ANOTHER MALAYSIAN CYBERCAFE BUSTED

And police discover a new counter-raid measure

Malaysian police raiding a cybercafe in Seri Kembangan for suspected illegal online gambling uncovered an ingenious new way to avoid detection by officials - a one-touch button that erases or changes computer screens whenever authorities hove into sight.

The button is located at the reception counter where the cybercafe operator or the outlet worker sits, and activates software installed on the machines, reports New Straits Times.

Regular patrons who are gambling would be informed about the raid counter-measure to ensure that they remain calm when their online gambling website suddenly changes into something else, such as the homepage of a search engine.

The device did not save the owner of the cybercafe raided over the weekend, however. The bust was conducted by the anti-vice, gaming and secret societies division of the local police, led by its deputy chief, Assistant Superintendent Nik Roshdi Nik Yahya .

The raiding party seized 15 sets of computer equipment worth about RM40 000, and subsequent inspection showed that the new screen-changing program was installed.

A police source told the New Straits Times that a female employee in her thirties was arrested and is under police remand whilst she "helps Police with their enquiries."

Six patrons were also detained for questioning during the raid but were later released.

Investigation revealed that the cybercafe had been operating for a week before the bust, and police are currently tracking down the owner. A case has been opened under the Open Gaming House Act, alleging the conduct of illegal betting activities.

WIDESPREAD DDOS ATTACKS ALLEGED IN ASIA

Extortion of up to $50 000 attempted

Several sources have made as yet unconfirmed reports that widespread Distributed Denial of Services attacks took place over the past week, mainly in the Asian markets.

Apparently sites which went down in the attacks included Bet365, Veesports, Yishengbo, Playit365, 777ball, Hooball and Macauslot , but this had not been confirmed when InfoPowa went to press.

Initial reports indicate that Bet365 has recovered from the attack, but others are still battling with the criminal activity. The total losses have been estimated in the millions. Several of the sites had notices up advising clients of the attacks, and Support staff confirmed to several players that an attack was in progress.

According to some reports, the raiders followed known DDoS modus operandi by first paralysing the sites to illustrate their capability, and then demanding amounts ranging from $5 000 to as much as $50 000.  It is not known if any of the sites paid up, or what DDoS protective measures were in place.

DDoS attacks are usually carried out by criminals controlling tens of thousands of PCs (usually without their owners being aware of it) and commanding the machines to bombard the target site with millions of messages, overwhelming the servers and crashing the site.  Counter measures have become increasingly sophisticated, because companies can lose substantial amounts of money by being offline, especially during key sporting events when betting is heavy.

BACK TO SCHOOL AT PACIFIC POKER

888.com's online poker site unveils school in three more languages

Pacific Poker speaks your language. Or at least it's more likely they do at their online poker school now that it's being offered in French, German and Spanish as well as English.
 
"We now provide our valued foreign language speaking players a unique opportunity to get the best start in the world of poker," said Alex Reign , promotions department manager.
 
Reign said the school will help players to improve their game and become more competitive.
 
The poker school at the site offers players a user-friendly comprehensive guide to the game of poker, where they can learn the ins and outs of the currently popular Texas Hold'em. There are also step-by-step tutorials for Omaha Hi, Omaha Hi-Lo and Seven-Card Stud.
 

GOLD'S W.S.O.P. DISPUTE IS GETTING MESSY

Second petition in $12 million lawsuit disputes Gold's version of events

When Jamie Gold won the World Series of Poker's gigantic first prize of $12 million this year it triggered a nasty dispute which has taken some of the gilt off a great honour.

It has been alleged by British television producer Crispin Leyser that he had a prior agreement with Gold to share in half the proceeds if he won in return for lining up celebrities at the event (see previous InfoPowa reports).

Because of the dispute Gold has only been allowed to access half his massive winnings whilst a Court battle is fought over the legitimacy of Leyser's argument that he is entitled to the remaining $6 million.

Late last week Leyser filed a petition in federal court, stating that the deal made between himself and Gold was a business deal, not a discretionary goodwill gesture as Gold has claimed.
 
Gold, however, contends that he offered Leyser a portion of his potential winning because he felt bad that Leyser didn't have sponsorship to play in the WSOP Main Event.
 
Now with half of his winnings on hold until the legal battle is cleared up, Gold is fighting to keep the full amount.
 
The agreement came about prior to the 2006 WSOP, when Bodog.com agreed to sponsor Gold if he could find celebrities to compete in the tournament wearing the poker room's logo.
 
Leyser claims that Gold promised him half the pot if he could find celebrities to wear the Bodog.com brand. He found two celebrities - actor Matthew Lillard and MTV personality Dax Shepard - who agreed to wear the clothes.
 
On the final day of the tournament, it is claimed that Gold left a cell phone message for Leyser acknowledging their agreement.
 
U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt is to consider the case.

ONLINE GAMBLING JURISDICTION FOR JERSEY

Experienced gambling inspector appointed

The Channel Island of Jersey moved closer to its goal of becoming an online gambling licensing and regulating jurisdiction last week with the appointment of what it terms a Shadow Gambling Commission, extending the reach of its hitherto mainly betting offices licensing body.

The new Commission opened its doors last Friday, paving the way for a new structure that will regulate and license online gambling operators prepared to register on the island, submit to its regulation and pay the licensing fee.

The three-member Commission is led by Graham White , formerly the chief inspector for the UK Gambling Commission.

WEEKEND POKER NUMBERS REMAIN BUOYANT

Good attendances and big prizes continue to attract poker players

The main regular weekend tournaments continued to attract thousands of players this week, with Poker Stars again leading the pack. 

The Sunday Million tourney at Poker Stars.com brought 6 628 players to the virtual tables, competing for a prize pool of $1 325 600 which put almost a thousand players "in the money." That gave the final heads-up pair take home checks of over a $100 000 each following a fourway chop agreement that preceded the heads up.
 
A field of 1 237 players entered the Full Tilt $500 000 Guaranteed for December, generating a $618,500 prize pool from which 180 players benefitted. The first prize check was worth $117 515.
 
Ultimate Bet's $200 000 Guaranteed generated a starter field of 957 players, vying for a first prize that was worth $45 000. 100 players cashed in thjis popular event.

Proving that the recent media reports that it has stabilised following its withdrawal from the U.S. market are true, Party Poker.com recorded 1 059 players for its $200 000 Guaranteed tournament. 150 players shared in a prize pool of $211 800, with the winner boosting his Christmas fund by a welcome $44 478.

ITALY'S THE PLACE TO BE

With a new and more enlightened approach to online gambling, the industry's biggies are piling in.

Italy's astonishing but very welcome about-face on Internet gambling has caught the attention of major industry companies, with reports of household names in the business all vying for a slice of the Italian action by applying for some of the estimated 17 000 licenses the Italian government is to issue.

Turning its face away from an aggressive prohibitionist approach as recently as October this year to a policy of regulation and taxation, Italy provided a new direction for companies looking to fill the vacuum created by the banning of US online gaming financial transactions created by the UIEGA.

The Italian government has announced that it will auction off 17 000 licences for betting shops, kiosks, casinos and online casinos and sportbooks. Initial reports indicate that Betfair, William Hill and Ladbrokes are all among the first to seize the opportunity.

The potential for the new market is still a matter for research and estimation. Nilay Patel , corporate finance manager for William Hill  group told Jackpot UK that the Italian decision was essentially about creating a new market or converting an illegal market into a legal market. "We don't have the facts, figures and information on which to make sensible estimates of the potential size of the opportunity," he said.

"Until we actually have a couple years of operating experience in these markets, we really don't know how they're going to develop," he added.

Some of the U.K’s largest operators already appear well placed to take advantage of the new laws across Europe. Gala Coral already operate an Italian-language site and a betting shop in Genoa, William Hill have entered into a venture with Spanish firm Codere and Ladbrokes completed a deal with Italian firm Pianeta Scommesse back in August, as well as buying three betting shops in Turin last month.

Many other countries, such as Greece, Ireland and the Czech Republic have open minds and will undoubtedly watch the effects of the law changes, basing their own decisions on its implications. Spain is also set to follow Italy, with the various Spanish regions authorised to set up their own regulatory structures as they see necessary. In essence, Spain will allow gambling in regulated locations, including online casinos, and will grant licences for up to five years.

Overlooking all of this is the European Commission , who face the tough job of ensuring the changes in gambling laws, however flexible or stringent, do not interfere with healthy competition. According to a ruling by the EU’s highest courts, member states may place controls on private gambling operations, but they must be "non-discriminatory, proportionate and consistent".

(Update 17-December-2006)

365 MEDIA CHIEF SCORES WITH BSKYB DEAL

Take the risk, earn the reward....

The news this week that BSkyB had paid GBP96 million for the 365 Media gambling and sports group reaped rewards not only for investors, but for the man who took the risk of building the group from a low base into an enterprise that has over 9 million regular visitors.

The UK newspaper The Daily Telegraph reports that web entrepreneur Peter Dubens is set for a GBP10 million windfall after agreeing to sell his online sports information and gaming company to the television broadcaster.

Dubens founded the group, which was previously called UKbetting, in 2001 and spent GBP1.5 million of his own money buying 14 loss-making companies whose valuations had plunged after the dotcom crash. Hard work and business expertise were needed to turn the companies around and weld them into a profitable and popular business.

365 runs gambling and sports websites including Football365 and sportlinglife.com, together with the online gambling site UKbetting.com. The latter does not take bets from US residents and has therefore been sheltered from that country's crackdown on internet gambling, unlike many of its rivals.

On announcing the agreement, Sky chief financial officer Jeremy Darroch said: "Bringing together 365 Media's extensive network of sports and gaming websites with our own Sky Sports and SkyBet businesses will allow us to reach a broader audience."

ONLINE GAMBLING AD RESTRICTIONS PASSED IN ONTARIO

New advertising restrictions inserted in Canadian provincial consumer protection bill

Would-be online gambling advertisers in the Ontario province of Canada will need to update their knowledge on what is and is not permitted following the passage of a consumer protection bill containing advertising restrictions, which was passed by the provincial legislature this week.

According to an assessment in p2pnet.net News by Michael Geist , who holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law at the University of Ottawa, the new legislation contains provisions prohibiting the advertising of Internet gambling sites.

The provisions underwent important changes at committee level, however, so that the final bill looks somewhat different from the one that was introduced in the fall (see previous InfoPowa reports).
 
Geist writes that when first introduced, the bill contained a blanket prohibition on advertising an "an Internet site that operates an internet gaming business contrary to the Criminal Code." The bill defined advertising as:
 
(a) the promotion by print, publication, broadcast, telecommunication or distribution by any means, of information intended to promote the use of an internet gaming business,

(b) self-promotion and a contract under which one person obtains the services of another to develop or distribute the advertisement,

(c) a link in a website intended to promote the use of an internet gaming business.
 
However, after the committee stage, the bill contained some important changes.
 
While the blanket prohibition remains unchanged, the definition of advertising has been narrowed to instances where the advertising originates in Ontario or is primarily intended for Ontario residents.

In Geist's opinion, the positive effect of this change will be to exclude the vast majority of Internet gambling advertising, which neither originates in Ontario nor is primarily targeted at residents of the province.

The prohibition against linking has also been narrowed by excluding links "generated as the result of a search carried out by means of an internet search engine." In other words, Google and other search engines won't be liable for links to gambling sites generated through search queries.
 
Geist concludes that most Internet gambling sites are therefore unaffected, unless they specifically target Ontario with their advertising. Instead, there are two obvious effects.
 
Offline, it seems likely that Internet gambling newspaper and radio promotion, common in some newspapers and on sports radio stations, will disappear.
 
Online, Internet search companies and websites will likely refuse advertisements that specifically target Ontario. Such targeting may occur either by way of the promotion itself or by using geo-identifying technologies.
 
This law may also capture Ontario bloggers and websites that focus on Internet gambling. Those sites won't be able to feature Internet gambling advertising and may even face liability for posting links to various gambling sites.

GARBER SPEAKS ON PARTY GAMING PROGRESS

As the group stabilises post-UIGEA, there are new irons in the fire

During press interviews surrounding the welcome news that Party Gaming is stabilising following the impact of its withdrawal from the US market, CEO Mitch Garber gave some interesting insights into the way forward for the group, which generated over $25 million in revenues over the past four weeks.

Describing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the United States as "....a blow to our business for sure, but one thing that I am very pleased to say is that our group has absorbed and now recovered from this incident," Garber told a conference call: "PartyGaming is no longer a poker-led, U.S.-dependent and one language gaming operator. We are rapidly becoming a multi-lingual and multi-currency non-U.S. company."

Earlier, a Party Gaming communication revealed that the impact of the US departure on revenues had been substantial, with poker income reaching a low of $637 000 a day, but these had recovered to an average of $721 000 per day (see previous InfoPowa reports).
 
However, over the last four weeks, an average of approximately 52 000 non-US players per day had contributed an average gross daily revenue of approximately $921 000 across all gaming operations but excluding those of the company's new sports betting interests following the acquisition of Gamebookers earlier in the year.

If U.S.player action is incorporated into the Q3 results, the period reflects 159 711 average daily players who contributed an average of $3.6 million per day. In Q4 there should be no US participation following the groups exit from the US market in early October.
 
However, Garber would not speculate on fourth quarter potential, saying the group can not reveal fourth quarter key performance indicators but will issue further results information in March 2007.

Looking ahead, the Party Gaming CEO said that the group continues to look for merger and acquisition opportunities: "We will continue to pursue deals that are accretive and can add either management or product expertise to any of our operational lines, and we will be pushing further into new territories as a main and key objective of M & A and in our organic business plan," he said.
 
Certainly Party Gaming has not been sitting on its corporate hands, having pushed ahead with its Gamebookers brand conversion to PartyBets.com in late November and cross marketing the new addition to the casino and poker client base. Virtual Racing was added to the group offerings around the same time, together with PartyBingo.com's UK launch early in December. The appeal of the flagship brand of the group, Party Poker.com was extended with the introduction of the first multi-lingual version - in German - and further language and currency versions will be launched next year, says Garber.

On the marketing front, Garber hinted at new creative approaches, saying: "We're looking at viral marketing. We see that the Youtube's of the world are creating an incredible amount of views and we're looking at ways to capitalise on that new phenomenon. We're also developing some of our own content to be broadcast on our website as part of a new community that we're building inside Party."

Adding that PG advertising is likely to become very geography-specific, Garber explained: "Some geographies don't allow television commercials, some geographies don't allow gaming advertising, some geographies only allow online advertising, so broadly speaking we have new creative, we have product specific creative. I think we have some very good affiliate programs that we're rolling out in the New Year, and that's our strategy for 2007."

The imminent entry of the giant US land gambling group Las Vegas Sands into the European online casino market is viewed by Garber as a positive sign, but he is clearly prepared to compete vigorously for the business, commenting: "They are setting themselves up for a large online presence in the future, and if I had to guess, I would guess that they also see their presence in Macau and soon in Singapore as a launching pad to have a strong Asian Internet presence as well.

"Clearly there are opportunities in markets that have yet to be tapped, and I think Las Vegas Sands is probably thinking about that, and I think that quite frankly we'll get there first."

PURPLE LOUNGE POKER TURNED DOWN GBP 15 MILLION ACQUISITION OFFER

Scots owner's plan to open large online casino soon

The Sunday Herald carried an interesting story this weekend that revealed more detail on the people and planning behind established poker site Purple Lounge.com .

The story included revelations that the West Scotland-based owner Chris Gorman is a regular Texas Hold 'Em player, has recently turned down a GBP 15 million acquisition offer for half of Purple Lounge and that his company plans a major online casino operation in the near future.

Gorman's Purple Lounge has managed to avoid the UIGEA fallout by solely targeting Europe's high-level card players, the newspaper claims, quoting Gorman: "I'm certainly happy we've not done business in the US. I still want to travel there. I don't want to get off a plane in an American airport and suddenly get arrested."

After just one year in business, the owners of London-based Purple Lounge have turned down a GBP 15 million offer from a rival casino and poker company that Gorman did not name. The deal was to buy half of Purple Lounge, with the other 50 percent remaining with the existing shareholders. It would have made a tidy profit for chairman Gorman, who owns a 20 percent stake, along with founding CEO Matt Larter and their silent partners.

"I had no faith in that company going forward," Gorman explains. "We're still in discussions with other people. Everything is always for sale at the right price. But I don't think we'll do a deal at the moment. We're growing so fast now. We will maximise that value next year and look at selling it towards the end of next year."

In February, Purple Lounge will launch an online casino arm with more than 300 games. That business will add to its burgeoning poker room, where players wagered $90 million (GBP 46 million) last month, expected to rise to more than $100 million this month. In December, the company will bring in $1million in revenues from its rake on players' bets and $250 000 profit. In the first financial year to April 2007, it expects to generate a $2 million profit.

Gorman claims that Purple Lounge is now one of the top three operators in the Microgaming Poker Network . Microgaming software runs the world's largest poker network in te rms of sites, with over 50 poker rooms.

Gorman, who made his fortune from selling retail mobile phone business DX Communications to BT Cellnet for GBP42 million, says Purple Lounge's success has come from focusing on a niche. The company has sought to differentiate itself by targeting high-value, serious players.

"Most of our poker players are in their 20s and play professionally," says Gorman. "We've taken the offline model where the big casinos know who the big players are and target them with special services and incentives. We do the same thing, but do it online."

Incentives could involve offering tickets to the World Cup or to the Casino Royale premiere. Gorman has also everaged his connections at the luxury concierge service Quintessentially , where he is a non-executive director and 5 percent shareholder.
Frequent Purple Lounge players are offered Quintessentially memberships, a service that aims to satisfy last-minute requests - from front-row seats at fashion shows to spur-of-the-moment chartered yachts. The London company's 30 000-strong membership also receives privileges at gyms, spas, hotels, restaurants and nightclubs.

At the moment, between 60 and 70 percent of Purple Lounge players are Scandinavian. But the company is building up its customer base in the UK and Spain.

Gorman has been keeping a relatively low profile in his Purple Lounge role, and with his other recent investments. During the last 18 months, he has invested a "seven-figure" total and taken non-executive directorships in a portfolio of technology-related companies. "I love technology. I understand it. I've got great connections in the industry and I know how to make money from it," he says.

(Update 15-December-2006)

365 MEDIA GROUP ACQUIRED BY SKY TV

TV broadcaster says deal will improve exposure to promote gaming and betting activities

The British television broadcaster BskyB has confirmed the conclusion of a deal through which it will acquire the 365 Media Group , until recently known as UKbetting , for a total consideration of GBP 96 million.

365 Media runs gambling and sports Web sites including Football365 and Sportlinglife.com which reach over 9 million users each month. BSkyB launched its broadband service in July and a deal to buy 365 Media is a good fit with its expansion of online content.

In a statement on the agreement, Sky said the acquisition would bring it “improved exposure to the fastest growing segment of the UK’s advertising market and a broader platform to promote Sky’s gaming and betting activities”. BSkyB is 39 percent owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp .

365 Media recorded a 16 percent rise in gross profits for the six months to the end of June 2006 and a positive cash balance of GBP12 million for the same period.

Peter Dubens , chairman of 365 Media, said: “Since the admission of 365 Media to AIM in August 2001, we have created a significant player in sports websites and online gaming.  We acquired extremely good online brands in the aftermath of the dotcom crash, including websites such as Football365.com, SportingLife.com and Cricket365.com and an odds comparison website (Oddschecker.com). 

"We are now one of the largest online sports networks in Europe, attracting over 9 million discerning and dedicated sports fans per month to our network of websites.”

BESTPOKER.COM JOINS ONGAME

Swedish poker operator joins European-focused poker network

Players on theScandinavian Internet poker site Best Poker.com will this week become part of the expanding Ongame network, joining millions of players on other websites pooled under the Ongame system.

Best Poker's switch to Ongame takes place this week, when the site departs the B2B - 24H network. 

Henrik Persson , chief executive of Best Poker, said: We chose Ongame due to its technologically superior software, large number of players and the fact that they also offer a Java version which enables our customers to play directly from the website without having to download any software. In addition, Ongame Network allows us to customise our interface to a great extent.”

Ongame, which is a subsidiary of the Austrian public company Bwin, is member of eCOGRA, the player protection and standards body which monitors all software and operational activity on its member sites to ensure fair play and efficiency.

Martin Lerby , head of Ongame, complimented Best Poker on becoming such a strong force in the Scandinavian market in a relatively short timespan, and revealed that the company would be launching the first online VIP Shop on the network.

CHRISTMAS BONANZA IN NEW GAMES FROM MICROGAMING

Six new games in final festive season releases

Festive games feature in  Microgaming’s final batch of releases for the year, with sufficient diversity to appeal to players at every level. The latest games bring the total of new releases for 2006 to over 60 titles from the Isle of Man based turnkey provider and software developer.

Video slot Santa Paws extends Microgaming’s selection of big, seasonally-themed fun games with a 5 reel, 20 pay-line game in the highly entertaining Australian style, with free spins, major mystery multipliers, Scatter and two Wild opportunities and a Gamble feature where the intrepid can double or quadruple their wins.  Santa Paws offers jackpots of 20 000.00 in the base game, and the chance to send that Christmas present rocketing up to 140 000.00.

Jingle Bells is the latest Microgaming Reel slot and has a high roller jackpot of 30 000 on the maximum bet of 25.00.  This straight-shooting 3 reel, 5 pay-line Christmas-sackful of entertainment and reward evokes the spirit of the season the moment players open it up, with the glossy green of holly contrasting with the golden bells and red berries from your earliest festive season memories.

This is the sort of no-frills slots much favoured by fast-playing, hard action gaming fans.  The holly-clad bells are the Wild symbols that substitute for all icons and can help players complete a winning combination to reach the 30 000.00 jackpot and a truly Merry Christmas.

For those not yet ready for Christmas, take a trip back in time to an era when socks were neon and hair was big; a time when Depeche Mode, Duran Duran and the guys from Oz called Men At Work held sway.  It's the 'Eighties and the Crazy 80's 5-reel, 9 pay-line video slot recalls those great times. With generous Wild and Scatter symbols to increase player chances of winning and multiply that bottom line, this offering comes on the outstanding Viper software platform - it's state-of-the-art, high-tech slots wizardry showcased by vibrantly colourful artwork to set that 'Eighties scene.

Vegas Single Deck Blackjack is presented in the high action Las Vegas tradition that has proved immensely popular.  Microgaming’s games development team has used a robust and well proved blackjack gaming engine to ensure the smoothest and fastest action yet which plays with only one deck of cards. It is an American Hole Card game (the Dealer peeks on 10 value cards and aces) which does not offer the option for Surrender and only allows a player to split once per hand. The Dealer is forced to hit on Soft 17. Blackjack pays 3:2, while Insurance pays 2:1.  The game caters for a wide range of playing styles and bankrolls, and players can gamble from denominations as small as 1.00 a hand right up to 200.00. The chip pile resizes to make up the current bet with the least possible number of chips.

A major video slot release with a sumptuous Asian theme, Lady of the Orient sparks images of those exotic far away places with strange sounding names in a happy celebration of Eastern culture and beauty. This new 5 reel 20 pay-line game delivers several opportunities for reward that players will find thrilling and attractive, all combined in an engaging mix for maximum entertainment. 

There's the stunning Lady herself, for example. When she appears on reels 2, 3 or 4 she not only provides substitution opportunities to make up winning combinations, but she can trigger 3 bonus rounds where the player faces an exotic lacquered cabinet in which tranquil gold, silver, ruby and jade idols rest. The player has six chances to match 3 of the idols by colour to win a generous prize multiplied by the triggering bet.

Players can explore the winning possibilities of this treasure trove of the Orient for as little as a cent or as much as 200.00 on a maximum bet. By way of returns, it is possible to generate a big win of 50 000.00 in the base game, up to 150 000.00 on the Free Spins and 10 000.00 in bonuses - that sort of payday challenges even those achievable on most progressive jackpots.

From the Oriental lady to Inca Gold , where the golden Inca amulet is one of the keys to success in an outstanding 5 reel, 20 pay-line video slot. 3 of these symbols will reward the player with 5 Free Spins where all free spin prizes are doubled. More importantly it brings forward the first of 4 levels that enable the player to climb an Incan stone pyramid to the riches hidden at the top. Select the right stone blocks and the climb begins, with the prizes becoming richer or the additional free spins more generous as each level is reached. Up to 35 spins, and the rich returns associated with these can be won.

When the player reaches the summit, there's the final mystery blocking the way to wealth - open the door, and if the centuries-old treasure is available it's worth a mouth-watering 150 x the triggering bet!  This game also offers unsuccessful players a consolation prize of twice the triggering bet and they get to keep any prizes accumulated on the way up.  For as little as a cent, or as much as 100.00 on the maximum bet, a player can enjoy hours of entertainment laced with the exciting potential of wins in the base game up to 50 000.00, on the Free Spins double that and on the bonus possibilities up to 18 000.00.  It is a treasure of Inca Gold delivered on the top slot gaming technology on the Internet.

There's another icon to look for in this enthralling game: the rather fierce looking high priest who substitutes for all symbols except the magic golden amulet. The priest's flexibility in the substitution role enables players to build winning combinations where the prize is doubled.

The new games package has the potential to keep online gamblers entertained for hours over the holidays.

DISPLAYING THE DISPUTES

Transparency important for disputes mediator Bailey

Bryan Bailey , the owner and webmaster of online gambling portal Casinomeister.com has introduced a new feature to his site that enables players and operators alike to see for themselves the disputes that he has under mediation, who is involved and how they were resolved or otherwise concluded.

Since 2001 Bailey has made dispute resolution an integral part of his offering, becoming involved free-of-charge on behalf of players who were being ignored when they had legitimate complaints. By using his wide range of industry contacts the webmaster was able to sort out misunderstandings and put questionable operators - and players - on the right track to resolution and more responsible behaviour.

The disputes load grew with the industry, and Casinomeister soon introduced a special "Pitch A Bitch" page to handle the volume.

"Casinomeister’s mission is to provide information and post complaints to help eradicate fraud," says Bailey, who advocates a balanced and fair approach for both casinos and players. "Our "Pitch a Bitch" section was developed so that the free flow of information, both good and bad, would protect the consumer in legitimate cases."

The webmaster gives both sides the opportunity to present their perspective on disputes, but is scathing in his criticism if the complaint proves to be false of fraudulent, or if the operator does not communicate or have a fair justification for decisions against players.

Because the Casinomeister site has a significant readership, his independent mediations and 10 years experience in the industry ensure that negotiations have clout and are mostly successful.

This week, Bailey took the "PAB" information to another level by publishing the disputes he has dealt with in recent months so that these can be studied by both industry people and players. It immediately showed that Bailey, who is a one-man-band in this area, has plenty of action on the go.

In November he handled 62 issues, and December has already produced a crop of 15. He will shortly be publishing October's disputes, too.

Writing in his newsletter, the webmaster says that his perception is that disputes are increasing.

"It's alarming," he writes. "Some people consider Casinomeister to be a good place to get the "pulse" of the industry - if this is the case, then we need a paramedic! I used to have casinos lining up wanting to get on board as Casinomeister "Accredited Casinos", now they seem to be lining up to get into the "rogue section".

"Please don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate roguing casinos. It sucks - but I feel obligated to my visitors and Casinomeister members to let them know what's up in online casinoland.

"What is really bothering me is that we are seeing more instances of confiscated winnings, locked accounts, and accusations of bonus abuse. What ever happened to "pay the player - then lock the accounts" of unwanted "bonus players"? This was a mantra for respectable casinos, but it seems to be thrown to the wayside post UIGEA.

BRITISH COLUMBIA LOTTERY UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT

Doubts about another Canadian provincial lottery

In a worrying sequel to last month's reports that the Ontario provincial lottery was the subject of an investigation by the regional Ombudsman (see previous InfoPowa reports) the Metro Vancouver this week revealed that similar concerns have been raised about the British Columbia lotto, too.

The publication reported that local lottery fans are worried by the news that BC retailers selling lottery tickets are an unlikely average of six times more likely to win a jackpot than the general public, according to internal B.C. Lottery Corporation documents obtained by the Vancouver Sun.

The article goes on to interview members of the public unhappy with the situation, and quotes BCLC spokesman Paul Smith , who revealed that the corporation is considering turning 70 percent of its retail distribution sites into self-serve ticket machines next year.

When asked about the alleged discrepancies between lotto retailer wins and the general population, Smith said winners of prizes over $10 000 are carefully screened, and the BCLC is currently conducting a review of its lottery system.

The report follows similar alleged anomalies in the high ratio of ticket retailer wins discovered last month by Toronto University statisticians, which led to the Ombudsman in Ontario declaring an investigation in the public interest.  

CONFERENCE CORNER

Legal and regulatory gathering in Brussels

Clarion ATE has announced the dates for the third annual European Gambling Briefing (EGB), the gathering of leading gambling regulators, lawyers and operators from across Europe.
 
The two day briefing will be held at Le Meridien in Brussels on May 8 and 9 2007, and will tackle both sides of the debate on how gambling should be controlled across Europe in both an on and offline capacity, and looks beyond to developments in Asia, South Africa and other emerging markets.
 
All key regulatory and legal developments will be studied, with a practical focus on what these actually mean for the operators; the pitfalls, the opportunities, and the threats.

NOT A FIRE SALE AS e-CASH PROCESSOR SELLS REMAINING 25 PERCENT TO OPTIMAL

FireOne to become a wholly owned subsidiary for GBP 32.4 million

The Montreal-based payment processing provider Optimal Group Inc ., has bought the remaining 25 percent of FireOne Group plc that it didn't yet own, reports Bloombergs.

Optimal agreed to buy the remaining quarter of FireOne Group Plc 18 months after it sold shares in the subsidiary. The 60 pence-a-share offer, which values FireOne at about GBP 32.4 million ($63.5 million), is 12 percent more than FireOne's closing price yesterday, Dublin-based FireOne revealed in statement.

Bloombergs reports that FireOne shares lost a quarter of their value on October 10 after the company said it would stop processing U.S. transactions following a new law aimed at banning Internet gambling financial transactions in the U.S.

The independent directors at Optimal said in a statement that they believe that FireOne's future as an independently listed entity is uncertain. On news of the purchase FireOne's stock price escalated almost 10 percent, a welcome change for investors who saw their shares slump almost 80 percent since the initial share sale in June 2005.

Optimal, which owns 74.2 percent of FireOne, said the "synergies and benefits of scale'' of an acquisition would help improve the company's performance.

The acquisition is subject to approval by FireOne shareholders

SUPERIOR POKER RE-ENTERS THE U.S. MARKET

No explalantions for their exit, but it's nice to have them back anyway

The Action Poker Network site Superior Poker.com has announced that it has re-entered the U.S. market with effect from December 1 and will be offering a full range of poker services and tournaments to US players going forward.

American poker players are now able to deposit real money through a good choice of methods and play real-money poker games at this poker room, which initially opened for business in 2003 and is licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, and owned and operated by Sonsorol NV in Curacao, Netherland Antilles.

"We're serious about all players, and we continue to believe that online poker is a skill game and is not affected by the recent legislation passed in the United States," commented Superior Poker.com's Manager, Charles J. Burton , referring to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

No reason was given for the change of company strategy.

SuperiorPoker.com offers a selection of poker games, including Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Omaha Hi/Lo, Guts, Chinese Poker, Big 2, and is one of the few poker rooms offering Panguingue (Pan).

SPORTINGBET WILL MEET ANAYLST'S EXPECTATIONS

It's been a tough phase, but the Brit business group is enjoying a successful fight-back.

Sportingbet plc was one of the UK publicly listed companies hardest hit by the advent of the UIGEA, which forced the group to withdraw from a US market that provided most of its profit, and sell off US-facing interests only months ago.

Since then it has been changing market focus and pace, and this week a spokesman revealed that it expects to meet analysts' full-year earnings forecasts even after disposing of its U.S. operations.

"Sportingbet is trading in line with market expectations," the spokesman said.

Sportingbet had to exit the lucrative U.S. market, selling its sports-betting, casino business and poker operations in October to Antigua-based Jazette Enterprises Ltd. on the day that U.S. President George W. Bush signed a law that criminalises online gambling fund transfers.

Associated Press reports that currently 8 U.S. states have laws specifically prohibiting Internet gambling: Washington, Nevada, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, South Dakota, Michigan and Oregon.

VIRGINIA COPS POOL TECH RESOURCES

Computer crime on the rise

Computer crime is on the rise everywhere. Few police departments have the resources to do much about it, but that may soon change in central Virginia.

It used to be a police or sheriff's department would get just a few computer related crime complaints a month. Now one comes in just about every day. Most agencies can't deal with them on their own.

Eight agencies in central Virginia have decided to join forces. Each member agency is providing a part-time investigator to help combat Internet related crimes. They have already nabbed a woman who ran an adoption scam in Campbell County. They also nabbed a man who used a fake identity to run up online gambling debts.

The investigators are working out of offices in Rustburg, where they can forensically analyse a seized computer, do online research, or pose as potential cyber victims. They gain more knowledge and expertise with every case.