Monthly Archives: July 2015

Aussie online gambling regulator washes hands of online in-play apps

Australia’s main online gambling licensing body has effectively washed its hands of the controversy over its licensees’ efforts to circumvent the nationwide ban on online in-play wagering.

Australia’s Interactive Gambling Act 2001 restricts in-play wagering to telephone or in-person bets at retail venues. But recent months have seen a trio of online gambling companies licensed by Australia’s Northern Territory Racing Commission (NTRC) release mobile apps designed to get around these restrictions.

The apps – William Hill’s Click to Call, Ladbrokes’ Quickcall and Bet365’s betCall – work by using a mobile device’s voice recognition technology to confirm online in-play wagers without the need to place an actual voice call to the bookmaker. Australia’s national communications regulator recently referred its investigation of the legality of these apps to the Australian Federal Police.

On Thursday, The Australian quoted an NTRC spokesman saying it had approved Hills’ app “based on submissions from the sports bookmaker and independent legal advice.” However, the NTRC qualified that it had “made it clear to the licensee that it was their risk [of breaching the IGA], noting that there was no legal precedent that could be assessed by the commission for such a product.”

WSOP Day 44: Amar Anand Leading Main Event as Day 2C Kicks Off

Day 2 of the World Series of Poker Main Event is now halfway complete, as the remaining players from the first two starting flights returned on Wednesday in an attempt to survive and advance. When the dust settled, only about 650 players moved on to Day 3, keeping their dreams of a Main Event bracelet […]

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Greek half of Cyprus approves casino legislation

Legislators in Cyprus have approved a bill that will bring the first casino to the Greek-controlled southern half of the island.

On Thursday, the Cypriot parliament approved its long-delayed casino legislation by a vote of 29 to 22. Most of the ‘no’ votes came from the Akel party, a Communist group that echoed opposition voiced by the Greek Orthodox Church regarding the alleged social dangers of casino gambling.

The bill underwent a number of amendments before passage, including the removal of the casino’s ability to offer credit to players. Local Cypriots will also have to submit tax files before being authorized to enter the casino to determine whether they’re sufficiently solvent to get their gamble on.

The lucky casino licensee will be allowed to build four smaller satellite gaming halls in addition to the main casino, but three of these will be limited to electronic gaming machines (EGM) while the fourth will be allowed a limited number of gaming tables.

FIFA bans former executive Chuck Blazer for life

FIFA’s adjudicatory chamber of the Ethics Committee has banned the former executive committee member and CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer from any soccer-related activities for life.

In a statement on Thursday, FIFA’s ethics committee said that Blazer had “committed many and various acts of misconduct continuously and repeatedly during his time as an official in different high-ranking and influential positions at FIFA and CONCACAF.

“In his positions as a football official, he was a key player in schemes involving the offer, acceptance, payment and receipt of undisclosed and illegal payments, bribes and kickbacks as well as other money-making schemes,” added the committee.

Blazer, who was a FIFA executive committee member from 1997 to 2013, had pleaded guilty in November 2013 to a 10-count charge including bribery, money laundering and tax evasion. The charges carried a maximum concurrent imprisonment term of 75 years, but Blazer agreed to become an informant for the FBI and US justice department in return for immunity from prosecution.

State looks at Hoosier Lottery fraud procedures

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OpenBet signs seven-year contract with Singapore Pools

OpenBet, the world’s leading software provider to the sports betting and gaming industry, has signed a seven-year contract with Singapore Pools to provide sports betting products and services. OpenBet was selected from an open Expression of Interest exercise initiated by Singapore Pools in February 2014 to replace its 10-year-old sports betting system.

GVC CEO would be “staggered” if Bwin.party acquisition bid fails

The CEO of UK-listed online gambling operator GVC Holdings says he will be “staggered” if his company doesn’t complete a takeover of struggling rival Bwin.party digital entertainment.

On Thursday, Bwin.party released a statement confirming that it had received a proposal from GVC to acquire Bwin.party’s total share capital. Bwin.party said its board had “determined to work with GVC so that they can finalize their offer over the coming days.”

As previously rumored, GVC’s cash-and-shares offer values Bwin.party at 110p per share, a roughly 10p premium on Wednesday’s closing price (but a significant haircut from what the combined value of Bwin and PartyGaming was at the time of their ill-fated 2011 merger). More than half (55%) of the roughly £900m total deal price would be in new GVC shares.

GVC issued its own announcement confirming the bid. GVC CEO Kenneth Alexander (pictured) said his company’s 2013 acquisition of Sportingbet’s grey market assets led it to believe a Bwin.party deal would provide “substantial financial and operating synergies and represent an excellent opportunity for both GVC and bwin.party shareholders.”

Tottenham Hotspur to host NFL games at new stadium

The English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur has agreed to a 10-year partnership with the National Football League (NFL) to host American football games at Tottenham’s new stadium from 2018.

Under the deal, the NFL will stage a minimum of two games a season over 10 years. Other NFL games may also take place at different venues in the UK during the span of agreement

The NFL has two seasons remaining on an arrangement with Wembley Stadium, where it has so far staged 11 games since 2007, and is optimistic that the relationship will be extended beyond 2016.

“We have an opportunity now to deliver one of the most unique sports, leisure and entertainment venues in the world, bringing together the EPL (Premier League) and NFL for the first time,” said Premiere League chairman Daniel Levy. “The socio-economic benefits this will bring to the area will be immense and demonstrates our commitment to the regeneration of this priority borough in London.”

New Powerball Rules and Odds Coming in October

New reports show that the odds of winning the top prize — anywhere from $2 million to $600 million — will jump from 1 in 175,223,510 to around 1 in 292,201,338. New reports show that the odds of winning the top prize — anywhere from $2 million to $600 million — will jump from 1 in 175,223,510 to around 1 in 292,201,338.

Pearson announces publishing partnership with Wide Range, Inc.

Pearson today announced a publishing partnership with Wide Range, Inc. Effective immediately, Pearson will take over all responsibilities for the publication of all Wide Range assessments, including the Wide Range Achievement Test 4 ; the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning, Second Edition ; the Wide Range Intelligence Test ; and the Wide Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities . Pearson and Wide Range, Inc., share more than 80 years of history in the assessment field.

Lions on the the Loose in London

Share a picture of them for the chance to win

London commuters are being encouraged to take a walk on the wild side by capturing a lion on the loose.

LeoVegas.com, the UK’s leading mobile casino, has unleashed a number of lions onto the pavements at the entrance of 15 tube stations around central London.

Leo the Lion has been sprayed as street art onto a number of dirty streets, using ‘clean advertising’ which helps remove dirt from London’s busy streets. Passers-by lucky enough to spot Leo are being asked to tweet pictures to @LeoVegas using #LuckyLion. Five lucky winners will receive an iPad mini.