UK bookmakers William Hill have become the second major online betting operator to sign up with the Betfect social sports betting platform.

This week, Hills went live on the Betfect site, joining rival Ladbrokes, which became the first major UK real-money betting operator to integrate its application program interface (API) with the social betting startup last October, back when Betfect was still in beta mode.

Betfect aims to be a one-stop shop for socially minded sports bettors, providing a single platform from which bettors can share their betting experiences with their online friends, see what bets their friends have made and even copy the bets of more experienced bettors should the urge strike.

For the more competitive minded bettor, Betfect offers a leaderboard that tracks which of its members wager more successfully. There’s also competitions between bettors for prizes including free bets and sporting event tickets.

UK bookmakers William Hill have become the second major online betting operator to sign up with the Betfect social sports betting platform.

This week, Hills went live on the Betfect site, joining rival Ladbrokes, which became the first major UK real-money betting operator to integrate its application program interface (API) with the social betting startup last October, back when Betfect was still in beta mode.

Betfect aims to be a one-stop shop for socially minded sports bettors, providing a single platform from which bettors can share their betting experiences with their online friends, see what bets their friends have made and even copy the bets of more experienced bettors should the urge strike.

For the more competitive minded bettor, Betfect offers a leaderboard that tracks which of its members wager more successfully. There’s also competitions between bettors for prizes including free bets and sporting event tickets.

The Czech Republic is one step closer to licensing international online gambling operators after its new legislation passed its penultimate procedural hurdle.

On Thursday, the Czech senate approved the country’s new gambling law by a large margin – 42 votes in favor, 23 abstentions and zero ‘nay’ votes. President Miloš Zeman now has 30 days in which to affix his signature and the bill’s provisions could take effect as early as January 1, 2017.

The bill will drop the longstanding prohibition on non-Czech operators obtaining online gambling licenses, which has left the country with a mere five licensed gambling operators and the unfair trade stink-eye from the European Commission. However, while operators based in the European Union and European Economic Area will now have the opportunity to apply for local licenses, they may find the bill’s new tax plan tough to swallow.

Under the new regime, sports betting and lotteries will be taxed at 23% of gross gaming revenue, while RNG casino games will face a 35% rate. These taxes are on top of the standard 19% corporate tax rate.

The Czech Republic is one step closer to licensing international online gambling operators after its new legislation passed its penultimate procedural hurdle.

On Thursday, the Czech senate approved the country’s new gambling law by a large margin – 42 votes in favor, 23 abstentions and zero ‘nay’ votes. President Miloš Zeman now has 30 days in which to affix his signature and the bill’s provisions could take effect as early as January 1, 2017.

The bill will drop the longstanding prohibition on non-Czech operators obtaining online gambling licenses, which has left the country with a mere five licensed gambling operators and the unfair trade stink-eye from the European Commission. However, while operators based in the European Union and European Economic Area will now have the opportunity to apply for local licenses, they may find the bill’s new tax plan tough to swallow.

Under the new regime, sports betting and lotteries will be taxed at 23% of gross gaming revenue, while RNG casino games will face a 35% rate. These taxes are on top of the standard 19% corporate tax rate.

It’s been a busy week on the illegal online credit betting front, as US prosecutors rush to file charges so they don’t have to interrupt their Memorial Day weekend.

On Wednesday, New Jersey officials announced the arrest of 46 individuals connected with an illegal credit betting operation that utilized a Costa Rica-based password-protected website and 1-800 ‘wire room’ to record customers’ wagers.

The gang reportedly involved over 50 agents processing in-person cash transactions with around 320 bettors in the New York/New Jersey area. Bergen County acting prosecutor Gurbir Grewal claimed the operation processed wagers worth “tens of millions of dollars” per year.

The ring was allegedly led by Robert D’Alessio, pictured above in what appears to be the Wolverine costume he cooked up in anticipation of this weekend’s launch of the new X-Men movie. D’Alessio is facing charges of racketeering, money laundering, promoting gambling and conspiracy to promote gambling.