GTECH – Lottomatica subsidiary, re-branded its New Media & Sports Betting division in order to capitalise on the union of lottery and online gaming industries across the world. GTECH officially launched G2, the new brand name portal for its interactive gaming and sports betting services.
 
G2 joins GTECH companies Boss Media, St. Minver, Finsoft, and Dynamite Idea under one brand name, joining the expertise of GTECH and its lottery industry experience in the internet gaming world.

G2 provides a full range of end-to-end gaming services, game content and technology solutions to its customers along with marketing, player relationship and risk management, fraud prevention, responsible gaming, and community functions.

Atul Bali, G2 President said that igaming and sports betting are areas where there is tremendous growth for lotteries around the world. The Company’s worldwide lottery and gaming industry experience, coupled with its recent strategic acquisitions, uniquely position the Company to lead the industry in these rapidly-growing gaming segments. 

G2 is an integrated market-focused organization that can offer G2’s lottery customers igaming and betting products to facilitate growth in every aspect of the value chain today.

Jaymin B. Patel, GTECH President and CEO, added that GTECH has been working closely with its customers and customizing and delivering world-class interactive solutions for them for more than a decade. Working with lotteries such as Veikkaus Oy, Camelot, New Zealand Lotteries, An Post National Lottery, and Loterie Nationale in Luxembourg, G2 has built tremendous experience and capabilities in the interactive gaming space.

G2 is always investing in the future of its lottery customers, and with the acquisitions of Boss Media, Finsoft, St Minver, and Dynamite Idea, the Company has further enhanced its core capabilities in this high-growth area through the integration of new products, services, and content.

GTECH unveiled its new G2 brand at the European Lotteries Congress yesterday in Istanbul, Turkey.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

King.com – leading skill games site has recently announced the launch of Scrabble Zing, the official and exclusive online skill game version of the ever popular Scrabble board game. King.com is definitely looking to benefit from the recent success in converting classic board games into online skill games that are played for real money.

In partnership with premier toymaker Mattel Inc, the online version of the original game will see player’s battle to form words from individual, jumbled lettered tiles. Players of King.com’s authorised Scrabble Zing version of the game will have a chance to compete against others along with an added bonus of cash prizes and experience the thrill of bagging a ‘triple word score’ online.

Riccardo Zacconi, CEO of King.com. said that Scrabble is one of the ageless board games that for years have delighted wily wordsmiths around the world, and, that the Company is excited about providing the definitive classic word game online that, like its numerous other word games, challenges the creativity, knowledge and strategy of players.

Geoff Walker, Senior Vice President, Mattel Brands said that teaming up with King.com through their agreement with Real Networks, and delivering one of the world’s best-selling board games to skill-game enthusiasts, allows Mattel to reach even more Scrabble fans worlwide.

Walker further said that just as Scrabble has become a mainstay of word-game lovers, the online version debuting on King.com will continue to tap the passions of long – time aficionados on the internet while introducing it to a new generation of gamers.

The skill-based version of the world’s best selling crossword board game – Scrabble – will be available for players in the United Kingdom and as well as to the continental Europe in its new online game avatar of – Scrabble Zing.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

Sportsbet Pty Limited, Australia’s largest corporate bookmaker, in which Paddy Power last month acquired a controlling interest, has agreed to acquire International All Sports Limited (IAS), the company which was the target of a failed takeover attempt earlier this year by rival Centrebet.

The acquisition has the unanimous support of the directors of IAS and will be implemented via a Scheme of Arrangement.

Following the sale of its international online gaming business Canbet last month, IAS, in which Sportbet holds an existing 19.98% shareholding, the company will offer to its customers in Australia bookmaking on racing and sports via internet and telephone.

Subject to the approval of IAS’s shareholders and the Supreme Court of Victoria, the acquisition is expected to be completed in October 2009.

The deal values the entire issued share capital of IAS at AUD$40 million (€22.4 million), and will be funded by Paddy Power and Sportsbet’s existing shareholders, who have agreed to subscribe for new equity in Sportsbet to the extent required to fund the acquisition. Paddy Power’s total liability in the acquisition will amount to AUD$16.3 million (€9.1 million), relating to its 51% shareholding in Sportsbet.

The transaction value of AUD$0.60 per IAS share represents a premium on the Volume Weighted Average Price (VWAP) of IAS shares over the last thirty trading days of 30% and a premium of 231% on the VWAP of IAS shares over the last thirty trading days preceding Centrebet’s announcement of an intention to make a takeover offer on 2nd February 2009.

Patrick Kennedy, Chief Executive of Paddy Power said that Mark Read (IAS founder) and his family have built an excellent Australian business which complements Sportsbet and their combination creates by some distance the largest corporate bookmaking business in Australia.

The new Chief Executive of the combined business will be Sportsbet’s current CEO, Matt Tripp.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

On Tuesday, 2nd June, Playtech Limited and Betfair, the world’s leading online betting exchange, signed a Licensee Network Agreement, in which Playtech shall serve as the exclusive downloadable casino software provider to Betfair.

Immediately following the announcement of the agreement entered between Playtech and Betfair, the shares of Playtech climbed more than 10 percent on Tuesday.
 
In what it described as a major new licence agreement for the Company, Playtech will provide Betfair with its downloadable online casino product which will exist along with Betfair’s existing instant play casino. This licence agreement will help in expanding the online gaming options available to Betfair customers via a fully integrated solution.
 
Additionally, as per the licence agreement, Playtech will also serve as the bingo software provider to Betfair TV, the company’s free-to-air interactive gaming platform.
 
Mor Weizer, CEO Playtech, said that the Company welcomes Betfair to their licensee network and are excited to be working with a like-minded business which revolutionised the gaming industry.

Weizer said that Betfair’s decision to enter into the licence agreement was a significant endorsement of Playtech’s market leading gaming products. Further this partnership between Playtech and Betfair exemplifies the Betfair’s strategy of rapidly expanding its licensee base with tier one operators across all markets.
 
Betfair’s Managing Director, Niall Wass, added that the Company chose Playtech because, like Betfair, Playtech is the market leader in its industry, producing software which is at the cutting edge of gaming technology.

Wass further added that Playtech is the natural partner of choice of Betfair to support the expansion of the Company’s product offering, and that Betfair is looking forward to working with the development team of Playtech to provide exciting and innovative new online gaming experiences for the customers of Betfair.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

As part of Virgin Games tactical shift towards being a fully fledged online gaming operator, the Company has announced that it has centralised its products under a common platform, providing a streamlined customer experience to all its online players.

Working from one common platform, Virgin Games now operates under two gaming licenses held in Alderney and Malta. The Company also runs an in-house customer service call centre as well as it also owns and co-ordinates player databases and payment processing systems.

The Company said that the new development will provide a streamlined customer experience by offering its customers the opportunity to play across multiple gaming products using a central sign on solution and a single Virgin Games wallet. Under the new system, Virgin players will also be able to play for bonus promotions and V-Points loyalty points across all games offerings.

Simon Burridge, CEO of Virgin Games said that in developing and taking ownership of the new customer experience program, we have focused on creating the best possible value and service for all Virgin Games customers.

“Here at Virgin Games, we live and breathe the Virgin brand values and feel taking the customer service department in-house and integrating all three gaming services allows us to continue to deliver the unique Virgin experience that our customers have come to expect.

“Our players have told us that they would like to see a wider range of games at Virgin Games and we intend to give them exactly what they’re looking for. There have been some very exciting new games brought into the market recently and we look forward to introducing them into the Virgin Games product offering,” said Burridge.

The new Virgin Games platform will be managed centrally from the Company’s head office which is located in Guernsey.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

Leading online skill games site WorldWinner, in partnership with Sony Pictures Consumer Products, has announced the launch of – Jeopardy! -  an online cash version of the popular television quiz show where players win real cash prizes by scoring over their opponents.
 
In Jeopardy!, the players compete by selecting one out of three categories and a money value from the board to reveal a hidden answer. Presented with a list of four possible corresponding questions, players must then select the correct one to increase their bank balance. A Daily Double, Final Jeopardy! and time bonus add to the challenge.

Peter Blacklow, President of WorldWinner and EVP of GSN Digital, said that, “Our players love trivia games, and Jeopardy! arguably created the category. We know fans’ passion for the classic game show doesn’t stop at TV, and now we are giving our loyal GSN viewers and all Jeopardy! fans another way to experience their favourite quiz show.

“By challenging each other for cash online as if they were actual contestants, trivia buffs everywhere have a chance to become champions of online Jeopardy!.”

Gregory Economos, Senior VP, Business Affairs & Operations at Sony Pictures Consumer Products, added that, “Millions of online players got in the game for cash when we partnered with WorldWinner to bring Wheel of Fortune, one of our most popular television shows, to an even fiercer set of online competitors.

“Now, we are thrilled to bring a game buzzer to every household with the online cash version of Jeopardy!, the game show legend that has delighted television audiences for 25 years.”

In the oncoming months TV addicts can look forward to catch their favourite cash game not only on TV but also online. This development marks greater filteration of the online gaming market in the future to come.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

Ofcom – the UK media regulator has announced plans that will enable commercial TV stations in Great Britain to broadcast transactional gambling programming throughout the night from next month onwards.
 
From June, all transactional gambling on TV that invites viewers to pay money to take part in gaming or betting will be treated as teleshopping content. This will replace the existing system under which transactional gaming could be treated as either teleshopping or editorial content.
 
Transactional gaming programmes – reclassified as teleshopping – will be allowed to air through the night on Public Service Broadcast channels (PBS) such as ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.
 
The reclassification will see an increase in the number of hours of transactional gaming programmes on TV in Great Britain, but will also mean that no such programming can be broadcast before midnight.
 
Ofcom said the changes would result in improved consumer protection. The Advertising Code under which teleshopping is regulated contains specific rules that, among other things, prevent gambling being aimed at young people and prevent the use of misleading claims in teleshopping broadcasts.
 
Opponents argue that the new regulation will give people greater access to gambling and for longer periods, which could result in irresponsible gambling behaviour from the general viewing public.
 
Ofcom however has rejected this claim, pointing out that transactional gambling has been available to PSB channels for a number of years, during which time it was treated as conventional programming, offering less consumer protection. As a result of these changes, the PSB channels will no longer have the option to show transactional gambling until after midnight, thereby minimising exposure to young people.
 
Previously programming of this type by non-UK European companies or those in white-listed jurisdictions fell outside the control of the Gambling Commission and the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Reclassified as teleshopping, such programming now falls under the control of the ASA, where specific rules regarding gambling advertising are already in place and aligned with the objectives of the Gambling Commission.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

AsianLogic on last Wednesday said that as a result of the company’s strategic review initiated earlier this year, the Company believes it is no longer in the best interests of the Company to retain its AIM quotation. The Company, keeping in view the above, has proposed to cancel its admission to the London Stock Market.
 
Shares in AsianLogic were first admitted to trading on AIM at the end of 2007 but have fallen by over 70% in the past 12 months, reaching a 52-week low of 8.00 pence per share on 13th March. The Company’s Board now believes that the rationale for remaining a publicly quoted company has been “significantly undermined” and that the greater shareholder value will be derived by operating the Company’s business off-market for the immediate future.

In reaching its conclusion, the Board took into account the low trading volumes in the Company’s shares in the year up to 26th May, which amounted to 170 trading days when no shares were traded on AIM, which is equivalent to 65% of the time.

The Board also noted that that Company has a tightly held register of shareholders and suffers from a lack of liquidity for its ordinary shares. The current share register shows that approximately 43% of the existing issued shares are held by six shareholders, excluding directors and senior management, resulting in a small free float and low trading volumes.

The Board said that it believes it is unlikely in the context of current market conditions that the Company will need to be able to raise money though a new share issue or issue new shares in connection with an acquisition.

It also considered that there is a limited investor appreciation of the Company’s business areas and an increasing difficulty in attracting and maintaining institutional investors, particularly in the current economic environment. In addition, the tangible costs associated with maintaining the AIM quotation is disproportionately high when compared to the benefits and the Directors’ consider that these funds could be better utilised in operating the business.

Accordingly, AsianLogic’s Board has proposed a tender offer to shareholders of 25.00 pence per share, an 11% premium on 27th May mid-market closing price of 22.50 pence.

Tom Hall, Executive Vice Chairman of AsianLogic, said of the de-listing decision. “The Board has unanimously decided to recommend delisting to the shareholders as we feel that the current economic environment means there is little benefit to AsianLogic and its shareholders in remaining listed.

“The delisting will reduce costs and management time associated with a listing on AIM and will enable AsianLogic to focus its operations to better service our shareholders, business partners and customers alike.”

Under AIM rules, the delisting can only be effected by the company after the passing of a resolution approved by at least 75% of the votes cast by shareholders in a general meeting. AsianLogic said that assuming shareholders approve the resolution, the proposed delisting will take place by 3rd July 2009.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

MrGreen – Malta-based online casino operator – has signed a licensing agreement with games developer BetSoft Gaming Limited. This licensing agreement seeks to expand the range of games available to the Scandinavian customer base of MrGreen.

Under the terms of the agreement, all eight of BetSoft’s Slots3 titles to be made available to the MrGreen.com site during this month of May. Further BetSoft will supply cutting edge 3D slot games to MrGreen’s customers in the Nordic market.

Aliya Alpiyeva, Director of Marketing, BetSoft, said that Slots3 represents the next evolution in the slot gaming market, that are true 3D, cinematic slots which make for a perfect pairing with the creative next generation site which MrGreen operates.

BetSoft further added that they are delighted to have secured this agreement as MrGreen shares the same vision as that of BetSoft in providing the players with a visually entertaining, immersive experience in addition to the excitement of gambling.

Mikael Pawlo, Managing Director and co-founder of MrGreen, added that MrGreen and BetSoft share the same focus in design and providing the players with extra thrills. This focus has proven successful resulting in a very aggressive growth of MrGreen.

Pawlo further added that MrGreen did some extensive research to find the best slot machines and table games in the world. BetSoft has a great product and which is expected that the Slots3 games to be a perfect fit in MrGreen’s unique platform – MrGreen being the first to offer the next generation of slot machines in the Nordic market.

The new games slotted to be released on the MrGreen platform include the popular titles like – The SlotFather, Heist along with the newly upgraded Aztec Treasures.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy

Clientele of the online gaming operator bwin have in the recent days found themselves to be the target of an e-mail phishing assault. Phishing is the criminally fraudulent process by which attempts are made to acquire the important personal information of individuals, such as credit card numbers, passwords and account data from unwary users online.
 
Several clients of bwin have complained this week of receiving an e-mail which appears to have come from bwin, offering a number of exclusive prizes to the customers upon entry to a raffle draw. In order to take part in the competition, the recipients are provided with a link to log-in to what appears to be the bwin site. In reality, the link takes customers to bwinpoker, an imitation site from where the user’s details are then stolen.
 
The customers who had and are logging into the site would risk standing to lose sensitive information, including log-ins and passwords of the customers.
 
Various other online poker forums have also suggested that the customers have been attracted by an e-mail sent to their account saying that they have won a prize. But in order to claim the prize the customer must deposit an initial amount of $500. This less subtle scam then goes on to advice the players to not to log-in to their bwin account for the next four days. This advice of not to log-in for the next 4 days is so given because presumably the contents of the account of the customer are being emptied.
 
bwin is understood to be looking into the matter, and any customers who believe they may have been a victim of this fraud are urged to contact the company’s customer services straight away.

Written for OnlineBingoReviews.com by Joy