Gaming and Casino Industrial News 3.2.2009 all over the world

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Over 150 Lottery Kiosks Close in Canada


Kiosks owned by Infoplace Ticket Centres Ltd. closed up shop across Canada due to financial issues, reports The Ottawa Citizen.

One source told the paper that the company might have closed more than 150 shops because it owes 40 creditors about $9.7 million.

According to the Woodstock Sentinel-Review, Ontario Lottery and Gaming confirmed that Infoplace Ticket Centres has declared bankruptcy.

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Bwin Offering ‘Intense’ New Interface
On Friday, Bwin Interactive Entertainment A.G. will introduce its new betting interface, the company announced on Wednesday.

Scheduled to coincide with the start of the second half of the German Bundesliga, the live interface launch promises to be “more intense” than before.

“We specifically harnessed the power of the Web 2.0 generation in order to offer our customers a live betting experience they have never seen before”, said Manfred Bodner, the company’s co-chief executive, in a prepared statement.

“With its new offering, Bwin is demonstrating its lead, pushing the limits of what is technologically feasible,” Mr. Bodner added.

New features will include the ability to arrange the interface to coincide with highlighted events as well as easy access to relevant game stats.

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Great Leighs Could Get Second Chance
A new investor could give Great Leighs some financial relief for the troubled racecourse, which went into administration two weeks ago, The London Times reports.

The paper said that negotiations for Britain ’s newest racetrack to receive a cash injection by an unnamed investor were “well under way.”

Great Leighs bills itself as the United Kingdom’s first new racecourse in 80 years and held its first meet last April.

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Global Interactive Gaming Extends Agreement with Sportingbet


Global Interactive Gaming Ltd. has extended its agreement with Sportingbet, the online sports betting and gaming group, until the end of 2011, Interactive Systems Worldwide, Inc., the parent company of Global Interactive Gaming, announced on Friday.

According to the New Jersey-based wagering systems provider, the financial terms of the previous agreement regarding Global Interactive Gaming’s fees are unchanged.

In addition, the company said Sportingbet has agreed to provide Global Interactive Gaming, in a series of four quarterly payments, an advance payment of a portion of the next three years' monthly minimums.

“We are extremely pleased with Sportingbet's decision to extend the agreement for another three years,” said Bernard Albanese, the company's chief executive, in a prepared statement. “It validates the uniqueness of our offering and attests to their satisfaction with our services.”

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Distribution Agreement Moves The Poker Channel East


Through a distribution agreement with the Vectra Group, a cable operator in Poland, The Poker Channel has expanded its reach into Eastern Europe, the company announced on Thursday.

The Poker Channel, owned by Gaming Media Group, said the new agreement will bring the channel to 16 million cable and satellite homes in 17 European markets.

“Our expansion in to Eastern Europe further illustrates the growing demand for poker and gaming on TV,” said Chris White, commercial director at The Poker Channel, in a prepared statement.

On Friday, the company plans to launch a promotional campaign to all Vectra’s digital basic subscribers.

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Former Youbet.com Exec to Head Safety Alliance


Mike Ziegler, a former senior vice president for Youbet.com Inc., has been selected as the executive director of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association’s new Safety and Integrity Alliance, the association announced on Tuesday.

According to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, Mr. Ziegler, 38, who at one point served as a racetrack official in California, will be based in Lexington, Ky., and will report to Alex Waldrop, National Thoroughbred Racing Association president.

“We are pleased to bring in someone with Mike’s experience and passion to head up the NTRA Safety and Integrity Alliance,” Mr. Waldrop said in a prepared statement. “His role will be crucial to the future of the thoroughbred industry as we implement a series of important national integrity standards.”

The association said it formed the Safety and Integrity Alliance in October to implement safety and integrity reforms as a certification

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Corporación Galena Gains 20-Year Mobile Lotto License in Puru
Corporación Galena, an affiliate of Managed Gaming Solutions, was granted a 20-year mobile lotto license for Peru, Managed Gaming Solutions announced on Wednesday.

According to the company, the new license explicitly defines mobile lotto to be based on text messaging, which will enable Peruvian players to play mobile lottery directly from their handsets without having to buy tickets from retailers.

“The lottery phenomenon in Peru is growing rapidly,” said Tero Turunen, the company’s chairman, in a prepared statement. “Here, gambling has a strong tradition and more than nine million mobile users out of a total population of 28.7 million people bring us perfect opportunity for further success.”

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William Hill Bingo Raises £41,000 for Charity
After a three-month online fund-raising campaign, William Hill Bingo has given the Breast Cancer Care, a United Kingdom-based charity, £41,000, the company announced on Wednesday.

The campaign kicked off in October with the bingo site giving 10 percent to the charity for every 'Pink Ribbon' ticket sold. William Hill Bingo also donated £10 to the Breast Cancer Care fund for every new player who registered during the campaign and played at least £20 within a month.

“Many thanks to our bingo players who have participated in the 'Pink Ribbon' campaign in the last three months, enabling us to raise this terrific amount to help people affected by breast cancer,” said Lili Huang, a William Hill spokesperson, in a prepared statement.

The money raised will fund support and information for people who have been diagnosed with cancer along with their friends and families.

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Amid Falling Profits, Tabcorp Plans to Raise $300 Million
As profits slipped for Tabcorp Holdings, the Melbourne-based gaming behemoth, in the first half of the 2008-9 financial year, the company announced a capital-raising campaign to amass 300 million Australian dollars.

Net profit after tax was posted at 263.2 million Australian dollars, which the company said was down 3.7 percent after absorbing the Victorian license amortization.

In conjunction with results, Tabcorp announced that it has launched an underwritten institutional placement of new shares to raise approximately 300 million Australian dollars.

According to the company, the new shares are expected to be issued to participants under the placement on Feb. 5 and will rank equally with existing shares.

“Whilst we expect that economic conditions will become more difficult in the coming months, our business is well placed for the economic environment and we will continue to concentrate on the basics,” said Elmer Funke Kupper, the company’s chief executive, in a prepared statement.

Mr. Kupper added that the casinos division performance was below expectations, specifically mentioning New South Wales.

He also warned of “significant additional charges” against Tabcorp’s revenue in the coming year from new wagering product fees and higher gaming taxes in Queensland.

Following the announcement of the Queensland tax hike in December, which begins in July 2009, Tabcorp estimated that if the tax increase took place in 2008, it would have cut 20 million Australian dollars out its net profit.

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DoylesRoom Joins Cake Poker Network <7b>
DoylesRoom has officially left Microgaming to become part of the Cake Poker Network, Cake Poker announced on Tuesday.

“We wanted to offer our players a rewarding place to play and the liquidity and integrity associated with the Cake Poker Network made this an easy choice for our new partnership,” said Doyle F. Brunson, the legendary poker player and site owner, in a prepared statement.

Rumors have been circulating since November hinting that DoylesRoom was ready for a network switch.

“Having the legend of poker choose our network to call home means a lot to us,” said a Cake Poker Network spokesperson in a prepared statement. “We look forward to welcoming all of the DoylesRoom players and are excited to be able to offer all our network players a chance to rub elbows with Doyle Brunson through some industry exclusive promotions and contests we will be launching in the next few months.”

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Tabcorp's Sydney Casino Expansion Plans Approved
The New South Wales Government put the stamp of approval on Tabcorp Holding's $475 million redevelopment and expansion plan for Sydney’s Star City Hotel & Casino, the company said on Wednesday.

The plan includes a 250-room, five-star hotel, 500 additional car parks, up to 30 restaurants and bars and an expanded ballroom and gaming floor. The company said its already in the early stages of building a new sports bar on the main gaming floor.

“This is an important milestone in the redevelopment and expansion of Sydney’s Star City casino,” said Elmer Funke Kupper, chief executive of Tabcorp, in a prepared statement. “The new Star will be the best entertainment complex in Sydney and one of the leading casinos in the Asia Pacific region, providing new opportunities to attract interstate and international visitors.”

The company said it expects construction to be completed in 2011.

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CALENDAR 24-26 February 2009 Asian I-Gaming Congress & Expo, Macau

4-5 March 2009 BetMarkets 2009, Vienna, Austria

22-23 April 2009 European Gambling Briefing, Budapest, Hungary

Gaming Industry Media's Full Calendar of Events:

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