Barney Frank Unveils Bill to Challenge UIGEA

After weeks of speculation, Democratic Congressman Barney Frank has today introduced the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act of 2007 that could create an exemption to the UIGEA for properly licensed operators.

According to an official press release, “The Act establishes a federal regulatory and enforcement framework to license companies to accept bets and wagers online from individuals in the US, to the extent permitted by individual states, Indian tribes and sport leagues.

All such licenses would include protections against underage gambling, compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud.”

Following the introduction of the bill, Mr Frank explained, “The existing legislation is an inappropriate interference on the personal freedom of Americans and this interference should be undone.”

A full and exclusive interview with Barney Frank will be featured in the forthcoming iGaming Business magazine.

Casino Affiliate Convention in Amsterdam Breaks Records

The 5th Annual Casino Affiliate Convention and Gaming Marketing Conference is bigger than ever before. Located at the NH Grand Krasnapolsky Hotel, the convention is expected to host at least 350 affiliates, many of whom will be so-called ‘super affiliates.’

Nearly one thousand are expected to flock to Amsterdam, due to the industry’s massive European expansion.

The exhibit hall for the CAC 2007 has been completely sold out for several months, though a few additional sponsorships remain. Online registration ends this Friday, April 27.

Organisers are recommending that delegates use the official message boards to announce what they offer and what they are looking for, as well as for keeping in touch with friends and colleagues.

One major attraction is the exclusive domain name auction, where affiliate sites from the US that have closed since the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, will go to the highest bidder.

There will also be a number of social events and parties, including the exclusive sponsored party at the Odeon Club in Amsterdam.

The CAC 2007, hosted by Ticonderodga Ventures has been such a success that a similar conference catering for the Asian market, and based in Macau, is already being planned.

William Hill Bids to Break up Greece’s Gambling Monopoly

Bookmaker and online casino giant William Hill announced that it has requested a license to open betting shops in Greece, challenging the stronghold over the market established by the country’s official betting organisation, OPAP.

If the license is not granted by the Greek government, as some expect will happen, the firm is prepared to fight it out in the in European courts in an attempt to put a dent in OPAP's monopoly.

William Hill chief executive David Harding said, ‘We believe the recent European cases mean that what is happening is in breach of EU law. If it is rejected we will go to the courts to argue our case and that could involve going to the European Court of Justice.’

The company may receive the EU’s support to enter the market after March’s European Court of Justice (EJC) ruling barring Italy from using criminal law to shut out foreign bookmakers in a case presented by Stanley Leisure.

However, OPAP has already informed Greek newspapers that it expects William Hill's application to be rejected due to its monopoly agreement.

World's Leading Gaming Summit Hits Europe

The world’s foremost gaming and casino conference, produced by the internationally renowned team behind the Gaming Executive Summit Australia and the Asian Casino Executives, will make its debut at the prestigious Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid, Spain, between July 10 and July 12, 2007.

The conference is expected to attract a selection of leading gambling firms from all over Europe and has already lined up a speaking panel that includes CEO’s from some of the biggest names in the industry.

The panel is set to include 888 Holdings, Casinos Austria International, Gala Coral Group, Ladbrokes, Probability Games, Remote Gambling Association, The Alderney Gambling Commission and Trident Gaming.

The focus of the Gaming Executive Summit will be on key discussion topics such as shifting market dynamics, the changing shape of the regulatory landscape, strategies for developing the industry as well as presenting the latest gaming innovations and technologies.

Barney Frank to Target Ban on Credit Cards

Barney Frank, the Massachusetts Democrat who is to present a bill to challenge the UIGEA within the next two weeks, has stated that he may not be able to tackle the entire online gambling issue due to the jurisdiction of his committee.

According to sources at Reuters, Frank claimed yesterday, “My committee only has jurisdiction over credit cards. I can't do more than repeal the ban on the use of credit cards. We don't have jurisdiction generally over the Internet or other aspects of this.'

The announcement followed confirmation from Frank that a bill to challenge the ban on online gambling would be presented within the next two weeks, although he also stated that it needed time to garner support.

'I think a reconsideration among my colleagues is beginning but it's not far enough along yet. If the storm of public unhappiness is great enough then I will try to substantially revise that ban,' added Frank, according to the Reuters source.

That storm of public unhappiness will inevitably swell amongst US poker players, who have already lobbied for an exemption (for poker) from the ban, to which Frank replied, “I am not going to draw a distinction between poker and blackjack.'

Frank concluded that no major progress on the bill was imminent.

Gottabet : The Next Big Thing

Gottabet, a London based social network site, is founded by Wim Vernaeve and Bertrand Bodson. It is not like your typical betting site and is more for friends to place fun and small bets. Members set up bets, either for actual money or for the Gottabet currency, called “peanuts,” which have no cash value but give bragging rights.

An example bet is “How Many Years till US leaves Iraq?” Participating costs 30 peanuts, and the winner takes the entire pot. For cash based bets, Gottabet takes a 5% fee of the pot.

Odds can be set, and a portion of the proceeds can be donated to charity. An example - two women are betting any Gottabet members that they can lose weight by a certain date. Bets can also be kept private or by invitation only.

Settlement of cash bets is done via credit and debit cards. As Gottabet is a social network - all users have a profile page where they can add friends. And users are rated not only by how many peanuts they gather but also on their reputation.

Gottabet has been working on a mobile version of the product and they have successfully implemented widgets for people to promote their bets on other websites. Currently, they have a tool to add a link to the bet from Facebook.

If you are wondering how to justify or decide on the winner of a private bet between two person, Gottabet has a community-driven referee system, one that allows people to rate the bet creator and bet referee (not unlike eBay’s self-regulating rating system). So the result is quite fair since it is based on third party assessment.

The social networking widget/friendly bet thing could make this an interesting place to tie in corporate sponsorship, it is not surprising that Gottabet has been heavily tipped to be the next big thing on the internet.

If you guys are interested, go to the site and have a look. It could be addictive once you start winning a couple of bets..

UK hooked on internet gambling

The latest paper from UK Gambling Commission has shed light on the extent of the nation’s gambling habit. It found that eight percent of the country's adults have dabbled in at least one form of remote gambling in the previous month.

According to the ‘Survey Data on Remote Gambling Participation’, the National Lottery was the most popular form of remote gambling, with over five percent of respondents admitting to having gambled remotely on the Lottery in the last month.

Online poker came in as the second most popular choice at two percent, with betting third at just under two percent.

Remote gambling using a computer, laptop or handheld device was the most popular option at five percent, closely followed by gambling via mobile phone and interactive/digital TV. The survey also discovered that people in the 18 to 34 age group were the most likely to gamble.

Commenting the survey, Gambling Commission chairman Peter Dean said, “This new series is an important part of the Commission’s monitoring.

The figures reflect the uptake of new technology with people choosing to gamble via the internet as well as through mobile phones and interactive television.”

Online Casino Group Purchase Deal Makes Full House

Leading online casino group 888 Holdings has announced that it will buy out the online bingo business of Globalcom Limited for up to $43.4 million in cash.

The deal is expected to make a positive impact on the company’s revenues in the immediate future. 888 has agreed to pay $32.4 million, minus the amounts payable to customers, over a period of a year, following the conclusion of the deal.

The remaining $11 million is performance related depending on the success of the company which includes sites such as twofatladies.com and bingofabulous.com.

'Bingo will be a valuable addition to our entertainment services, which we expect to provide excellent cross-selling opportunities,' Chief Executive Gigi Levy said in a statement.

The Internet Bingo industry has seen a boom in recent years with hundreds of sites operating in the UK alone.

WTO - US Lose Internet Gambling Case

The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has confirmed today that the US has lost its battle against Antigua and Barbuda, citing that the US had done nothing to abide by an earlier verdict that termed some of its online gambling restrictions as illegal, according to reports by Reuters news agency.

The Geneva-based trade adjudicator said that the Caribbean island had provided additional evidence that strengthened its case.

'The panel concludes that the United States has failed to comply with the recommendations and rulings of the (WTO's) DSB (Dispute Settlement Body),' the WTO said in the ruling, which is subject to appeal.

The dispute concerns an April 2005 WTO verdict against US prohibitions on Internet betting, notably on horse racing. Since then, the US Congress has passed additional legislation to ban betting over the Internet.

'This is a smashing success for Antigua in every possible way. The report will sweep away any lingering doubt that Antigua has obtained a clear and convincing win over the United States in this matter,' said John W. Ashe, Antigua's ambassador to the WTO. There was no immediate reaction from Washington.

In the ruling, the WTO panel of three trade judges said that the United States had not contested the Antiguan charge that it had done nothing to implement the 2005 ruling.

Instead, Washington had simply sought to re-open the case, but without giving the panel any grounds to do so, it said.