THE AMERICAS
Seventeen websites took part in New Jersey’s ‘soft play’ online gambling launch but US financial institutions are still confused over what’s legal and Sheldon Adelson vowed to spend “whatever it takes” in his quest to prevent the spread of online gambling; Antigua said the latest WTO settlement offer from the US Trade Representative was seven years late and $150m short; the head of the BC Lottery Corp admitted his sports betting product was inferior; Bwin.party advertised for a Front End Manager for its US online poker operations; researchers found that problem gamblers prefer gambling over sex; Lee Davy examined how Delaware’s online poker market is faring; Wynn Resorts’ Massachusetts casino bid hit another snag due to a felonious secret investor while Foxwoods’ Massachusetts bid was killed outright; Chris Christie said he’s taking New Jersey’s quest for legal sports betting to the Supreme Court and handicapper Kenny White said you’ll see another Jimmy the Greek on US sports television soon enough.
EUROPE & AFRICA
PokerStars hit its Greek players with a hefty daily withholding tax on winnings; Paddy Power cut its full-year profit forecast by €11m; Sun International launched its Sunbet sports betting site to capitalize on South Africa’s betting boom; the European Commission put Sweden on notice over its gambling monopoly; the number of UK gambling ads rose six-fold since 2007; Playtech and its affiliate arm EuroPartners were rumored to be planning an exit from Finland and Holland; Anton Wigg reminisced about the time Swedish law enforcement confiscated his Xbox and Lee Davy wondered if Open Face Chinese poker was the next big thing or just another fad.
ASIA
Australian cops said motorcycle gangs were trying to buy a Cambodian casino while other Aussie cops admitted opening bogus online accounts to front for a couple of banned betting whales; US officials want to put Macau casinos under greater scrutiny; PAGCOR revenue fell 5% over the first nine months of 2013; a panel of Japan’s ruling party approved a draft of the country’s casino legislation and Galaxy Entertainment said it would love to set up shop in Japan and/or Taiwan; a government advisor said Vietnam would allow locals into its casinos within two to three years; Delta Corp announced it would build India’s first casino outside of Goa and three more charges were filed against former Bodog Asia exec Robert Gustafsson.
