Betfair Australia has turned over control of its advertising account to AJF Partnership. Betfair previously employed M&C Saatchi Melbourne to publicly sing their praises, but AJF will handle creative and strategic requirements for Betfair effective immediately. AJF’s first challenge? Find a new word for ‘exotic’.
Aussie gaming outfit eBet Ltd. is being sued by trustees of the bankrupt Las Vegas-based Sona group of gaming companies. The trustees claim eBet failed to deliver on promised financing, and that a conflict of interest led to eBet CEO Anthony P. Toohey’s decision to withhold said financing. Sona – which once developed real-time, multi-player gambling software for wired, cellular and mobile networks as well as horse racing and sports betting apps – filed for bankruptcy in 2009 after the financing in question failed to arrive. The Las Vegas Sun reports that Sona and eBet entered into a licensing and distribution agreement in Aug. 2008 that called for eBet to pay a license fee of $2.5m. However, as early as Sept. 2008, Sona was already warning investors that the company “has generated minimal revenue, has incurred substantial losses and has not generated any positive cash-flow from operations.” (Seriously, Sona, you had us at ‘hello’.) For its part, eBet is withholding comment. In some cultures, it’s considered impolite to speak of the dead.