Betfred.com will become the first online gaming company to utilize International Game Technology’s (IGT) spiffy new office/data center in Gibraltar. An easy decision, according to Betfred.com managing director Chris Sheffield, given that his outfit already holds a Gibraltar license. Nonetheless, Betfred’s stoked to gain access to IGT’s full slate of marquee games.
Online gaming and media outfit Media Corp. has announced unaudited year-to-date financials. Group revenue was £35m, up 46% over 2010. Of that total, Purple Lounge gaming revenues accounted for £27.5m (+29%), while media arm Eyeconomy kicked in £7.3m (+160%). Purple Lounge also claims to have added 20,000 customers to 2010’s 100,000 mark. Gross profit was up 16% to £5.8m, but a one-off exceptional accounting loss (the disappointing returns from the auction of Gambling.com) resulted in a net loss for the group of £1.1m. Full audited numbers are due in December.
Gaming supplier Shuffle Master has amended its existing deal with Amaya Gaming Group’s Chartwell Technology. Chartwell now gets UK, Irish, Isle of Man and Channel Island rights to Shuffle Master’s Three Card Poker game. Both parties are allegedly over the moon over the deal.
On Nov. 3, assuming it’s not busy bickering with the Remote Gambling Association, Greek monopoly provider OPAP intends to ask shareholders to sign off on plans to pay the government €935m for a decade-long monopoly extension and new videolotto licenses. Assuming that’s approved, OPAP then plans to ask shareholders to approve a €600m loan, because otherwise how are they going to pay the government?
Last seen inking a deal in Peru, Greek gaming and lottery systems provider Intralot has more western hemisphere dealings to report. Just five years into a seven-year deal, the Idaho Lottery Commission has re-upped with Intralot, extending their contract for another three years until 2017.
Online ‘social casino’ operators Yazino have launched a blackjack product for Apple’s iOS. Up to four friends can simultaneously square off in Yazino’s “unique social take” on free-play blackjack, provided they all own either an iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch (Wow… Do they still make those?). Yazino was launched a year ago by some folks with gambling CV’s who’d promised they’d have real-money versions of their product up and running by now. Maybe next year.
Fortuna Entertainment Group’s not-yet launched online sports betting operation efortuna.pl claims to have already signed up 10,000 Polish punters since September.
Finally, William Hill has appointed two new non-executive directors to its board. Georgina Harvey, managing director at Trinity Mirror since 2005 and president of the Newspaper Society since 2010; and Imelda Walsh, former group human resources director at J Sainsbury and current trustee of Comic Relief. Always nice to have someone funny around in case those quarterly reports don’t beat the street.
