Bulgaria gets tough; Mahjong Logic inks Hippodrome; Danske Spil cockup

bulgaria-mahjong-logic-danske-spilBulgaria is proving it means business with its war on illegal online gambling operators. Bulgarian media outlet Novinite reports that the country’s anti-mafia police are crowing about having shut down a small time illegal bookie who’d been operating since Oct. 2011 with daily turnover in the BGN 3k-5k range (€1.5k-2.5k). This follows the Administrative Court in Sofia City recently upholding the fine imposed by Bulgaria’s State Commission on Gambling against mobile operator Cosmo Bulgaria Mobil (Globul) for operating an illegal SMS Q&A competition. Novinite reports that Globul failed to obtain the necessary permit to operate its ‘Big Cash Game’, which ran between September and December 2009. Globul was fined BGN 50k, plus 15k for administrative costs, 20k for the backdated license fee and 1.3m in unpaid taxes on the SMS game’s proceeds (for a total of 1.385m or €708k).

Software supplier Mahjong Logic has inked a deal with London’s Hippodrome Casino. The land-based casino recently entered into an online gaming joint venture with Media Corp, and Hippodrome head of online gaming George Constantinou says the addition of Mahjong Logic’s signature product will enhance the site’s appeal with Asian customers. The Hippodrome’s physical gambling operation is currently undergoing a £45m renovation and is expected to reopen in May.

Danish state-run gaming operator Danske Spil has some splainin’ to do after it mistakenly informed hundreds of customers they’d won lottery prizes worth billions. AFP reports that 300 customers received emails last week informing them they’d won Danske Spil’s Keno lottery, but the company erroneously claimed the lucky punters had each won 28b kroner (roughly €3b). Danske Spil quickly realized its goof and clarified the amounts the 300 punters could expect. Nevertheless, spokesman Thomas Roersig gets the early nod for understatement of the year with his comment that some of the email recipients “were disappointed.” Hey, just be thankful you hadn’t just pissed off 300 Spartans