News and Gossip

EU Member States may look to harmonise egaming regulation

expat.iain — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:43:01 GMT

EU Member States may be shifting their stance on online gaming and look to find a common approach to regulating the sector and in the process end years of deadlock when it comes to finding a harmonised EU-wide policy for the sector, according to Reuters.

A copy of the EU document obtained by the news agency stated: "While the legal frameworks differ, there are significant similarities in the member states' objectives as regards gambling and betting." European ministers will discuss the document on December 1, with some changes anticipated from states strongly opposed to any kind of opening of their gaming sector.

The issues that will be debated will include cooperation between national regulatory bodies to combat money laundering and fraud and corruption, a cap on pay-outs to players and an end to “double-taxation by taxing gaming where it takes place”.

France, currently holding the EU presidency, said there were “already grounds for seeking a common approach” back in July and French budget minister Eric Woerth recently said “Europe” may have to look at finding a regulatory solution for allowing the industry to work across borders and countries.

Others in the online gaming industry have interpreted this as a delaying tactic by the French, who are due to submit their draft regulation for the controlled opening of their online betting sector next month. But Sigrid Ligné, secretary general of the European Gaming and Betting Association, told Reuters: “In the end it's going to be back to the Commission to decide if it can take any further steps or if there is any need to do something new or different in the issue."

A dozen EU states are said to be supportive of the common approach to regulating in Europe although Britain and Malta were critical, Reuters said.

Original story

Betbrokers in administration

shane1 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 19:43:03 GMT

Just read that Betbrokers have gone into administration. I thought they were a popular place to go if you couldn't get a bet on with a high-street Bookmaker?

Not able to hedge their bets any more?

Shame... anyone got any news?

Gambler sues William Hill for letting him bet (Who is to blame?)

toogood — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 11:59:17 GMT

A gambling addict is suing a betting chain for £2 million after claiming they "ruined his life" by allowing him to continue betting.
Graham Calvert, 28, asked William Hill to close his account and ban him because he was addicted and gambling over the telephone was "too easy".
But he claims that despite being told he would not be eligible for another account for six months under the company’s self-exclusion policy, he was allowed to open a new account two months later.

In the following five months, he went on to lose £2 million, including a single bet of £347,000 on America to win golf’s Ryder Cup.

Mr Calvert, a successful greyhound trainer who once earned £30,000 a week, said the betting company had failed in its duty of care to him as a customer and blamed them for him having "lost everything".
He said: "I was one of the top fifteen greyhound trainers in the country. But now I’ve lost everything. I’ve had to give up the business.

"The pressure broke up my marriage and I had to move out of my family home and am living back with my mum.
"This has had a terrible effect on me, and my family. I think it was irresponsible of William Hill exploit me the way they did. It has ruined my life. It was like taking heroin.
"If I’d known I had the problem and didn’t do anything about it, I would see myself as being 100 per cent responsible.
"The fact is that I did try to go through the right procedures and I was let down."
Mr Calvert, from Co Durham, only began betting in August 2005 at bookmakers shops. He sometime placed 20 bets a day of £30,000 each, sometimes arriving at his local betting shop with bin liners stuffed with £100,000 cash.
In May 2006 he opened an account with William Hill but, realising it was "too easy" to bet, he closed it within a few weeks, only to open another account and continue betting until December, when he sought help. In total he wagered £7.5 million in 16 months.
He is expected to present evidence of a recorded telephone conversation with a William Hill employee in which, when asking to be banned, he is allegedly told he will not be able to have another account with them for six months, but did so two months later. He currently owes £1.5 million.
His solicitor, Peter Hornsey, said: "This case is important not just on a personal level for Mr Calvert but also for the betting industry as a whole.
"It goes to the issue of how bookmakers treat people who have gambling problems via their self-exclusion policy and whether they can be held responsible when they advertise themselves as offering self exclusion and promoting socially-responsible gambling.
"For whatever reason, William Hill failed to operate its self-exclusion policy, with disastrous consequences for our client despite knowing that he had a gambling problem and we argue that they should be held responsible for that."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1578629/Gambler-sues-William-Hill-for-letting-him-bet.html

$24 million seized from Bodog Entertainment Group

inzaghi — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:37:16 GMT

According to iGaming News, The United States government has seized $24 million from bank accounts linked to Bodog Entertainment Group. The papers were filed in the Federal District Court in Baltimore, Maryland.

Casino wouldn't pay up? $1,000,000.82c

hitchhiker — Wed, 28 May 2008 16:36:05 GMT

Aurea Privee, a local Las Vegas woman, plays slot poker at the Fiesta Henderson and wins a million dollar jackpot. The casino claims it was a malfunction and won't pay her. Local Las Vegas CBS news affiliate KLAS interviews Aurea and her attorney, Nikolas Mastrangelo.

Malta's Go Mobile internet down all day

inzaghi — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:28:20 GMT

Malta's internet bandwith and traffic was severely disrupted for almost 12 hours today due to a fault which developed in the Malta-Sicily Go Mobile cable

Not very good!

Record online revenue at William Hill

taniapo — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:43:32 GMT

"Our business now generates more income from online gaming and betting and from gaming machines in licensed betting offices than ever before. It is difficult to predict how these income streams will fare in a continuing adverse economy, albeit the business has been resilient to date.”

Charles Scott, William Hill Chairman

Sportingbet employee released

toogood — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 20:46:45 GMT

One of the Sportingbet employees held in custody in Turkey has been released while the other employee is awaiting formal charges. - Summary of Sportingbet's startement in the London Stock Exchange.

Playboy gambling venue to return to the UK

lfcforever — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:55:34 GMT

Rumour has it that Playboy will open a new club in London for dining, dancing and gambling according to Dick Rosenzweig, executive vice president of Playboy.

If they get Kendra over I'll be in there every day.

Happy days!

California close to legalizing online poker

hansengus — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 14:14:50 GMT

Igaming news - Clariongaming

California Close to Legalizing Online Poker
California AB 2026, a bill to regulate Internet gambling in California which was introduced to the Legislature in February by Lloyd E. Levine, a Democratic assemblyman, passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee in a 7-to-1 vote on Tuesday. It now moves to the Senate Appropriations Committee for fiscal review.

Interesting!

Cancer patient wins £5,000 from bookies after betting he'd stay alive longer than doctors predicted

toogood — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 13:33:50 GMT

When Jon Matthews was told he was terminally ill and should not make plans for Christmas he began preparing for the end.

He wrote a will and paid for his funeral.

But when he still felt well long after Christmas had become a distant memory, he decided to put his faith in his longevity. He placed a bet that he would still be alive in another eight months.

Yesterday, Mr Matthews's determination to beat the odds was rewarded. He wore a jacket, hat and broad smile as he picked up his £5,000 winnings from a betting shop near his home.

The 58-year-old former salesman had placed a £100 wager at odds of 50/1 that he would remain alive until June 1, 2008 - at which time he would become by his doctors' best estimates the patient to survive longest after being diagnosed with the terminal disease mesothelioma.

In April 2006, Mr Matthews - whose wife Sylvia died of lung cancer four years ago - suffered a collapsed lung.

At first doctors thought he had an infection, but after an operation at the specialist Harefield Hospital, near Uxbridge, West London, he was given the devastating news that he had mesothelioma - a form of cancer that is almost always linked to contact with asbestos.

Mr Matthews, who lives in a village outside Milton Keynes, said: 'The doctors said I wouldn't live until the end of the year. They said don't make any plans for Christmas.

'Last year I thought, "Well, I've survived Christmas and I don't feel too bad".

'I'm not really a betting man, just once a year or so, but I got hold of William Hill and placed a bet. They checked all the facts out and that's why they gave me odds of 50/1.

'The longest the doctors have ever heard of anyone surviving mesothelioma after diagnosis was 25 months. Today is 25 months and a week so I've beaten that record.'

The father-of-one has never worked with asbestos but thinks he might have been exposed as a schoolboy.

As to his survival, he said he had a 'positive mental attitude'. He also sought help from a natural healer who prescribed a remedy that he takes every day.

'I don't know what's in it,' he said. 'I'm not going to say he's cured me, but I'm still here.'

Mr Matthews lives with his elderly parents and helps care for them, which he said had also spurred him on. The hardest thing was telling them I was going to die,' he said.

He enjoys walking in the woods and an occasional trip to his local pub and still does some of the karate exercises he learned and taught as a younger man.

'I do get bad days obviously but I'm feeling fine today,' he said. ' Everyone's feeling fine if they're going to pick up five grand.'

Mr Matthews said he would give half the money to cancer charity Macmillan and an animal home and intends to spend the other half.

'I've always wanted to do a bungee jump,' he added.

William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe said: 'We had never been asked to accept a bet of this nature before, but as Jon approached us directly and was adamant that it would give him an additional incentive to battle his illness, we offered him the bet he wanted.

'Never, in 30 years in the business, have I been so pleased to pay a winning client £5,000.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1023461/Cancer-patient-wins-5-000-bookies-betting-hed-stay-alive-longer-doctors-predicted.html