Online Casino and Gambling News: April 2009

[inline:DnD-Main.png]iGaming software provider WagerWorks has announced the release of Dungeons & Dragons: Fortress of Fortunes, which was previewed earlier this year at the i-ICE show. Players take on the role of a legendary hero in this 20-payline game, where battling monsters in ancient fortresses rewards the successful gambler with a horde of riches.

The UK mobile gambling technology firm Probability plc has announced solid third quarter and full year result, together with a new games deal with Australian developer NextGen.

Swedish online gambling group Betsson has delivered an encouraging Q.1 2009 start to its financial year, showcasing strong revenues, cash and profits.

After months of haggling with the Portuguese government over its discriminatory tax practices on lottery winnings, the European Commission has referred the issue to the European Court of Justice for a judicial ruling.

Making headlines across the USA and online media this morning is a story from the Reuters news agency confirming that Congressman Barney Frank's next attempt to overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act will take place early May.

Online gambling operations using the ID verification services of GB Group and operating in the German market, will have improved ID verification capability following a deal between GB and the German identity management solutions firm, Schufa, reputed to be the country's largest credit reference agency.

The legalisation of online gambling in France moves up a gear next (May 2009) month with the commencement of a series of seminars at which the politicians responsible for the draft regulations will be available for discussion.

A British criminal court is currently hearing a case against an illegal Chinese immigrant, Guang Hui Cao (30), who stands accused of the brutal murder last year of two Chinese students thought to have been involved in Internet gambling, although no sites or companies have been specified.

Governor Steve Beshear of Kentucky and his outsourced lawyers have clearly provoked major concerns amid civil liberty and Internet freedom organisations with their attempt to hijack 141 Internet domain names belonging to international online gambling companies. Beshear is currently in the process of an appeal-against-an appeal after losing his case in the Kentucky Court of Appeals and taking the issue to the Kentucky Supreme Court.

Sweden's state gambling monopoly Svenska Spel has reported weaker online poker revenues in FY 2008, and declining group profit in the first quarter of 2009.