Online Casino and Gambling News: April 2009

The satisfying prospect of a gang of lotto fraudsters meeting their comeuppance features in a story in The Register this week, which reported that Somerset police have busted a bogus lottery winner scam following a raid on a cheque processing and clearing house.

Atlantic City casinos revenues dropped by a record margin for the second straight month in March, officials told the Reuters news agency Thursday, as the recession and competition from other states cut gamblers' spending.

Online gambling group PartyGaming's CEO, Jim Ryan has an added incentive to keep the company forward - this week he was awarded company shares worth more than £280,000, six months after he was issued company shares worth almost £1.5 million under PartyGaming’s Share Option incentive plan (ESOP). As the operational leader of the company Ryan gets 125,000 shares each year under the plan.

Betfair has signed a sponsorship deal with the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to become the governing body’s official betting partner, reports Marketing Week.

Las Vegas land casinos reported a 23.4% decline in gaming revenues to $427.4 million in February 2009, well down from the $556 million recorded in the corresponding period a year ago.

The British online and land gambling group William Hill plc has reported complete success in its rights issue offer to raise £350 million.

A former mayor did the crime and is now about to serve the time in a UK case involving theft of almost £40,000 which concluded this week. The accused used the money to pay off online gambling debts at unspecified sites after she became addicted to online gambling, a court heard.

The Australian Football League (AFL) has started lobbying government for an exemption or revision of current legislation that prohibits Australian betting operators from offering internet markets once a game has started.

The Freeport in the Bahamas was the scene of some anti-gambling raids and arrests last week as local police moved on companies that they alleged were in breach of the Lottery and Gaming Act and in possession of slot machines, thus operating gambling activities under the guise of legitimate freeport businesses. Gambling related charges were subsequently laid in the magistrates court.

The Canadian Internet gambling software developer Parlay Entertainment has teamed up with independent slot games innovator NextGen Gaming (Pty) Limited to widen the range of Flash games in its offering.