This year is already being heralded as the year that mobile gaming has finally made its mark. Recent figures show that mobile is becoming an ever more important channel within the online gaming industry as the consumer has embraced the possibilities of betting on the move. The evolution of the smartphone has paved the way for product developers to offer clients a vastly improved user experience, delivering cutting-edge technology and features such as in-play betting to customers’ mobile devices.

OpenBet enables operators to choose their preferred mobile partner and seamlessly integrate a bespoke front-end / back-end solution to deliver a powerful mobile experience to the end user. OpenBet’s back-end B2B platform with its one wallet solution gives a single view of each customer and their betting activity through their preferred channel. This functionality gives operators the ability to manage liabilities more effectively, target marketing and promotional activity in mobile gaming and ensure jurisdictional obligations are upheld.

The addition of Betfair to OpenBet’s growing roster of mobile sportsbook customers, which includes Paddy Power, William Hill, Ladbrokes, Sky Bet and Centrebet, is further testament to OpenBet and its high quality of service.

David Loveday, Chief Executive of OpenBet, comments; “The advent of more sophisticated mobile internet devices is a very important development for our customers and we embrace this progression to yet another channel. We are constantly working in close collaboration with our customers, ensuring that we are flexible and open to new ideas that push the boundaries of what we can offer from our market-leading platform.”

Richard Hewitt, Head of Mobile Product at Betfair, added; “We look forward to further developing a good working relationship with OpenBet. Betfair pioneered betting on mobile devices and, as the channel becomes more sophisticated, we are confident we have an engaging and user-friendly offering that will appeal to our players.”

Gilley, who has already pleaded guilty, claimed McGregor and other casino owners misled him that two bills would be “paired together”, the report said.

Gilley hoped for a measure that would give him the ability to reopen Country Crossing bingo pavilion and believed that McGregor and the others supported this bill, according to the Montgomery Advertiser.

Gilley was responding to evidence in a phone conversation taped by the FBI, the report noted.

With critical comment swirling around it over the revelations, RAY has assured the public that its donations regulations are to be tightened up substantially.

The Finnish Youth Foundation received Euros 250 000 from the state gaming association this year, local media has reported. But the youth organisation contributed Euro 23 000 to the prime minister’s failed presidential bid. RAY says it is trying to determine specifically whether funding it gave was used to support Vanhanen’s campaign.

One-fifth of RAY’s annual donations to foundations have been earmarked for general grants, the press reports reveal. Currently 16 foundations are beneficiaries of RAY’s general funding, but in the future, the association says it will focus on giving specific grants that are easier to monitor.

RAY distributes over Euros 300 million in donations to some 86 organisations each year, with about Euros 65 million given in general grants that are more difficult to monitor.

The player had staked Euro 10 when she hit the biggest prize yet at the website, which launched in March this year.

Clearly delighted by her good fortune, the player told Hopa.com staffers: “I’ve just won Euro 100 000. All of my dearest dreams and the dreams of my children will now come true and it is all thanks to you. Thank you again. Lydie A.”

Hopa.com and sister site Scratch2Cash have over 40 scratch games each. Last month on Scratch2Cash, over Euro 26 million was won in total across a variety of scratch games and players, a company spokesman boasted this week.

The group posted a profit of GBP 452 000, a welcome reversal from a loss of GBP 347 000 in the previous year, and EBITDA up by GBP 542 000 to GBP 757 000 (FY 2008:GBP 215 000).

Betinternet achieved turnover of GBP 107.9 million – up 24 percent – thanks to increased marketing that included horse racing sponsorship activity. A new affiliate program helped boost customer acquisitions during the year, and improved in-running football betting facilities helped, too management said.

Group pari-mutuel subsidiary European Wagering Services (EWS), saw revenues grow by 6 percent to GBP 32.3 million.

“Although the gaming sector will never be completely immune to these [recession] external influences, it remains resilient, as it is able to offer alternative forms of entertainment for customers who choose to ‘stay at home’ more often than previously,” said Webis managing director Garry Knowles.

“For the First Time, a Smaller Jackpot: Trends in State Revenues From Gambling,” released Monday, illustrates the motivation for states to examine casinos, video lottery terminals, and other gambling operations as potential sources of new revenue, with more than 25 states considering such proposals in the past year.

New gambling activities often provide a quick boost to state revenues, the authors remark, but generally do not keep pace with traditional tax revenues and government expenditures over time.

“The historical tendency for revenues from existing gambling operations to grow at a significantly slower pace than other state revenues may hold important lessons for states as policymakers consider further expansion of casinos, racinos, and other gambling activities,” Institute Deputy Director Robert B. Ward and Institute Senior Policy Analyst Lucy Dadayan wrote in the report.

The study found that most states reported lower gambling revenues over the past two years. Among those states that reported increases, such as Pennsylvania and North Carolina, it was noted that these have recently expanded gambling opportunities.

Racino revenues fared better in New York than elsewhere, with seven of the eight operations of this type achieving increases in the latest fiscal year. Statewide, patrons bet $12-billion at racinos.

The report reveals that US states generate revenues from four major types of gambling operations: state lotteries, casinos, racinos, and pari-mutuel betting. The largest source, lottery income, fell 2.6 percent nationwide over the last fiscal year, whilst casino revenues declined 8.5 percent and racinos increased 6.7 percent, with new racinos opening in Indiana and Pennsylvania.

Pari-mutuel wagering revenues declined by 14.8 percent in the period to July-March in 2009 compared to the same period last year.

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The Gaming Control Board has told the resort industry that properties need to control actions inside the nightclubs that traditionally lease space in casinos and are operated independently.

Planet Hollywood is the first hotel-casino to acknowledge it was at fault for the problems inside a nightclub that it doesn’t own.

“We didn’t execute proper supervision and we’re the message being sent to the rest of the industry,” gaming attorney Frank Schreck, who represents Planet Hollywood, said Friday.

Gaming authorities could be investigating as many as nine hotel-casinos about activities inside their nightclubs, which could lead to six-figure fines and other punishments.

Schreck, who represents several hotel-casinos and gaming companies, said he has advised clients they need to pay attention to what is happening inside their nightclubs.

“It can’t be ignored. The situation needs to be addressed,” Schreck said.

In April, the Gaming Control Board posted a stern letter of warning on its Web site, saying disciplinary action was being considered because of problems not only inside the nightclubs, but also at the properties’ ultra lounges and topless swimming pools.

The agency sent a similar warning letter in 2006. Gaming Control Board member Randy Sayre thought another missive was needed this year.

“I’m not going to write any more letters,” Sayre said Friday. “Having said that, I can indicate with great confidence that a few locations may not have gotten the message loudly and clearly. And these situations will be addressed.”

Sayre confirmed several hotel-casinos are under investigation by gaming authorities about activities inside their nightclubs and other venues.

“Some are more serious than others and we need to address whether or not these venues are conducting themselves under state and local ordinances,” Sayre said.

In an agreement with the Gaming Control Board that settled a nine-count complaint, Planet Hollywood agreed to pay $500,000 up front and another $250,000 in a year if changes are not made in the operation of the nightclub.

If no additional complaints are filed over the next 12 months, the $250,000 payment will be waived.

The Nevada Gaming Commission will vote on the settlement when it meets in Las Vegas on July 23.

“Planet Hollywood took this matter seriously,” Sayre said. “Sadly, they should have addressed some of these events sooner.”

The nine counts ranged from Privé employees removing drunk customers and dumping them in the casino unattended, or telling hotel security to remove them, to customers having to be hospitalized for drinking too much.

Privé employees and patrons were charged with physically and sexually assaulting customers.

The club reportedly admitted minors, who were then served alcohol.

Another count involved a Clark County Department of Business License citation for allowing topless and lewd activity. Privé reportedly failed to cooperate with the county.

Another count was based on the large increase in phone calls to emergency medical personnel and police since the club opened. The control board charged that prostitution increased around the club and the club did nothing to discourage the activity. Privé also hired people with criminal records.

Planet Hollywood admitted to all the allegations and admitted it didn’t maintain enough control.

Schreck said that aspect will change. He said the lease between Planet Hollywood and Privé has been rewritten. Planet Hollywood security officers, who formerly weren’t allowed to enter the club without a club employee, can now enter the club.

Also, Planet Hollywood can terminate the club’s lease if any of the conduct outlined in the nine counts continues.

“We’ve taken some pretty draconian steps to assert control,” Schreck said.

“Planet Hollywood wants to be a good corporate citizen and licensee. We stepped up to the plate and took responsibilities for the actions.”

Privé is operated by the Opium Group, a Miami-based nightclub company. A spokeswoman for Opium Group did not respond to phone calls or an e-mail message Friday.

The first set of games, both branded and non-branded, are scheduled to go live on Sportingbet.com in the latter part of 2009, with a complete roll-out of the full 10-game suite by the end of the year. The games will be made available through Gaming Technology Solutions plc (GTS), which provides the platform for many of the world’s largest Internet gaming sites.

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