Issue N19, 2009
May 13, 2009
Bet188 Enters European Market
In a bid to increase its exposure to the European and United Kingdom gambling markets, the Isle of Man based gambling company, Bet188 has announced that it has signed sponsorship deals with no less than two Premier League UK soccer teams. According to the company, 80% of its current revenues originate from its strong domination of the Asian market. However, the company is keen to enter the European and UK markets, and has decided that the best way to go about it would be to sign two year sponsorship deals with Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers.
"We were looking for a unique opportunity to mark 188BET's first major foray in the UK market, and feel that the collaborative engagement with both Bolton Wanderers and Wigan Athletic shall help us to further grow the strength of our brand," said the Chief Executive Officer for 88Bet, Andy Scott.
This is the first time in history that one betting company has decided to sponsor two Premier League teams at once. 188Bet declined to comment how much it would be paying the teams for the sponsorship deals, which includes kitting out all adult team members with shirts.
World Series of Snooker Finds Sponsor
After a hugely successful inaugural event this year, the World Series of Snooker has announced that it has found itself a sponsor for the next three years at least. Sportingbet signed the lucrative sponsorship deal with tournament directors, which will see the event brought to over seven different European locations in the coming season. The recent 2009 event attracted top names in the snooker world, but the title was finally won by Shaun Murphy who beat his old time rival, John Higgins 6-2.
“We are delighted to announce Sportingbet.com as our partner for the next three years,” said John Higgins, co-creator and Executive Director of the World Series of Snooker. “Both myself and CEO Pat Mooney have been impressed with the enthusiasm and creativity shown by the team at Sportingbet.com. Like ourselves, they see the growth potential of this sport in Europe and it is our intention to further develop our existing events, bringing the total number of events staged in season 2009/10 to seven locations.”
“We are proud to be associated with the World Series of Snooker - it is an ideal partnership of two growing businesses in a growing market - a rarity in the current economic climate,” said Andy McIver, the Chief Executive Officer of Sportingbet. “We look forward to a long and successful association.”The new World Series of Snooker season begins in Killarney, Ireland next week already and excitement for the tournament is rising.
Obama Hears Online Poker Players
In commemoration of President Barack Obama’s first one hundred days in office, the White House has put into final publication form, the White House Citizen’s Briefing Book. Before taking office, President Obama asked citizens in the United States to make entries in the book about which issues they would like to see addressed.
Online poker players saw this as the perfect opportunity to have their say on the matter and made thousands of entries into the Citizen’s Briefing Book. As one poker player wrote: “Let online poker players in the United States play legally and without fear of prosecution. Reform the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to exempt poker, a game of skill, from the law. Boost the economy by letting American companies and American players make money and pay taxes instead of sending online poker businesses offshore. Protect online poker players by regulating the industry to ensure that no one is ever cheated.”
It was revealed that due to their continued efforts, online poker players may have President Obama hear their calls after all. The issue of poker ranked 11th overall in importance among the topics proposed in the White House Citizen’s Briefing Book, vying with issues such as the environment, security and health, among others. In addition, the issue also made first place in the technology category.
“Poker players around the country are speaking with one voice to protect the game they love, and the White House is hearing that message,” said John Pappas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA). “The popularity of online poker continues to grow, and the fact that poker is the top technology issue - and the 11th issue overall - proves that this is not a niche issue, but a national public policy that this Congress and this president should advance this year.”
Fastest Progressive Jackpot Won
32 Red online casino recently reported that a player, known as SP, won £39,500 after spinning the reels only 6 times on Cash Splash slot machine. The record win – which took place in only 13 incredible seconds – brought home the fact that Lady Luck could be just around the corner for anybody, nobody how long (or short!) their stay is at their favorite site.
“We were all amazed when SP won the Cash Splash jackpot so quickly,” said 32 Red Operations Manager, Pat Harrison. “Looking at just how few spins it took for her to win nearly £40,000 is quite staggering. A progressive jackpot win is a rarity and to land one in just 13 seconds of playing is a world record. We’ve congratulated SP and wish her the best of luck for the future”.