Issue N20, 2010
May 19, 2010
Betware to Offer Microgaming Games to Lotteries
Betware, the company that provides gaming solutions to state and national lotteries around the world, announced this week that it had signed a lucrative agreement with software provider Microgaming. Under the terms of the agreement, Betware will supplement its suite of games with over 85 different casino games provided by Microgaming.
“We are delighted to be able to license our casino games to Betware, which is truly a market leader in its field,” said the Chief Executive Officer of Microgaming Roger Raatgever. “Betware’s long history in gaming combined with its extensive lottery network will be beneficial in pushing the Microgaming brand into exciting new territories and markets. We look forward to a long and successful working relationship.”
Some of Betware’s clients include Danske Spil of Denmark, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation of Canada and two lotteries in Iceland.
“We are very proud and excited to be licensed to sell and market Microgaming’s casino games to growing markets,” said Stefán Hrafnkelsson, the Chief Executive Officer of Betware. “This agreement significantly expands our product offering, and provides our customers with a great opportunity to leverage on the fantastic success of the Microgaming brand. Ultimately we believe that this venture will not only be beneficial for the state lotteries we service, but for both ourselves and Microgaming too.”
New Exec for Paddy Power’s Board
Paddy Power, the Irish based gambling group, announced the appointment of a new executive to its Board in a bid to promote its online gambling sector. William Reeve, who founded LOVEFiLM.com, is no stranger to the world of online marketing, having created one of the world’s largest DVD rental services in Europe.
The Chairman of Paddy Power Nigel Northridge said: “I am very pleased that William has agreed to join the Board. William's understanding of the online market place and his track record of delivering consumer concepts via the Internet will be invaluable to Paddy Power as it continues to grow its online businesses. I look forward to him making a strong contribution to the development of the Group in the years ahead.”
Paddy Power has been moving further and further into the extremely lucrative world of online gambling and the group reported last year that its online division grew the most out of all its sectors with a 7% increase. All in all, Paddy Power’s online segment accounted for 75% of the group’s profits in 2009. The group reported strong trading results for the first 5 months of 2010.
UK Soccer Head Influences Betting Direction for 2018 World Cup Bid
If there is one guy who wishes he could take his words back, it has to be Lord Triesman, the chairman of the UK Football Association’s 2018 World Cup bid. Triesman reportedly made comments in what he thought was private, essentially accusing Russian and Spanish Football Associations of contravening FIFA regulations and taking bribes. Not only did the comments cost Triesman his job as chairman, but they also reduced England’s chances of winning the bid to hold the 2018 World Cup on home soil. After David Beckham presented the UK bid to FIFA last week, odds were 5/4 that the UK would win the bid, but these odds drifted to 7/4 after Triesman’s comments. Although England remains a favorite (11/4 Russia; 11/4 Spain and Portugal; 3/1 Australia), it is difficult to know how this incident will affect the odds and the UK’s chances in the long run.
Bets are also being taken to see who will replace Triesman now that he has had to step down. “Once again the FA shoot themselves in the foot and have not only damaged their bid but are now looking for their third chairman to lead the process,” said a spokesperson for Paddy Power. “As CEO of the bid Anson certainly has the knowledge and position to step up with minimal further disruption.”
Intralot and NetEnt to Partner in Italy
Net Entertainment will act as Intralot Interactive’s official partners for the provision of online casino games in Italy, it was announced this week. The two companies will operate under the INTRALOT brand name and will integrate the award winning CasinoModule onto the Intralot Gaming platform to serve the Italian market. “We welcome Net Entertainment as our on line casino partner in Italy. The CasinoModule will ensure that INTRALOT will offer a globally leading casino product to our player base,” said the George Zenzefilis, Director of INTRALOT. “Through this partnership INTRALOT will be among the first to offer on line Casino Games in Italy, after the upcoming liberalization of the market. This partnership will further allow the expansion of our product portfolio, in a fully integrated manner, offering our players a unique gaming experience.”