Issue N48, 2010
December 1, 2010
NetPlay Founder Resigns
The founder of NetPlay TV Plc, Martin Higginson, announced that – effective immediately, he would be stepping down from his role as group chief executive in order to focus on the “increased activities” of his own investment company, M Capital Investment Partners. Higginson managed to grow NetPlay from a small operation to one of the most successful in the United Kingdom, which takes bets of over £40 million each month. Players are able to enjoy live gaming and interactive TV shows on several UK channels, including ITV1 and Channel 5.
The man to take over Higginson is Charles Butler who joined from the sports betting group, Bowman International at the beginning of the year. “The recent successful placing and implementation of our revised strategy have created the opportunity for me to hand the reigns over to Charles,” said Higginson. “I have enjoyed working with him over the past 12 months and I am confident he has the right skills to take the business to new heights. I would like to personally thank everyone who's been involved with making NetPlay TV the business it is today.”
Butler responded that it had been a pleasure to work with Higginson since joining NetPlay. “Martin has used his considerable entrepreneurial skills, energy, and vision to grow NetPlay TV from being a small entrepreneurial business to a major UK media business,” he complimented. “It now delivers its unique converged TV, internet and mobile casino product on both ITV1 and Channel 5.”
Cyprus Eyes Online Gambling Ban
The Mediterranean island country of Cyprus is hoping to convince the European Union that its proposed online gambling ban is legal, despite the fact that EU member states are not allowed to place restrictions on cross-border services. Cyprus announced that it is hoping to put the ban into effect by the end of this year, citing growing crime rates in the country due to online gambling. “The police have repeatedly underlined – publicly in fact – that online gambling is the originating cause of many crimes – whether these involve loan sharking, or threats, or blackmail or even taking people hostage illegally,” said a spokesman for Cyprus police, Michalis Katsounots. “We have pointed out these dangers in various memos that have been submitted to the relevant authorities.”
It is believed that Cypriots spend €2.5 million a year gambling online, partly because there are no legal land based wagering options for them. Cyprus will be using the example of Portugal, which managed to convince the EU that its online gambling laws are in place to protect the public’s interest. As such, Portugal was allowed to implement a ban.
PKR.com Named Poker Operator of the Year
The leading online poker room, PKR.com has added yet another feather to its cap in the form of a prestigious award. The site was named Poker Operator of the Year at the coveted eGaming Review Awards, which took place in London last week. The event was a glittering affair, held at the Honourable Artillery Company and hosted by comedian Jack Whitehall. Some of the competition that PKR came up against in this field included 888, William Hill Online and Party Gaming.
“The EGR Awards are very important for the online gaming industry and it is a fantastic achievement for PKR to have won this prestigious award,” said the Chief Executive Officer of PKR, Malcolm Graham. “2010 has been an astounding year for us and we look forward to adding this title to this year's portfolio, which also includes the top spot in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100.” PKR.com was founded in 2004, employs 100 staff from around the world and has been named Poker Operator of the Year at the 2010 International Gaming Awards.
Big Progressives Waiting to be Won at Vegas Palms Online Casino
Online casino, Vegas Palms Casino, the online casino operated by the Fortune Lounge Group, reminded players in a statement that there are massive progressive jackpots waiting to be won at the site. The group said that the Mega Moolah jackpot, which links games such as Mega Moolah Isis, Mega Moolah Summertime, Mega Moolah Five Reel Drive and the original Mega Moolah, has a prize pool that has climbed to over €2.5 million. The King Cashalot jackpot has also passed the million Euros mark. Mega Moolah is definitely proving to be an exciting game to play at Vegas Palms with increased rewards opportunities for players to delight
“The reason these games are increasingly popular among players could certainly have to do with the progressive nature of the jackpot,” said the online casino in a statement. “The premise surrounding these games is simple, the more players that deposit, the more the jackpot increases. This jackpot will continue to grow until a player has successfully claimed victory.”