Issue N49, 2009
December 23, 2009
888 To Buy Wink Bingo
A deal has been signed between the UK gambling giant, 888 Holdings, and one of the best performing online bingo brands in the world, Wink Bingo. 888 confirmed that it would be paying an initial £11.1 million in cash, with further payouts over the next 12 months on a performance basis. The deal could see 888 pay a maximum of £59.7 million for the brand which incorporates Posh Bingo, Bingo Fabulous and others. Wink Bingo boasts 60,000 members in its customer base.
“We are delighted to announce the Wink Bingo acquisition as an expansion of our B2C online bingo footprint in the lucrative UK market,” said Gigi Levy, the Chief Executive Officer of 888 Holdings. “The Wink team has a proven track record of excellence in marketing, CRM and execution and will be a great addition to our growing bingo business. In addition the transaction is financially attractive and will be earnings enhanced.”
Wink Bingo, currently owned by Daub Limited, will be operated by 888’s recently launched wholly owned subsidiary Dragonfish. Launched in 2008, Wink Bingo generated revenues of £15 million in the first 11 months of 2009.
Bookmakers Hit by UK Christmas No. 1 Facebook Campaign
An innocent protest group created on Facebook by a couple who were growing tired of the commercial hits being put out by Simon Cowell just before Christmas, turned into a full blown campaign – and the toppling of the giant. The group urged UK consumers to buy a decade old single Killing in the Name by the rock band Rage Against the Machine as a means to block X Factor winner, Joe McElderry’s single from reaching the number one spot on the UK charts.
Bookies were so confident of McElderry’s win that they had him as their favorite until practically the last minute. However, the campaign worked and 50,000 more copies of the highly expletive Killing in the Name were sold compared to McElderry’s The Climb. “We'll probably take quite a hit, quite possibly a six or seven figure hit,” said a spokesperson for UK bookie, William Hill. “The last time we had such an unpredictable Christmas No 1 was with Mr Blobby which badly stung bookies because no one expected that track to win.”
“We started the day with festive cheer, which turned into festive fear and now we are just in a festive rage,” he said.
Tomb Raider Slot Pays out Big on Mobile Casino
All Slots Mobile Casino, member of the Jackpot Factory group of casinos, was proud to announce that one of its members has won a $10,225 jackpot on the popular slots title, Tomb Raider. The winner, Karin D., who hails from South Africa, has only been a member of All Slots Casino for a month, making her victory extra sweet. Karin D. won the jackpot after accessing the casino from her mobile phone.
“It's always exciting to see our players hit it big on the mobile casino,” said a delighted David Brickman, Vice President of Player Affairs for Jackpot Factory in a joint statement with All Slots Mobile Casino. “With a wide range of compatibility with mobile phones, and an excellent variety of vibrant games, anyone can be a winner. Karin D. got lucky in only her second month at the casino - that's sensational!”
Tomb Raider is a Microgaming created online slot game that was inspired by the adventures of Lara Croft, adventurer extraordinaire. The game boasts five reels and fifteen pay lines and comes with substantial features such as wilds, scatters, free spins and an exciting bonus game.
Facebook Says No to Online Gambling
Facebook, the world’s largest social networking group, has announced a new series of restrictions pertaining to advertising on its site. As such, the group said that it would be fazing out advertising and marketing linked to online gambling. Other areas targeted by Facebook include 20 categories such as spy cameras, pyramid schemes, politically religious agendas and firearms.
Facebook said that the new restrictions would cover all areas of gambling, including bingo, sports book, poker and casino gaming. “Gambling, including without limitation, any online casino, sports books, bingo, or poker without authorization from Facebook,” read Facebook’s ‘Advertising Guidelines’ section 5 under the Prohibited Content section.
Nevertheless, Facebook users will still manage to find a vast range of gaming options, albeit for fun and not real money. These include gaming and poker applications. In addition, there is (as of yet) no prohibition against online casino sites creating their own Facebook pages to connect with their customers, or to create groups or fan pages.
An analyst said about the latest ban on gambling advertising: “This is nothing new for the gambling industry. They cannot even get their main source of income, the NFL, to acknowledge their existence, so it comes as no surprise that Facebook officials ran from the gambling issue as well.”