Sportsbook News

GVC Looks Towards More Acquisitions Following Sportingbet Success

(Reuters) - GVC is looking at further acquisitions after turning around the Sportingbet businesses it acquired last year, the online gambling company said on Wednesday.

GVC, one of the smaller players in the sector and listed on the AIM stock market, said operating profit more than doubled to 38.3 million euros ($52.8 million) in 2013, boosted by moving Sportingbet into the black.

"We are now ready for the next stage in our corporate development and further geographic expansion through organic growth and acquisitions," Chief Executive Kenneth Alexander said.

Submitted by Reuters on, Apr/09/2014

Intrade Co-Founder Brings Back TradeSports Prediction Market Platform

Originally debuting as TradeSports, the now defunct Intrade is being reincarnated using the original branding strategy.

Intrade Co-founder Ron Bernstein is starting a test phase for his company on Monday (April 14, 2014).

“Sports are always going to be the best laboratory for prediction markets,” he says. “All those things now are just recorded and data-mined and discussed.”

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Apr/08/2014

Ladbrokes Made £1Billion in One Month From 'Crack Cocaine' of Gambling (Video)

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has announced his administration is about to embark on a crackdown of the so-called “crack cocaine” of gambling, high speed, high stakes gambling machines that have, until now, proven especially profitable for bookmakers.

Just how profitable?

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Apr/06/2014

Former Legends Sportsbook Employee Deported Back to Panama

A high level former employee of the now defunct Legends Sportsbook will be deported back to Panama after serving nearly a year in home confinement in the USA.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Apr/01/2014

PPH Baseball Betting: Status of Kershaw, Pujols Will Impact L.A. Teams

The man who was considered to be the favorite to win the National League Cy Young award at WagerHome.com was Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but there is some question as to whether PPH bettors may have to recalculate. 

Submitted by Don Shapiro on, Mar/31/2014

Paddy Power Takes Bets on Which Animal Will be Killed Next at Copenhagen Zoo

In recent weeks, when one thinks of the word “shameful” throughout Europe, three things come to mind:  Putin, Copenhagen and Paddy Power, and not necessarily in that order.

BetOnline

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/28/2014

William Hill, Ladbrokes Shares Hit Again Following UK Budget Woes, Downgrades

Leading UK bookmakers William Hill and Ladbrokes witnessed yet another share decline on Monday following a downgrade and unfavourable football results over the weekend.

BetOnline

Hill dropped 1.33% Monday, Ladbrokes dropped 0.53%.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/24/2014

What is the Minimum Money Amount to Open an Online Betting Account?

Many Gambling911.com readers ask this question:  What is the minimum to open an online wagering account to start betting?

While the amount differs between sportsbooks, typically $25 to $50 is required to fund an account before you can start wagering.  $50 to $100 is usually the amount needed to take advantage of bonus offers.

Actual bet minimums can be as low as $1 though $10 to $25 is the average wager placed online ($50 via the phone).

Examples from various online sportsbooks appear below. 

Submitted by Don Shapiro on, Mar/20/2014

Paddy Power Pistorius ‘Will He Walk’ Bet Ad Most Complained About Ad Ever

The UK Advertising Standard Authority (ASA) has said that Irish bookmaker Paddy Power’s Oscar Pistorius murder trial 'Money Off If He Walks' ad was the single most complained-about advertisement ever recorded.

Paddy Power was forced to pull the ad after the ASA issued it a dire warning.

The ASA in its findings released Wednesday said: "We acknowledged that the ad had appeared in the context of a high profile murder trial that had received extensive media coverage and was of interest to the public.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/19/2014

Ladbrokes Boss Rewarded £4.7m: 85 Per Cent Pay Raise: Still Faces August Axe

Richard Glynn may be on the hot seat if he can’t turn things around at the UK’s second largest bookmaker, Ladbrokes.  Glynn has already been issued a dire warning that he will be getting the axe come August if financials don’t improve come August.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/18/2014

BetOnSports Founder Gary Kaplan Assessed $36.5 Mil Tax Bill

BetOnSports founder Gary Kaplan will have to pay $36.5 million to the IRS after losing an appeal.

Kaplan’s attorneys initially argued double jeopardy as he was already ordered to pay the US government $44 million after having served a 51-month prison sentence.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Mar/17/2014

Paddy Power Defends Taking Bets on Oscar Pistorius Murder Trial: Angry Tweets

Controversial Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has defended its decision to offer betting on the outcome of Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial.

Pistorius, a paraplegic runner, claims he shot into a locked bathroom believing an intruder had entered the residence he shared with Steenkamp.  Instead he fatally wounded his girlfriend.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mar/03/2014

What is a Good Pay Per Head for College Basketball?

With March Madness just around the corner, you might be asking yourself What is a good Pay Per Head business to handle your players for College Basketball?

Real Bookies has just joined the Gambling911.com family and we are thrilled to have them on board.

So what can Real Bookie offer your players?

Here is just a sampling:

Submitted by Payton on, Mar/03/2014

Neteller Returns to the US: Shares Surge Nearly 3 Percent

Online payment solutions company Neteller announced Monday that it will be relaunching services in the US.

The company was forced to flee the US market in January 2007 after two of its founders were charged with violating anti-gambling laws.  The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was passed just two months prior to the highly publicized arrests, with Gambling911.com breaking that news story.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Mar/03/2014

Man Sentenced to 15 Months in Jail for Running Online Sportsbook

A Stamford, Connecticut man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in running an illegal online sportsbook that authorities claim had ties to organized crime.

U.S. Attorney Deirdre M. Daly announced Wednesday that Silverio Califano, 53, of Stamford, was sentenced Feb. 26 by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford followed by three years of supervised release.  He must also forfeit $40,000 and was fined another $4000.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Feb/27/2014

Dire Warning for Ladbrokes Head: ‘Better Capitalize on World Cup or Else’

Embattled Ladbrokes CEO Richard Glynn faces the axe this coming August if he can’t turn things around at the UK’s second largest bookmaking firm. 

BetOnline

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Feb/26/2014

Canbet Players Owed At Least Half a Million GBP: Screwed Customers Revolt

SBR Forum, a popular sports betting social media outlet, has recorded a total of 255 customers owed in excess of 500,000 GBP by insolvent Canbet.com, one of the first online sportsbooks to burst onto the scene back in the late 1990’s.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Feb/24/2014

Ifrah Law Claims Success With Kentucky Web Gambling Domain Seizure Case

Ifrah Law PLLC, a Washington, D.C.-based law firm focused on complex civil and criminal litigation, secured a major victory for its client, the Interactive Gaming Council (IGC), on Friday when the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled that the trade association could intervene in a long-standing in rem forfeiture proceeding on behalf its members.

Submitted by Press Release on, Feb/24/2014

Kentucky Court Overturns Seizures of Online Gambling Domain Names

A Kentucky Appeals court ruled Friday (February 21, 2014) that the state cannot seize 132 online gambling domain names.  The court determined that a trade organization, the Interactive Gaming Council, can step into the 6-year-old case and represent operators of named websites.   An earlier ruling declared that trade organizations such as IGC and the now defunct Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) lacked standing.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Feb/21/2014

Another Man With Ties to Legends Sports Gambling Ring Plead Guilty

Timothy Robillard, 44, pleaded guilty Monday to one felony charge of running an illegal gambling operation.  The former Albany, New York corrections officer faces a year of conditional discharge and a $25,000 forfeiture of profits when sentenced in April. 

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Feb/18/2014

CAN’T-Bet: Canbet Freezes $300k: Punters Issue Death Threats, File Lawsuits

Once among the most prestigious Australian online bookmakers, Canbet is now finding itself mired in scandal after freezing approximately $300,000 in player funds.

The reason: Financial restructuring, a gentle way of saying the company is having financial problems.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Feb/13/2014

Guardian Newspaper Launches Sports Betting Site GoWager.co.uk

Move over Ladbrokes, William Hill and Paddy Power.  Here comes some stiff competition from a branding concept we all know, the Guardian Newspaper.  And they just entered the sports betting business with GoWager.co.uk.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Feb/05/2014

Sports Betting Ring Taken Down in Rhode Island: 13 Arrested

Thirteen individuals were arrested as part of a crackdown on illegal sports betting in Northern Rhode Island Tuesday.  All were arraigned in District Court Providence during the afternoon.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Feb/04/2014

Sportsbook Promos - February 2014: WagerWeb.com Bonus Code

With Super Bowl 48 now history, we have new sportsbook promos and bonuses being offered for February 2014.  WagerWeb.com has slightly altered its sportsbook bonus offerings for the remainder of February, post Super Bowl.  Your WagerWeb.com bonus code is AF6067 for February (write it down).

Submitted by Payton on, Feb/04/2014

Companies That Accept Bitcoin – Including Online Gambling

This week, NASDAQ.com released a listing of companies that accept bitcoin and these mainstream (some not-so-mainstream like Virgin Galactic perhaps) are listed below.  But we also list online gambling companies that currently accept the anonymous digital currency as of February 1, 2014.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Feb/04/2014

WagerHome Tools Make Customer Management Easier For ALL Pay Per Head Agents

Anyone who is running a sports betting service, or is aspiring to do so, and wants to enter the 21st-Century way of doing business is going to want his or her players to have access to a genuine sportsbook interface, just like the "pros" use. That is possible through the phenomenon of "Price Per Head," or "PPH," and nobody in this business does it quite like WagerHome.com.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Feb/03/2014

Online Gambling Site Shut Down: Programmer Pleads Guilty

A local Roanoke, Virginia restaurant owner and programmer were charged with running an online sports betting site that was being served out of Costa Rica.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Jan/30/2014

Singer Susan Boyle Applies for Job With Bookmaker Ladbrokes

Say what? 

Could one of the best voices in music today, Susan Boyle, have fallen on hard times?

People Magazine has revealed that Ms. Boyle, 52, recently applied for a part time gig at British bookmaker Ladbrokes.

The 16-hour-a-week job at the Blackburn, Scotland shop pays $10 an hour.

Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes says, "We were as shocked as Simon, Amanda and Piers when Susan asked about the part-time vacancy. She once applied for a job with us before hitting the big time, so it's good to see she's still dreaming the dream of working for Ladbrokes."

Submitted by Jordan Bach on, Jan/27/2014

New Bitcoin Sportsbook CoinBet Debuts in Times Square: Hot or Dangerous Trend in 2014

A new bitcoin-only sportsbook made its debut smack in the middle of Times Square this past week, advertising on the Reuters interactive billboard.

Coinbet.cc is one of the newest online gambling sites to enter the lucrative bitcoin Web gaming market.  This appears as if it will become a pretty significant trend as we move forward into 2014.

But it could prove to be a dangerous one as well.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Jan/27/2014

Daily Beast: Cantor Gaming CEO Lee Amaitis 'Bromance' With Billy Walters Lead to Probe

Following news last week that CG Technology, formerly Cantor Gaming, having settled with the Nevada Gaming Control Board for $5.5 million following an 18-page complaint lodged against that company, the Daily Beast speculated as to why CEO Lee Amaitis remains at the helm.

Submitted by Alejandro Botticelli on, Jan/22/2014

Breaking News