Sportsbook News
Andy Murray Helps Betfair Smash Record After Slow Football Start
Betfair, the world’s largest betting exchange, revealed on Tuesday that the Wimbledon final was its biggest ever market following reports that the company has gotten off to a slow start with Premier League wagering.
Betfair.com reports that more than £58 million of bets were taken on the July tennis match in which Murray lost to Roger Federer but ultimately went on to secure his first ever Grand Slam title in New York.
Skybook.com Owner Sentenced to 2.5 Years in Prison
A St. Charles, Louisiana man, Anthony Buttitta, 43, has been sentenced to 2.5 years behind bars for tax evasion. He and his father, Dominic Buttitta, 69, of South Barrington, plead to two felony counts filed against them in U.S. District Court and were sentenced Friday by U.S. District Judge Milton Shadur.
Terror in Costa Rica as More Earthquake Videos Surface (Video)
San Jose, Costa Rica, is, and has been for over 15 years, the epicenter of online gambling. Up until recently even PokerStars, the world’s largest “real money” online poker firm, maintained a base there.
San Jose is an epicenter for something else.....EARTHQUAKES!
Costa Rica Earthquake Causes Significant Damage: Online Gambling Businesses Fine
The hub for several dozen online gambling businesses, San Jose, Costa Rica, was spared any significant damage from Wednesday’s 7.6 magnitude earthquake just 100 miles to the west.
7.9 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Online Gambling Hub of San Jose, Costa Rica
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake has hit the online gambling hub of San Jose, Costa Rica, one of the worst quakes in some time. The earthquake hit at 14:42 UTC, just before 9 am local and 11 am EDT.
The quake was not directly located in the San Jose region where most online gambling companies are set up. Employees were rattled by the event as one of the biggest weekend’s in online sports betting is about to kick off.
Nearby Cities
David Gzesh Confirms Sale of Seized Online Gambling Domains
Michael H. Berkens of TheDomains.com has confirmed that attorney David Gzesh purchased and put up for sale online gambling domain names previously seized by US authorities.
Online Sportsbook Seeing Nice Spike Ahead of NFL, College Football Betting
The boutique online sportsbook, Northbet, tells Gambling911.com they are already seeing some decent traffic coming in ahead of the upcoming College Football and NFL betting season, economy aside.
“The economy is always a factor, but we don't expect it to be any different than the past 2 years,” a Northbet representative tells Gambling911.com. The company is heading into its third College Football and NFL betting season.
Pay Grandma BetFred! Bookie Berated in London Press
The headlines these past 24 hours have been jarring.
From the Daily Express: I’ve Won 200-1 Bet on My Grandson at Olympics….But Bookies Won’t Pay Up
From the San Francisco Chronicle: British Bookmakers Won’t Pay Out Grandmother’s Winning Bet
Heritage Sportsbook Joins the Winning Poker Network: First Time to Offer Online Poker
One of the oldest online sportsbooks, the member referral Heritage Sports, has just joined the Winning Poker Network. A number of top sportsbooks utilize the network including Bookmaker.com, BetDSI.com, betCRIS.com and 5Dimes. Americas Cardroom is Winning Poker Network’s marquee brand.
Congressman John Tierney May Face Ethics Probe in Connection to ‘Bookie-Gate’
Eight-term Massachusetts Congressman John Tierney continues to fight for his political career after it was revealed that three nonpartisan open-government groups want the Democrat investigated by the House Committee on Ethics.
Tierney is accused of failing to publicly disclose more than $200,000 that his wife received while managing a bank account with money that came from her brother’s illegal gambling business.
‘Kite Marks’ for Online Gambling Could Encourage Operators to Obtain License in UK
Regulators in the United Kingdom have proposed using a “kite-marking system” as a means of encouraging operators to seek regulation there.
Mass Congressman John F. Tierney Under Fire for Dining at Antiguan Bookie’s Home
“Dinner at my wife’s brother’s house. I don’t think that people would think that’s extraordinary,” Massachusetts Congressman John F. Tierney said at a recent news conference.
That is unless your brother-in-law just happens to be Bobby Eremian, one of the first men to set up an offshore sports betting company on the island of Antigua where Tierney and his wife were invited guests.
BetED.com Head Gets 2 Years Probation in ‘Blue Monday’ Online Gambling Conviction
Darren Wright, the 43-year-old head of now defunct online gambling outfit BetED.com, has been given two years probation for his role in running the establishment.
Wright was charged with bank fraud and aiding and abetting in regard to running an illegal gambling operation.
Bookmakers May Become Extinct Like the Dinosaurs
The Ice Age killed off the dinosaurs and it appears the Internet may soon kill off the bookmakers.
What is widely considered the second oldest industry in the world after prostitution, bookies throughout Ireland have had to contend with the Internet and turnover numbers that have seen a massive 19 per cent decline during the first half of 2012.
Defendant in ‘Blue Monday’ Online Gambling Indictment Sentencing Sealed
No word yet on the fate of Darren Wright, the 43-year-old head of defunct online gambling company BetED.com and ThrillX.
Wright was caught up in a sting operation organized by the US Attorneys Office in Baltimore resulting in charges of money laundering and aiding and abetting of an online gambling business back in May of last year. The investigation took place over a nearly two-year period.
BetED.com Head Darren Wright Arraigned Monday
A defendant caught up in a Maryland US Attorney online gambling sting operation has been arraigned. Update: Sentencing was under seal.
Big Boss at Paddy Power Appears on ‘Undercover Boss’
Soon-to-be Head of Operations for Ireland’s biggest bookmaker Paddy Power, William Reeves, is currently appearing on tonight’s episode of “Undercover Boss”, airing in the UK.
888 Poker, Casino Revenue Stun Investors: Share Price Rises 14 Per Cent
The week ended solid for 888 Holdings, parent company of the world’s 4th largest online poker venture, 888Poker.com.
Stocks sored up 14 per cent on news that company profits were “materially ahead”, due in part to a strong presence in the Spain market.
The firm is now the second-biggest player in the Spanish poker market after PokerStars.
Ladbrokes Slashes Odds on Heathrow passport Queues During Olympics
(Reuters) - Queuing and gambling, two popular pastimes in Britain, will be especially prominent during the looming London Olympics, starting at Heathrow Airport's arrival terminals it appears.
The slow pace of immigration checks has come under fire as Olympic officials and athletes begin arriving for the two-week Games and a leading bookmaker has already made it a racing certainty that an hour-long wait will be experienced.
Paddy Power Passes Preliminary Review to Operate Online Gambling Site in Nevada
While it is yet to name a potential business partner from the US, the United Kingdom’s third largest bookmaker, Paddy Power, was granted a preliminary finding of suitability to operate in Nevada by state gaming regulators Wednesday.
"The U.S. is a key potential new market for us," Paddy Power Chief Executive Officer Patrick Kennedy said on Wednesday. "We're looking at all opportunities in the U.S., but our expertise is in online gaming. That's obviously what we're looking at doing in Nevada and in other states."
Euro 2012 Marred Results at Bwin.Party
(Reuters) - Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment (BPTY.L), the world's largest listed online gaming group, said a run of predictable results in the Euro 2012 championship marred a solid performance in its casino and bingo operations in the second quarter.
The company said its trading performance since the beginning of April was broadly in line with expectations, with solid performances in bingo and casino being offset by continued pressures in poker.
Congressman John Tierney Vows to Stay in Race Following Gambling Allegations
Massachusetts Congressman John Tierney has said he will stay in the race to hold his House seat despite allegations he knew of an “illegal” offshore wagering site that employed his wife Patrice.
Tierney’s wife served as an accountant for her brothers betting company based out of Antigua.
Euro 2012 Boosts Betfair Revenues
By Keith Weir
LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) - The Euro 2012 soccer tournament helped online gambling exchange Betfair to report strong trading on Friday, with the development of mobile apps seen as a driver of future revenue growth.
The online bet-matching company, set up 12 years ago, reported a 15 percent rise in underlying profits (EBITDA) from its core businesses to 92 million pounds ($142.66 million) in the year to April 30. Betfair shares rose 2.8 percent to 755.5p by 0825 GMT.
William Hill Goes to War With Betfair Over Horse Racing Levy
William Hill, England’s biggest bookmaker, wants to force Betfair customers into contributing to a horse racing levy. Betfair prides itself on being the largest betting exchange. Because there is no middleman (a bookmaker) as part of the betting exchange business model, customers of Betfair have thus far been exempt from paying money towards horse racing.
William Hill will plead its case in court over the coming week.
Not The Best Week for Ladbrokes: Profit Warning has Investors Heads Spinning
Ladbrokes shares fell 12 percent on Thursday following a profit warning issued by the company. Profits for Ladbrokes online unit are expected to be half what they were for this period compared to last year. Follow Gambling911.com on Twitter for all the latest Ladbrokes news.
Gambling News: Did Congressman John F. Tierney Knew about Sports Betting Business
This is the latest gambling news as published June 29, 2012 during the overnight and early morning hours including breaking news that Massachusetts Representative John F. Tierney may have known about his brother-in-law’s offshore sports betting business. Wife Patricia was convicted of aiding her brothers in running the Antigua-based operation. Please follow us on Twitter here for up-to-the-minute breaking news.
BetOnline.ag Investors Acquire Majority Ownership of SportsBetting.ag
A group of investors, consisting of shareholders from BetOnline.ag, are excited to announce a sizeable investment into online gaming site SportsBetting.ag.
With the transition come significant improvements to the SportsBetting.ag brand; including bigger bonuses, faster software, better odds and most importantly – reliable payouts.
A representative from SportsBetting.ag touched upon the upgrades:
Intertops.com Stops Accepting New US Players Unless Invited
While no official statement has been released by Intertops.com, the oldest online gambling site in the world has stopped accepting new US registrants for the time being in all spaces unless invited by other players. This includes sports betting, poker and its online casino.
The decision appears to have been made without much notice as only yesterday the following tweet was made by Intertops:
Intertops Stops Accepting New US Players
Intertops.com, which recently became part of the newly branded Revolution Network, has stopped taking new US customers at this time.
Details of this decision were not immediately known.
Upon attempting to sign up from within the United States, the following message appears.
Thank you for your interest in Intertops! Unfortunately, we are unable to accept new customers from your country or region at this time.If you believe you received this message in error please contact our customer support team.
Blue Monday Online Gambling Defendant Must Pay $100 Fine
On June 8, 2012, software professional David Parchomchuk appeared in Maryland Court to face charges stemming from last year's Blue Monday indictments. He accepted a DOJ plea bargain which saw him plead guilty to conspiracy to conduct an illegal gambling business for which Judge Catherine Blake fined Parchomchuk $100, along with 2 years of unsupervised probation. Prior charges of money laundering were dropped by the DOJ.
