Sportsbook News
Betfair Poaches Paddy Power Second-in-Command
The world’s largest betting exchange announced Thursday it has hired away Breon Corcoran from rival Paddy Power to become its new CEO. Corcoran replaces David Yu.
The Financial Times of London reported that Corcoran’s Paddy Power contract was understood to have had a six-month notice period, with a non-compete clause for two-and-a-half months. As such, Corcoran is said to be on “gardening leave” until August.
Bernie Madoff and Ken “The Shrink” Weitzner: Birds of a Feather
American TV show "60 Minutes" ran a segment on convicted ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff on Sunday, and revealed how he and his wife unsuccessfully tried to commit suicide after he was exposed as a con man and arrested.
The story had an eerie similarity to the tale of Ken "The Shrink" Weitzner, the sleazy Internet entrepreneur who created a pair of websites devoted to gambling and who took his own life last year.
Many of the details of both men's controversial lives are coincidentally alike.
Such as:
*Both men were middle-aged Jews from New York.
Chris Christie Finally Backs Sports Betting in New Jersey: Voters Get Their Ballots
After initially supporting sports betting in the state then seemingly backing down, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie came forward Wednesday to offer his full support for the referendum appearing on next week’s ballot.
As Gambling911.com reported earlier in the day, a number of state residents have been notifying us of the referendum appearing on the ballot that would allow NJ voters to get sports betting legalized in the state.
According to recent polls, voters overwhelmingly support legalized sports wagering in the state.
888 Holdings Sees Record Quarterly Rise
Publicly traded 888 Holdings, which runs the 4th biggest online poker room in the world, has reported a record quarterly high.
888 climbed as much as 5.3 percent, the most since August 30, before trading 2.3 percent higher at 33.75 pence as of 9:10 a.m. in London, according to Bloomberg News Tuesday. This gives the Gibraltar-based company a market value of 117.1 million pounds ($187 million).
LSU vs. Alabama Betting Shatters Records for Gambling911.com
With an early release of betting odds for the LSU vs. Alabama College Football game this coming Saturday, Gambling911.com has seen some of its best traffic numbers for wagering coverage for a single regular season College Football game.
Germany Liberalises Sports Betting Market: Still Banning Online Poker Games
15 Prime Ministers in Germany overwhelmingly approved a measure that will liberalise the gaming market in that nation. Most advantageous to betting shop businesses will be the concession fee reduced from 17 to 5 percent.
Still, Germany will not concede when it comes to restricting licensed operators to 20 while continuing to ban online poker and casino games.
JAXX SE, a financial holding company with holdings in international companies in the gaming industry, believes the German restrictions will not fly with the European Commission.
Clive Archer Has Left The Building
BetOnline, the fastest growing sportsbook in the US, today announced the departure of Clive Archer. During his tenure within the organization, Clive held various roles including Director of Business Development and Chief Executive Officer. The parting was by mutual agreement.
“Clive very successfully helped us re-position the organization for growth and brought many in the industry to the BetOnline table,” said a BetOnline spokesperson. “We wish him only the best with all future endeavors.”
William Hill Shares Up: Claims Business Back to Normal
William Hill claimed operations were “back to normal” on Tuesday following a highly publicized walkout of its entire online staff based out of Tel Aviv, Israel, last week.
Following a drastic drop in the company’s share price and one analyst even issuing an advisory, Will Hill saw a slight increase of 0.26 percent at GBP2.285 valuing the company at GBP1.6 billion.
Its staff in Tel Aviv and two satellite offices in Manila and Bulgaria walked out following reports they would be relocated to the company’s Gibraltar headquarters.
Tel A-Heave Ho: Fish Feeder, Rabbi, Hairdresser on Books at William Hill Tel Aviv Office
The turmoil continues at William Hill following a mass exodus of employees in its Affiliates United Tel Aviv-based online support centre last week. The company revealed on Monday that it had canned three of its managers based out of Israel.
The support centre is 79 percent owned by Hill and 21 percent owned by its software provider, Playtech.
William Hill Execs Locked Out of Their Own Office: Implosion Within, Shares Fall
The riff between William Hill and its Tel Aviv-based online support and affiliate center, Affiliates United, continued through the weekend following a mass employee walkout last Sunday. Fewer than 20 employees reported back to work.
The Affiliates United employees were told by a former manager of the support center that they would be relocating to William Hill’s Gibraltar base.
Oklahoma Online Bookie Gets Four Years Behind Bars
An Oklahoma online bookmaker was sentenced to a four year prison sentence following a plea agreement that would require him to cooperate with prosecutors.
David Roy Tune, 62, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of violating anti-gambling laws and one count of conspiracy. Most of the wagers were placed online with a now defunct Costa Rica sportsbook.
It was revealed that Tune forwarded some of the money collected from losing bettors to a man in a man in Costa Rica beginning in 2008.
William Hill Promises Its Affiliates United Branch Staff Six Months Notice of Termination
The United Kingdom’s largest online bookmaker, William Hill, has promised its Tel Aviv-based online affiliate staff, Affiliates United (AffUtd), one month's extra pay and six months notice in the event their jobs are set to be terminated.
William Hill Share Price in Tizzy Following Tel Aviv Uprising
William Hill’s share price was -4.1p at 224.7p Wednesday as executives from the company tried desperately to quash an uprising in its Tel Aviv Internet support centre.
The company issued a statement on Tuesday that several higher-ups at that office would receive disciplinary action for suggesting to employees they were either being relocated to the company’s Gibraltar office or that their jobs might ultimately be disposed of altogether. More than 200 of the Tel Aviv employees abandoned their jobs as a result of this news.
William Hill Takes Action Against Tel Aviv Execs
England’s biggest bookmaker says it is taking actions against executives in charge of its Tel Aviv online gambling support center for wrongly telling employees they were being relocated to Gibraltar.
Headlines were made this week when more than 200 employees walked out after reports surfaced that the Tel Aviv office would be shut down. William Hill dispatched a team of senior executives to help quell concerns.
Mass William Hill Walkout Could Have Effect on Internet Business
The resignation of Eyal Sanoff, the chief marketing officer, from William Hill has prompted a mass walkout of over 200 staff members from the company’s Tel Aviv online support centre, the Sun reports. That office handles nearly all of William Hill’s Internet marketing.
The Israeli-based staff is worried over rumors that Hill’s CEO Ralph Topping is preparing to dump them and move all operations back to the United Kingdom and Gibraltar.
BetOnSports Founder Gary Kaplan Out of Prison
The founder of BetOnSports.com, Gary Kaplan, has completed his prison sentence in connection with running what was considered the biggest North American facing sports betting business of its kind during its heyday. Numerous sources have confirmed to Gambling911.com that Kaplan is out of jail, whereabouts unknown.
BetOnSports and nearly a dozen of its executives were indicted in July of 2006 just prior to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in October of that same year. Charges included racketeering, money laundering and mail fraud.
Online Sports Betting Way Up at Legends, BetOnline.com: Volume Way Down
Sportingbet Has Sold Its Turkish Business to GVC Sports
Following news this week that takeover talks involving Ladbrokes had fallen through, Sportingbet has sold its Turkish sports betting business to GVC Sports for €142.5m. Gambling restrictions in that nation forced the sale.
Andy McIver, Sportingbet’s chief executive, offered the following statement:
“Given our other big markets, Spain and Greece, have recently regulated their gambling markets, Turkey was the one which stood out [and] that has often been cited as an overhang on our equity,” he said. “So it was a question of when, not if.”
Gambling911.com is Panama Bound: Visiting Legendz Sportsbook, BetOnline.com
Gambling911.com heads to Panama City, Panama this weekend to visit two stalwarts in the online sports betting world, Legendz Sportsbook and BetOnline.com. We will also be visiting with pay per head operator PayPerHead.com, which is represented by none other than The Sopranos Johnny Sack.
Another Big Parlay Payout at BetDSI.com
The popular online sportsbook BetDSI.com has confirmed to Gambling911.com that it has paid out yet another massive parlay (ticket can be seen below).
“We had another big winner this past weekend as a guy hit a 12 team parlay risking $150 to win $150,000,” a BetDSI.com representative informed G911.
Ladbrokes Ends Acquisition Talks With Sportingbet
Ladbrokes and Sportingbet announced on Monday the two gambling firms have terminated merger talks as part of a mutual agreement.
A statement from Sportingbet on Monday said: “The boards of Sportingbet and Ladbrokes agreed to end discussions as the parties were unable to agree either a suitable structure or one that delivered sufficient value to shareholders in a meaningful time frame.”
Betfair Scandal: Critical Credit Card Hacking Data Withheld From Players
The world’s largest betting exchange, Betfair, has found itself in the middle of a major scandal that resulted in the firm’s Head of Security stepping down.
More than three million customers were affected by a massive credit card hacking scheme. The company made the situation worse by failing to advise customers. The hacking incident in question occurred over 18 months ago.
San Francisco Chronicle: Full Tilt Poker a Game Changer…We Say Not Really
The San Francisco Chronicle featured an interesting piece on the current crisis surrounding Full Tilt Poker and its impact on the Internet gambling sector as a whole.
Last week, US Feds accused Howard Lederer, Chris Ferguson and Rafael Furst of defrauding thousands of poker players out of more than $300 million.
Gambling911.com to Visit BetOnline, Lock Poker
Gambling911.com has announced its October 2011 schedule, which includes visits to Panama City, Panama (home of BetOnline.com) and a meeting with Lock Poker executives and poker pros in London next week.
“We are very excited to be visiting with two of the industry’s fastest growing brands,” noted Payton O’Brien, Senior Editor of the Gambling911.com website.
Sportingbet Still in Talks With Ladbrokes
Sportingbet revealed on Monday that it is still in discussions with Ladbrokes about a possible takeover.
Bookmaker $2500 Deposit Bonus Still Going
Bookmaker, the oldest established North American sportsbook online today, is still offering up to $2500 in FREE CASH.
Facebook Date From Hell Turns Into Ladbrokes Knifepoint Robbery
GTBets.com Takes Over VIP Sportsbook, BetGameDay.com and Nine.com
Liberal Economist Paul Krugman Calls BitCoin a “Stupid Currency”
Jenn Sterger Joins The Online Gambling Arena: Signs on With BetOnLine
