GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 18 - October 2011

WEBMASTER NEWS “Americans should be able to play poker online in the privacy of their homes knowing that the games are safe and fair. FairPlayUSA is committed to ensuring a strict regulatory framework for online poker, and I am pleased to be part of its advisory board.” – Poker professional Mike Sexton Betsson reaches deal with Arsenal Football Club “We are really excited about our Italian venture.The combination of a high passion for sports and gaming makes Italy one of the most important markets in our international expansion plans.” – Henry Birch,CEO of William Hill Online,on the company’s new Italian site “Full Tilt Poker apologizes for its lack of communication with its customers over the last month and a half, but it has been grappling with unexpected and complex legal and financial issues arising from Black Friday and its aftermath.” – Official FullTilt Poker statement,dated August 22 “I do believe there’s a will in Congress to correct this.There’s a sense of inevitability that this ought to be something people should do and that we ought to clean up the regulatory and policing environment for it and that’s what we’re seeking.” – Caesars Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman on regulated online poker in the U.S. “The term‘unlawful Internet gambling’ does not include placing, receiving, or otherwise transmitting a bet or wager where...the bet or wager is initiated and received or otherwise made exclusively within a single State.” – N.J.Senator Raymond J.Lesniak, in a letter to U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder “After 3 months off of online poker, I’d forgotten about downswings. Oh well. Still happy to be playing. I love the game. ” – Tweet by American online poker pro Phil Galfond, who moved to Canada to continue to play “In order to ensure the brand’s expansion is not affected by negative perceptions, both in the U.K. and elsewhere in emerging markets such as Asia,where Bodog88 is already successful, a decision has been made to withdraw the Bodog brand from the U.S.market at the end of 2011.” – Official statement from the Bodog brand Quotables “We also believe a significant amount of progress has been made on intrastate Internet gaming to the point where, absent unforeseen circumstances,we fully expect an objective proposal will be developed during the interim in time for consideration when the Legislature reconvenes in 2012.” – California State Sen.Darrell Steinberg S TOCKHOLM, Sweden — Betsson Business Solutions has signed a three-year B2B contract with one of the most prestigious football clubs in the world, Arsenal Football Club (“the Gunners”). Betsson becomes the club’s Official Betting Partner, providing bet- ting services both online under www. gunnersgaming.com and in-stadia for Arsenal fans through a newly created brand, GunnersGaming by Betsson. Arsenal has a global fanbase and boasts the highest-paid membership in world football, with just under 200,000 mem- bers last season alone. Betsson will provide and operate a com- plete gaming solution including Betsson Casino, Betsson Sportsbook & Betting Exchange and Betsson Poker. With a clear Arsenal-branded solution and exclusive Arsenal-specific prizes Betsson will de- liver a unique offering. The solution will be launched immediately. “We are delighted to be welcoming Betsson on board as an Official Partner of the Club, an experienced and trusted brand who will be delivering this inno- vative new venture. Through designing a range of gaming products specifically for Arsenal fans, we intend to offer our supporters a valuable and unique expe- rience that we hope will have no rival to our supporters,” says Vinai Venkatesham, Arsenal’s Head of Global Partnerships. “Signing these kinds of B2B deals with a football club like Arsenal shows what a technically attractive partner Betsson is today. This is also a good opportunity for Betsson to gain a part of the regulat- ed U.K. market,” says Betsson CEO and President Magnus Silfverberg. Webmaster News