17 January 2007 GPWA Times Newsletter

"GPWA Approved Portal" seal awarded to 85 sites
Twenty new sites have been recognized as operating in accordance with the GPWA code of conduct. This brings the total number of approved sites to 85 since the approved portal seal program was officially launched five weeks ago to establish credibility for deserving websites. If you operate a portal website and have not yet applied for the seal, we encourage you to join the program.


Last Chance to attend CAP Euro for free
Attendance at CAP Euro is free for GPWA portal webmasters, but only if you register in advance. Join the action next week in London and register now.

GPWA party time in London at ICEi and CAP Euro
London is definitely the place to be next week. Besides great opportunities to learn, how about setting a new record with six consecutive days of fabulous parties. Get the inside scoop on what's happening.

New GPWA directory available
We have a brand new GPWA directory available that includes background information on the GPWA, a directory of GPWA members, member portal sites, and GPWA sponsor affiliate programs. Stop by our booth at ICE or CAP Euro to pick up your copy, or we'll mail you one if you won't be there.


Spotted Dog Media has announced they are looking to acquire iGaming portals and advertising sites. Their focus is on established sites that have a proven history of directing traffic to online casinos, sportsbooks and poker rooms. The company is currently negotiating with a few portal owners, and they expect to finalize the terms of their first acquisition at the CAP Euro conference in London later this month. In addition, Spotted Dog’s primary mission at CAP Euro is to identify and begin discussions with other prospective businesses that are available for sale. Interested parties should email or call Joe Harkins at Spotted Dog to arrange meetings at the conference. Email joeh@spotteddogmedia.com, or call 604-980-5361. Additional details are available in the Spotted Dog Media Buying iGaming Portal Sites thread in the GPWA Forums.


NETeller founders charged with money laundering
NETeller founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre were arrested Monday and are being charged with laundering billions of dollars of Internet gambling proceeds, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia announced Tuesday. "Blatant violations of U.S. law are not a mere 'risk' to be disclosed to prospective investors," Garcia said. "Criminal prosecutions related to online gambling will be pursued even in cases where assets and defendants are positioned outside of the United States."

Pinnacle Sports stops accepting U.S. bets
The world's largest online sportsbook just got a lot smaller. Pinnacle Sports, which was founded in 1998, announced last week that it is no longer accepting bets from customers located in the United States. "If (Internet gambling sites) have any kind of exposure in the United States, or if any of their executives are traveling in the United States, certainly they risk arrest and prosecution for violating the law," said David G. Schwartz, Director of the UNLV Center for Gaming Research.

Margolis joins Tropical Poker
Fans of model Cindy Margolis, widely known as the most "downloaded" star on the internet, can now play poker with her online every Wednesday and Saturday at Tropical Poker. In addition to playing, Margolis will also chat with players and be featured in Tropical Poker ads.

Online gambling in the news
From Brits gambling at work to mobile gaming projections, we scan the Internet for the latest online gaming information.


Our interview with Gnuf.biz's Gustav Lipcsey marks the debut of our new Q&A series with affiliate program managers. The goal of this series is to deliver fun and informative interviews that give you a personal feel for the people you're working with, and we hope it will foster rewarding and productive relationships between GPWA members and sponsors. Lipcsey is a senior account manager of Gnuf.biz, the affiliate program for Gnuf.com, whose new website has just launched.
Read the Interview