Casino City Times – Gaming leaders are looking at leveraging the release of a feature film that depicts the seedier side of illegal Internet poker to raise awareness of the need for proper regulation of online wagering. American Gaming Association (AGA) President Geoff Freeman, in an e-mail to the organization’s board of directors last week, said the October 4 release of “Runner Runner” presents the Washington, D.C.-based lobbying group an opportunity to state its case for Congress to pass regulations governing Internet gaming in the U.S. The movie, which stars Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake, centers on illegal offshore Internet…

iGaming Business – Online payment processor Skrill, a partner of numerous sportsbetting companies, has been sold to private equity group CVC Capital Partners. Bahrain-based investment vehicle Investcorp said that it had agreed to sell Skrill for €600 million ($800 million). CVC has acquired a 75% stake in Skrill, with the deal being funded by about €250 million of equity as well as debt financing provided by Credit Suisse, RBS and Jefferies. Investcorp, which invested €105 million for a controlling stake in Skrill – formerly called Moneybookers – six years ago, will retain a “substantial minority position” and a seat on…

iGaming Business – Betsson and Mr Green have become the first high-profile gaming operators to strike partnerships with PugglePlay, a Swedish start-up payment solutions provider that allows players to deposit amounts using their mobile phone numbers. According to the Casinos-online.co.uk website, the invoice-based solution for the Swedish online gaming market enables customers to enter their telephone number and an SMS code to complete a purchase. PugglePlay was founded in 2012 by Kristofer Ekman Sinclair and Johan Friss, who both boast gaming experience having worked for payments firm Klarna and online gaming company Betsson respectively. White label service provider Plus-Five also…

Washington Post – The billboard hard by the Atlantic City Expressway is supposed to speak for a single casino, not an entire company town. But Revel Casino Resort’s marketing slogan resonates loudly throughout this struggling seaside resort. “Gamblers Wanted,” it says. And how. Atlantic City, the erstwhile East Coast gambling mecca, is on an epic losing streak; over the past six years, competitive and economic forces have crushed the local casino economy, driving revenue down more than 40 percent. Once, the city that inspired the board game Monopoly had its own gambling monopoly on this side of the country. Now,…

iGaming Business – The London Affiliate Conference (LAC), now in its eighth year will be taking place in London on the 6th – 9th February 2014. Conference organisers, iGaming Business, have today announced that the conference will be moving to a new venue for 2014, the Earls Court Exhibition Centre in London. Last year, the event was a huge success with over 3,000 people in attendance – the biggest London event to date. And this year, to accommodate for the increased number of delegates and exhibitors, the conference has had to move to a bigger venue. Earls Court Exhibition Centre…

iGaming Business – Nextpeer, an Israeli start-up that specialises in making mobile games multiplayer-enabled, is launching its service for Android devices after a successful debut on the Apple iOS platform. The company’s software development kit allows players to compete directly against friends or random players. “When people think about playing together in mobile games, we want the first thing that goes through their head to be Nextpeer,” Shai Magizmof, the company’s chief executive officer and co-founder, said. The integration process manages push notifications, Facebook challenges, analytics and cross-promotions. In other news, wagering platform Small-Bet has announced a new partnership with…

Like to gamble? Why not stay at a casino hotel where you can play? From Foxwoods in Connecticut to the Ibiza Gran Hotel, take a trip with Lady Luck to these top casino hotels. You can bet our selections include The Donald. 1. Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut Better known for Ivy Leaguers and autumn leaves than slot machines and five card stud, Connecticut offers a pleasant surprise in the form of Foxwoods Resort casino hotel. Owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, this property is actually home to six casinos, along with two Rees Jones-designed championship golf…

iGaming Business – Jimmy Vaccaro has left his role at William Hill US, a subsidiary of UK bookmaker William Hill, to take control of the race and sports marketing division at Las Vegas-based South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa. According to LineMakers.com, the position was created especially for Vaccaro, who held a similar role at William Hill before his exit. In his new job, Vaccaro will look after South Point’s new mobile phone app that allows customers to place sports wagers from anywhere within the US state of Nevada. Vaccaro said: “In the next three years, there will be a…