iGaming Business – The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has launched a formal investigation into an advert from bookmaker Paddy Power that offered betting odds on the outcome of the ongoing murder trial of Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius. The athlete is currently on trial in South Africa accused of the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, in February 2013. Paddy Power is offering people the chance to bet on the outcome of the trial, with the advert in question featuring an offer for those who place a bet. The advert appeared in national press, as well as on Paddy Power’s…

iGaming Business – Online gambling marketing firm Cashcade, the owner of the Foxy Bingo and Cheeky Bingo internet bingo brands, has awarded its media planning and buying contract to full media communications agency UM London. The Brand Republic website reports that the contract, which was awarded after a competitive pitch, is worth £8 million (€9.7 million/$13.3 million). The appointment will see Cashcade move from independent media agency Concord, but would not affect Foxy Bingo’s creative shop, The Biscuit Agency. UM London has begun working with the brands and has already negotiated the renewal of Foxy Bingo’s sponsorship deal with The…

Playtech founder Teddy Sagi is to sell £212 million (€257.6 million/$353 million) worth of shares in the online gaming software supplier, a sale that would amount to 10% of his stake in the firm. The Reuters news agency reported that Sagi’s Brickington Trading company would sell 29.3 million shares at 735 pence each through a secondary offer. The sale would leave Sagi and Brickington Trading with a 39% stake in the Playtech company. The company said that the placing, the book for which will close no later than the end of trading on Wednesday, would allow for increased liquidity in…

iGaming Business – Social gaming company Zynga is to ‘soft launch’ three updated versions of its core mobile titles as part of an effort to boost its presence in the mobile gaming sector. According to the Reuters news agency, ‘FarmVille 2: Country Escape’ went live on Monday of this week while updated versions of ‘Zynga Poker’ and ‘Words With Friends’ will be rolled out by the end of June. FarmVille 2: Country Escape includes a number of new elements such as a virtual goods exchange while players will also be able to play offline. Zynga said the new versions of…

Philly.com – Having proposed and then scrapped a plan to build a casino in Atlantic City, the Seminole Indian tribe of Florida appears to be interested in the New Jersey gambling market again. The tribe, through its Hard Rock franchise, has made filings with state casino regulators indicating it may take another shot at establishing a presence here. Hard Rock, the global casino and entertainment company, asked New Jersey gambling regulators for a ruling on whether the tribe would need to qualify for a casino license should the company acquire or build one here. The company has been rumored for…

Telegraph – William Hill, Britain’s biggest bookmaker, celebrates its 80th anniversary this year and it’s worth reflecting on how the business has changed. The company used the anniversary of Ralph Topping’s six years as chief executive on Friday to highlight progression during his tenure, from a predominantly UK-focused business, reliant on high street betting shops for 80pc of its revenue and profit, to one which now generates 48pc of its operating profit from its online and Australian operations. The former was built in partnership with software group Playtech – now no longer a partner – while William Hill bought Sportingbet’s…

AP – Caesars Entertainment Corp. is selling four properties to a separate unit that it controls for about $1.8 billion as it restructures its debt. The sale of Bally’s Las Vegas and the other three properties is valued by the company at about $2.2 billion, when debt and renovations at the Quad Resort & Casino are included. The other assets include Harrah’s New Orleans, and The Cromwell, which will open later this year and was formerly known as Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon. Caesars Acquisition Co. expects the deal to close in the second quarter. Caesars Entertainment will manage the…

Cincinnati.com – Churchill Downs executives say they remain “heavily engaged” in the pursuit of casino gambling in Kentucky. In a conference call Thursday with stock analysts about the Louisville-based racetrack and casino company’s 2013 fourth-quarter and full-year earnings, Churchill Downs Inc. Chief Operating Officer Bill Carstanjen said that it’s “getting to crunch time of the session. We have some cause to be optimistic, but our issues are wrapped up in other issues that can affect us that are hard to predict.” Representatives of Kentucky thoroughbred tracks and racing commission member Frank Jones met with state House Speaker Pro Tem Larry…