iGaming Business – Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has cited the growth of its online gambling business as the reason behind a jump in revenue, operating profit and EBITDA during the 12 months through to December 31, 2013. In its preliminary results for the year, the company posted net revenue of €745.2 million, an increase of 17% on the €662.7 million achieved in the previous year. Operating profit also grew slightly from €136 million in 2012 to €137.4 million in the last 12 months, whilst EBITDA also jumped 8% from €168.2 million to 176.9 million. The company highlighted the success of…

The Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance (TIGA), an alliance of Indian Tribes working collectively to bring Internet gaming to Indian Country within the framework of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and other state and federal laws, has received a letter of recognition and support from the Government of the Isle of Man, a leader in the iGaming industry. The letter, which was written by Peter Greenhill, can be viewed here. It states in part: “The Isle of Man (we) are pleased to recognize the treaty organization that is known as the Tribal Internet Gaming Alliance (TIGA). We recognize TIGA’s mission…

iGaming Business – Concerns that UK children are being too exposed to online gambling may lead to a tightening of the regulations allowing daytime TV adverts for online bingo sites and pre-watershed advertising for betting sites, the Independent on Sunday newspaper reported this weekend. Maria Miller, the Culture Secretary, “will face calls for an urgent review of the effects on children of a surge in daytime advertising for online bingo, saturation sports betting in football matches, and “free” betting on platforms including Facebook”, the newspaper said. Bingo is widely seen as a communal and leisurely form of gambling and its…

Calvin Ayre – A group of anti-gambling campaigners in Australia is threatening to launch a simulated sports betting website and mobile app specifically designed for kids as young as five years old. SimBet.com offers a tongue-in-cheek mission statement that sports betting is “only a problem for people that are no good at it!” Since “chances are that our kids are going to give it a go at some point,” SimBet feels duty bound to “teach our children about sports betting from a young age.” SimBet says it will launch its “innovative and child-friendly” site/app in February, offering “Sports Betting Fun…

Card Player – Illinois is one of the states in the thick of online poker discussions. Some there briefly flirted with a plan for the state lottery to get into the online casino games business, but those ideas quietly faded. As anticipated, discussions have resurfaced early this year. This week, John Pappas, who is at the helm of the Poker Players Alliance, testified in front of an Illinois Senate Committee on the topic of online gaming authorization. Pappas and his group are one of the strongest advocates for online poker in the U.S. The PPA boasts 1.2 million members. Pappas,…

AP – The Illinois Senate president says legalizing internet gambling could bring in much-needed revenue. But Chicago Democrat John Cullerton says he expects stiff opposition to any proposal. During a hearing in Springfield Wednesday, Cullerton says “people are already gambling, and we’re not making any of the money.” John Pappas is the executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, which says the state could bring in almost $200 million a year if it legalized online poker. Three other states allow the practice. Cullerton has pushed for online gambling before. But he says he understands there’s “a lot of complications,” including…