Gaming products designer and manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) has announced a 40% year-on-year rise in earnings for the third quarter after reporting a sharp increase in social gaming-related revenues. The company reported earnings of $65.7m (€49.6m) on the back of revenues of $579m, which is up by 8.7% on the corresponding period last year. Social gaming sales through the company’s DoubleDown online free-play casino, which was acquired by IGT last year, increased by 105% to $61m. DoubleDown offers more than 30 slot machines and table games and attracts an average of 5.4 million visits per month via social networking…

From Daily Racing Form – To supporters of efforts to repeal a federal ban on most types of Internet gambling, the question is not if the government will roll back at least some of its prohibitions. The question is when. Already this year, a New York representative has introduced a bill that would allow the federal government to sanction online gambling operations that accept bets from customers in multiple states. While the bill is not expected to go anywhere in this year’s congress, most horse racing lobbyists expect similar bills to surface each and every year until a ban on…

From iGaming Business – The Bulgarian State Gambling Commission has expanded its list of betting websites that are barred from operating in the country. The commission added 20 names to the list following a meeting on Wednesday to take the overall number to 94. The Internet domains that have been added to the blacklist include expekt.com, stanjames.com, sportingbet.com.au, bg.sportingbet158.com, mybet.com, betway.com, sbobet.com, 188bet.com, dafabet.com, betinternet.com, marathonbet.com, marathonbet.co.uk, bet3000.com, iasbet.com and six websites operated by Boylesports. FULL STORY

From PR Newswire –  International Game Technology (NYSE:IGT), a global leader in gaming systems technology, today announced the launch of the world’s first cross-platform video poker tournament in partnership with Casino Del Sol and IGT’s Game King™. For the first time, players can participate in a major video poker tournament across multiple platforms including mobile, desktop and on location at Casino Del Sol. “More than 1.5 million people have played Game King Video Poker at DoubleDown Casino since its launch in April, making it our fastest growing table game,” said John Clelland, Vice President of Global Marketing at IGT Interactive…

From Las Vegas Review-Journal – Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., said Tuesday she wants a House of Representatives committee to hold a hearing on the current state-by-state expansion of Internet gaming. In a letter to both the chairman and the ranking member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Titus said Congress needs to move quickly because Internet gaming is moving forward in several states, including Nevada. “Previous efforts in Congress to create a national legal framework for Internet gaming have failed and states have moved ahead of Congress to develop these laws and accompanying regulations,” Titus wrote. Nevada has…

From Net News Ledger – Anyone who opens their eyes to the popular media will know that online gambling has become a huge business in the UK, with revenues surpassing the £2 billion mark last year; surely good news for the treasury. The meteoric rise of online casino UK gambling is probably due to a number of factors, but there seems to be a distinct trio acting as a driving force: sports betting, the online casino, and the popularity of mobile internet devices such as smart phones and tablets. The online casino has really captures the imagination of a lot…