BBC – “It does seem a bit odd that we make an investment in excess of, I believe, £7m in anti-doping in the UK but we don’t make the same level of investment in integrity,” he said. “Some form of funding mechanism that allows sports to protect their integrity, which is fundamental to their future viability, would be a very good thing.” An amendment to the Gambling Act is currently going through Parliament. If passed, it will force off-shore bookmakers operating in the UK to be licensed. There have been calls for the tax raised from such a move to…

iGaming Business – Pool and sportsbetting operator Sportech has signed an agreement with the Southern California Off Track Wagering horseracing governing body for a licence to allow it to operate in up to 10 retail venues in California. Under the licence, Sportech will also be able to offer customers the ability to bet on horseracing in a high-end sports bar and restaurant facility. The deal will enable Sportech to expand its Connecticut-based sportsbetting business to California, a US state in which there are currently just 36 locations where punters can place a horseracing bet. Sportech will open the first new…

iGaming Business – Three local councils have joined a list of authorities that have announced their support for an initiative to encourage the Government to restrict fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) in the UK. According to a statement from the ‘Stop the FOBTs’ campaign, Fareham Council, Brighton and Hove City Council and Preston Council have all voted in favour of restricting FOBTs. The addition of the three new councils comes shortly after Liverpool City Council and Hackney Council passed similar motions proposals last month, with the former calling for an outright ban on FOBTs. Although the number of FOBTs per…

iGaming Business – Olympic Casino Group Baltija, a subsidiary of land-based casino firm Olympic Entertainment Group (OEG), has been issued a licence to offer sportsbetting games in Lithuania. Under the licence agreement, OEG will begin to offer sportsbetting in the country from the first quarter of 2014. OEG will offer its sportsbetting services under the OlyBet trademark, which was launched in August of this year. In addition to establishing an online sportsbetting platform, OEG will also expand its network of OlyBet Sports Bars into Lithuania. SOURCE

Forbes – The recent round of match fixing allegations causing anxiety in European football circles is a reminder that sport betting has become a real problem child for the gambling industry. Banned in most markets around the world, with the notable exceptions of the UK, France, Spain and Italy, it continues to be a huge illicit industry. According to sports data analysts Sportradar, worldwide sports betting revenues are now worth anywhere between $700-billion and $1-trillion a year, with only a tiny fraction of this amount passing through the coffers of national exchequeurs. About 70% of that trade is estimated to…

iGaming Business – UK bookmaker Ladbrokes has launched its new mobile sportsbook on Mobenga’s platform, Playtech’s mobile gaming subsidiary. The new sportsbook features a new interface and navigation menu, ‘push’ notices to promote relevant and timely prices, live streaming of horseracing and a quickbet option that allows players to place single bets almost immediately. The full launch follows a limited release in August to a small number of customers to gather feedback and test functionality. The announcement also comes shortly after the formation of an exclusive partnership between Ladbrokes and the mobile technology specialist Chelsea App Factory, which has a…

BBC – Football is never far away from its next scandal and allegations of match-fixing certainly dent the reputation of the beautiful game. But is it right to call the recent claims of wrongdoing “match-fixing”? Sam Sodje, a former Portsmouth player, was filmed by an undercover reporter claiming he could arrange for footballers to be booked for a £30,000 fee and a sending-off for £50,000 to £70,000 in order to facilitate betting fraudsters. Six people have been arrested, including DJ Campbell, the Blackburn Rovers striker. Emotive terms like “plague” and “cancer” have been used in the media and there have…

iGaming Business – Two non-league footballers that were arrested as part of a National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into an alleged international betting syndicate and match-fixing in English football have been bailed until Friday. According to the BBC, Whitehawk FC players Michael Boateng and Hakeem Adelakun are accused of conspiring to defraud bookmakers by influencing the course of football matches and placing bets. The pair were not required to enter a plea during and spoke only to confirm their names and addresses during a short hearing at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court. Boateng and Adelakun were charged on November 5 and have…