Reuters – Online gambling company Bwin.Party said this year’s soccer World Cup would help it to return to growth after problems in Greece and a shift away from riskier markets cut earnings in 2013. Bwin.Party is concentrating on fewer markets where regulations are more clear cut and is expanding in the United States as gambling rules are relaxed there. Rival Betfair, another of a cluster of online gambling companies that have grown up over the past decade, is pursuing a similar strategy. “Having streamlined the shape and size of our business we now have the foundations to return our business…

Calvin Ayre – The eyes of the horseracing world are quite rightly fixated on Cheltenham, but the world’s greatest National Hunt horse race is just around the corner, and Betfred is going to be a name you will see quite a lot during the biggest horse racing date in the calendar. The Manchester outfit has signed a three-year deal to be the ‘Official Betting Partner’ for the Crabbie’s Grand National Festival in April. Fred Done, and his band of merry men and women, will sponsor three races at the three-day meet at Aintree: the Betfred Bowl Steeple Chase on the…

USA Today – This is the month in Las Vegas you’ve been waiting for. Starting this weekend, everything college basketball takes over this town. The Orleans Arena hosts both the West Coast Conference (March 6-11) and Western Athletic Conference (March 12-15), the Pac-12 (March 12-15) plays at the MGM Grand Garden Arena while Mountain West (March 12-15) tips off at Thomas & Mack. After that, things start to get serious, when thousands of college basketball aficionados take over Las Vegas (and its sports books). Here are a couple of choice spots to catch all the action (plus, bonus baseball!) and…

Times of India – Five men were arrested for betting on a cricket match from a flat at Versova’s Yari Road on Saturday evening. The accused were betting on the Asia Cup final between Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A raid was conducted around 4.45pm in flat 303 of Shiv Shakti society by the Social Service Branch (SSB) of Mumbai police. Those held are Rajendra Kaul alias Jojo, Rahul Kumar Tuli, Rajendra Sanchla, Ramesh Nohani and Asim Hanif Khan. Rs 1.07 lakh in cash were seized, besides a laptop, 26 mobile phones and other equipments. A case was registered under provisions…

iGaming Business – Asian gambling operator Ball2Win has teamed up with online gaming specialist UltraPlay to launch a mobile version of its internet sportsbook. The new mobile sportsbook service will allow customers to access pre-live and in-play betting. Rather than release a mobile app for the new service, Ball2Win said customers can instead access the sportsbook on their mobile device by visiting the sports section of the Ball2Win website. Jason Tan, director of Ball2Win, said the company opted against developing an app as it saw such technology as a “thing of the past”. “If your phone can access it directly,…

iGaming Business – Australian entertainment group Crown Resorts has agreed a one-year extension to its shirt sponsorship deal with the National Rugby League’s Melbourne Storm rugby league team. Crown Resorts has sponsored the club since 2011 and the new deal will extend this relationship through to the end of the 2014 season. Under the deal, Crown Resorts branding will continue to appear in the main sponsorship position on the front of Storm players’ jerseys. “Melbourne Storm is delighted to see the club’s partnership with Crown Resorts enter into its fourth year; it is a strong relationship and they continue to…