iGaming Business – Online gaming operator bwin.party has agreed a three-year deal, from 2013-14 to 2015-16, to become the official online betting and gaming partner of BC Oostende, Belgium’s most successful basketball team. As part of the deal, bwin.party will be able to create apps, games and widgets that feature the branding of BC Oostende. The company will also benefit from a range of in-stadium branding, ticket and match day promotions, as well as access to players for unique customer experiences. In addition, the operator will also be integrated into the club’s online and social media channels. “This agreement reinforces…

Even if it was legal, the amount of sports betting on the Super Bowl in New Jersey was probably significantly reduced by the Giants’ awful 0-5 start. However, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia ruled in a 2-1 decision last month that New Jersey does not have the right to legalize sports betting, a blow to the state’s casinos and horse racing tracks which would have benefited from the potential millions of dollars in revenue generated by the game being played at MetLife Stadium. Lawyers for the state had maintained that the U.S. Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of…

Wall Street Journal – Federal prosecutors are investigating whether the top executive at Cantor Fitzgerald LP’s gambling unit participated in his company accepting illegal sports bets, according to people familiar with the matter. The potential alleged involvement of Lee Amaitis—a senior executive at the securities firm who founded Cantor Gaming nine years ago—came to light after a former executive at the unit, Michael Colbert, pleaded guilty to knowingly accepting illegal wagers. His plea was disclosed in federal court documents unsealed late last month. Cantor Fitzgerald, best known as a bond brokerage, operates sports books through its Cantor Gaming unit. The…

iGaming Business – A mystery investor has acquired a near 3% stake in Ladbrokes for £37.1 million (€44.2 million/$59 million), sparking fresh speculation of a possible takeover bid for the UK bookmaker. The UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper said that the investor is Playtech founder Teddy Sagi, who made the deal either through his own account or that of Playtech, in which he holds a 49% stake. Playtech already has a relationship with Ladbrokes, having been hired by the bookmaker to overhaul its poor performing digital business – something that has been highlighted as the main cause of four profits warnings…

The Lakers, who called the Thomas & Mack Center their Las Vegas home for years, have moved down the street to the MGM Grand Garden. The arena, which is set up for just more than 13,000 seats, about 5,000 fewer for basketball than the Thomas & Mack, purchased its own floor a year ago and now has the ability to host an NBA game. It was a move the Los Angeles Lakers likely would have made years ago — had their new Las Vegas preseason home had a basketball court. But the relocation is more than just about basketball. It’s…

iGaming Business – The National Hockey League (NHL) is to target the mobile gaming market as a way of increasing the growth of the North American ice hockey competition, according to the NHL’s vice-president of mobile marketing and strategy, Chris Golier. The Insidemobileapps.com website said that Golier and the NHL had identified mobile as a key platform on which to target fans. Golier said the NHL has utilised its strategic partnership with online video technology firm NeuLion to create a number of new apps and experiences for both current and potential fans. “This season we’ve launched a few mobile games…