From iGaming Business – UK online gambling brand Sky Bet has agreed a five-year deal to become the new title sponsor of The Football League. From the 2013/14 season, the organisation’s flagship competition will be titled The Sky Bet Football League with its three division named The Sky Bet Championship, Sky Bet League 1 and Sky Bet League 2. In addition to title sponsorship rights, Sky Bet will also use the agreement to explore opportunities to offer customers exclusive access to competitions and promotional offers including access to The Football League match tickets. As well as offering fans access to…

From BBC – An education programme which aims to stamp out corruption and match-fixing among athletes has been extended after funding from three betting firms. The Professional Players Federation (PPF) has signed a three-year gambling education partnership with bookmakers bet365, Betfair and Ladbrokes. The PPF is an umbrella organisation representing more than 15,600 sportsmen and women in the UK. Now some 7,500 UK professional athletes will learn about gambling integrity. Sports Minister Hugh Robertson MP said the arrangement would “help safeguard sport from cheats”. “Educating players on betting integrity is a vital tool in the fight against corruption.” he added….

Online gambling company Bwin.party has agreed a three-year digital sponsorship deal with Italian champions Juventus, its fourth partnership with a top European team. Italian media reports suggested bwin.party had also acquired the naming rights to the club’s ground, Juventus Stadium, but there was no confirmation of this. Bwin.party will become a central part of Juve’s promotional activities, as well as being integrated into its various digital and social platforms. Italy is embroiled in a tide of match-fixing allegations but Juve’s link-up with Bwin.party was welcomed by both parties. “Working with the greatest names in football is all part of our…

There’s a sports betting court battle brewing, and people have been waiting for it for years. Right now, gambling on sports is legal in Nevada, where the Las Vegas casino sports books hum with activity under the glow of giant boards that show the point spreads. Just about everywhere else, it’s a black market, right down to the office football pool. Now, however, New Jersey wants a piece of the action — and it’s waging that they could reshape sports betting across the country. At stake is the staggering amount of money, up to $500 billion by some estimates, that…

From Los Angeles Times An appointee of Gov. Jerry Brown to the California Gambling Control Commission says the state could reap hundreds of millions of dollars annually if betting on sports were legalized. “There is the opportunity to raise money for the state,” Richard J. Schuetz told the Senate Rules Committee on Wednesday. “More importantly, it would remove a criminal element.” Although legislation has been introduced creating a format for legalized sports betting in California, Schuetz noted that Congress would first have to change federal law to legalize that form of gambling in California. A legislative analysis of the bill…

From New Haven Register Decades ago, the idea of a casino in Connecticut wasn’t on anyone’s radar. But in 1992, Foxwoods opened its doors and, four years later, was joined by Mohegan Sun. Up until recently, a Connecticut-based online horse race wagering operation wasn’t on anyone’s radar. But on June 8, Connecticut Off-Track Betting, operated by Sportech, Inc., debuted with a soft launch. Sportech is still working out a few “minor kinks” and plans an official debut with a hard launch in about three weeks. Massachusetts launched its statewide keno operation in 1993, but Connecticut state officials were concerned that…