• Neteller Included In Merrill Lynch Index

E-processing company Neteller, which recently introduced an electronic wallet for online gamblers, experienced better share prices this week amid talk that the company has been included in an internet gaming index basket created by broker Merrill Lynch for its clients. Neteller's executive VP for Corporate Development, Dale Johnson told InfoPowa that the explosive growth of the online gaming sector has recently attracted the attention of the investment community, especially in the UK where online gaming is a regulated industry and where there are several publicly traded companies in the sector. "The visibility of this sector has been enhanced by the recent announcement that Party Gaming (which owns Party Poker) is intending to float on the London Stock Exchange with a value in the range of GBP 3 billion (US $6 billion), putting it on the FTSE 100," he said. "Although NETeller is not an online gaming company, it is presently seen by many in the investment community as a proxy for the industry because the majority of the world's online gaming merchants are registered with NETeller. Accordingly, NETeller has been included in the index basket that Merrill Lynch UK has established to better inform investors of trends in this sector," Johnson says. The MLSB index is comprised of the following stocks with corresponding weightings and listing exchanges: SportingBet 25.5 % London (AIM) NETeller 23.8 % London (AIM) Bet&Win 15.9 % Vienna UniBet Group 10.3 % Stockholm Boss Media 8.5 % Stockholm UK Bet 8.3 % London (AIM) BETonSPORTS 7.7 % London (AIM

> Read the full story here Source : InfoPowa News

• House Approves Regulations For Internet Poker

BISMARCK, N.D. - The idea of regulating Internet poker sites drew an inside straight in the state House, even though North Dakota's constitution would have to be changed to allow the sites to decamp here from offshore locations. Rep. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, sees the companies as a potentially rich source of licensing revenue, describing them in a House speech on Wednesday as eager to locate to a state that is willing to host and regulate them. If only 200 poker sites agreed to locate in North Dakota - a tenth of the number that are doing business - Kasper estimated each would generate $200,000 in licensing fees alone. Kasper's legislation also would require individual players to be licensed. "We only have one chance to be the first state in the nation that's going to regulate and license this industry," Kasper said. "This is our moment." Representatives voted 49-43 on Wednesday to approve the legislation. It would not take effect unless North Dakota voters approved a constitutional amendment to allow state licensing of Internet poker sites. The House has not acted on the amendment. Opponents of the legislation were dubious of Kasper's money dreams. [...]

> Read the full story here Source : GrandForks.com

• Hospital Worker Wins £743,000 Online

A HOSPITAL worker has scooped more than £743,000 on an internet casino game after placing a 20p bet. Ladbrokes confirmed the windfall was the biggest pay-out in its 120-year history as well as a UK internet record. Ted Reid, 40, from Aberdeen, hit the jackpot while enjoying an online bet on the bookmaker’s Major Millions game on Saturday night. Mr Reid said he did not want to wake his wife, Kathie, 46, as she was working early the next morning. The father of three said his first thought was that there must have been some kind of mistake. Mr Reid told the Sun newspaper: "I just couldn’t believe it. I sat staring at the screen thinking, ‘this must be a mistake.’ I lay awake all night watching the clock and wondering what I was going to spend the cash on." Mr Reid, who heads the porters department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, said he intends to carry on working. But he has promised to treat his wife to a new car and hold a party to celebrate his win on the fruit-machine style game. John O’Reilly, the managing director of Ladbrokes e-Gaming, confirmed the £743,760.57 win. Mr O’Reilly added: "We didn’t know whether to laugh or cry when Ted won our biggest payout. But we’re absolutely delighted for him."

> Read the full story here Source : ATEOnline.co.uk

• Playtech And Licensees In Massive Relief Mission To SriLanka

Nicosia, Cyprus, Feb 16 - Playtech and its licensees have announced that they will be co-sponsoring a large-scale humanitarian relief mission to send $1.8 million in medical supplies to Sri Lankan victims of the tsunami disaster that struck South-East Asia on 26 December 2004. The mission is being organized by Knightsbridge International (www.kbi.org), a non-governmental organization, in conjunction with other NGOs. Over the past month Knightsbridge has been flying into the region desperately needed medical supplies, food and medical specialists. Playtech and its licensees will sponsor one of these missions, which includes a fully-loaded 747 especially equipped for operations of this kind. Though much international aid has flowed into Sri Lanka in the five weeks since the disaster, which claimed over 150,000 lives and wreaked havoc on a further 5 million inhabitants, more yet will be needed throughout the year as the country struggles to provide long-term hospitalization, care and counseling for tens of thousands of its civilians. Knightsbridge International, co-founded and chaired by philanthropist Sir Edward Artis, provides humanitarian assistance and disaster relief worldwide. It has run large-scale operations in harrowing and devastated places such as Afghanistan, Rwanda, Chechnya and the Philippines. The medical supplies being provided by the relief mission will support over 10,000 people for over a year. Once on the ground the aid will be distributed through a large and well organized network of local centers - early volunteers included heavyweight boxing champion Evander Holyfield and Cincinnati Reds owner Carl Lindner. A spokesperson for Playtech commented: 'We and our licensees felt that the most effective way to helping out in this tragedy was to team up with the best. Knightsbridge has run missions in places no other aid organizations dared to venture. We know that they'll get the aid to where it has to get to.' On 3 January three members of the Knightsbridge International team departed on a two-week relief mission to India, Sri Lanka and Sumatra. You can see photographs and read testimonials of their exploits at www.playtech.com.

> Read the full story here Source : Press Release

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