Daily Nambling Notes - July 30, 2002

Makin' Deals -- Rank Interactive Gaming Ltd. , a wholly owned subsidiary of leisure and entertainment giant Rank Group Plc, has chosen OpenBet software from Orbis and WagerWorks' WagerWare casino software to support HardRockCasino.com. The Web site will operate under Rank Interactive's license issued by the tightly regulated Isle of Man government. ... Eric "Butterbean" Esch is the latest boxer to agree to wear a GoldenPalace.com henna tattoo to a fight. Esch will fight Larry Holmes on Sept. 27 in Norfolk, Va. Golden Palace issued a press release stating that Esch "has by far the largest real estate available in the boxing community, and it was only a matter of time before GoldenPalace.com rented the space." ... 1X Inc. , a developer of online exchange-based software, has selected Phantom Fiber Inc. to develop wireless solutions for its deployment of the world's first wireless betting exchange. The terms of the agreement call for Phantom Fiber to create wireless-betting solutions that can be downloaded onto hand-held devices from 1X's partner Web sites. In turn, 1X will develop alliances for the deployment of Phantom Fiber's wireless solutions as well as introduce a staged rollout of its wireless solutions for 1X's SportMarkets.

Tidbit from Down Under -- BMM International, the independent testing group based in Melbourne, said today it has developed a new system to verify a gaming system's integrity. Unlike old methods, the new system will allow operators to make minor changes to their games without having to retest them. James Sargeant, a senior computer systems engineering consultant at BMM, said the model offers both an effective solution for regulators and a commercially attractive prospect for gaming operators. "Perhaps most importantly, players will have another good reason to be attracted to operators in regulated jurisdictions," he said.

Tidbit from the UK -- England's MPs recently released a report stating that the liberalization of betting laws "will not result in a flood of new players getting hooked on gambling." In recent months, church leaders and psychology professionals have openly opposed the government's plan to ease gambling restrictions, which is scheduled for the 2003-2004 session of Parliament.

New Stuff -- Interspace Enterprises Inc.'s online entertainment site, Planetlotto.com, is adding a keno game to its offerings, which already include lottery, bingo, and scratch card games. Planetlotto.com's keno will allow players to wager between 25 cents and $10 and choose up to 10 numbers. ... UltimateBet.com is getting involved in The World Poker Tour to combine online with land-based play. The site will be offering 86 free trips to Aruba for players who qualify; Aruba is where the Ultimate Poker Classic $100,000 main event, which will be televised, is to be held. ... Online gambling site PokerStars said today that its recent World Championship of Online Poker generated a prize pool of $809,050 over the course of nine events. The final event, which was on July 28, had a prize pool of $238,000. The winner of the final event took home $65,000.

Middle Eastern Tidbit -- Islamic Action Front (IAF), Jordan's most influential Muslim opposition group, responded with opposition to the government's ruling that setting up casinos in the Red Sea resort of Aqaba would not violate Jordanian law. The IAF said, "Jordan is a Muslim country... and licensing casinos contradicts (our) belief, the constitution and the interests of the country."

Say What? -- "Illegal sports gambling cases are federal law enforcement's old reliable. The FBI's competence in terrorist matters might be questioned daily in the nation's press, but those wily old illegal bookmakers continue to take a beating from Buffalo to Curacao."

--Columnist John L. Smith, in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, July 30