Nambling Notes - April 22, 2008

As expected, the Poker Players Alliance announced Wednesday that it has surpassed its 1 million member watershed. The group has come a long way since doing its first interview with Interactive Gaming News in October 2005, when Sam Gorewitz, then chairman of the grassroots advocacy group, said it planned to serve "around 100,000 members." IGN would also like to use this occasion to salute Nancy Krause, sales director at Clarion Gaming, who has taken up the post of PPA state director for Missouri.

GMANews.com, the news portal of Philippines-based Global Media Arts Inc., reports Sports Games Entertainment Corp., an online gaming service provider, has lost its bid to recover 185 million Philippine pesos, or $4.4 million, from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation after the Court of Appeals ruled that Sports Games' petition was falsified.

L. Errol Cort, finance minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told Antigua Sun the following regarding this month's hearing on the U.S. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act:

"I'm not surprised in terms of the position taken by the American Bankers Association and other interest groups because the legislation seems to be quite onerous. It seems to put a lot of burden on the banking sector to be police man for the Congress and the banks are pushing back in respect of that particular situation. The matter is very fluid. We're watching it because if that bit of legislation is operationalized, it would really cause serious, serious difficulties for the industry -- so we have a keen interest in the matter."

Las Vegas Sun reports the California Internet poker study bill, sponsored by Assemblyman Lloyd E. Levine, Democrat of Van Nuys, has not gained an endorsement from Nevada casinos, which the paper says "benefited enormously from the boom in Internet gambling a few years ago." In the same piece, Anthony N. Cabot, a Las Vegas attorney and gambling law expert, said the State of Nevada lacks the "political courage" to propose online casinos.

Two Way Ltd., the New South Wales-based interactive entertainment group, will next week launch its TV wagering service, Sky Racing Active, with partners Tabcorp Ltd. and Foxtel, the pay television company. Two Way said Wednesday that Foxtel and Optus TV subscribers will be able to access the service in New South Wales and Victoria from Monday, April 28. The service provides detailed information on all thoroughbred, harness and greyhound race meetings on which Tabcorp is conducting wagering each day.

Gaming VC Holdings, the Germany-facing online gambling operator, said it was "delighted" with its full-yearly performance. Highlights included a 5.2 percent rise in net revenue from $64.95 million to $68.3 million. The company also lauded the acquisition of Maltese licensure and the launch of its Italy-facing sports book, Betaland.com. Due to the difference in time Wednesday, IGN was unable to reach C.E.O. Kenneth Alexander to determine whether Audley Capital Management, a U.K.-based investment advisory group, was behind last week's preliminary approach.

Probability, the London-listed mobile gambling operator, on Wednesday said trading in the three weeks since the end of the fourth quarter has been "very strong," adding that, if current momentum is maintained, it could expect to deliver profits ahead of current expectations.

On the London Stock Exchange Wednesday, Gaming VC was down 4p, or 1.69 percent, to 232.00, and Probability was up 3.50p, or 5.3 percent, to 69.00.