Press Release: Proposed Merger with bwin; Change of name to bwin.party digital entertainment plc; Publication of Shareholder Documents
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On 29 July 2010, PartyGaming Plc and bwin Interactive Entertainment AG (‘bwin’) announced they had agreed the basis of a Proposed Merger of both companies. The Proposed Merger will create the world’s largest listed online gaming business, with pro forma unaudited net revenues in 2009 from continuing operations, of €696.2 million, pro forma unaudited Clean EBITDA from continuing operations of €193.7 million, and pro forma unaudited profit after tax from continuing operations of €99.4 million (excluding transaction costs) for the year ended 31 December 2009 and pro forma unaudited net assets as at 31 December 2009 of €1,276.7 million (after consolidation adjustments).
PartyGaming is pleased to announce that a key milestone in the process has been reached with the publication today of the Prospectus (the ‘Prospectus’) and a circular to its shareholders (the ‘Circular’) containing further details of the Proposed Merger and also a series of proposed resolutions (the ‘Resolutions’) to be considered at an extraordinary general meeting of all shareholders to be held on 28 January 2011 (the ‘EGM’). One of the proposals to be considered is to change the Company’s name on completion of the Merger to bwin.party digital entertainment plc (‘bwin.party’).
Copies of the Prospectus and the Circular will today be submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at www.Hemscott.com/nsm.do.
The Circular will be posted to PartyGaming’s shareholders tomorrow and copies of the Prospectus and Circular will be available to download from the Group's website tomorrow.
Completion of the Merger is conditional upon, amongst other things, approval of the Resolutions by PartyGaming’s shareholders at the EGM. At the end of the Circular, PartyGaming’s shareholders will find a notice convening the EGM to be held on 28 January 2011 at 2.00 p.m. (CET) at The Eliott Hotel, 2 Governor’s Parade, Gibraltar.
A summary of the expected timetable to Completion is set out below:
bwin EGM
10.00 a.m. (CET) on 28 January 2011
PartyGaming EGM
2.00 p.m. (CET) on 28 January 2011
The following dates are indicative only and subject to change. Please see note (1) below.
PartyGaming Court Hearing to sanction the Merger
15 March 2011
Last day of dealings in Existing bwin Shares
25 March 2011
Last day of dealings in Existing PartyGaming Shares and Effective Date
31 March 2011
De‑listing of Existing bwin Shares from the Vienna Stock Exchange
close of trading on 31 March 2011
De‑listing of Existing PartyGaming Shares from the London Stock Exchange
8.00 a.m. (London time) on 1 April 2011
Expected Admission and commencement of dealings in bwin.party Shares, Completion
8.00 a.m. (London time) on 1 April 2011
CREST accounts expected to be credited with Depositary Interests in respect of the bwin.party Shares
on or around 1 April 2011
Notes:
(1) These dates are indicative and assume that the requisite regulatory clearances have been obtained and other conditions to Completion fulfilled before the date estimated for Completion. The expected dates following the PartyGaming Court Hearing will depend, among other things, on the date upon which the Court sanctions the Merger and the timing of the satisfaction of all the conditions to Completion. If any of the above times and/or dates change, the revised times and/or dates will be notified by announcement through a Regulatory Information Service.
Copies of the Prospectus, the Circular and other documents noted in the Prospectus and Circular as being available for inspection may be inspected during normal business hours on each Business Day from today up to and including the Expected Admission and commencement of dealings in bwin.party Shares at the registered office of the Company, being 711, Europort, Gibraltar, at the offices of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, 65 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1HS, United Kingdom, and will also be available for inspection at the Extraordinary General Meeting for at least 15 minutes prior to and during the meeting.
Capitalised terms used but not defined in this announcement have the same meanings as set out in the announcement released by the Company at 11.03 a.m. BST on 29 July 2010.
Press Release
bwin and PartyGaming present details on the merger
Announcement by bwin Interactive Entertainment AG (“bwin”)
Below is the text of an announcement issued today by bwin.
bwin and PartyGaming present details on the merger
bwin.party digital entertainment will be the world’s largest publicly listed online gaming provider.
Vienna, 23 December 2010 - The merger plan presented by bwin Interactive Entertainment AG and PartyGaming Plc will create the world's largest publicly listed online gaming group – a group that will be ideally positioned to take advantage of the rapid consolidation of the online gaming industry and to open up new markets around the world. The annual synergies resulting from this merger are expected to total approximately 55 million Euros: it is anticipated that about three quarters of this amount will be achieved in the financial year 2012, with full synergies from 2013.
Brands to be retained
“The online gaming industry is going through a phase of consolidation, making market players’ size and geographic diversification more crucial than ever,” explains Norbert Teufelberger, Co-CEO of bwin. The new company will operate worldwide with its existing brands under the name of bwin.party digital entertainment plc, in which current bwin shareholders are expected to hold 51.7 per cent of the shares and current PartyGaming shareholders 48.3 per cent. “Our products and target markets complement one another perfectly, and we can continue to expand our technology lead in all key product segments: sports betting, poker, casino, bingo and games,” according to Teufelberger.
Strong capital structure and customer liquidity
Like PartyGaming in the past, bwin.party will have its headquarters in Gibraltar and be listed on the London Stock Exchange. Besides a clear focus on B2C products, the company will also steadily expand its B2B and B2G business. “Our many years of online know-how, healthy balance sheet, and one of the largest pools of poker liquidity in any regulated market will make us an attractive business partner,” clarifies Teufelberger, who will head up the company as Co-CEO together with Jim Ryan, PartyGaming’s current CEO. The business operations of bwin in Austria will be retained, where a newly founded subsidiary, bwin Services AG will support selected areas of the group in Vienna.
From merger plan to completion
The merger plan published today contains full details of the planned merger, and can be downloaded together with other documents from bwin’s corporate website at www.bwin.org. The Executive Board of bwin will be convening an Extraordinary General Meeting on 28 January 2011 at which it will recommend shareholders to vote for the merger. Provided the general meetings of both bwin and PartyGaming approve this merger, all shareholders holding bwin shares when the merger becomes legally effective – expected to be towards the end of the first quarter of 2011 – will receive 12.23 PartyGaming shares denominated in GBP for each bwin share. This share swap will be carried out automatically and free of charge.
Any shareholders not wishing to become shareholders in bwin.party can sell their shares beforehand on the Vienna Stock Exchange or exercise their entitlement to a cash settlement. The amount of the cash settlement has been set at 23.52 Euros. The exchange ratio and the cash compensation amount have been confirmed as adequate by independent experts.
About bwin
The bwin Group has over 20 million registered customers in more than 25 core markets. On a number of different platforms, the Group offers sports betting, poker, casino games, soft and skill games, as well as audio and video streams of top sporting events such as the German Soccer League. The holding company bwin Interactive Entertainment AG is listed in the ATX on the Vienna Stock Exchange (ID code BWIN, Reuters ID code BWIN.VI), and as the parent company provides various services such as software development, marketing, communications, human resources and finance for its subsidiaries and associated companies. The operational business of the bwin Group is carried out by subsidiaries and associated companies on the basis of licences (e.g. Germany, Italy and Gibraltar). Full details about the Company can be found on its investor relations website.
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12/24/2010
12/23/2010
Australian Gambling, Entertainment And Media News, by Greg Tingle - 23rd December 2010
G'day again and Merry Christmas punters, casino and gambling millionaires, billionaires, entertainment news junkies, insiders, outsiders, politicians, journalists and everyone else. What a year it has been. It's just 2 sleeps before Christmas hits, depending upon where you live, but the cracker Aussie news just keeps coming think and fast. We thank you, the loyal readership for your custom this year, and we look forward to continuing to satisfy your desire for the best in gambling, gaming, casino, entertainment and sports news and information in 2011. Media Man and Gambling911 with a Santa's sleigh full stocking of news. Ho Ho Ho!...
Aussie Rat-Pack Vice King Dies At 82; Secrets Of Australia Vice Dies With Da Man...
Former senior detective Tony Murphy, a king of Australian vice including the gambling and prostitution biz has died. Legend has is that he was once one of the most feared fit it and can do men in Sydney. By circa 2000 however has had assumed the position as the licensed operator of the TAB betting facility at Dunwich on Stradbroke Island, north east of Brisbane. Journey back to 70's as he was the law man now to cross, striking fear in the hearts of those who dared crossed him, and who, according to many who knew him, was the boss of corruption in a Queensland police force that was as rotten you could get. It was the landmark inquiry into police and political corruption headed by Tony Fitzgerald QC began in 1987 and concluded in July 1989, that resulting in the locking up of 4 National Party ministers as well as police commissioner Terry Lewis, and the charging of more than 250 other people, of whom 139 were found guilty. That's lot of heads, crooked cops et al. All told, 30 coppers were charged with crimes, 36 charges of official corruption laid and 10 indemnities granted to corrupt senior police who were involved in protecting illegal casino dens, brothels and unlicensed bookmakers. Yep, crooks and cops has finger in all sorts of pie. One against whom a bush tucked bag of allegations were made but who was never charged after the Fitzgerald inquiry was 'Our Murphy', who retired from his position of assistant commissioner in 1983 after a "smashing" 38-year career. The Fitzgerald inquiry was told that Murphy headed what was known as "The Rat Pack": a trio of crooked cops who organised the standover and the "creaming off" of organised crime in Queensland. The Rat Pack comprised Murphy who was the tough as shoe leather boss man, detective Glen Hallahan and Terry Lewis. Some insider say they were basically the creme and puppet masters of the brothels, gambling dens and a range of other popular vice industries. Yet another chapter of Queensland's love affair with vice and corruption has been put to rest.
Aussie Gambling And Media King James Packer And Mining King Andrew Forrest Tag Team On Resources Investment...
It's not quite the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, or even Packer's Crown Casino, but Packer and good friend "Twiggy" Forrest have teamed up again, the last known tag match being our favorite GenerationOne indigenous employment initiative. Australian-listed Medical Corporation saw its shares surge 342.86% to 16c yesterday, after it announced it was to buy Amphion International, a private company backed by Packer and Forrest, along with a $2.8 million share placement. Packer is also understood to be a shareholder in the Twig Meister's Fortescue Metals Group and as a vocal supporter of the mining king's Generation One program. Mining vet Miles Kennedy, the head of Amphion, will head up the new project, along with Medical Corp chairman Simon Lee, who has vast experience in the gold sector. Packer, Forrest, along with ex Multiplex director Tim Roberts, have supported the power play and will take up their full entitlement in the share placement, in a vote of confidence in the team finding a resource project. It is understood Medical Corp will soon change its name to reflect its new focus on the business of mining. The purchase of Amphion and the share placement would leave Medical Corp with about $12m in cash and listed shares to seek out a "suitable investment" in the resources sector. We wish the tag team will in their hunt for their next jackpot, and we might even pick up a shares soon, in yet another show of support in the Packer - Forrest dream team.
Aussie Casino And Media Tycoon James Packer And Media Boss Kerry Stokes Now Mates!...
Having spent years, if not decades, in a war for news media dominance down under, the families are now sharing luxury ski lodge digs over Xmas. We hear that The Packer's and their two juniors are heading to Beaver Creek in Vail Colorado for Christmas where they will be the guests of Seven Network big cheese Kerry Stokes. Stokes has been buying up properties in the luxury ski resort for years and has a world class penthouse in the region which will suit fellow billionaire Packer to a tee. Earlier in the year JP and Stokes clashed, when Stokes made a hostile raid on 'Our James' Consolidated Media Holdings, but both gents have moved forward. Packer has of course bought a large bite of Ten and insiders reckon there's will be plenty of sport to go around the Aussie media landscape, should it get split up from Ten's digital channel OneHD. Afterwards The Packer's will snatch a lend of a a boat and cruise up to the Bahamas. Packer family matriarch Ros has flown to Paris, France, to catch up with daughter Gretel for Xmas. Ok, that's you first lot of Xmas media celeb goss. Stay tuned.
Aussie Shane Warne May Focus More On Cricket And Poker; Love Life Suffers Blow; Twitter-Gate...
Love him or hate him (we like him lots, but not too much), Warnie is newsworthy. Mate and biz partner or the rich and famous, like James Packer, just to name one, has a thing for poker (and ladies). Warne's romance with British babe Liz Hurley has suffered a blow out. Hurley has apparently distanced Warne the leg-spinner's loose fingers (phone and other... satire) and love for hot women again led distracted him, says Murdoch's News Of The World. The 41-year-old legend reportedly pumped out more than 100 hot texts to a married 44-year-old Melbourne mother of two, Adele Angeleri, while he was courting Hurley. The pair met when Angeleri, who runs a shop across the road from Warne's office, allegedly approached him with a business proposal only to receive a string of propositions herself. The sexy text affair reportedly spun out of control when the woman's husband, lawyer Denis Angeleri, found out and stormed into Warne's office demanding to speak to him. The following day Warne is understood - alleged to have telephoned a not happy Angeleri in an attempt to keep the affair secret. Warne, who had reportedly told friends he wanted to marry Hurley, has not been his usually happy go lucky self on Twitter recently. "Still no sleep… so got up out of bed, now staring at the water here in Perth, sulking and feeling grumpy!! Need cheering up today!" Warne said in the early hours of Friday morning. Not even Australia's comeback in the Perth cricket Test could boost Warne's spirits. He also asked why "some people enjoy being nasty, it's good to be nice to." Media Man will be checking in with Warnie's Twitter for further updates.
Crown Casino Aussie Cricket Yarns And Gossip...
Cricket Legend Jeff Thomson hit the stage at Melbourne's Crown Casino in a shirt that Yankee ex politician and pro wrestling colour man, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura would have been proud of. Pink, yeah Pink! He also sported black pants, black tie and a lovely cream jacket, with his trademark mop of white hair hanging over his shoulders. Maybe he mas been watching too many re runs of WWE WrestleMania is its heyday or something. Anyway, on with the story... the 60 year old or so veteran was straight up at them Cricket Victoria luncheon, and let loose with some ripper quotes on the Pommie batsmen. Thomson had some words of wisdom for Australia's selectors ahead of the 4th Ashes Test commencing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this Sunday. "Don't worry about a spinner. Just keep the quicks. I think we can frighten the s**t out of those blokes." Thommo got to trade sledges with old rival Colin Cowdrey on stage. Back in the day the story goes "Jeff Thomson, I've been dying to meet you". Ex England batsman David Lloyd, who suffered a nasty blow to the groin region thanks to a Thommo thunderbolt in the 1974-75 series. Hundred of guests laughed as they crossed to video footage showed Lloyd sinking to the turf in agony after been hit in the balls. Lloyd, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and a tie, evened the score by sledging Thommo's dress last night. "You look like a bag of s**t," Thommo responded. Thommo was supportive of the Aussie side, that have been bad ass with the sledging of late. "It's all part and parcel of the game. "You are just trying to upset the guy's concentration. You're out there for six hours, you get bored sh*tless. You've got to say something." Known for his speed in the roaring 70s, Thommo was quizzed about reports that his 160 km/h bowling had now estimated at closer to 170 km/h. "They came out pretty quick. I hit a lot of sightscreens on the full. I wanted to be the quickest and scare shit out of everybody and I think I achieved that".
National Australia Bank Reduces Gamble On Tabcorp Shares...
Gamiing an gambling giant Tabcorp Holdings advised National Australia Bank has reduced its holding in the firm. Tabcorp advised in a statement on Monday that NAB had decreased its relevant interest in the company to 34,911,845 ordinary shares representing 5.097% of its issued fully paid ordinary capital. On December 6, NAB was listed as holding 45,655, 936 shares in Tabcorp, representing 6.67%. Tabcorp said the shares were sold on December 14.
Aussie Pub And Land Based Pokie Players Loose $2m Per Day!..
One armed bandit punters are set to lose a record $800 million this year. Nearly $2.2 million a day ($200.4 million) was lost between July and September, the third-highest quarterly loss in South Australian history. If punters continue at this rate, they will lose more than the record $792.6 million they fed poker machines in the 2006-07 financial year. The last occurrence that ore than $200 million was lost in a three-month period was leading up to smoking bans in November 2007. Since then, losses steadily have decreased, with pokes recording a 7-year low $729.4 million profit in 2009-10. Last September, the state and federal governments released the findings of two pre-commitment technology trials in SA. They showed the technology, which allows people to determine the amount of money they want to spend before gambling, may be effective in reducing the amount of money problem gamblers lose. South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said the latest poker machine figures highlighted the urgency of implementing a national mandatory pre-commitment scheme. "Voluntary pre-commitment is a joke," he said. "What it does show is the technology can work, but the only way to do it properly is there has to be a mandatory all-in pre-commitment scheme." State Gambling Minister Tom Koutsantonis said South Australia was leading the nation with pre-commitment technologies. "This can empower individuals to take control over their own spending behaviour," he said. Yep, its man VS machine, citizens VS "big brother".
Nine Entertainment Company Continues To Get New Blood Pumped In...
Nine is doing its utmost to give the business every chance of hitting mega paydirt this year, with yet another shot of new blood into the ranks. David Coleman will lead Nine Entertainment’s digital growth. David Coleman has been promoted internally to head up digital activities across Nine Entertainment, the recently rebranded PBL Media. Coleman, previously PBL’s director of strategy, will retain his original portfolio. but adds good does of digital into the nex mix of cocktail. Nine Entertainment’s assets include the Nine Network, ACP Magazines and joint venture with Microsoft NineMSN. Nine Entertainment CEO David Gyngell said "David brings great experience and understanding to our ever growing digital businesses, having worked in the Internet industry since the late 90s. That hands-on experience, and his runs on the board already with our group, make him the logical choice for the new role in what is a key growth area for Nine Entertainment Co." Coleman said "Our digital assets are the best in the Australian media sector, and we intend to build on them in the future. We see great opportunities to both grow our existing digital activities, and enter new categories. I am looking forward to working with David and the broader management team as we aggressively build our position in digital media." Coleman first joined the PBL family 5 years back. He now reps the firm on the boards of several group assets, including NineMSN, Rate City, Cudo and Sky News. Prior to joining the group, he worked like a demon at Internet companies Looksmart and dstore, as well as for one or two consulting firms. We wish Colman well with his ongoing career at Nine, part of Team Gyngell, an offshoot of what's know around Aussie media and gambling circles as the 'Aussie Gumleaf Mafia'.
Awards...
Last month was a big month for casino awards also. Let's have a look...
PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)
Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Have you been naughty or nice, and what sort of Xmas present are you gambling on? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Aussie Rat-Pack Vice King Dies At 82; Secrets Of Australia Vice Dies With Da Man...
Former senior detective Tony Murphy, a king of Australian vice including the gambling and prostitution biz has died. Legend has is that he was once one of the most feared fit it and can do men in Sydney. By circa 2000 however has had assumed the position as the licensed operator of the TAB betting facility at Dunwich on Stradbroke Island, north east of Brisbane. Journey back to 70's as he was the law man now to cross, striking fear in the hearts of those who dared crossed him, and who, according to many who knew him, was the boss of corruption in a Queensland police force that was as rotten you could get. It was the landmark inquiry into police and political corruption headed by Tony Fitzgerald QC began in 1987 and concluded in July 1989, that resulting in the locking up of 4 National Party ministers as well as police commissioner Terry Lewis, and the charging of more than 250 other people, of whom 139 were found guilty. That's lot of heads, crooked cops et al. All told, 30 coppers were charged with crimes, 36 charges of official corruption laid and 10 indemnities granted to corrupt senior police who were involved in protecting illegal casino dens, brothels and unlicensed bookmakers. Yep, crooks and cops has finger in all sorts of pie. One against whom a bush tucked bag of allegations were made but who was never charged after the Fitzgerald inquiry was 'Our Murphy', who retired from his position of assistant commissioner in 1983 after a "smashing" 38-year career. The Fitzgerald inquiry was told that Murphy headed what was known as "The Rat Pack": a trio of crooked cops who organised the standover and the "creaming off" of organised crime in Queensland. The Rat Pack comprised Murphy who was the tough as shoe leather boss man, detective Glen Hallahan and Terry Lewis. Some insider say they were basically the creme and puppet masters of the brothels, gambling dens and a range of other popular vice industries. Yet another chapter of Queensland's love affair with vice and corruption has been put to rest.
Aussie Gambling And Media King James Packer And Mining King Andrew Forrest Tag Team On Resources Investment...
It's not quite the bright lights of the Las Vegas Strip, or even Packer's Crown Casino, but Packer and good friend "Twiggy" Forrest have teamed up again, the last known tag match being our favorite GenerationOne indigenous employment initiative. Australian-listed Medical Corporation saw its shares surge 342.86% to 16c yesterday, after it announced it was to buy Amphion International, a private company backed by Packer and Forrest, along with a $2.8 million share placement. Packer is also understood to be a shareholder in the Twig Meister's Fortescue Metals Group and as a vocal supporter of the mining king's Generation One program. Mining vet Miles Kennedy, the head of Amphion, will head up the new project, along with Medical Corp chairman Simon Lee, who has vast experience in the gold sector. Packer, Forrest, along with ex Multiplex director Tim Roberts, have supported the power play and will take up their full entitlement in the share placement, in a vote of confidence in the team finding a resource project. It is understood Medical Corp will soon change its name to reflect its new focus on the business of mining. The purchase of Amphion and the share placement would leave Medical Corp with about $12m in cash and listed shares to seek out a "suitable investment" in the resources sector. We wish the tag team will in their hunt for their next jackpot, and we might even pick up a shares soon, in yet another show of support in the Packer - Forrest dream team.
Aussie Casino And Media Tycoon James Packer And Media Boss Kerry Stokes Now Mates!...
Having spent years, if not decades, in a war for news media dominance down under, the families are now sharing luxury ski lodge digs over Xmas. We hear that The Packer's and their two juniors are heading to Beaver Creek in Vail Colorado for Christmas where they will be the guests of Seven Network big cheese Kerry Stokes. Stokes has been buying up properties in the luxury ski resort for years and has a world class penthouse in the region which will suit fellow billionaire Packer to a tee. Earlier in the year JP and Stokes clashed, when Stokes made a hostile raid on 'Our James' Consolidated Media Holdings, but both gents have moved forward. Packer has of course bought a large bite of Ten and insiders reckon there's will be plenty of sport to go around the Aussie media landscape, should it get split up from Ten's digital channel OneHD. Afterwards The Packer's will snatch a lend of a a boat and cruise up to the Bahamas. Packer family matriarch Ros has flown to Paris, France, to catch up with daughter Gretel for Xmas. Ok, that's you first lot of Xmas media celeb goss. Stay tuned.
Aussie Shane Warne May Focus More On Cricket And Poker; Love Life Suffers Blow; Twitter-Gate...
Love him or hate him (we like him lots, but not too much), Warnie is newsworthy. Mate and biz partner or the rich and famous, like James Packer, just to name one, has a thing for poker (and ladies). Warne's romance with British babe Liz Hurley has suffered a blow out. Hurley has apparently distanced Warne the leg-spinner's loose fingers (phone and other... satire) and love for hot women again led distracted him, says Murdoch's News Of The World. The 41-year-old legend reportedly pumped out more than 100 hot texts to a married 44-year-old Melbourne mother of two, Adele Angeleri, while he was courting Hurley. The pair met when Angeleri, who runs a shop across the road from Warne's office, allegedly approached him with a business proposal only to receive a string of propositions herself. The sexy text affair reportedly spun out of control when the woman's husband, lawyer Denis Angeleri, found out and stormed into Warne's office demanding to speak to him. The following day Warne is understood - alleged to have telephoned a not happy Angeleri in an attempt to keep the affair secret. Warne, who had reportedly told friends he wanted to marry Hurley, has not been his usually happy go lucky self on Twitter recently. "Still no sleep… so got up out of bed, now staring at the water here in Perth, sulking and feeling grumpy!! Need cheering up today!" Warne said in the early hours of Friday morning. Not even Australia's comeback in the Perth cricket Test could boost Warne's spirits. He also asked why "some people enjoy being nasty, it's good to be nice to." Media Man will be checking in with Warnie's Twitter for further updates.
Crown Casino Aussie Cricket Yarns And Gossip...
Cricket Legend Jeff Thomson hit the stage at Melbourne's Crown Casino in a shirt that Yankee ex politician and pro wrestling colour man, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura would have been proud of. Pink, yeah Pink! He also sported black pants, black tie and a lovely cream jacket, with his trademark mop of white hair hanging over his shoulders. Maybe he mas been watching too many re runs of WWE WrestleMania is its heyday or something. Anyway, on with the story... the 60 year old or so veteran was straight up at them Cricket Victoria luncheon, and let loose with some ripper quotes on the Pommie batsmen. Thomson had some words of wisdom for Australia's selectors ahead of the 4th Ashes Test commencing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground this Sunday. "Don't worry about a spinner. Just keep the quicks. I think we can frighten the s**t out of those blokes." Thommo got to trade sledges with old rival Colin Cowdrey on stage. Back in the day the story goes "Jeff Thomson, I've been dying to meet you". Ex England batsman David Lloyd, who suffered a nasty blow to the groin region thanks to a Thommo thunderbolt in the 1974-75 series. Hundred of guests laughed as they crossed to video footage showed Lloyd sinking to the turf in agony after been hit in the balls. Lloyd, dressed in a short-sleeved shirt and a tie, evened the score by sledging Thommo's dress last night. "You look like a bag of s**t," Thommo responded. Thommo was supportive of the Aussie side, that have been bad ass with the sledging of late. "It's all part and parcel of the game. "You are just trying to upset the guy's concentration. You're out there for six hours, you get bored sh*tless. You've got to say something." Known for his speed in the roaring 70s, Thommo was quizzed about reports that his 160 km/h bowling had now estimated at closer to 170 km/h. "They came out pretty quick. I hit a lot of sightscreens on the full. I wanted to be the quickest and scare shit out of everybody and I think I achieved that".
National Australia Bank Reduces Gamble On Tabcorp Shares...
Gamiing an gambling giant Tabcorp Holdings advised National Australia Bank has reduced its holding in the firm. Tabcorp advised in a statement on Monday that NAB had decreased its relevant interest in the company to 34,911,845 ordinary shares representing 5.097% of its issued fully paid ordinary capital. On December 6, NAB was listed as holding 45,655, 936 shares in Tabcorp, representing 6.67%. Tabcorp said the shares were sold on December 14.
Aussie Pub And Land Based Pokie Players Loose $2m Per Day!..
One armed bandit punters are set to lose a record $800 million this year. Nearly $2.2 million a day ($200.4 million) was lost between July and September, the third-highest quarterly loss in South Australian history. If punters continue at this rate, they will lose more than the record $792.6 million they fed poker machines in the 2006-07 financial year. The last occurrence that ore than $200 million was lost in a three-month period was leading up to smoking bans in November 2007. Since then, losses steadily have decreased, with pokes recording a 7-year low $729.4 million profit in 2009-10. Last September, the state and federal governments released the findings of two pre-commitment technology trials in SA. They showed the technology, which allows people to determine the amount of money they want to spend before gambling, may be effective in reducing the amount of money problem gamblers lose. South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said the latest poker machine figures highlighted the urgency of implementing a national mandatory pre-commitment scheme. "Voluntary pre-commitment is a joke," he said. "What it does show is the technology can work, but the only way to do it properly is there has to be a mandatory all-in pre-commitment scheme." State Gambling Minister Tom Koutsantonis said South Australia was leading the nation with pre-commitment technologies. "This can empower individuals to take control over their own spending behaviour," he said. Yep, its man VS machine, citizens VS "big brother".
Nine Entertainment Company Continues To Get New Blood Pumped In...
Nine is doing its utmost to give the business every chance of hitting mega paydirt this year, with yet another shot of new blood into the ranks. David Coleman will lead Nine Entertainment’s digital growth. David Coleman has been promoted internally to head up digital activities across Nine Entertainment, the recently rebranded PBL Media. Coleman, previously PBL’s director of strategy, will retain his original portfolio. but adds good does of digital into the nex mix of cocktail. Nine Entertainment’s assets include the Nine Network, ACP Magazines and joint venture with Microsoft NineMSN. Nine Entertainment CEO David Gyngell said "David brings great experience and understanding to our ever growing digital businesses, having worked in the Internet industry since the late 90s. That hands-on experience, and his runs on the board already with our group, make him the logical choice for the new role in what is a key growth area for Nine Entertainment Co." Coleman said "Our digital assets are the best in the Australian media sector, and we intend to build on them in the future. We see great opportunities to both grow our existing digital activities, and enter new categories. I am looking forward to working with David and the broader management team as we aggressively build our position in digital media." Coleman first joined the PBL family 5 years back. He now reps the firm on the boards of several group assets, including NineMSN, Rate City, Cudo and Sky News. Prior to joining the group, he worked like a demon at Internet companies Looksmart and dstore, as well as for one or two consulting firms. We wish Colman well with his ongoing career at Nine, part of Team Gyngell, an offshoot of what's know around Aussie media and gambling circles as the 'Aussie Gumleaf Mafia'.
Awards...
Last month was a big month for casino awards also. Let's have a look...
PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)
Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.
Media Man Profiles
Australia
Australia Casinos
Cricket
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Crown Casino
Jupiters Hotel and Casino
Tabcorp Holdings
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Casino News
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Have you been naughty or nice, and what sort of Xmas present are you gambling on? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Media Man - Global Gaming Directory: News Update
PartyGaming Claims Bwin Deal Still Going Ahead
PartyGaming - Collins Stewart takes a gamble on PartyGaming: Collins Stewart has a buy and 320p target for PartyGaming
Playtech - Collins Stewart takes a gamble on Playtech: Has a buy 552p target for Playtech
PartyCasino Gets New Slot Games
Virgin Casino Remains Strong In Europe; Still Not Accepting Australians, Americans or Canadians
Media Man Buys Shares In Ten Network Holdings; Sparked By James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch, Quality Programing And Ten Gaming Business Aspirations
Crown Casino Not So Hot For Tabcorp's Casino Business: Star City
Tabcorp's Treasury Heritage Hotel in Brisbane named as top independent hotel. According to Worldhotels, the hotel is one of the world's top hotels that provide guests with a luxury experience and could provide ideal accommodation for travellers planning to take flights to Brisbane. The hotel is part of the Treasury Casino resort and is located in a heritage building which has been revamped into a top quality hotel
Macau gaming revenue to double in four years saws PwC; Estimates casino gross gaming revenue will top US$45.1 billion (MOP361 billion) in 2014
Mobile Gaming Continues In Popularity
SBS wins three 2010 Walkley Awards for Journalistic Excellence, including its first for the broadcaster’s Radio News and Current Affairs division and two for Dateline. The awards were announced last night at Melbourne’s Crown Casino
PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Again
Virgin Casino Runner Up For Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month'
Playtech's Casino Las Vegas And Noble Casino Proving Big Hit For Mobile Gaming Fans
Hitwise Stats Showing Gambling And Gaming Remain Super Hot On Internet
World Casino Directory format a big hit with punters says Media Man
Betfair Wins Media Man 'Sports Betting Website Of The Month' Award
PartyPoker Wins Media Man 'Online Poker Website Of The Month' Award
PKR Casino Gets New Games
Centrebet Remains #1 In Australia For Political Betting
Star City In 'Sin City' Sydney Focused On Becoming #1 Land Based Casino In Australia
Cleopatra game maintaining popularity in land based and online casinos
Sinatra Slot Game Massive Success Story For PartyCasino; Company Aiming To Have Similar Successes With New Game Releases
Online gaming companies in for huge 2011
Gambling911 News And Entertainment Website Portal Remains Big Hit With Australians, Americans, Canadians, despite not showing up in Google News at present
Gambling911 News
Tingle: Tabcorp Casino Chips Center of Drug Investigation
Wikileaks: Gambling With Australian Laws?
Tingle: Casino And Pokie Palace Attacks Continue Down Under
Australian NRL Footy Star Brad Murray Recorded Placing Bet
Kerry Packer Aussie Legend Live On Via Art And TV
Tingle: Australian Clubs, Pubs, Gaming Biz At War With Gvt
Tingle: Mildura Jewel Casino: Impossible Dream?
Tingle: Australians Betting Over $1bn Online Gaming
Australian Casino Wars: Star City Official Opening
Crown Casino Hammered: 24-Hour Gambling Binges, Machine Urination Alleged
Asia Pacific, Aussie Gambling And Entertainment News (11/27/10)
James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch And Stephen Conroy Talk Sports Media
Shane Warne, Tiger Woods Sex Scandals Center Stage at Aussie Casino
Crown Casino Catches Tiger Woods By Tail Again At Australian Open
News
Casino News
Online Casino News
Poker News
News
Website Network
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Media Man Games
Media Man Casino
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Global Gaming Directory
PartyGaming - Collins Stewart takes a gamble on PartyGaming: Collins Stewart has a buy and 320p target for PartyGaming
Playtech - Collins Stewart takes a gamble on Playtech: Has a buy 552p target for Playtech
PartyCasino Gets New Slot Games
Virgin Casino Remains Strong In Europe; Still Not Accepting Australians, Americans or Canadians
Media Man Buys Shares In Ten Network Holdings; Sparked By James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch, Quality Programing And Ten Gaming Business Aspirations
Crown Casino Not So Hot For Tabcorp's Casino Business: Star City
Tabcorp's Treasury Heritage Hotel in Brisbane named as top independent hotel. According to Worldhotels, the hotel is one of the world's top hotels that provide guests with a luxury experience and could provide ideal accommodation for travellers planning to take flights to Brisbane. The hotel is part of the Treasury Casino resort and is located in a heritage building which has been revamped into a top quality hotel
Macau gaming revenue to double in four years saws PwC; Estimates casino gross gaming revenue will top US$45.1 billion (MOP361 billion) in 2014
Mobile Gaming Continues In Popularity
SBS wins three 2010 Walkley Awards for Journalistic Excellence, including its first for the broadcaster’s Radio News and Current Affairs division and two for Dateline. The awards were announced last night at Melbourne’s Crown Casino
PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Again
Virgin Casino Runner Up For Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month'
Playtech's Casino Las Vegas And Noble Casino Proving Big Hit For Mobile Gaming Fans
Hitwise Stats Showing Gambling And Gaming Remain Super Hot On Internet
World Casino Directory format a big hit with punters says Media Man
Betfair Wins Media Man 'Sports Betting Website Of The Month' Award
PartyPoker Wins Media Man 'Online Poker Website Of The Month' Award
PKR Casino Gets New Games
Centrebet Remains #1 In Australia For Political Betting
Star City In 'Sin City' Sydney Focused On Becoming #1 Land Based Casino In Australia
Cleopatra game maintaining popularity in land based and online casinos
Sinatra Slot Game Massive Success Story For PartyCasino; Company Aiming To Have Similar Successes With New Game Releases
Online gaming companies in for huge 2011
Gambling911 News And Entertainment Website Portal Remains Big Hit With Australians, Americans, Canadians, despite not showing up in Google News at present
Gambling911 News
Tingle: Tabcorp Casino Chips Center of Drug Investigation
Wikileaks: Gambling With Australian Laws?
Tingle: Casino And Pokie Palace Attacks Continue Down Under
Australian NRL Footy Star Brad Murray Recorded Placing Bet
Kerry Packer Aussie Legend Live On Via Art And TV
Tingle: Australian Clubs, Pubs, Gaming Biz At War With Gvt
Tingle: Mildura Jewel Casino: Impossible Dream?
Tingle: Australians Betting Over $1bn Online Gaming
Australian Casino Wars: Star City Official Opening
Crown Casino Hammered: 24-Hour Gambling Binges, Machine Urination Alleged
Asia Pacific, Aussie Gambling And Entertainment News (11/27/10)
James Packer, Lachlan Murdoch And Stephen Conroy Talk Sports Media
Shane Warne, Tiger Woods Sex Scandals Center Stage at Aussie Casino
Crown Casino Catches Tiger Woods By Tail Again At Australian Open
News
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12/22/2010
Casino News Media: PartyGaming's casino keeps year on track, by Greg Tingle
Profiles
PartyGaming PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com Bwin PartyBingo.com World Poker Tour
Websites
PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com PartyBingo.com PartyGammon.com World Poker Tour
PartyGaming, the internet gambling firm that's merging with rival bwin, has traded in line with expectations during the fourth quarter, with a stronger casino business offsetting weakness in poker and bingo.
The company said trading since the end of September has been "solid" overall, thanks mainly to casino’s double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter.
There was also growth at the poker business quarter on quarter, but the usual seasonal pickup has been "less pronounced" due to the euro’s strength against the dollar. Both bingo and sports are down on Q3.
But clean earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins for 2010 remain in-line with previous guidance of 27-28%.
And the company is excited about the possibility of online gaming being regulated in the US both at the Federal and State level. If it goes through, the group is "well advanced" in talks with licensed companies in the US that could create "substantial" value.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals," boss Jim Ryan said.
Press Release
PartyGaming Plc ("PartyGaming" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") Pre-Close Trading Update
Revenue overall has been in-line with expectations with a strong performance in casino mitigated by a softer seasonal performance in poker and bingo
Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 expected to be in-line with previous guidance
Prospective regulation in new markets offers exciting medium to long-term revenue potential that may require additional investment
Merger with bwin remains on track
Trading since the end of September 2010 has been solid overall with a particularly strong performance in casino that has enjoyed double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter, driven by growth in both turnover and hold. Poker has also seen growth in average daily gross revenue over the third quarter, although the usual seasonal pickup has been less pronounced than in previous years due to the strengthening of the euro against the US dollar. In bingo, average gross daily revenue has grown versus the current trading data reported at the time of our Q3 KPIs, but remains lower than the third quarter. This is due to the strengthening of the euro against sterling and seasonality, as UK-based bingo players typically reduce their spend in the run-up to Christmas. While sports betting has continued to deliver a solid performance in the period, the benefit of the World Cup during the third quarter as well as a favourable series of results for punters has meant that average daily gross revenue in sports is down versus the third quarter.
In respect of margins, we expect that full year Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 will remain in-line with our previous guidance of between 27% and 28%.
An increasing number of territories are now actively exploring the merits of a regulatory framework for online gaming. In Europe, the Group is continuing to monitor closely Germany, Greece, Holland, Denmark and Spain as well as other countries. Whilst the shape and scope of any such regulations is not yet known, should some of these markets move to regulate, additional gaming taxes and investment may be required to ensure that the Group’s long-term revenue potential is maximised.
There continues to be much movement in the US towards regulating online gaming both at the Federal and State level. Should the requisite legislation be enacted, the Group is well advanced in discussions with licensed companies in the US that could create substantial value for the Group’s shareholders.
Proposed Merger with bwin
It is expected that the shareholder documents associated with the proposed merger will be issued shortly with an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders expected to be convened for late January 2011. The proposed merger remains on course to complete during March 2011.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, said:
"Revenues in the fourth quarter have enjoyed their usual seasonal upturn. Casino has performed particularly strongly with double-digit revenue growth over the third quarter, although currency movements meant that the uplift in poker has been less pronounced than usual. Clean EBITDA margins are expected to be in line with our previous guidance for 2010.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals."
Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyGammon.com
PartyBets.com
GameBookers.com
FoxyBingo.com
Bwin
Cashcade
World Poker Tour
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
PartyGaming PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com Bwin PartyBingo.com World Poker Tour
Websites
PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com PartyBingo.com PartyGammon.com World Poker Tour
PartyGaming, the internet gambling firm that's merging with rival bwin, has traded in line with expectations during the fourth quarter, with a stronger casino business offsetting weakness in poker and bingo.
The company said trading since the end of September has been "solid" overall, thanks mainly to casino’s double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter.
There was also growth at the poker business quarter on quarter, but the usual seasonal pickup has been "less pronounced" due to the euro’s strength against the dollar. Both bingo and sports are down on Q3.
But clean earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins for 2010 remain in-line with previous guidance of 27-28%.
And the company is excited about the possibility of online gaming being regulated in the US both at the Federal and State level. If it goes through, the group is "well advanced" in talks with licensed companies in the US that could create "substantial" value.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals," boss Jim Ryan said.
Press Release
PartyGaming Plc ("PartyGaming" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") Pre-Close Trading Update
Revenue overall has been in-line with expectations with a strong performance in casino mitigated by a softer seasonal performance in poker and bingo
Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 expected to be in-line with previous guidance
Prospective regulation in new markets offers exciting medium to long-term revenue potential that may require additional investment
Merger with bwin remains on track
Trading since the end of September 2010 has been solid overall with a particularly strong performance in casino that has enjoyed double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter, driven by growth in both turnover and hold. Poker has also seen growth in average daily gross revenue over the third quarter, although the usual seasonal pickup has been less pronounced than in previous years due to the strengthening of the euro against the US dollar. In bingo, average gross daily revenue has grown versus the current trading data reported at the time of our Q3 KPIs, but remains lower than the third quarter. This is due to the strengthening of the euro against sterling and seasonality, as UK-based bingo players typically reduce their spend in the run-up to Christmas. While sports betting has continued to deliver a solid performance in the period, the benefit of the World Cup during the third quarter as well as a favourable series of results for punters has meant that average daily gross revenue in sports is down versus the third quarter.
In respect of margins, we expect that full year Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 will remain in-line with our previous guidance of between 27% and 28%.
An increasing number of territories are now actively exploring the merits of a regulatory framework for online gaming. In Europe, the Group is continuing to monitor closely Germany, Greece, Holland, Denmark and Spain as well as other countries. Whilst the shape and scope of any such regulations is not yet known, should some of these markets move to regulate, additional gaming taxes and investment may be required to ensure that the Group’s long-term revenue potential is maximised.
There continues to be much movement in the US towards regulating online gaming both at the Federal and State level. Should the requisite legislation be enacted, the Group is well advanced in discussions with licensed companies in the US that could create substantial value for the Group’s shareholders.
Proposed Merger with bwin
It is expected that the shareholder documents associated with the proposed merger will be issued shortly with an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders expected to be convened for late January 2011. The proposed merger remains on course to complete during March 2011.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, said:
"Revenues in the fourth quarter have enjoyed their usual seasonal upturn. Casino has performed particularly strongly with double-digit revenue growth over the third quarter, although currency movements meant that the uplift in poker has been less pronounced than usual. Clean EBITDA margins are expected to be in line with our previous guidance for 2010.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals."
Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyGammon.com
PartyBets.com
GameBookers.com
FoxyBingo.com
Bwin
Cashcade
World Poker Tour
Website Network
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Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
12/21/2010
PartyCasino Wins Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month' Award
PartyCasino.com Wins Media Man Online Casino Award
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com has been awarded the Media Man and Casino News Media "Online Casino Of The Month".
PartyGaming's igaming suite has grown a custom to winning awards since they first opened for business in 1997.
The competition for the coveted award was intense again this month with massive bids from both WPTCasino.com, Captain Cooks Casino, Virgin Casino, Betfair, PKR and Noble Casino however there can only be one winner... ladies and gentlemen, that's PartyCasino.com
The award follows PartyPoker's EGR Poker Operator Of The Year and PartyGaming also made the shortlist for EGR Operator Of The Year. Recently PartyGaming's PartyPoker.com also won the Casino News Media "Online Poker Website Of The Month".
The Media Man - Casino News Media accolade is based on a combination of elements including user experience, innovation, trustworthiness, customer service, gameplay, affiliate program offerings, newsworthiness and company values.
PartyCasino.com is one of a number of PartyGaming brands.
The most popular PartyCasino.com games of late include Heist, Circus, Rambo, Palladium Slot, The Godfather, Sinatra, Slotbox, Call Of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Mission: Impossible, The Terminator, Cleopatra, Sinatra, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, The Amazing Spider-Man, Monopoly, Resident Evil, Melon Madness, Wheel Of Fortune and Mega Fortune Wheel.
The PartyCasino.com jackpot is currently approaching the $2 million mark. Players can also compete for The Big One and Marvel Hero Jackpot, playing the Marvel super hero themed online slot games.
PartyCasino's most recent game releases include Shaaark! SuperBet, Crocodopolis, Alice's Wonderland, Glamour Puss, Super Cubes, Heist, Palladium Slot and Circus Slot.
PartyGaming CEO Jim Ryan has gone on record advising PartyCasino will soon feature more Hollywood blockbuster themed slots. A few in the know journalists and media agents have been recently tipped off that an all time classic movie adaption will be showcased in the PartyCasino portfolio within 1 month. PartyCasino has the world's most impressive line up of Hollywood themed games, and more are just around the corner.
PartyCasino.com and PartyPoker.com customers can also benefit from rewards and bonuses via PartyPoints and the Palladium Lounge. Be certain to check out the PartyCasino exclusive "Cash Machine" that is being championed as one of the greatest online casino promos ever.
Media Man, Casino News Media and Global Gaming Directory do have a b2b relationship with PartyGaming, as they do with dozens of other companies in the gaming, igaming, media and entertainment industry.
Websites
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour Casino
Profiles
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
World Poker Tour
PartyGaming
Gambling And Betting Adverts, Promos On Aussie TV, YouTube, by Greg Tingle - 20th December 2010
G'day Punters, news media, gambling and advertising tycoons, mad men and mad women, TV and internet watchdogs...woof, one and all. Following our tremendously popular feature yesterday on Australian sports betting ads and promos, we've decided to dish you up seconds 'cause so many customers asked politely. These are some of the ads, promos and campaigns on Australian TV and the web that you love or hate. Media Man and Gambling911 serve up a hearty dish from our world class menu that even Crown Casino's Neil Perry would be proud of. 2, 4, 6, 8, dig in, don't wait!...
Firstly punters, let's get a few disclaimers out of the way so we cover that from the get go (shame some other media companies and website portals are not as upfront with disclaimers and where they stand)... My company, Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company has created and worked on numerous campaigns, promos and the odd affiliate program over the years. Some of the brands we have assisted in various capacities, that do have some sort of presence down under in Australia include PartyGaming including poker and casino brands, James Packer 50% owned Betfair, Richard Branson's Virgin Games, Centrebet, PokerStars, 888, Ladbrokes, William Hill, Betezy and WagerWorks - I.G.T. We mention this so no one can say "Media Man isn't being up front" and "where's the disclaimer?" Ok haters (and lovers), on with the Grich-free news.
TV and Web
Shane "Warnie" Warne (gaming and Aussie TV's current 'Human Headline'!)...
Shane Warne - You have to give 'em credit for the McDonald’s advertisements for the Legend Chicken Burger. The former cricket spinner has become the talk of the town, be it for cricket, his 'Warnie' TV show, text messages with a certainly well known lassy in the UK - LH, Messages On Hold and club ambiance music for our mate, Kym Illman, and a bush tucker bag of other gear. Warnie is relevant. I'm not a big fan of his poker brand, but I will be a big fan of his poker room and / or bar at Crown Casino once it's gone from small talk to concept to reality. Warnie's name is out there, and so is McDonald's... and check out his Twitter (if he's game to Tweet again). I don't think he will be giving too much info away on personal stuff given his latest effort, but give him another chance. It's the Australian way maties.
Betfair Australia...
Betfair Australia. I miss the "pink pigeons", but what is happening is the TV ad featuring former English cricket captain (and legend) Michael Vaughan. MV decides he wants to place money on the Australians via James Packer 50% owned Betfair. Take it from us... the TV broadcasting tactic of cricket and sports broadcasters regularly plugging gambling within programs within programs works, but annoys some viewers.
PartyGaming...
PartyGaming's PartyCasino (on European TV and also on YouTube, and see on the Media Man YouTube website network). Last year the PartyGaming 'Feel It' campaign did the job, with the sign up bonus getting a nice plug, cool music, wind tunnel effects on the hair of hot sexy boys and girls (over 18), and so on. Most punters and would be punters wouldn't spotted this ripper. This year Party launched a TV campaign on Channel Five that also became quite the hit on YouTube and it featured Pommie sporting celeb (and sort of equivalent to Shane Warne) Phil "Tuffers' Tufnell. Phil in the 60 sec or so ad plugged games such as 'Rambo', 'The Terminator 'The Godfather. Phil goes on to say 'Now that is an offer I can't refuse'. Insiders say the ad was a huge hit and attracted both males and females to their brand. To find one or two Tufnell PartyCasino adds on YouTube type into the Google search engine "Phil Tuffers Tufnell PartyGaming YouTube" and you will be able to see for yourself. Good correction though.. these days the sign up bonus is up $3000, not $500. As they say at Wayne's World, bonus dude.
Paddy Power...
These guys go for controversy almost every time. We're not certain if they ever got on Aussie TV, and if they did, it was late at night. Many of their banned ads and promos can still be found on YouTube and other social media streaming websites. Look 'em up if you want a laugh (or want to be shocked).
JackpotCity...
The rumor mill said these guys got on late night Aussie TV about 2 years ago, for about 2 weeks. Then the ads stopped. We suspect 'Big Brother' got onto them. Not our favorite campaign or Microgaming powered casino, but they are still in business, so give the devil's their due!
PokerStars.net and The Poker Star...
In a very clever move, the Joe Hachem fronted campaign got a (not very good) reality TV program, where Blind Freddy could see Hachem was with PokerStars, which we have mixed feelings about. We think they got caught up in the Aussie blacklist caper, and Australian based companies affiliate programmes stopped working correctly. As legal eagles have pointed out, including some of our mates like Jamie at Addisons, .net often references free sites, where .com is generally for paid. That said, .net can also be used for money sites, so can .org, and .com is a global medium. Last year a considerable website portal also sold part or all of its space to PokerStars in a move that rightly upset many affiliate partners. We're not keen on the brand, but it was clever of them to get ads on TV as well as the reality show. Hachem is also one half of the new Crown Casino media campaign along with Warnie, so expect to see some ads along with some more appearances aka plugs on Network Ten's 'The 7PM Project'.
Virgin Games and Virgin Bingo...
You got to love Richard Branson (and his Bingo partner in crime mate, Ricardo Jalapeno). Last year the brains trust at Virgin cast Branson as the Mexican online bingo lover or nut. The campaign worked beautifully, and we understand Ricardo came back for seconds. Their ads has hit UK television a few times now, but as is the case with PartyGaming, if you're down under in Australia you will likely only see the full promos on YouTube. If you're a Virgin Games affiliate partners, you might also be able to see the promos in the creative section of the affiliate portal. Oh readers, if you need a refresher on what an affiliate is, read the Gambling911 articles that we have penned over the years, as we recently told Fairfax Media and News Limited. Some otherwise switched on mainstream media companies still can't totally grasp what an affiliate program is. Virgin sure know, having won the top honours at this years EGR Awards night. The current Virgin Casino mainstream media campaign comes with the tagline "The Home Of Online Slots" (we say, Yes, but not if your in the U.S, Canada, Australia or New Zealand). Can't say we're surprised that Branson and the Virgin powers that be haven't been able to sort things out with the Australian government yet. Look up the Aussie P.M's "illegal" references to 'Our Julian's' WikiLeaks, if you're trying to figure out why Virgin aren't doing online gambling in Australia at the moment. Virgin's loss is Party's, Warnie's and PKR's gain!
PKR
The popular PKR 2D or 3D (depending upon your perspective...and maybe eye glasses) was strongly rumoured a few years ago to hit mainstream TV in the form of a show. It never happened, however they do have a web TV show of sorts and are also on YouTube. They frequently get plugs in the UK FHM lad's mag, and we understand last year somehow got an advert in the Aussie version of the mag, before they stopped printing them, and went to online only. Check out our review on the website for more insider info.
Promo And Ad Winner...
PartyGaming. Great production, cut through factor, use of mainstream celebs (does Tony G and his Germany Shepherd dog count?), plugging into Crown Casino's Aussie Millions, PartyCasino major Premier League Snooker - Matchroom Sport Limited sponsorship deal in Europe, and being listed on the London Stock Exchange plus having come to financial settlement terms with the United States Department of Justice doesn't go astray either, not does their fantastic account management and customer service. They haven't won numerous Media Man and eGaming Review awards and commendations just for being nice guys. The industry needs more good guys like the PartyGaming family.
YouTube Sneak Peaks...
Want to see some promos including some no longer on TV? Look no further than YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/mediamanint and http://www.youtube.com/casinonewsmedia
One's To Watch Out For In 2011...
PartyGaming's World Poker Tour is understood to be getting a major media push along soon, perhaps waiting for the Bwin merger situation to get settled, and Caesars Entertainment (formally Harrah's Entertainment) 'World Series of Poker' is set for a big push. Both poker tournaments got mention in Australian mainstream media including on Murdoch's Foxtel television programming over the past few years, and next year should be no different.
Wrap up:
How did you like the menu selection? What's your favorite and most disliked gambling or sports betting advert, promo or campaign? Before you mention it, we know we didn't list a couple (of bad apples). If you think you have some "good apple" recommendations, list them in the forum, and we'll check them out, and they may get a mention in a future feature.
Don't be a turkey, even though Christmas is coming. If you have a bet, do so responsibly. Always bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. The surgeon general also says if gambling is becoming a problem for you, please seek professional assistance. Gambling is said to be more addictive than cigarette's, so don't smoke too much. Be good, nice, not naughty, because some Aussie PM's reckon gamers and more dangerous that bikies, so be a good citizen and do your big for positive news and PR for the gaming sector. We can also now disclose what form of news media we won't be doing again next year... the style that goes: "Thanks Corporate Media: We Couldn't Control The People Without You"! If you liked the sound of that, look up the graphic on the Media Man Int website portal in the "censorship" section. The graphics always offer some much needed comic relief, as is also the case at the world famous (or notorious) Gambling911. Please tell us if you like our tag team efforts. Also remember the old saying "Anything in moderation". Merry Christmas.
*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911 http://www.gambling911.com
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
*The writer owns shares in Ten Network, Crown Limited and Virgin
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Firstly punters, let's get a few disclaimers out of the way so we cover that from the get go (shame some other media companies and website portals are not as upfront with disclaimers and where they stand)... My company, Media Man, primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company has created and worked on numerous campaigns, promos and the odd affiliate program over the years. Some of the brands we have assisted in various capacities, that do have some sort of presence down under in Australia include PartyGaming including poker and casino brands, James Packer 50% owned Betfair, Richard Branson's Virgin Games, Centrebet, PokerStars, 888, Ladbrokes, William Hill, Betezy and WagerWorks - I.G.T. We mention this so no one can say "Media Man isn't being up front" and "where's the disclaimer?" Ok haters (and lovers), on with the Grich-free news.
TV and Web
Shane "Warnie" Warne (gaming and Aussie TV's current 'Human Headline'!)...
Shane Warne - You have to give 'em credit for the McDonald’s advertisements for the Legend Chicken Burger. The former cricket spinner has become the talk of the town, be it for cricket, his 'Warnie' TV show, text messages with a certainly well known lassy in the UK - LH, Messages On Hold and club ambiance music for our mate, Kym Illman, and a bush tucker bag of other gear. Warnie is relevant. I'm not a big fan of his poker brand, but I will be a big fan of his poker room and / or bar at Crown Casino once it's gone from small talk to concept to reality. Warnie's name is out there, and so is McDonald's... and check out his Twitter (if he's game to Tweet again). I don't think he will be giving too much info away on personal stuff given his latest effort, but give him another chance. It's the Australian way maties.
Betfair Australia...
Betfair Australia. I miss the "pink pigeons", but what is happening is the TV ad featuring former English cricket captain (and legend) Michael Vaughan. MV decides he wants to place money on the Australians via James Packer 50% owned Betfair. Take it from us... the TV broadcasting tactic of cricket and sports broadcasters regularly plugging gambling within programs within programs works, but annoys some viewers.
PartyGaming...
PartyGaming's PartyCasino (on European TV and also on YouTube, and see on the Media Man YouTube website network). Last year the PartyGaming 'Feel It' campaign did the job, with the sign up bonus getting a nice plug, cool music, wind tunnel effects on the hair of hot sexy boys and girls (over 18), and so on. Most punters and would be punters wouldn't spotted this ripper. This year Party launched a TV campaign on Channel Five that also became quite the hit on YouTube and it featured Pommie sporting celeb (and sort of equivalent to Shane Warne) Phil "Tuffers' Tufnell. Phil in the 60 sec or so ad plugged games such as 'Rambo', 'The Terminator 'The Godfather. Phil goes on to say 'Now that is an offer I can't refuse'. Insiders say the ad was a huge hit and attracted both males and females to their brand. To find one or two Tufnell PartyCasino adds on YouTube type into the Google search engine "Phil Tuffers Tufnell PartyGaming YouTube" and you will be able to see for yourself. Good correction though.. these days the sign up bonus is up $3000, not $500. As they say at Wayne's World, bonus dude.
Paddy Power...
These guys go for controversy almost every time. We're not certain if they ever got on Aussie TV, and if they did, it was late at night. Many of their banned ads and promos can still be found on YouTube and other social media streaming websites. Look 'em up if you want a laugh (or want to be shocked).
JackpotCity...
The rumor mill said these guys got on late night Aussie TV about 2 years ago, for about 2 weeks. Then the ads stopped. We suspect 'Big Brother' got onto them. Not our favorite campaign or Microgaming powered casino, but they are still in business, so give the devil's their due!
PokerStars.net and The Poker Star...
In a very clever move, the Joe Hachem fronted campaign got a (not very good) reality TV program, where Blind Freddy could see Hachem was with PokerStars, which we have mixed feelings about. We think they got caught up in the Aussie blacklist caper, and Australian based companies affiliate programmes stopped working correctly. As legal eagles have pointed out, including some of our mates like Jamie at Addisons, .net often references free sites, where .com is generally for paid. That said, .net can also be used for money sites, so can .org, and .com is a global medium. Last year a considerable website portal also sold part or all of its space to PokerStars in a move that rightly upset many affiliate partners. We're not keen on the brand, but it was clever of them to get ads on TV as well as the reality show. Hachem is also one half of the new Crown Casino media campaign along with Warnie, so expect to see some ads along with some more appearances aka plugs on Network Ten's 'The 7PM Project'.
Virgin Games and Virgin Bingo...
You got to love Richard Branson (and his Bingo partner in crime mate, Ricardo Jalapeno). Last year the brains trust at Virgin cast Branson as the Mexican online bingo lover or nut. The campaign worked beautifully, and we understand Ricardo came back for seconds. Their ads has hit UK television a few times now, but as is the case with PartyGaming, if you're down under in Australia you will likely only see the full promos on YouTube. If you're a Virgin Games affiliate partners, you might also be able to see the promos in the creative section of the affiliate portal. Oh readers, if you need a refresher on what an affiliate is, read the Gambling911 articles that we have penned over the years, as we recently told Fairfax Media and News Limited. Some otherwise switched on mainstream media companies still can't totally grasp what an affiliate program is. Virgin sure know, having won the top honours at this years EGR Awards night. The current Virgin Casino mainstream media campaign comes with the tagline "The Home Of Online Slots" (we say, Yes, but not if your in the U.S, Canada, Australia or New Zealand). Can't say we're surprised that Branson and the Virgin powers that be haven't been able to sort things out with the Australian government yet. Look up the Aussie P.M's "illegal" references to 'Our Julian's' WikiLeaks, if you're trying to figure out why Virgin aren't doing online gambling in Australia at the moment. Virgin's loss is Party's, Warnie's and PKR's gain!
PKR
The popular PKR 2D or 3D (depending upon your perspective...and maybe eye glasses) was strongly rumoured a few years ago to hit mainstream TV in the form of a show. It never happened, however they do have a web TV show of sorts and are also on YouTube. They frequently get plugs in the UK FHM lad's mag, and we understand last year somehow got an advert in the Aussie version of the mag, before they stopped printing them, and went to online only. Check out our review on the website for more insider info.
Promo And Ad Winner...
PartyGaming. Great production, cut through factor, use of mainstream celebs (does Tony G and his Germany Shepherd dog count?), plugging into Crown Casino's Aussie Millions, PartyCasino major Premier League Snooker - Matchroom Sport Limited sponsorship deal in Europe, and being listed on the London Stock Exchange plus having come to financial settlement terms with the United States Department of Justice doesn't go astray either, not does their fantastic account management and customer service. They haven't won numerous Media Man and eGaming Review awards and commendations just for being nice guys. The industry needs more good guys like the PartyGaming family.
YouTube Sneak Peaks...
Want to see some promos including some no longer on TV? Look no further than YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/mediamanint and http://www.youtube.com/casinonewsmedia
One's To Watch Out For In 2011...
PartyGaming's World Poker Tour is understood to be getting a major media push along soon, perhaps waiting for the Bwin merger situation to get settled, and Caesars Entertainment (formally Harrah's Entertainment) 'World Series of Poker' is set for a big push. Both poker tournaments got mention in Australian mainstream media including on Murdoch's Foxtel television programming over the past few years, and next year should be no different.
Wrap up:
How did you like the menu selection? What's your favorite and most disliked gambling or sports betting advert, promo or campaign? Before you mention it, we know we didn't list a couple (of bad apples). If you think you have some "good apple" recommendations, list them in the forum, and we'll check them out, and they may get a mention in a future feature.
Don't be a turkey, even though Christmas is coming. If you have a bet, do so responsibly. Always bet with your head, not over it, and have fun. The surgeon general also says if gambling is becoming a problem for you, please seek professional assistance. Gambling is said to be more addictive than cigarette's, so don't smoke too much. Be good, nice, not naughty, because some Aussie PM's reckon gamers and more dangerous that bikies, so be a good citizen and do your big for positive news and PR for the gaming sector. We can also now disclose what form of news media we won't be doing again next year... the style that goes: "Thanks Corporate Media: We Couldn't Control The People Without You"! If you liked the sound of that, look up the graphic on the Media Man Int website portal in the "censorship" section. The graphics always offer some much needed comic relief, as is also the case at the world famous (or notorious) Gambling911. Please tell us if you like our tag team efforts. Also remember the old saying "Anything in moderation". Merry Christmas.
*The writer is a special contributor for Gambling911 http://www.gambling911.com
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company
*The writer owns shares in Ten Network, Crown Limited and Virgin
Website Network
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12/20/2010
Australian Gambling And Entertainment News, by Greg Tingle - 20th December 2010
G'day again punters, casino and gambling millionaires, billionaires, entertainment news junkies, insiders, outsiders, politicians, journalists and everyone else. It might be five days before Christmas, by there's no sign of Aussie gambling and entertainment news slowing down. Nope, no Xmas Grinch's here. Australia continues to be home to some of the world's hottest gambling, casino and entertainment news, and this bush tucker bag jam packed news update is no different. There's Australian Casino Wars, Aussie Media Wars, casino lovers vs casino haters, casino and gambling politics and much more. Media Man and Gambling911 beat the Christmas rush with this stocking filled report...
Aussie Casino And Media Tycoon James Packer And Media Boss Kerry Stokes Now Mates!...
Having spent years, if not decades, in a war for news media dominance down under, the families are now sharing luxury ski lodge digs over Xmas. We hear that The Packer's and their two juniors are heading to Beaver Creek in Vail Colorado for Christmas where they will be the guests of Seven Network big cheese Kerry Stokes. Stokes has been buying up properties in the luxury ski resort for years and has a world class penthouse in the region which will suit fellow billionaire Packer to a tee. Earlier in the year JP and Stokes clashed, when Stokes made a hostile raid on 'Our James' Consolidated Media Holdings, but both gents have moved forward. Packer has of course bought a large bite of Ten and insiders reckon there's will be plenty of sport to go around the Aussie media landscape, should it get split up from Ten's digital channel OneHD. Afterwards The Packer's will snatch a lend of a a boat and cruise up to the Bahamas. Packer family matriarch Ros has flown to Paris, France, to catch up with daughter Gretel for Xmas. Ok, that's you first lot of Xmas media celeb goss. Stay tuned.
Aussie Shane Warne May Focus More On Cricket And Poker; Love Life Suffers Blow; Twitter-Gate...
Love him or hate him (we like him lots, but not too much), Warnie is newsworthy. Mate and biz partner or the rich and famous, like James Packer, just to name one, has a thing for poker (and ladies). Warne's romance with British babe Liz Hurley has suffered a blow out. Hurley has apparently distanced Warne the leg-spinner's loose fingers (phone and other... satire) and love for hot women again led distracted him, says Murdoch's News Of The World. The 41-year-old legend reportedly pumped out more than 100 hot texts to a married 44-year-old Melbourne mother of two, Adele Angeleri, while he was courting Hurley. The pair met when Angeleri, who runs a shop across the road from Warne's office, allegedly approached him with a business proposal only to receive a string of propositions herself. The sexy text affair reportedly spun out of control when the woman's husband, lawyer Denis Angeleri, found out and stormed into Warne's office demanding to speak to him. The following day Warne is understood - alleged to have telephoned a not happy Angeleri in an attempt to keep the affair secret. Warne, who had reportedly told friends he wanted to marry Hurley, has not been his usually happy go lucky self on Twitter recently. "Still no sleep… so got up out of bed, now staring at the water here in Perth, sulking and feeling grumpy!! Need cheering up today!" Warne said in the early hours of Friday morning. Not even Australia's comeback in the Perth cricket Test could boost Warne's spirits. He also asked why "some people enjoy being nasty, it's good to be nice to." Media Man will be checking in with Warnie's Twitter for further updates.
National Australia Bank Reduces Gamble On Tabcorp Shares...
Gamiing an gambling giant Tabcorp Holdings advised National Australia Bank has reduced its holding in the firm. Tabcorp advised in a statement on Monday that NAB had decreased its relevant interest in the company to 34,911,845 ordinary shares representing 5.097% of its issued fully paid ordinary capital. On December 6, NAB was listed as holding 45,655, 936 shares in Tabcorp, representing 6.67%. Tabcorp said the shares were sold on December 14.
Tatts Group Dick McIlwain: Insiders Speculate News Or PR Comments On Potential Merger...
The prospect of consolidation is "often ruined by speculators causing price movements" says Tatts Group chief Dick McIlwain. On Tabcorp he says they are the "elephant in the room". The demerger of Tabcorp's casino operations by July next year will create a wagering, gaming and keno operation similar to Tatts, and McIlwain firmly believes his group's status will most likely be improved in any genuine comparison between the two. "We like the demerger because our wagering licences (in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory) are more secure and deliver better margins than Tabcorp's licences (in Victoria and NSW) Our lotteries business is also more robust than keno." Tabcorp boss Elmer Funke Kupper would like to debate the claim we're sure. McIlwain goes on stating that there's "unfinished business" in wagering and that a combination of Tatts and Tabcorp would be "powerful", given the cost savings from bringing the two back offices together. "But the prospect of consolidation is often ruined by speculators causing price movements, so things don't always unfold the way you might think," the Tatts chief says. "And with Tabcorp and us, it's always about price -- we've never agreed on price; nowhere near it." Since Tatts first listed in 2005, investors who were hoping for a steady harvest of expanding profits from monopoly gambling licences, and relatively few corporate surprises, have been disappointed. The firm beat Tabcorp to a $4 billion merger with UniTab in 2006, but chief executive Duncan Fischer became a casualty as institutional shareholders got behind UniTab's McIlwain to run the enlarged group. In April 2008, the Victorian government announced that Tatts and Tabcorp would lose their duopoly from 2012 over 27,500 gaming machines operated outside Crown casino. This surprised a lot of folks. Both companies lost in excess of 20% of their value, with $1.2bn wiped from Tatts' market capitalisation. McIlwain now says he is "not unhappy" to be getting out of the pokies business because it is "on the nose all around the world". Lotteries and wagering, on the other hand, are "neighbourhood-dependent" businesses, quite different from casinos and pokies that were more about preying on "vulnerable" people. Tabcorp, is highly likely to disagreed, given their almost $1 million upgrade on Star City, with a further half a mill upgrade coming up on their Queensland based hotels and casinos. Tatts partly filled the earnings hole last March with the $850m purchase of NSW Lotteries. Initial concerns that Tatts overpaid were quickly doused when it emerged that the group could keep an estimated $14m a year in unclaimed prize money! Strange business hey. The Tatts Lotteries division, and the wider group, is now looking up having snatched a 65-year licence in Queensland with the 2007 Golden Casket acquisition, a 10-year licence in Victoria in 2008 and the 40-year NSW Lotteries franchise. McIlwain advised the lotteries portfolio can deliver $250m in earnings before interest, tax and amortisation by 2014...more than 10 times the division's $23m in 2006 EBITDA, and more than the entire company's EBITDA in the same year. Tatts has ambitions for its wagering business as well and is shortlisted with Tabcorp for the 12-year Victorian wagering licence, estimated to be worth up to $500m. While the integrity of the licence has been undermined by corporate bookmakers operating out of the Northern Territory, the legal position of the states was recently buttressed by Racing NSW's court victory against Betfair and Sportsbet. A result in the auction between Tatts and Tabcorp is now expected by April next year, following the predicated change of government in last month's Victorian election. McIlwain hedges his bets on the likelihood of a tilt for a demerged Tabcorp if Tatts wins the wagering licence. Yes, it could make Tabcorp less attractive, but it still has the NSW TAB business and there is commercial logic in "putting all or part of (Tabcorp) together (with Tatts)". McIlwain says "In retail markets where we have an exclusive licence, there are almost guerrilla-like attacks from low-fee jurisdictions that don't pay anywhere near the level of taxes we do. It's an opportunity for us and a second way of finishing the consolidation. In wagering, we could create a differentiated product with separate values and go into exclusive markets elsewhere."
Tatt's is keen to get in the thick of the online gambling and gaming sector, be in casinos, mobile and / or other. "Reputation is not just about integrity; when we bid for a business, we only do so within realistic parameters. You can destroy your reputation if you don't execute well or you create controversy." The Tatts balance sheet, he says, remains in good shape, with the company generally prepared to leverage $100m of acquired EBITDA with $250m of debt. In 2005, the group ventured offshore when it bought 10.5 per cent of the British venue and gaming machine operator Talarius. McIlwain, in his first acquisition as Tatts chief, joined with Macquarie Group to privatise the business and subsequently paid pound stg. 28m for the investment bank's share. Last June, after a 30% dive in turnover over 3 years due to the British recession, smoking bans and regulatory changes, Tatts saw the writing on the wall and slashed the book value of Talarius by $140m. The business has been reconfigured with the closure of 48 venues and has finally resumed top-line growth.
New opportunities are emerging in Europe, for example, with debt-laden Spain recently flagging the sale of a 30% in its 200-year-old state lottery. But McIlwain is reluctant to buy into joint ventures, or have Tatts' return diluted by a technology partner. "We'd have to team up with a technology supplier and it will be three years before we're technology independent," he says. It's a challenge to be picked up by his successor, with the Tatts chief due to step down around his 65th birthday in October 2012. Speculation is rife as to who may be new partners for Tatts... Betfair, PartyGaming, Richard Branson's Virgin, Telstra, Optus, Google... anyone's guess, but today's revelations should stop chit chat that Tatt's won't be around for the long haul. This news item along is expected to given Tatt's some much welcome positive buz and consideration from other corporate giants who otherwise might have overlooked them. Tatt's can thank Media Man and Gambling911 later. We'll expect your Xmas card and call!
Aussie Pub And Land Based Pokie Players Loose $2m Per Day!..
One armed bandit punters are set to lose a record $800 million this year. Nearly $2.2 million a day ($200.4 million) was lost between July and September, the third-highest quarterly loss in South Australian history. If punters continue at this rate, they will lose more than the record $792.6 million they fed poker machines in the 2006-07 financial year. The last occurrence that ore than $200 million was lost in a three-month period was leading up to smoking bans in November 2007. Since then, losses steadily have decreased, with pokes recording a 7-year low $729.4 million profit in 2009-10. Last September, the state and federal governments released the findings of two pre-commitment technology trials in SA. They showed the technology, which allows people to determine the amount of money they want to spend before gambling, may be effective in reducing the amount of money problem gamblers lose. South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said the latest poker machine figures highlighted the urgency of implementing a national mandatory pre-commitment scheme. "Voluntary pre-commitment is a joke," he said. "What it does show is the technology can work, but the only way to do it properly is there has to be a mandatory all-in pre-commitment scheme." State Gambling Minister Tom Koutsantonis said South Australia was leading the nation with pre-commitment technologies. "This can empower individuals to take control over their own spending behaviour," he said. Yep, its man VS machine, citizens VS "big brother".
WikiLeaks Further Embarrasses Australian Government; Aussie PM Has Some Explaining To Do...
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is under massive pressure over her initial knee jerk reaction to the WikiLeaks controversy. At one point called the actions of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange "illegal". It was later downgraded to "grossly irresponsible". But at a press conference in Sydney there was a tune being played after an investigation by the Australian Federal Police. "The Government believed it was appropriate to refer the matter to the Australian Federal Police. We've done that now. We've received the advice and the advice is that there have been no breaches of Australian law," Gillard said. Gillard says she only meant it was against the law to steal classified cables, not release them as the whistleblower website has done in recent weeks. But Acting Opposition Leader Julie Bishop says Gillard should admit she went beyond that. "There is no room here for the Prime Minister to weasel out of it," she said. Bishop says Ms Gillard's comments were irresponsible. "She is a lawyer. She well knows about the presumption of innocence," she said. Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says Gillard must formally retract her comments. "There's just some really important principles, not just fundamental legal principles, but obviously this gentleman has legal rights that should respected. I think it's very, very awkward for the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General to be rushing to judgment before any charges have even been brought in relation to these matters." Assange, who is wanted for questioning on sex assault charges in Sweden, was freed on bail by the High Court in London overnight. He is now at a friend's country home in Suffolk, where he must live until the start of his extradition hearing on February 7. Assange has denied the Swedish charges against him and his legal team have said they are worried about the possibility of him being extradited to face possible espionage charges in the US. He thanked his supporters and said the release of classified US cables would continue. More poker to WikiLeaks.
Crown Casino Continue To Rake Up Fines...
Crown Casino was fined about $45,000 by Victoria's gaming watchdog, over the past financial year. In one breech of the state's gaming rules, a baby in a pram was allowed onto the casino's gaming floor. The Commission for Gambling Regulation also detected instances of card games being played with incomplete decks!
Aussie Elle 'The Body' Macpherson To Team Up With Sarah Murdoch As Foxtel Host; On-Air Ambassador...
'The Body' been signed up for an exclusive promotional campaign for 2011 and will also appear on the first season of Britain's Next Top Model, which begins on FOX8 next month. Macpherson was one linked with British casino entrepreneur, Damian Aspinall. Murdoch will play host and executive produce Australia's Next Top Model, after she famously dumped Granada Media, the production firm responsible for the TV year's biggest blunder in which Murdoch announced the wrong winner! Just imagine if you have money riding on it. Foxtel will compete with 16 free-to-air channels next year.
Aussie Pokie Venues Giving Too Much To Charity!...
Clubs ACT says Canberra's licensed clubs are continually giving more to community groups than they are required to by law. An ACT Government report found in the last fin year Canberra's top earning pokies venues donated only 13% of net gambling revenue compared to the 44% by lower earning clubs. The total contribution to charitable and social welfare causes fell by 25% to about $840,000. Clubs ACT chief executive Geoff House says clubs are contributing more than legally required. "The report looks at designated community contributions and it doesn't actually cover those things which fall outside the legislated definition of community contributions so there's a lot more clubs do that aren't reflected in the report. Clubs are continuing to provide between 2 and 7 x what they are required to provide in the legislation and they have consistently done that over the years despite falling gaming revenue, despite increase in taxes and other pressures in terms of their trading environment." Yep, its the club pokies lovers VS the club pokies haters. Insiders tip the powerful club sector will eventually win via knock out blow to the Australian government, as ambitious as it sounds. Stranger things have happened, and continue to.
Ex CEO Resigns From National Leisure and Gaming...
Former National Leisure and Gaming (NLG) CEO Andrew Jolliffe has resigned from his dual role of non-executive director and corporate advisor to the pub group. In late June Jolliffe quit his post as NLG CEO and MD citing a desire to explore other opportunities in the liquor and gaming sector. It now appears that these journeys into other ventures have created a potential conflict of interests with the company announcing that Jolliffe will depart his remaining posts from December 31, 2010. It is unknown if NLG has a non-executive director successor in mind. In a statement, the company’s chairman, Peter Dransfield thanked Jolliffe for his "outstanding contribution to the company".
Aristocrat Leisure Gets Much Needed New Blood...
Gaming giant Aristocrat Leisure has announced that David Banks has been nominated by its board as a non-executive director, subject to regulatory approvals. The appointment became effective from November 15. Banks has more than 25 years experience in the industrial, entertainment and gaming industries in financial, operating and strategic planning roles. Previously the CEO (Casinos Division) of Tabcorp Holdings and CEO of Star City Holdings, Banks was most recently the group chief operating officer of Galaxy Entertainment Group based in Macau. He is a former president of the Australian Casinos Association and a former director of the Australian Gambling Council. Shareholders will be asked to appoint Banks as a director of the company at the 2011 AGM. His appointment will not to take effect until the receipt of all relevant regulatory pre-approvals. "I am delighted to welcome a director of David’s calibre to the Board," said Aristocrat’s chairman (elect) Dr Ian Blackburne. "His deep industry knowledge and insights, in particular in the Australian and Macau markets, will be a valuable addition to the Board and the Company as a whole. I congratulate David on his nomination and look forward to his contribution." Aristocrat will need all the good fortune they can get, with their share price having been hammered as of late, not to mention a legal challenge from U.S poker machine giant International Game Technology aka I.G.T.
Australia's Privacy Act Needs To Be Updated For Biometrics Pokie Tech...
Australia's Privacy Act will need to be toughened and guidelines created if the federal government wants to use "biometric" technology in its plans to slow down the use of pokies, according to a peak technology group. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard warned the states that the government will impose regulation if a mandatory "pre-commitment technology" to curb poker machine use is not in place by May. The Biometrics Institute general manager Isabelle Moeller said that strict national laws restricting the use of captured data would be required to ensure clubs, pubs and casinos adequately protect and do not abuse sensitive customer information.
Victorian Community Wary That Pokies Club May Hurt Community...
The Mount Alexander Shire says a new policy means gaming developments in the municipality will need to show they will not hurt the community. The shire has adopted a new gaming policy that details current levels of poker machine use in the Mount Alexander Shire, and is designed to limit problem gambling. The Maryborough Highland Society wants to build a community club in Castlemaine that would feature 65 pokies but a vocal community campaign is opposing the plans. Mayor Janet Cropley says the proposed club's close proximity to Castlemaine's central business district has the shire worried and the policy aims to protect townships. "It'll certainly mean that the applicant needs to do some work to reassure us that that location fits those issues about avoiding making it more difficult for people," she said.
Canberra - ACT: Claims Of $1.4m Betting Agency ACTTAB Scam...
The ACT Supreme Court has stopped the sale of a home part-owned by a long-time employee of the regions betting agency alleged to be at the centre of a $1.4 million betting swindle. The Director of Public Prosecutions applied for the order to restrain the sale of the home, and a white Ford Falcon, owned by 56-year-old Pamela Susan Close. An affidavit tendered in court reveals the Macgregor woman is expected to be charged in relation to a series of alleged betting rorts. Prosecutors will allege Ms Close dishonestly appropriated more than $1.4 million from ACTTAB between November 2001 and April 2010. Ms Close had worked for the betting agency for about 2 decades, according to the affidavit, and was the manager of account betting earlier this year. Master David Harper granted the order under the Confiscation of Criminal Assets Act, which prohibits the sale of the car or Ms Close's share of the Macgregor home. The home is worth about $450,000; the car $7500. The affidavit reveals a loophole through which it will be alleged Ms Close managed to place trifecta bets on races after they finished. It says ACTTAB's betting system allowed an authorised person to reopen race betting after a false start, so customers could place bets as the race was reorganised. Crime doesn't pay again.
Crown Casino Snaps Up World Class Chef Neil Perry...
In a coup, Packer's Crown has secured the world famous chef. He heads up the Waiting Room, at Melbourne's Crown Casino. Perry doesn't gamble he hold our friends at Fairfaix Media. "No, although I played blackjack in Vegas in 2005. Restaurants are my roulette wheel." It seems quite likely he expected to be probed on gambling, given that his latest bar, as well as one of his restaurants, Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne, plus his latest Melbourne venture, Spice Temple, are all on casino premises. We think they must pay well, in fact, being a shareholder, we know they do. Perry once refused to dish up a well done streak to the late media and gambling mogul, Kerry Packer, at the Palm Beach (Sydney) based Barrenjoey House. The Sydney Morning Herald was able to get this from Perry..."I probably should have given Kerry Packer the steak. I would have, these days. I got on my high horse. Ideals are important, but as you get older and a bit more mature, you realise you can't force your vision on customers. You give them what they want. Even though I still hate it when someone wants a well-done steak."
Real Life Underbelly Policewoman Wins Defamation Case...
Wendy Hatfield, the ex Kings Cross policewoman featured in Network Nine's Underbelly, The Golden Mile, has emerged victorious with a defamation payout over a report that suggested she was corrupt. News Limited will pay an secret sum to Ms Hatfield for the online report. Ms Hatfield has separate actions pending against Channel Nine and the publishers of the book on which the show was based. Hatfield..."Wendy Jones" in the series...is played by Jessica Tovey and portrayed as having a raunchy sexual relationship with night club owner, the flamboyant John Ibrahim. She denies the affair and the Wood royal commission into police corruption found it to be untrue. Underbelly (the TV show) returned to Network Nine early into the new year.
Media Man Monthly Awards
Media Man 'Christmas Themed Game Of The Month': Festive Fortunes by PartyGaming
'Online Casino Of The Month': PartyCasino, Virgin Casino runner up
'Casino Babe Of The Month' Paris Hilton
'Poker Babes Of The Month' Jenny Woo
'Australian Casino Tycoon Of The Month' James Packer
'Australian Media Player Of The Month' David Gyngell, Lachlan Murdoch runner up
'Social And Community Entrepreneur Of The Month' Shane Warne
'Australian Land Based Casino Of The Month': Star City; Crown Casino runner up
Media Man Yearly Awards
'Online Gaming Operator Of The Year': PartyGaming, Virgin Games runner up
'Online Casino Of The Year' PartyCasino.com
'Online Slot Game Of The Year' Sinatra, 2nd Circus Slot, 3rd Rambo
'Sports Betting Website Of The Year': Betfair, Centrebet runner up
'Poker Website Of The Year': PartyPoker, World Poker Tour runner up
'Australian Land Based Casino' Crown Casino, Star City runner up
'Global Land Based Casino Of The Year': Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
'Casino Babe Of The Year' Paris Hilton; Elle Macpherson runner up
'Poker Babes Of The Year' Kara Scott, Jenny Woo runner up
'Australian Casino Tycoon Of The Year' James Packer
'Australian Media Player Of The Month' David Gyngell, Lachlan Murdoch runner up
'Social And Community Entrepreneur Of The Month' Shane Warne
'Global Casino Tycoon' Richard Branson, runner up Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta
'New Online Venture Of The Year': Steve Hand - Casino Executive Network
'Virtual World Of The Year' PKR, Poker 3 runner up
'Australian Media Company Most Likely To Make An Impact In 2011' Nine Entertainment Co
'Best And Fairest 2010' James Packer
'Website Portal Of The Year' Gambling911, Poker News Daily runner up
Awards...
Last month was a big month for casino awards also. Let's have a look...
PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)
Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Have you been naughty or nice, and what sort of Xmas present are you gambling on? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Aussie Casino And Media Tycoon James Packer And Media Boss Kerry Stokes Now Mates!...
Having spent years, if not decades, in a war for news media dominance down under, the families are now sharing luxury ski lodge digs over Xmas. We hear that The Packer's and their two juniors are heading to Beaver Creek in Vail Colorado for Christmas where they will be the guests of Seven Network big cheese Kerry Stokes. Stokes has been buying up properties in the luxury ski resort for years and has a world class penthouse in the region which will suit fellow billionaire Packer to a tee. Earlier in the year JP and Stokes clashed, when Stokes made a hostile raid on 'Our James' Consolidated Media Holdings, but both gents have moved forward. Packer has of course bought a large bite of Ten and insiders reckon there's will be plenty of sport to go around the Aussie media landscape, should it get split up from Ten's digital channel OneHD. Afterwards The Packer's will snatch a lend of a a boat and cruise up to the Bahamas. Packer family matriarch Ros has flown to Paris, France, to catch up with daughter Gretel for Xmas. Ok, that's you first lot of Xmas media celeb goss. Stay tuned.
Aussie Shane Warne May Focus More On Cricket And Poker; Love Life Suffers Blow; Twitter-Gate...
Love him or hate him (we like him lots, but not too much), Warnie is newsworthy. Mate and biz partner or the rich and famous, like James Packer, just to name one, has a thing for poker (and ladies). Warne's romance with British babe Liz Hurley has suffered a blow out. Hurley has apparently distanced Warne the leg-spinner's loose fingers (phone and other... satire) and love for hot women again led distracted him, says Murdoch's News Of The World. The 41-year-old legend reportedly pumped out more than 100 hot texts to a married 44-year-old Melbourne mother of two, Adele Angeleri, while he was courting Hurley. The pair met when Angeleri, who runs a shop across the road from Warne's office, allegedly approached him with a business proposal only to receive a string of propositions herself. The sexy text affair reportedly spun out of control when the woman's husband, lawyer Denis Angeleri, found out and stormed into Warne's office demanding to speak to him. The following day Warne is understood - alleged to have telephoned a not happy Angeleri in an attempt to keep the affair secret. Warne, who had reportedly told friends he wanted to marry Hurley, has not been his usually happy go lucky self on Twitter recently. "Still no sleep… so got up out of bed, now staring at the water here in Perth, sulking and feeling grumpy!! Need cheering up today!" Warne said in the early hours of Friday morning. Not even Australia's comeback in the Perth cricket Test could boost Warne's spirits. He also asked why "some people enjoy being nasty, it's good to be nice to." Media Man will be checking in with Warnie's Twitter for further updates.
National Australia Bank Reduces Gamble On Tabcorp Shares...
Gamiing an gambling giant Tabcorp Holdings advised National Australia Bank has reduced its holding in the firm. Tabcorp advised in a statement on Monday that NAB had decreased its relevant interest in the company to 34,911,845 ordinary shares representing 5.097% of its issued fully paid ordinary capital. On December 6, NAB was listed as holding 45,655, 936 shares in Tabcorp, representing 6.67%. Tabcorp said the shares were sold on December 14.
Tatts Group Dick McIlwain: Insiders Speculate News Or PR Comments On Potential Merger...
The prospect of consolidation is "often ruined by speculators causing price movements" says Tatts Group chief Dick McIlwain. On Tabcorp he says they are the "elephant in the room". The demerger of Tabcorp's casino operations by July next year will create a wagering, gaming and keno operation similar to Tatts, and McIlwain firmly believes his group's status will most likely be improved in any genuine comparison between the two. "We like the demerger because our wagering licences (in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory) are more secure and deliver better margins than Tabcorp's licences (in Victoria and NSW) Our lotteries business is also more robust than keno." Tabcorp boss Elmer Funke Kupper would like to debate the claim we're sure. McIlwain goes on stating that there's "unfinished business" in wagering and that a combination of Tatts and Tabcorp would be "powerful", given the cost savings from bringing the two back offices together. "But the prospect of consolidation is often ruined by speculators causing price movements, so things don't always unfold the way you might think," the Tatts chief says. "And with Tabcorp and us, it's always about price -- we've never agreed on price; nowhere near it." Since Tatts first listed in 2005, investors who were hoping for a steady harvest of expanding profits from monopoly gambling licences, and relatively few corporate surprises, have been disappointed. The firm beat Tabcorp to a $4 billion merger with UniTab in 2006, but chief executive Duncan Fischer became a casualty as institutional shareholders got behind UniTab's McIlwain to run the enlarged group. In April 2008, the Victorian government announced that Tatts and Tabcorp would lose their duopoly from 2012 over 27,500 gaming machines operated outside Crown casino. This surprised a lot of folks. Both companies lost in excess of 20% of their value, with $1.2bn wiped from Tatts' market capitalisation. McIlwain now says he is "not unhappy" to be getting out of the pokies business because it is "on the nose all around the world". Lotteries and wagering, on the other hand, are "neighbourhood-dependent" businesses, quite different from casinos and pokies that were more about preying on "vulnerable" people. Tabcorp, is highly likely to disagreed, given their almost $1 million upgrade on Star City, with a further half a mill upgrade coming up on their Queensland based hotels and casinos. Tatts partly filled the earnings hole last March with the $850m purchase of NSW Lotteries. Initial concerns that Tatts overpaid were quickly doused when it emerged that the group could keep an estimated $14m a year in unclaimed prize money! Strange business hey. The Tatts Lotteries division, and the wider group, is now looking up having snatched a 65-year licence in Queensland with the 2007 Golden Casket acquisition, a 10-year licence in Victoria in 2008 and the 40-year NSW Lotteries franchise. McIlwain advised the lotteries portfolio can deliver $250m in earnings before interest, tax and amortisation by 2014...more than 10 times the division's $23m in 2006 EBITDA, and more than the entire company's EBITDA in the same year. Tatts has ambitions for its wagering business as well and is shortlisted with Tabcorp for the 12-year Victorian wagering licence, estimated to be worth up to $500m. While the integrity of the licence has been undermined by corporate bookmakers operating out of the Northern Territory, the legal position of the states was recently buttressed by Racing NSW's court victory against Betfair and Sportsbet. A result in the auction between Tatts and Tabcorp is now expected by April next year, following the predicated change of government in last month's Victorian election. McIlwain hedges his bets on the likelihood of a tilt for a demerged Tabcorp if Tatts wins the wagering licence. Yes, it could make Tabcorp less attractive, but it still has the NSW TAB business and there is commercial logic in "putting all or part of (Tabcorp) together (with Tatts)". McIlwain says "In retail markets where we have an exclusive licence, there are almost guerrilla-like attacks from low-fee jurisdictions that don't pay anywhere near the level of taxes we do. It's an opportunity for us and a second way of finishing the consolidation. In wagering, we could create a differentiated product with separate values and go into exclusive markets elsewhere."
Tatt's is keen to get in the thick of the online gambling and gaming sector, be in casinos, mobile and / or other. "Reputation is not just about integrity; when we bid for a business, we only do so within realistic parameters. You can destroy your reputation if you don't execute well or you create controversy." The Tatts balance sheet, he says, remains in good shape, with the company generally prepared to leverage $100m of acquired EBITDA with $250m of debt. In 2005, the group ventured offshore when it bought 10.5 per cent of the British venue and gaming machine operator Talarius. McIlwain, in his first acquisition as Tatts chief, joined with Macquarie Group to privatise the business and subsequently paid pound stg. 28m for the investment bank's share. Last June, after a 30% dive in turnover over 3 years due to the British recession, smoking bans and regulatory changes, Tatts saw the writing on the wall and slashed the book value of Talarius by $140m. The business has been reconfigured with the closure of 48 venues and has finally resumed top-line growth.
New opportunities are emerging in Europe, for example, with debt-laden Spain recently flagging the sale of a 30% in its 200-year-old state lottery. But McIlwain is reluctant to buy into joint ventures, or have Tatts' return diluted by a technology partner. "We'd have to team up with a technology supplier and it will be three years before we're technology independent," he says. It's a challenge to be picked up by his successor, with the Tatts chief due to step down around his 65th birthday in October 2012. Speculation is rife as to who may be new partners for Tatts... Betfair, PartyGaming, Richard Branson's Virgin, Telstra, Optus, Google... anyone's guess, but today's revelations should stop chit chat that Tatt's won't be around for the long haul. This news item along is expected to given Tatt's some much welcome positive buz and consideration from other corporate giants who otherwise might have overlooked them. Tatt's can thank Media Man and Gambling911 later. We'll expect your Xmas card and call!
Aussie Pub And Land Based Pokie Players Loose $2m Per Day!..
One armed bandit punters are set to lose a record $800 million this year. Nearly $2.2 million a day ($200.4 million) was lost between July and September, the third-highest quarterly loss in South Australian history. If punters continue at this rate, they will lose more than the record $792.6 million they fed poker machines in the 2006-07 financial year. The last occurrence that ore than $200 million was lost in a three-month period was leading up to smoking bans in November 2007. Since then, losses steadily have decreased, with pokes recording a 7-year low $729.4 million profit in 2009-10. Last September, the state and federal governments released the findings of two pre-commitment technology trials in SA. They showed the technology, which allows people to determine the amount of money they want to spend before gambling, may be effective in reducing the amount of money problem gamblers lose. South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon said the latest poker machine figures highlighted the urgency of implementing a national mandatory pre-commitment scheme. "Voluntary pre-commitment is a joke," he said. "What it does show is the technology can work, but the only way to do it properly is there has to be a mandatory all-in pre-commitment scheme." State Gambling Minister Tom Koutsantonis said South Australia was leading the nation with pre-commitment technologies. "This can empower individuals to take control over their own spending behaviour," he said. Yep, its man VS machine, citizens VS "big brother".
WikiLeaks Further Embarrasses Australian Government; Aussie PM Has Some Explaining To Do...
Prime Minister Julia Gillard is under massive pressure over her initial knee jerk reaction to the WikiLeaks controversy. At one point called the actions of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange "illegal". It was later downgraded to "grossly irresponsible". But at a press conference in Sydney there was a tune being played after an investigation by the Australian Federal Police. "The Government believed it was appropriate to refer the matter to the Australian Federal Police. We've done that now. We've received the advice and the advice is that there have been no breaches of Australian law," Gillard said. Gillard says she only meant it was against the law to steal classified cables, not release them as the whistleblower website has done in recent weeks. But Acting Opposition Leader Julie Bishop says Gillard should admit she went beyond that. "There is no room here for the Prime Minister to weasel out of it," she said. Bishop says Ms Gillard's comments were irresponsible. "She is a lawyer. She well knows about the presumption of innocence," she said. Greens Senator Scott Ludlam says Gillard must formally retract her comments. "There's just some really important principles, not just fundamental legal principles, but obviously this gentleman has legal rights that should respected. I think it's very, very awkward for the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General to be rushing to judgment before any charges have even been brought in relation to these matters." Assange, who is wanted for questioning on sex assault charges in Sweden, was freed on bail by the High Court in London overnight. He is now at a friend's country home in Suffolk, where he must live until the start of his extradition hearing on February 7. Assange has denied the Swedish charges against him and his legal team have said they are worried about the possibility of him being extradited to face possible espionage charges in the US. He thanked his supporters and said the release of classified US cables would continue. More poker to WikiLeaks.
Crown Casino Continue To Rake Up Fines...
Crown Casino was fined about $45,000 by Victoria's gaming watchdog, over the past financial year. In one breech of the state's gaming rules, a baby in a pram was allowed onto the casino's gaming floor. The Commission for Gambling Regulation also detected instances of card games being played with incomplete decks!
Aussie Elle 'The Body' Macpherson To Team Up With Sarah Murdoch As Foxtel Host; On-Air Ambassador...
'The Body' been signed up for an exclusive promotional campaign for 2011 and will also appear on the first season of Britain's Next Top Model, which begins on FOX8 next month. Macpherson was one linked with British casino entrepreneur, Damian Aspinall. Murdoch will play host and executive produce Australia's Next Top Model, after she famously dumped Granada Media, the production firm responsible for the TV year's biggest blunder in which Murdoch announced the wrong winner! Just imagine if you have money riding on it. Foxtel will compete with 16 free-to-air channels next year.
Aussie Pokie Venues Giving Too Much To Charity!...
Clubs ACT says Canberra's licensed clubs are continually giving more to community groups than they are required to by law. An ACT Government report found in the last fin year Canberra's top earning pokies venues donated only 13% of net gambling revenue compared to the 44% by lower earning clubs. The total contribution to charitable and social welfare causes fell by 25% to about $840,000. Clubs ACT chief executive Geoff House says clubs are contributing more than legally required. "The report looks at designated community contributions and it doesn't actually cover those things which fall outside the legislated definition of community contributions so there's a lot more clubs do that aren't reflected in the report. Clubs are continuing to provide between 2 and 7 x what they are required to provide in the legislation and they have consistently done that over the years despite falling gaming revenue, despite increase in taxes and other pressures in terms of their trading environment." Yep, its the club pokies lovers VS the club pokies haters. Insiders tip the powerful club sector will eventually win via knock out blow to the Australian government, as ambitious as it sounds. Stranger things have happened, and continue to.
Ex CEO Resigns From National Leisure and Gaming...
Former National Leisure and Gaming (NLG) CEO Andrew Jolliffe has resigned from his dual role of non-executive director and corporate advisor to the pub group. In late June Jolliffe quit his post as NLG CEO and MD citing a desire to explore other opportunities in the liquor and gaming sector. It now appears that these journeys into other ventures have created a potential conflict of interests with the company announcing that Jolliffe will depart his remaining posts from December 31, 2010. It is unknown if NLG has a non-executive director successor in mind. In a statement, the company’s chairman, Peter Dransfield thanked Jolliffe for his "outstanding contribution to the company".
Aristocrat Leisure Gets Much Needed New Blood...
Gaming giant Aristocrat Leisure has announced that David Banks has been nominated by its board as a non-executive director, subject to regulatory approvals. The appointment became effective from November 15. Banks has more than 25 years experience in the industrial, entertainment and gaming industries in financial, operating and strategic planning roles. Previously the CEO (Casinos Division) of Tabcorp Holdings and CEO of Star City Holdings, Banks was most recently the group chief operating officer of Galaxy Entertainment Group based in Macau. He is a former president of the Australian Casinos Association and a former director of the Australian Gambling Council. Shareholders will be asked to appoint Banks as a director of the company at the 2011 AGM. His appointment will not to take effect until the receipt of all relevant regulatory pre-approvals. "I am delighted to welcome a director of David’s calibre to the Board," said Aristocrat’s chairman (elect) Dr Ian Blackburne. "His deep industry knowledge and insights, in particular in the Australian and Macau markets, will be a valuable addition to the Board and the Company as a whole. I congratulate David on his nomination and look forward to his contribution." Aristocrat will need all the good fortune they can get, with their share price having been hammered as of late, not to mention a legal challenge from U.S poker machine giant International Game Technology aka I.G.T.
Australia's Privacy Act Needs To Be Updated For Biometrics Pokie Tech...
Australia's Privacy Act will need to be toughened and guidelines created if the federal government wants to use "biometric" technology in its plans to slow down the use of pokies, according to a peak technology group. Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard warned the states that the government will impose regulation if a mandatory "pre-commitment technology" to curb poker machine use is not in place by May. The Biometrics Institute general manager Isabelle Moeller said that strict national laws restricting the use of captured data would be required to ensure clubs, pubs and casinos adequately protect and do not abuse sensitive customer information.
Victorian Community Wary That Pokies Club May Hurt Community...
The Mount Alexander Shire says a new policy means gaming developments in the municipality will need to show they will not hurt the community. The shire has adopted a new gaming policy that details current levels of poker machine use in the Mount Alexander Shire, and is designed to limit problem gambling. The Maryborough Highland Society wants to build a community club in Castlemaine that would feature 65 pokies but a vocal community campaign is opposing the plans. Mayor Janet Cropley says the proposed club's close proximity to Castlemaine's central business district has the shire worried and the policy aims to protect townships. "It'll certainly mean that the applicant needs to do some work to reassure us that that location fits those issues about avoiding making it more difficult for people," she said.
Canberra - ACT: Claims Of $1.4m Betting Agency ACTTAB Scam...
The ACT Supreme Court has stopped the sale of a home part-owned by a long-time employee of the regions betting agency alleged to be at the centre of a $1.4 million betting swindle. The Director of Public Prosecutions applied for the order to restrain the sale of the home, and a white Ford Falcon, owned by 56-year-old Pamela Susan Close. An affidavit tendered in court reveals the Macgregor woman is expected to be charged in relation to a series of alleged betting rorts. Prosecutors will allege Ms Close dishonestly appropriated more than $1.4 million from ACTTAB between November 2001 and April 2010. Ms Close had worked for the betting agency for about 2 decades, according to the affidavit, and was the manager of account betting earlier this year. Master David Harper granted the order under the Confiscation of Criminal Assets Act, which prohibits the sale of the car or Ms Close's share of the Macgregor home. The home is worth about $450,000; the car $7500. The affidavit reveals a loophole through which it will be alleged Ms Close managed to place trifecta bets on races after they finished. It says ACTTAB's betting system allowed an authorised person to reopen race betting after a false start, so customers could place bets as the race was reorganised. Crime doesn't pay again.
Crown Casino Snaps Up World Class Chef Neil Perry...
In a coup, Packer's Crown has secured the world famous chef. He heads up the Waiting Room, at Melbourne's Crown Casino. Perry doesn't gamble he hold our friends at Fairfaix Media. "No, although I played blackjack in Vegas in 2005. Restaurants are my roulette wheel." It seems quite likely he expected to be probed on gambling, given that his latest bar, as well as one of his restaurants, Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne, plus his latest Melbourne venture, Spice Temple, are all on casino premises. We think they must pay well, in fact, being a shareholder, we know they do. Perry once refused to dish up a well done streak to the late media and gambling mogul, Kerry Packer, at the Palm Beach (Sydney) based Barrenjoey House. The Sydney Morning Herald was able to get this from Perry..."I probably should have given Kerry Packer the steak. I would have, these days. I got on my high horse. Ideals are important, but as you get older and a bit more mature, you realise you can't force your vision on customers. You give them what they want. Even though I still hate it when someone wants a well-done steak."
Real Life Underbelly Policewoman Wins Defamation Case...
Wendy Hatfield, the ex Kings Cross policewoman featured in Network Nine's Underbelly, The Golden Mile, has emerged victorious with a defamation payout over a report that suggested she was corrupt. News Limited will pay an secret sum to Ms Hatfield for the online report. Ms Hatfield has separate actions pending against Channel Nine and the publishers of the book on which the show was based. Hatfield..."Wendy Jones" in the series...is played by Jessica Tovey and portrayed as having a raunchy sexual relationship with night club owner, the flamboyant John Ibrahim. She denies the affair and the Wood royal commission into police corruption found it to be untrue. Underbelly (the TV show) returned to Network Nine early into the new year.
Media Man Monthly Awards
Media Man 'Christmas Themed Game Of The Month': Festive Fortunes by PartyGaming
'Online Casino Of The Month': PartyCasino, Virgin Casino runner up
'Casino Babe Of The Month' Paris Hilton
'Poker Babes Of The Month' Jenny Woo
'Australian Casino Tycoon Of The Month' James Packer
'Australian Media Player Of The Month' David Gyngell, Lachlan Murdoch runner up
'Social And Community Entrepreneur Of The Month' Shane Warne
'Australian Land Based Casino Of The Month': Star City; Crown Casino runner up
Media Man Yearly Awards
'Online Gaming Operator Of The Year': PartyGaming, Virgin Games runner up
'Online Casino Of The Year' PartyCasino.com
'Online Slot Game Of The Year' Sinatra, 2nd Circus Slot, 3rd Rambo
'Sports Betting Website Of The Year': Betfair, Centrebet runner up
'Poker Website Of The Year': PartyPoker, World Poker Tour runner up
'Australian Land Based Casino' Crown Casino, Star City runner up
'Global Land Based Casino Of The Year': Caesars Palace Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
'Casino Babe Of The Year' Paris Hilton; Elle Macpherson runner up
'Poker Babes Of The Year' Kara Scott, Jenny Woo runner up
'Australian Casino Tycoon Of The Year' James Packer
'Australian Media Player Of The Month' David Gyngell, Lachlan Murdoch runner up
'Social And Community Entrepreneur Of The Month' Shane Warne
'Global Casino Tycoon' Richard Branson, runner up Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta
'New Online Venture Of The Year': Steve Hand - Casino Executive Network
'Virtual World Of The Year' PKR, Poker 3 runner up
'Australian Media Company Most Likely To Make An Impact In 2011' Nine Entertainment Co
'Best And Fairest 2010' James Packer
'Website Portal Of The Year' Gambling911, Poker News Daily runner up
Awards...
Last month was a big month for casino awards also. Let's have a look...
PartyGaming's PartyCasino has also come back with seconds, picking up another Media Man 'Online Casino Of The Month Award' for November, and also the parent company, PartyGaming, picked up the prestigious EGR Slots Operator Of The Year Award ...Some other top picks of ours who picked up awards at the EGR night of nights were:
Virgin Games (Affiliate Programme)
Betfair (Innovation, Mobile Operator and UK Sports Betting Operator)
Bwin (European Sports Betting Operator
PKR (Poker Operator)
Oh, we almost forgot...Media Man and Casino News Media 'Casino Babe Of The Month': Jenny Woo, 'Poker Babe': Kara Scott, 'Gambling Babe Personality': Pamela Anderson.
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Wrap Up...
Readers... er, punters, how did you like our report? Have you been naughty or nice, and what sort of Xmas present are you gambling on? Tell us in the forum.
If you have a bet, please bet with your head, not over it, and for God's sake, have fun.
*Greg Tingle is a special contributor for Gambling911
*Media Man http://www.mediamanint.com is primarily a media, publicity and internet portal development company. They cover a dozen industry sectors including gaming and offer political commentary and analysis.
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Casino News Media: PartyGaming's casino keeps year on track, by Greg Tingle
Profiles
PartyGaming PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com Bwin PartyBingo.com World Poker Tour
Websites
PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com PartyBingo.com PartyGammon.com World Poker Tour
PartyGaming, the internet gambling firm that's merging with rival bwin, has traded in line with expectations during the fourth quarter, with a stronger casino business offsetting weakness in poker and bingo.
The company said trading since the end of September has been "solid" overall, thanks mainly to casino’s double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter.
There was also growth at the poker business quarter on quarter, but the usual seasonal pickup has been "less pronounced" due to the euro’s strength against the dollar. Both bingo and sports are down on Q3.
But clean earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins for 2010 remain in-line with previous guidance of 27-28%.
And the company is excited about the possibility of online gaming being regulated in the US both at the Federal and State level. If it goes through, the group is "well advanced" in talks with licensed companies in the US that could create "substantial" value.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals," boss Jim Ryan said.
Press Release
PartyGaming Plc ("PartyGaming" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") Pre-Close Trading Update
Revenue overall has been in-line with expectations with a strong performance in casino mitigated by a softer seasonal performance in poker and bingo
Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 expected to be in-line with previous guidance
Prospective regulation in new markets offers exciting medium to long-term revenue potential that may require additional investment
Merger with bwin remains on track
Trading since the end of September 2010 has been solid overall with a particularly strong performance in casino that has enjoyed double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter, driven by growth in both turnover and hold. Poker has also seen growth in average daily gross revenue over the third quarter, although the usual seasonal pickup has been less pronounced than in previous years due to the strengthening of the euro against the US dollar. In bingo, average gross daily revenue has grown versus the current trading data reported at the time of our Q3 KPIs, but remains lower than the third quarter. This is due to the strengthening of the euro against sterling and seasonality, as UK-based bingo players typically reduce their spend in the run-up to Christmas. While sports betting has continued to deliver a solid performance in the period, the benefit of the World Cup during the third quarter as well as a favourable series of results for punters has meant that average daily gross revenue in sports is down versus the third quarter.
In respect of margins, we expect that full year Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 will remain in-line with our previous guidance of between 27% and 28%.
An increasing number of territories are now actively exploring the merits of a regulatory framework for online gaming. In Europe, the Group is continuing to monitor closely Germany, Greece, Holland, Denmark and Spain as well as other countries. Whilst the shape and scope of any such regulations is not yet known, should some of these markets move to regulate, additional gaming taxes and investment may be required to ensure that the Group’s long-term revenue potential is maximised.
There continues to be much movement in the US towards regulating online gaming both at the Federal and State level. Should the requisite legislation be enacted, the Group is well advanced in discussions with licensed companies in the US that could create substantial value for the Group’s shareholders.
Proposed Merger with bwin
It is expected that the shareholder documents associated with the proposed merger will be issued shortly with an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders expected to be convened for late January 2011. The proposed merger remains on course to complete during March 2011.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, said:
"Revenues in the fourth quarter have enjoyed their usual seasonal upturn. Casino has performed particularly strongly with double-digit revenue growth over the third quarter, although currency movements meant that the uplift in poker has been less pronounced than usual. Clean EBITDA margins are expected to be in line with our previous guidance for 2010.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals."
Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyGammon.com
PartyBets.com
GameBookers.com
FoxyBingo.com
Bwin
Cashcade
World Poker Tour
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
PartyGaming PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com Bwin PartyBingo.com World Poker Tour
Websites
PartyCasino.com PartyPoker.com PartyBingo.com PartyGammon.com World Poker Tour
PartyGaming, the internet gambling firm that's merging with rival bwin, has traded in line with expectations during the fourth quarter, with a stronger casino business offsetting weakness in poker and bingo.
The company said trading since the end of September has been "solid" overall, thanks mainly to casino’s double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter.
There was also growth at the poker business quarter on quarter, but the usual seasonal pickup has been "less pronounced" due to the euro’s strength against the dollar. Both bingo and sports are down on Q3.
But clean earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) margins for 2010 remain in-line with previous guidance of 27-28%.
And the company is excited about the possibility of online gaming being regulated in the US both at the Federal and State level. If it goes through, the group is "well advanced" in talks with licensed companies in the US that could create "substantial" value.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals," boss Jim Ryan said.
Press Release
PartyGaming Plc ("PartyGaming" and, together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") Pre-Close Trading Update
Revenue overall has been in-line with expectations with a strong performance in casino mitigated by a softer seasonal performance in poker and bingo
Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 expected to be in-line with previous guidance
Prospective regulation in new markets offers exciting medium to long-term revenue potential that may require additional investment
Merger with bwin remains on track
Trading since the end of September 2010 has been solid overall with a particularly strong performance in casino that has enjoyed double-digit growth in average daily gross revenue versus the third quarter, driven by growth in both turnover and hold. Poker has also seen growth in average daily gross revenue over the third quarter, although the usual seasonal pickup has been less pronounced than in previous years due to the strengthening of the euro against the US dollar. In bingo, average gross daily revenue has grown versus the current trading data reported at the time of our Q3 KPIs, but remains lower than the third quarter. This is due to the strengthening of the euro against sterling and seasonality, as UK-based bingo players typically reduce their spend in the run-up to Christmas. While sports betting has continued to deliver a solid performance in the period, the benefit of the World Cup during the third quarter as well as a favourable series of results for punters has meant that average daily gross revenue in sports is down versus the third quarter.
In respect of margins, we expect that full year Clean EBITDA margins for 2010 will remain in-line with our previous guidance of between 27% and 28%.
An increasing number of territories are now actively exploring the merits of a regulatory framework for online gaming. In Europe, the Group is continuing to monitor closely Germany, Greece, Holland, Denmark and Spain as well as other countries. Whilst the shape and scope of any such regulations is not yet known, should some of these markets move to regulate, additional gaming taxes and investment may be required to ensure that the Group’s long-term revenue potential is maximised.
There continues to be much movement in the US towards regulating online gaming both at the Federal and State level. Should the requisite legislation be enacted, the Group is well advanced in discussions with licensed companies in the US that could create substantial value for the Group’s shareholders.
Proposed Merger with bwin
It is expected that the shareholder documents associated with the proposed merger will be issued shortly with an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders expected to be convened for late January 2011. The proposed merger remains on course to complete during March 2011.
Commenting on today’s announcement, Jim Ryan, Chief Executive Officer, said:
"Revenues in the fourth quarter have enjoyed their usual seasonal upturn. Casino has performed particularly strongly with double-digit revenue growth over the third quarter, although currency movements meant that the uplift in poker has been less pronounced than usual. Clean EBITDA margins are expected to be in line with our previous guidance for 2010.
"The proposed merger with bwin remains on-track to complete at the end of the first quarter and should place the combined group in a strong position to take advantage of the changing regulatory landscape in Europe given its leadership positions across all key product verticals."
Profiles
PartyGaming
PartyCasino.com
PartyPoker.com
PartyBingo.com
PartyGammon.com
PartyBets.com
GameBookers.com
FoxyBingo.com
Bwin
Cashcade
World Poker Tour
Website Network
Media Man International
Media Man
Media Man Australia
Media Man Asia
Media Man Canada
Media Man Games
Media Man Brand
Media Man Network
Casino News Media
Poker News Media
Global Gaming Directory
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