Best of PRO This Week: Norway, New Jersey and PartyPoker Traffic

Key Takeaways

Norway to liberalize gaming laws.
New Jersey regulations to ban P2P transfers.
PartyPoker traffic rebounds, pushes Full Tilt into 5th place.

Lead Features

Norway to Liberalize Gaming Laws

A new government sets out to open up Norway’s restricted gambling market. The new governing coalition in Norway, which takes power on October 14, has said that it plans to liberalize the Norwegian online gambling market and allow market access to foreign operators.

Exclusive News Articles

Sweden Fails to Stop Unibet Tennis Sponsorship

Unibet’s logo will be allowed to be displayed at next week’s Stockholm Open despite being ruled a violation of the Lotteries Act. An attempt by the Swedish Gaming Board to impose an injunction on Unibet’s sponsorship of the Stockholm Tennis Open has failed. Unibet will get to display its logo at the event.

Tanzania Issues its First Online Gaming License

Dunia owned, Microgaming powered, iPlay8casino to go live as Africa’s first regulated online operator. Microgaming has announced that it is the software provider for iPlay8casino, which will shortly go live as the first nationally-regulated online gambling site in Africa. iPlay8 is owned by Dunia, which now has sites operating in 24 jurisdictions worldwide.

Signs of Life at Ongame: Network Hits 90-Day High

Amaya’s dot-com poker network stabilized in September. The Ongame poker network has shown signs of growth, even outstripping the general dot-com market seasonal gains.

PartyPoker Traffic Rebounds, Pushes Full Tilt into 5th Place

Party outstrips industry seasonal gains, moving it ahead of Full Tilt in the cash game rankings. PartyPoker’s new marketing push is starting to pay off as a recent surge in cash game activity has put it back in fourth spot in the traffic rankings.

Ladbrokes Shares Spike on Playtech CEO Investment Rumor

Shares jump 6% in a day as a single investor, reportedly Playtech CEO Teddy Sagi, purchased just under 3% of the company. A £37.1m purchase of Ladbrokes shares saw the price of the British company jump over 6% on the day’s trading. The identity of the buyer is not required to be disclosed under stock exchange rules because the purchase amounted to just under 3% of the company.

AAMS Confirms Possible Licensing Requirements for Gaming Suppliers in Italy

Another strand in the battle against the gray market has the potential to affect online poker affiliates. The Italian State gambling regulator AAMS plans to get tough on the gray market problem by proposing to license suppliers to their licensees.

Gibraltar in “Pole Position” to Benefit from US State Regulation

Gilbraltar is looking to “snap up a giant slice” of the US online gaming market, according to a report by Agence France-Presse Tuesday.

New Jersey Regulations to Ban P2P Transfers

The New Jersey DGE has rejected a request from PokerStars’ parent Rational Group to allow player to player transfers. In response to feedback and suggestions received during the public comment period of its online regulation development process, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has rejected a call by Rational Group to permit player to player (P2P) money transfers.

Japan Wants a New Gambling Regulator for Olympic Ambitions

A bill to license casinos could be on the books in time for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. A cross party group of politicians in Japan have set out their intention to legalize casino gambling and establish a new gambling regulator.

Tony G Wants to be a Euro MP

Lithuanian Anatanas “Tony G” Guoga has been selected as a Liberal candidate for EU elections to be held next year. Tony G, real name Antanas Guoga, has announced his intention to run in next year’s elections for the European Parliament.

Costa Rica Gambling Industry Suffering

Runner, Runner and trampled sovereignty are just two of the pressures faced by the gambling industry in Costa Rica. The Costa Rica Star has published a long article which claims that US pressure is putting an intolerable strain on the country’s gambling industry.

Devilfish Poker to be Sold for £1

TWL has proposed the sale of Devilfish Poker to former gaming subsidiaries boss Jeff Williams. The Weather Lottery plc (TWL) has proposed to sell Devil Fish Poker for the sum of £1. TWL bought Devilfish Gaming three years ago for £330k.

Svenska Spel Removes All Bonuses to Protect Customers

In an act driven by its remit of social responsibility, Swedish state monopoly Svenska Spel puts itself at a commercial disadvantage. In a decision motivated by consumer protection issues, Swedish Svenska Spel has removed all bonuses and any other form of discount or cash rebate with immediate effect.

Australians Spend Almost 2% of Income on Gambling, Study Shows

Australians spend the most throughout the Asia-Pacific region, data shows. A research report from Sindex looking at gambling spend across countries in the Asia Pacific region found that the Aussies spend more per capita than anyone else—an average of $1,288 a year. Singapore made second place on the list with $1,174 per head.

Portugal Agrees to Reexamine Online Gambling Laws

Portugal offers olive branch to IMF, EU and ECB with three-month investigation into its gambling laws. The Portuguese government has agreed to set up an investigative committee to examine new gambling laws after a meeting with its bailout creditors, the IMF, EU, and ECB “Troika.”

Unibet’s Swedish Advertising “Lacked Social Responsibility”

Claims that a $100 offer was “risk free” neglected the other risks associated with gambling, ombudsman rules. An advertisement in Sweden has been adjudged to have been designed without a due sense of social responsibility.

Netherlands Gambling Monopoly Holland Casino in Dire Financial Position

Even with a monopoly position, gambling proves a losing proposition for state owned Holland Casino. The Dutch state-owned gambling monopoly Holland Casino has been placed under “special management” due to its precarious finances.