News from my Desk Wednesday March 20 @ 9.30 AM

Maine Lottery Forgoes Scratch Ticket Name Change

AUGUSTA, Maine (March 19, 2013) -- Although the change may have come too late to stop the late-night comedians from making hay, Maine's instant lottery tickets will not be branded as "Kwikies."

Finance Minister Defends OLG Payments to Bidders in Privatization Process

TORONTO, Ontario (March 19, 2013) -- Ontario’s gambling monopoly upped the ante for potential operators of its lotteries to “to ensure competitive bids” on the $1.3 billion a year lotto business.

Player Privacy Bill to receive Final Roll Call Vote before heading to Governor

PHOENIX, Arizona (March 19, 2013) -- Current law makes the names of Lottery winners a public record. But the measure given preliminary Senate approval this week would change all that, allowing winners to seek confidentiality and permitting the state to disclose only a home town.

U.S. wants “robust oversight” of Macau’s junkets

MACAU (March 19, 2013) – The U.S. Department of State has called for Macau to “continue to strengthen interagency coordination” to prevent money laundering in the gaming industry.

INTRALOT USA Launches Freeplay “DEEPSTACK CASINO™”

ATHENS, Greece (March 19, 2013) -- INTRALOT USA, a subsidiary of the INTRALOT Group, offers consumers in the US market its newly developed freeplay, feature-rich gaming website “DeepStack Casino™”. This new website offers interactive and social gaming content and expands the Company’s portfolio beyond the traditional lottery products for which the Company is well known in the US

MICROGAMING Celebrates A Decade Of Poker Software

ISLE OF MAN (March 19, 2013) -- Microgaming announces a decade of excellence in poker software as the MPN (www.thempn.eu) celebrates its tenth birthday. Originally known as Prima Poker, then the Microgaming Poker Network, the MPN has been a favorite destination for online poker players since its launch in March 2003. In its early years, the network signed up some of gaming’s biggest brands and before long was dealing millions of hands daily.

SHERIFF GAMING & PLAYTIKA Launch Slotomania Adventures On Facebook

EINDHOVEN, Netherlands (March 19, 2013) -- Sheriff Gaming, leading providers of 3D online slot games to the online gaming, land-based and mobile industries is working with Playtika, the leading social and mobile play-for-fun casino games (a subsidiary of Caesars Interactive Entertainment, Inc.) to launch Slotomania Adventures on Facebook utilizing Sheriff’s innovative slots and combining them with one of the most successful casino-entertainment style game on Facebook, Slotomania.

Unibet Acquisition Of Real-Money Social Gambling Business

MALTA (March 19, 2013) -- Unibet announces that it has signed a conditional agreement to acquire 100 per cent of Social Gambling (Channel Islands) Ltd, "SGCI", which principal asset is an investment in Bonza Gaming,

William Hill plc: William Hill Completes Sportingbet Acquisition

LONDON, UK (March 19, 2013) -- William Hill PLC (LSE: WMH) (William Hill or the Group), the UK's largest bookmaker, announces that it has, today, completed the acquisition of Sportingbet's Australian business and has been granted a call option over Sportingbet's locally licensed Spanish business for a total cash consideration of £459.4m.

Citi Upgrades Target Price for OPAP to €6.80

ATHENS, Greece (March 19, 2013) -- New products/channels could drive significant operational growth but OPAP operates in a high risk environment from both a macro and micro perspective, Citi says in a report a

ARJEL Calls for Regulation of The Gambling Industry Online And New Technologies

Summary of the final report and recommendations Commission specialized ARJEL - January 2013

SportAccord Launches Revamped Integrity Package to Combat Match-Fixing in Sport

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (March 19, 2013) -- Prevention, education and awareness campaigns are crucial to empowering athletes and officials to say no to match-fixing.

Jeremy Thompson-Hill appointed CEO of OpenBet

LONDON, UK (March 19, 2013) -- OpenBet, a leading sportsbook and online gaming software supplier, is pleased to announce today that Jeremy Thompson-Hill has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of OpenBet, with immediate effect.