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Net Gaming Notes
by Carey Chambers
This issue, a special focus on sportsbetting: Intertops accepts its 20
millionth online wager, a New Jersey office pool organizer is arrested,
British bookmaker William Hill turns away American bettors, Aspinalls
launches a new sports-themed casino, and Skybook offers a free 1/2 point
for life.
 Intertops
Accepts 20 Millionth Online Wager
Intertops (www.intertops.com) reached
a sportsbetting milestone on January 21 when the site accepted its 20
millionth online wager. To reach the 20 million bet mark, Intertops has
averaged nearly one bet every ten seconds since opening in 1996. A spokesperson
said that Intertops received 5 million wagers in the last year alone.
“When we brought gaming onto the Internet in 1996, we never imagined
that we would accept 20 million online wagers in only six years of operation,”
said Simon Noble, CEO and co-founder of Intertops.
To celebrate reaching this milestone, Intertops gave away 20 million
Guinea Francs (about U.S.$10,000) to the winner of its 20 Millionth Bet
Contest. Dennis H. of Loveland, Colorado collected the prize.
Free 1/2 Point at Skybook
How would you like a bonus 1/2 point on all bets you make? That’s
the promotion you’ll find at Skybook (www.skybook.com),
the “Home of the Free 1/2 Point.” The 1/2 point isn’t completely
free—it’s only available to Platinum members who pay a $300
annual membership fee. But it is a clever promotion that might be worth
the fee for big-action bettors.
Aspinalls Launches Sports Casino
Aspinalls (www.aspinalls.com) wants
to appeal to sports lovers with the launch of its new Sports Casino. The
site offers players all the popular casino games combined with the sights
and sounds of top international sports. Players can enjoy Tennis Baccarat
at Wimbledon, try Keno Soccer in Brazil, and shoot Craps on an ice hockey
rink in Montreal. “The Sports Casino has been specially developed
to offer sports enthusiasts and sports bettors a casino experience suited
to them,” said Aspinalls’ CEO Russell Foreman. The Sports Casino
also features Aspinalls’ SlotBuster progressive slot machine, which
boasts the world’s biggest online slot machine jackpot of $500,000.
The jackpot has yet to be won. “As with all our casinos, members
of the new casino will enjoy the highest standards of service and security
that the Aspinalls name is associated with,” said Foreman. Players
can download the Sports Casino at www.aspinalls.com.
 Will
Hill Refuses U.S. Bets
British bookmaker William Hill (www.willhill.com)
no longer wants U.S. betting action. The company said that as of January
31 it will no longer take sports bets from America because of the 1961
Wire Act’s ban on placing these types of wagers over telephone lines.
U.S. players will be able to withdraw money from their accounts after
January 31 but will not be able to place bets or deposit money. They will,
however, still be able to make bets at the William Hill online casino
(www.williamhillcasino.com).
Bettors in other parts of the world remain unaffected.
Office Pool Organizer Arrested
A middle manager with AT&T was arrested for running a Super Bowl office
pool, said an Associated Press report. Wayne Davis, thirty-four, was charged
with promoting gambling. New Jersey prosecutors said he violated the law
when he took a 10 percent cut of the action, which came to nearly $3,000.
Davis’ lawyer said the 10 percent was meant to pay for a party for
the group. “He’s nothing other than a guy in the office who
was asked to draw the grid for a football pool.” Davis could get
up to five years in prison, though he is unlikely to do any jail time.
A co-worker turned him in.
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