News in brief: Kyl softens poker stance; William Hill acquires US sportsbook
Outgoing United States Senator Jon Kyl has revealed he may reconsider his stance on online poker later this year.
United States Senator Jon Kyl has softened his stance on online poker ahead of his retirement next year. The Republican Senator for Arizona, a noted supporter of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), wrote on his website that “Efforts to carve out an exception for games like poker [from his opposition to egaming]”¦may be considered later this year.” However, he has clarified that his overall position on online gambling has not changed.
William Hill has signed a deal to acquire US sports betting company Brandywine. The news follows the purchase of the Nevada-based American Wagering and Cal Neva in April. Brandywine, which operates in Nevada and Delaware, posted revenues of US$7.7m (£4.6m) in 2010.
Betsson‘s planned joint venture with G.Matica “ which was set to see the Swedish company enter Italy “ has fallen through, according to reports. After announcing last month that CEO Pontus Lindwall would become chairman of the board, Betsson is still considering a number of options in Italy.
Bodog Europe has named Croatian poker player Tatjana Pasalic as its latest sponsored pro. Pasalic, who has presented events for Unibet and WPT Europe, finished sixth in last year’s Women’s World Open. Team Bodog also announced that sponsored pro Evelyn Ng has extended her contract.
The High Court of Paris has ordered several internet service providers to block French players from accessing the unlicensed egaming site 5dimes. The Costa Rica-based site had a skin added to New Deal Gaming’s Bluff21 network last week.
French regulator ARJEL has approved the new ownership of SPS Betting, which was sold by TF1 in March. The regulatory authority has also issued new poker licences to 200%poker and FullFun.
WorldPay has announced that it is set to acquire fellow global payments service Envoy Services Limited for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is expected to be completed later this month.