News

An art deco bingo hall in Hove is facing demolition after plans to replace the building with 38 flats and a GP's surgery were submitted. Residents have called the planning proposal for the Gala bingo building "madness" according to the local Argus newspaper, despite the developer’s assertions that neighbours had been fully consulted.

Local council leader Brian Oxley said "I hope that people will get involved and make their views known," and asked for residents to contact him or his fellow ward councillor Denise Cobb.

Slot profits are down in Atlantic City by 14 per cent for December, to $251 million according to figures released by the New Jersey Casino Control Commission. Table game winnings fell 1.4 per cent in the period, to $120.2 million according to the gaming regulator, which attributed the fall to increased competition from new video lottery terminals in nearby Pennsylvania and New York. The city is currently undergoing a revamp in an effort to attract customers, with casino operators, including Harrah's Entertainment, Trump Entertainment and a joint venture between MGM Mirage and Boyd Gaming upgrading their properties in the city.

National Lottery operator Camelot reported a pre-tax profit dip of £200,000, to £49.3 million for the year to March 31, 2007. Sales for the period dropped to £4.91 billion from £5.01 billion, which Camelot attributed to a very strong quarter comparative in 2006. Chief executive Dianne Thompson said that over the past four years, sales had grown by over seven per cent giving it fifth spot in the global rankings of operators by sales. She added that, despite the overall fall in numbers, sales over interactive platforms were strong, to over £290 million, a rise of 35.4 per cent which helped offset a four per cent drop in draw-based ticket sales.

Paddy Power has left the Irish Bookmakers Association (IBA) over 'irreconcilable differences' according to the organisation. Sharon Byrne, Chair of the IBA, said differences on key objectives contained in the IBA's budget submission – including funding of the horse racing industry, repatriation and measures needed to bolster the future of smaller bookmakers – had caused the split, before adding that they regretted the decision.

The IBA membership comprises of nearly three quarters of the betting shops in Ireland.

Welsh nurse has hit the bingo jackpot by winning £100,000. Joan Jackson, a nurse at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, arranged the evening to say goodbye to a colleague who was leaving to have a baby. Jackson won £100,000 at The Gala Club Cardiff’s National Game after completing a full house in 41 numbers, the lowest call in any of the 500 clubs playing nationwide. “I’m from Liverpool originally and I always use my lucky red Liverpool pen to play bingo,” said Joan.

The UK's Daily Mail newspaper has blocked access to its online bingo site following calls from gaming firms and church leaders last week, which accused the paper of failing to adhere to guidelines set out by Gamcare and Responsibility in Gambling Trust. A source from the Mail's publisher Associated Newspapers told the Observer that Cashcade, the company that runs the site, had introduced games they felt should not be included on the site after finding that its contract had been terminated.

Ladbrokes reported that a Welsh punter had overcome odds of 350,000 to 1, to win £700,000 with a stake of Just £2. A spokesperson for Ladbrokes called the win extraordinary adding that it was the most "phenomenal betting performance we've seen in many years."

Archie Evans from Cwmbran, who picked six horse race winners to get the payout, said "It's a huge amount of money and if I'm honest it's not sunk in yet."

"I've not decided on how to spend it yet," he continued. "But I know I'm going to take my wife on a bloody good holiday."

Ladbrokes £470 million takeover of online gaming company 888.com has been called off after running into 'insurmountable' problems according to sources cited in the UK's Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

Ladbrokes has made its interest known in running Englands first super-casino to be located in Manchester. It is also expected to 'broadly outline' plans for 16 further casinos licences which the government will make available and announce profits before tax in the region of £235 million.

The betting firm would be the only UK company to openly voice an interest in the Manchester development, with US-based Harrah's and Malaysian gaming group Genting being the competition. Industry analysts are expecting Ladbrokes to discuss European expansion plans, focusing on Italy and Spain, and divulge details regarding the potential purchase of 888 Holdings.

Analysts at Numis Securities were quoted as saying that if Ladbrokes fails to make the deal, they could return around £663 million to shareholders over the next three years. Ladbrokes declined to comment on the situation.

Bookmaker William Hill has entered into the online bingo market with the launch of williamhillbingo.com Tony Cawood, head of remote marketing at William Hill, said that "It is important for us that we position bingo to best engage with the target audience"

So the decision to go for Manchester appeared to neatly avoid whipping up that political row, although Greenwich and Blackpool were bitterly disappointed by the result and future rows over the decision cannot be ruled out. The Dome's bid pitched John Prescott into a row But by leaving the decision to the independent Casino Advisory Panel, and then accepting the result, ministers have done the best they can to inoculate themselves against any fallout.

Britain's Bingo Association is set to demand a £10 million tax-rebate from Gordon Brown to balance the effect of the smoking ban in Scotland. The organisations chairman, Sir Peter Fry, plans to meet politicians and media to start the campaign, which is asking the chancellor to pay back £10 million in VAT to 'compensate for a 20 per cent drop in revenue' caused by the ban. The association went on to call the current situation in Scotland 'frustrating', due to the country having the autonomy to instigate a ban, but not to allow the tax breaks.

"The ban has had a far greater impact on the industry than had been anticipated," according to a Bingo Association spokesperson. "This situation has been created by government legislation rather than market forces."

The Bingo Association is also planning on bringing the campaign to England and Wales when the smoking ban is introduced next year, and ask for an estimated £100 million of VAT.

Irish bookmaker Paddy Power has added Parlay Entertainment's Parlay Bingo to its stable of online games. Paddy Power Bingo has been developed in co-operation with turnkey operator The Gaming Network and Parlay Parlay's Vice President of Sales, Andrew Branscombe, commented: "Established betting and casino operators are beginning to realise that bingo is an important part of the online gaming product mix and that they can no longer afford not to add bingo to their online offering.