French Gambling

Reports in the French daily newspaper Le Monde suggest that several well known industry companies, including Betclick, Unibet, and Bwin are already active with French associates in gearing up for the liberalisation of the French online and land gambling market, expected by most observers to occur in 2010.

In mainly promotional and advertising activities designed to raise profile, the companies are reported to have teamed with established French companies like the state monopoly Francaise des Jeux and Tour de France operator Amaury in sponsoring a variety of sporting and other events on a wide range of regional media. It appears that French officials, aware of imminent changes, have so far adopted an understanding if 'unofficial' more enlightened position than was the case in the past.

Unibet was reported to have committed Euro 1 million in deals for the coming year, with an option to renew. The company is already partnering with the Paris Saint-Germain football club, with an option to have its brand name on the back of the players’ shirts next season.

Le Monde reports that Betclick will be the official shirt sponsor of the Olympique de Marseille football club for 2009-2010, and is the official betting partner for Saint-Etienne.

Sensitive to the challenges of competition ahead, FdeJ has reportedly ramped up promotional spending in multi million franc deals, including its own FDJ-sponsored poker team, clearly with one eye on Bwin and Unibet, which have teamed up with the Le Parisien and Metro publications to promote poker events.

NHL Odds: Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Washington Capitals on Tuesday - Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs touch down in DC this Tuesday (7 PM ET on TSN) as one of the hottest teams in the NHL. They've tallied a ridiculous 26 goals through only five games played; that's more than five goals scored per game on average. They'll be up against an equally potent Washington Capitals team.

Pro League Reveals Sportradar Contract Details - The partnership between the PLC and Sportradar aims to provide a high-quality level of service to all Arabian Gulf League stakeholders in addition to making verified official data about players performances available to coaching and scouting staff and supplying match information to media outlets.

NFL Odds: Steelers Visit Undefeated Chiefs #TNF - The Kansas City Chiefs (5-0 SU and ATS) have been flawless as an NFL pick thus far. Their chances of remaining undefeated in Week 6 look good; after opening at –4.5, Kansas City is a 5-point home chalk for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2 SU, 2-3 ATS), beginning at 4:25 PM ET on CBS.

Mega Moolah strikes again - The jackpot was hit on a mobile device on Sunday 1 October 2017 by a UK player on Betway, this time awarding a £1,448,116.31 pay day.

2 New Slots For Microgaming Casinos - David Reynolds, Games Publisher at Microgaming, comments: “On top of our branded title game Halloween, we’re delivering two more slots this October, each bringing exciting features and a different theme.

MLS Odds: Red Bulls vs. Whitecaps - The New York Red Bulls (12W, 12L, 7T) haven’t won a match since August 15, but they’re –165 favorites this Saturday against the visiting Vancouver Whitecaps (15W, 10L, 6T), beginning at 5 PM ET. Vancouver is a +475 underdog with the draw priced at +285.

Simon Jones is crowned the Greatest Poker Player in the Universe - A €10,000 leaderboard tracked player progress throughout the series to determine who the Greatest Poker Player in the Universe was. Professional poker player/sports psychology lecturer, Simon Jones, took the crown with a €5,000 cash bonus and trophy to prove it.

MLB Odds: Yankees Favored in AL Wild Card Game - After a strong regular season, the New York Yankees (91-71, –1.00 betting units) opened as –235 home favourites for Tuesday’s AL Wild Card Game against the Minnesota Twins (85-77, +11.48 units). First pitch is at 8 PM ET on ESPN.