NetplayTV GBP 3.2 million loss

9/30/09 - NetplayTV plc, an interactive television gambling group that is usually the bearer of acquisitive and good news for investors, has posted a GBP 3.2 million loss in its half year results, due mainly to the one-off cost of restructuring the company to take advantage of the more liberalised television regime in the UK.

The firm announced that revenues fell 8 percent to GBP 9.3 million, and that the sale of its premium rate telephony business, Abstract Games earlier this year had affected performance.

Martin Higginson, chief executive of the group said these were one-off costs necessary to secure the further advance of the company in interactive television gambling, now permitted at certain hours by the UK regulator.

“These decisions have allowed us to fully exploit the UK terrestrial TV opportunities and are an important move if we are to enter into long-term deals with major global broadcasters,” Higginson emphasised. He claimed that recent agreements with leading companies had positioned the group in a dominating position in the the UK terrestrial and digital TV interactive gaming market, enabling it to generate stronger and better quality revenues.

The company release showed gross bets up 31 percent to GBP 204 million for the half yeat to end June 2009. Management expects this to continue to grow with the addition of terrestrial TV channels STV and Channel Five in late September 2009. The number of active players has grown five-fold since launching on terrestrial TV in mid-September 2009.

NetPlay also flagged the launch its interactive mobile to TV product, with mobile gaming margin revenues increasing 450 percent to GBP 900 000 for the first half of 2009, up substantially from GBP 200 000 over same period last year.

Interestingly, the statement also revealed that NetplayTV's recent backend live gambling deal with software provider Playtech plc (see previous InfoPowa report) had made it necessary to postpone the move of its SuperCasino live casino offshore; this will now only take place towards the end of the year.

Cryptologic 14 top games to be provided to Loto-Quebec - 02/08/2012 : The companies have signed a multi-year agreement that will see Cryptologic providing a portfolio of quality games to the Societe du jeu virtuel du Quebec, the online gaming division of the provincial state lottery corporation Loto-Quebec, known as Espacejeux.

Utah : Online Gambling : HB108 - 02/08/2012 : An intrastate attempt by Utah politician Stephen Sandstrom to introduce state legislation banning any legalisation of internet gambling has failed at the start gate.

MORE U.S. DISCUSSION ON INTERNET GAMBLING DUE THIS WEEK - 02/08/2012 : Interest in online gambling in the United States is set to continue on Thursday this week when the US Senate Committee on Indian Affairs meets to hear the views of a wide cross section of interested parties on the possible impact of legalised internet gambling on tribal gaming.

Judge wont dismiss DoJ Black Friday charges - 02/08/2012 : Former Utah banker John Campos and e-processor Chad Elie, who face charges relating to the payment processing of online poker transactions, suffered a setback Tuesday when a Manhattan judge refused to allow their motion for dismissal of Black Friday indictments against them.

ANOTHER MAJOR INTERNET GAMBLING BUST IN MALAYSIA - 02/08/2012 : Police units in Malaysia raided a series of premises in a week long anti-online gambling operation, seizing 225 computers and detaining 47 men, according to reports from the Bernama news agency. All of the detained men were later released on bail.