ESPN will continue to broadcast the World Series of Poker until 2018 after signing a new agreement for another seven years with Harrah’s Entertainment.

ESPNESPN and Harrah’s Entertainment announced a new agreement that provides for the airing of the WSOP for a further seven years from 2011. Details of the agreement were not disclosed.

Thanks to this agreement, ESPN will be the official partner for the transmission of the World Series of Poker until 2018. ESPN should put on the air each year at least 32 hours of the WSOP, including the transmission of the Main Event bracelet and a few select events.

“The WSOP are pleased to be provided by ESPN for another nine years. This long-term agreement allows us to continue to get fans to the sport around the world through multiple platforms, “said the chairman of Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment and the World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack.

The deal was announced when ESPN began airing the WSOP Main Event 2009. The estimates for the first 3 weeks of airing the edition of 2009 decreased by 8%, but proves ESPN confident. Things will get better, it is still too early to draw conclusions on the entire edition

UK, Ladbrokes intends to launch a project to upgrade and optimization of staff. During periods of “dead”, in fact, allow employees of its betting shops to work in call centers of companies to maximize profitability and efficiency of the online casino service and customer support. The pilot project will start in the first 180 stores to be later extended to include 2000 Ladbrokes betting shops. It ‘probably the announcement of the project with the presentation of financial data of the first semester. The customer support has been trained to support all the players that want to play on the main online casino games, such as blackjack, slots, crap, video poker and many others.

Intralot will provide the Chinese national lottery LOTOSTM Horizon software and related services. The contract has a duration of five years, renewable for another five, Intralot has concluded through MelcoLot Limited, which controls a substantial share. Furthermore, the Greek company will provide 2 thousand LOTOSTM Horizon Media Controllers which allow the lottery to create, control and transmit interactive content to the sales network. “We hope this is the first in a series of agreements with China,” said Chris Moumouris, Managing Director, Intralot Asia. “We will support the Chinese lottery in its aim to increase funding for social causes.” The second contract Intralot will pave the way for the introduction of new gaming technologies in China, MelcoLot has already commenced negotiations to extend cooperation to other areas of interest.

Police investigation continues even Japanese betting scandal involving the world of sumo. Dozens of fighters and instructors are accused of taking part in a tour of clandestine gambling on baseball games: a relatively rare event, searches were carried out of the main and most prestigious gyms in the Tokyo area. The attention of investigators has focused on stable Onomatsu in Narashino, on the eastern outskirts of the capital, held its own center for organizing illegal gambling. The wrestler Kotomitsuki and his master Otake, deletions from the circuit to have had a pivotal role in illegal bets are suspected of regularly visiting the team Onomatsu just to bet on baseball games. The police carried out searches at other stables while the investigative commission established by the national sumo, called to shed light on the scandal, has decided to reveal only the names of wrestlers embroiled in illegal betting on baseball, avoiding for the time spread the generality of those who were involved in less serious forms of gambling.

The day has come, and feared late effect of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the U.S..

UIGEA regulation is in full effect, but still online poker sites do not appear as an empty desert and post apocalypse. At this moment, 41.356 are playing cash games on PokerStars and other 17.532 at Full Tilt Poker, according to the website traffic of online poker PokerScout. “I had already announced that this date would not be a catastrophic event for poker players that would see the dimming of the online sites in the U.S.,” said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance. “I think there will always be channels through which players can deposit. It should not have effect on the deposit ACH (Automated Clearing House) or those outside the system of credit. So it should take effect even on people who want to deposit money on the sites.

” The PPA has had no response from Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke about the petition to clarify the effects of the UIGEA on games like poker. In this case, no news is bad news. “We have not received any notification on the acceptance of our petition but either no notification has been declined,” said Pappas. “I think we can accept the petition even after the entry into force of the law but this is very unlikely. There expect most banks to comply fully with the regulations. However, we have heard from several people who can still make deposits. ” What will the UIGEA now we know only a couple of weeks. Players must be patient with deposits and withdrawals will be clearer and the consequences. By law, the PPA will focus its efforts to push Congress to a new regulation that prohibits Americans to participate in what is traditionally one of the most popular games in America. “Our efforts are always concentrated in two directions, to see what you can do to counteract and delay the UIGEA, which we did successfully in the past four years, and try and get the regulation and licensing of online poker “Pappas said. “The next step will be the presentation of Barney Frank (his draft law on the authorization and regulation of online gaming to the House Financial Services Committee), which will take place in July. We’re focused on this and will do everything possible to get the best possible result from this vote. “