Odds
on the move
As reported by The Net Imperative
Betfair,
the online betting exchange, has launched a new service,
betfair lite, that will enable users with a PDA or mobile
browser to view betting odds and prices across the entire
range of betfair markets.
Customers
will not be able to log-in or place bets on betfair lite
for now, though the company said it planned to add bet-placing
services in the future. Betfair said however, that it
intends to further develop the site to allow placing and
modifying bets. The portal offers betting odds on 'Special
Bets' events ranging from Norwegian Pop Idol to the Danish
Big Brother, as well as world sports events, including
Chess Championships.
The
new lite.betfair.com site will work on any PDA or mobile
phone with an HTML or XHTML browser, but will not function
on WAP enabled phones according to the company.
$1
billion complex will be largest gambling attraction in
Canada
As reported by The Toronto Star
NIAGARA
FALLS -- The largest casino in Canada is set to make
its debut on June 8 and its owners are gambling the $1
billion complex will draw tourists from around the globe.
The
Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, a posh gaming, hotel,
entertainment and shopping complex, will officially open
its doors to the public two days later. Officials expect
the new facility, along with the existing Casino
Niagara, to attract up to 12 million visitors yearly.
Casino
Niagara, which was supposed to have been a temporary
facility until the new casino was in place, already attracts
8 million visits per year and competes with Casino Rama
near Orillia and Casino Windsor as the province's main
gaming operations.
Larry
Lewin, president and CEO of Chicago's Hyatt Gaming Services,
one of Falls Management's principles, said they will court
high-end gamblers in the U.S., as far away as Texas, Florida
and California. He expects patrons from Asia and Europe
to find their way to the new facility, which will focus
on a more sophisticated market demographic than Casino
Niagara.
"The
two properties will not compete against each other,"
said Lewin. "They will complement each other. Casino
Niagara will be more of a regional market, while Niagara
Fallsview Casino Resort will be a global market."
The
225,000-square-metre facility, situated on a 9-hectare
bluff of land overlooking the Horseshoe and American Falls,
is the largest provincial investment in Niagara's history.