Ukash is continuing its relentless global expansion with a new deal this week that sees it access the North American market for the first time. The online gambling company recently signed an agreement with Russia’s Wallet One.

The internet gambling cash voucher provider will enter the Canadian market through a partnership with VendTek Systems Inc under that company’s Now Prepay brand. The deal will mean that Ukash will be immediately available from 4 000 point of sale terminals in Ontario, with plans well in hand for an expansion into a total of 15 000 outlets across Canada by the end of the year.

The company notes that the North American market potential is considerable, with over 70 million unbanked consumers. Canadians alone placed almost $12.8 billion worth of orders online in 2007, and the need for a range of alternative payment solutions to support consumers presents a substantial opportunity for Ukash and its partners.

2009 has been a remarkable year for the payment facilitator, which has extended its international footprint into Australia, South Africa and South America in addition to expansion throughout the UK and Europe.

The company appears to have successfully tapped in to a deep well of Internet users who want easy, controlled and anonymous online casinos cash payment facilities – including those without credit or debit cards – from anywhere in the world.

Ukash CEO Mark Chirnside says: “North America is a territory with huge potential for the Ukash proposition. High rates of unbanked consumers at this time, largely due to poor credit history and immigrants unable to get bank accounts, means that there is a growing number of cash consumers who want to spend online.

“Canada is a key territory for the Ukash proposition and working with Now Prepay will give us the prominence needed to expand our availability across Canada before launching in other countries across the Americas.”

Doug Buchanan, President of VendTek said,”Ukash offers an electronic cash payment source and an important solution for people who are looking for an alternative to credit cards. We have been interested in an on-line payment product for our network and Ukash has an e-commerce payment solution that is an excellent fit with our network. We are very excited to partner with them to enable money transfer services over the Now Prepay network in Canada.”

Ukash vouchers allow consumers to shop, pay and play online using cash, and will be available from thousands of point of sale terminals across Canada including independent convenience stores and gas stations. Vouchers will be available in 25, 50, 75, 100, 150 denominations of Canadian dollars. Ukash is particularly popular with consumers who do not have access to credit and debit cards or those that are fearful of online fraud. Users receive a voucher containing a 19-digit code which can be used to pay at thousands of online merchants.

The German state of Schleswig-Holstein could be about to break step with the 15 other German states with whom it signed the German Interstate Treaty on casino gambling last year.

At the time, it was reported that fiscal imperatives were behind the Schleswig-Holstein decision to join the other internet casinos states in the ban, despite its previous preference for a wider licensing system.

The initial signs of a possible break occurred last week following political moves that saw agreement between the ruling coalition Christian-Democratic Party (CDU) and the Liberal Party (FDP) in the region, and a statement calling for an end to the Treaty in favour of a regulatory regime more in keeping with European Union requirements for the free movement of goods and services for online casinos.

Although this is unlikely to go down well due to the state-monopolised nature of the German gambling market, it would relieve determined pressure from the European Commission and trade bodies like EGBA as well as online gambling companies that see the German exclusionary policy as contrary to the principles of the European Union.

Jürgen Koppelin, the leader of the Schleswig-Holstein coalition, made a not-so-veiled threat that if the other parties to the German Treaty found that agreement on switching to a new regulatory system was impossible, the coalition would move toward a change that would see an intrastate licensing system.

Despite being currently in the minority, the Schleswig-Holstein development, which has the potential to liberate both land and online gambling from monopolistic dominance, will concern other signatories to the Treaty. The arrangement is due to expire in January 2012, and in the absence of full compliance by all 16 states, a renewal could be in jeopardy.

The New online gambling Zealand Racing Board is to install a new, state-of-the-art Australian-designed betting system called Typhoon to replace the TAB’s ageing Jetbet system by December 2010, chief exec Andrew Brown announced this week.

Brown claimed that the new casino gambling betting engine would enable the organisation to drive revenue growth for the racing industry and grow its contribution to GDP beyond the current 1.3 percent.

“Jetbet is nearly 28 years old, which is ancient in technology terms,” Brown commented. “It was launched in January 1982 – the same year as the Commodore 64 computer.

“The move to a new system is long overdue and I’m delighted that we’re building a platform from which we can launch so many more online poker products and services quickly and efficiently.

“Typhoon enables us to be much more agile and responsive in meeting our needs and those of our customers,” he added.

Expanding on the new system, Brown detailed its advantages:

* More betting events, including more race meetings and sports betting options. (The TAB cannot offer betting on some major international races because of the limitations of Jetbet).

* Better customer service and easier processing of bets – benefitting the TAB’s agents and customers.

* Greater real time visibility and reporting that will enable improved management of any problem gambling issues.

* Improved systems for better decision making by the NZ Racing Board management through real time reporting.

* Ability to introduce new products and enhance existing ones much more quickly and efficiently.

“We’ve done lots of research worldwide and this is the best and most cost-effective solution,” said Brown. “It is a NZ$5 million investment in a system that will enable strong growth for the next 10-15 years.”

The Racing Board chief said that along with a fast and reliable service, Typhoon would significantly improve the TAB’s capacity to compete against offshore operators, who return nothing to New Zealand racing or sports or to the New Zealand economy.

Typhoon is a product of Media and Gaming, an Australian company. Managing director Nicholas Plowman said the deal between the two organisations will result in a commercial and technology based partnership, which will ensure the NZ Racing Board can take a market leading position in an increasingly competitive global entertainment market.

Plowman said Typhoon will enable the NZRB to respond to customer demand and will help grow new revenues for the racing codes, clubs and New Zealand sport.

Typhoon was designed and developed by father and son team, Arnold and Greg Kopff. Arnold was a member of the 1975 team which created the world’s first sell-pay totalisator system. In 2006 he partnered with Media and Gaming to commercialise the system, which recently won the AIIA 2009 iAward for Innovation.

Fears that the popularity of poker as a casino tournament game may be waning were put aside this week when Boylepoker reported that its international poker Open tournament in Dublin, Ireland had attracted an entry field the envy of most countries outside the United States.

The $250 buy-in NLHE event pulled in 1 440 players from over 18 countries, and including a $27 000 enhancement from the sponsor, generated a casio games prize pool worth $350 000.

Boylepoker pointed out that the previous record for such a non-USA event was the 1 347 players who signed up for this year’s PokerStars Caribbean Adventure.

Among those attracted to the Regency Hotel in Dublin to test their poker skills were Neil Channing, Padraig Parkinson, Andy Black, Marty Smyth, Surinder Sunar, Fintan Gavin, Simon Trumper and commentator Jesse May.

The final table came down to Germany’s Mark Sippe, Irishman Jay Renehan, Mark Troy, Cat O’Neill, Gary Cavazza, Colin Rutherford, Stephen Egan, Sean Venny and Martin Dunne.

The heads up was decided when Mark Troy was eliminated in third place, leaving Mark Sippe facing Jay Renehan in a finale that lasted a mere 10 minutes. Sippe was victorious, taking home the $62 250 main prize and leaving Renehan with $47 490 in his pocket for the trip back to his home in Galway.

“This year’s International Poker Open was another great success, breaking last year’s record by a further 140 players,” said Boylepoker’s Paul Spillane. “The event is proving more and more popular every year, among all levels of players.”