Estonian gaming software developer Playtech plans to raise $156.5m for acquisitions and joint ventures through a new share offering. The biggest acquisition opportunity it has identified would swallow about 40 percent of that sum, the firm indicated.

FutureLogic says it will appeal inU.S.federal court a recent judgement in favour of Nanoptix, with which it has been engaged in an intellectual property dispute. FutureLogic had alleged that Nanoptix’s PayCheck printers – marketed as JCM products – infringed its patent, but aCaliforniacourt said the patent was invalid.

UKsales of soft drinks were up 5.8 percent last year.

Online bingo players have nominated operators for the Bingoport.co.uk Players’ Choice Awards.

Sales of tablet computers rose by more than 200 percent year-on-year in 2011, according to research firm Gartner, while smartphone sales were up 42 percent. The sharp rise in the number of consumers using these technologies is expected to drive continued growth in mobile gaming during 2012.

More than half of British children now own a physical toy based on a virtual world, such as Club Penguin or Moshi Monsters.

Pan Amusements took several orders for its electronic shooting galleries at IAAPA, the firm reports. “We have seen the need to offer products that cover every sector of the markets in which we operate – theme parks, FECs, retail, food or general leisure outlets – at realistic price points which deliver rapid payback,” said managing director Paul Whittaker.

Rabcat is to distribute e-gaming content including its Legend of Olympus title via Gaming Technology Solutions’ Edge platform. They will be available to operators such as 888, Bwin, Unibet and Gala Coral.

International Game Technology (IGT) has received approval from Pennsylvanian regulators for its sbX casino management system.

The SAGSE event inBuenos Airesgenerated notable Latin American interest in the Quixant product range, according to International Brand Gaming,

Visitors to January’s IMA trade fair inDusseldorfcan choose from first class, business class and “eco” travel packages booked via ima-messe.com. Deutsche Bahn, the German rail operator, is also offering discounted tickets.

Ireland’s industry-funded GambleAware national gambling helpline has been launched by the country’s justice minister Alan Shatter.

Online bookmaker Sky Bet recently had the worst day in its history, on a Saturday when nearly all soccer favourites won their games. Said head of football trading Sandro Di Michele:

“You know it’s a bad day when you’re relying on Manchester United andBarcelonalosing to turn things around, but we

hardly made things easy for ourselves by picking out back-to-back winning accumulators for

the punters.”

Chris Bell, former chief executive of Ladbrokes, is the new chairman of Business in Sport and Leisure (BISL). He replaces David Teasdale, who becomes vice-chairman. Simon Johnson, an ex-ITV and FA executive and former chief operating officer ofEngland’s 2018 World Cup bid, has been appointed BISL’s chief executive.

Paddy Power is to buy Isle of Man-based games developer CT Networks.

World Match’s new Circus multi-line slot is based on a theme of clowns, tightrope walkers and trapeze artists.

The Vii Slant is the latest cabinet for Aristocrat Technologies’ Gen7 games. It can host all the games that run in Viridian widescreen format.

Microgaming is to provide casino and poker software to Ladbrokes for the Danish and Spanish e-gaming markets.

The Digital Out-of-Home Entertainment Network Association (DNA) will hold its firstU.S.conference inLos Angeleson 26 April.

Domain names with a .uk suffix can be registered for ten-year stretches starting 2012. The current limit is two years.

Regulators have approved Apex’s Pinnacle gaming machine for the German AWP market. The upright cabinet has two 22-inch monitors. “We are bringing quality, casino-like choice to the market,” said ApexGermanysales manager Udo Nickel. “The fact that German players have been going to theCzech Republicspecifically to play on Apex games gives us the confidence to predict that our games will be popular up and down the country.”

Lottery players inPennsylvaniacan now get news and winning numbers on their mobile phones.

Seventy percent of Britons plan to take a holiday in their own country next year, according to VisitEngland.

Organisers of the IAAPA show inOrlandosaid 24,900 people registered, slightly up on 2010’s 24,000.

Gamcare, a support service for problem gambling, has suggested that pupils in British schools should be taught basic gaming knowledge such as calculation of odds.

Potters Field inLondonis becoming a pop-up ape playground in December, to promote the DVD release of Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

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