Gambling experience


Clients


Attheraces
We have acted for Attheraces since its inception, advising on the establishment of the original joint venture in 2001, its acquisition of media rights from 49 British racecourses and the termination of those arrangements (and resultant litigation) and on its re-acquisition of media rights from 30 British racecourses. We also acted for Attheraces, Victor Chandler and Stan James in separate disputes regarding the claim of the British Horseracing Board to database rights. More recently, we acted for Attheraces on its joint venture with Racing UK to establish GBI Racing, which will distribute British and Irish horseracing internationally via a new, unified service aimed at retail-based wagering operators around the world.

Gamesys
We have advised Gamesys on various commercial agreements, including its deal with Harrah's Interactive Entertainment (a subsidiary of US casino giant Harrah’s Entertainment) to launch CAESARS Bingo Online.

Global Betting Exchange
We act for Global Betting Exchange (also known as Betdaq), providing the Irish-based betting exchange with a wide range of commercial, tax and regulatory advice. Highlights include advising GBE on its commercial agreements with PKR, AsianLogic and 32Red plc.

Intralot
We advised Intralot on two agreements with PartyGaming – one for the provision by PartyGaming of a tournament poker service for Intralot's Italian customers and the other for the provision by Intralot of betting services to PartyGaming's Italian customers – and we continue to advise Intralot in relation to these arrangements.

Ladbrokes plc
Ladbrokes is a long-standing client of the Firm, which we have advised on many aspects of its UK and international internet, interactive TV and mobile business, covering sports betting, casino, poker and games content, affiliate deals, IP issues, litigation and general betting duty issues. In 2010, we advised Ladbrokes on its establishment of a joint venture with KaiRo International Group to target the South African betting market through the launch of an online sportsbook.

Myriad Payments
We have advised Myriad Payments on its payment system, which is used by customers of Victor Chandler International.

PartyGaming
PartyGaming is a long-standing client of Olswang, for whom we provide a full range of corporate, dispute resolution, commercial and regulatory advice. In particular, we acted on two separate acquisitions of assets from Empire Online Limited and Intercontinental Online Gaming Limited. Empire's withdrawal of all of its legal claims against PartyGaming also formed part of the first of these deals. We also advised PartyGaming on its 2009 acquisition of Cashcade Limited, a leading online bingo and casino marketing business (and in 2006, we had acted for Independent Digital Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Independent News and Media plc, on its 20.8 per cent investment in Cashcade).

Satellite Information Services ("SIS")
We acted for SIS in successfully defending its exclusive media rights agreements for betting shops in a major competition law case in the English courts involving all the major British bookmakers and most of Britain's racecourses. More recently, we advised SIS Live on the contract to produce and broadcast the XIX Commonwealth Games in India later this year.

Sportech plc
We are legal advisers to Sportech plc, owners of Littlewoods Pools and a variety of websites, and provide a full range of commercial and regulatory, corporate and dispute resolution services. Highlights include advising Sportech on its distribution and marketing partnership with 888 Holdings plc and commercial arrangements with the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph, the Daily Mirror and Four-Four-Two magazine and its acquisition of football content website 4 The Game. We also provide Sportech with pool betting duty and VAT advice in connection with various elements of its business.

Other gambling and related clients we have advised include:
AsianLogic, Better, Bragster, British Horseracing Authority, Clermont Leisure, Endemol, Eurosport, Jaxx, King.com, Northern Racing, Rank, Stan James, Starting Price Regulatory Commission, The Tote, Victor Chandler and Weatherbys Group.


Other gambling work


Football DataCo Litigation
We are advising the defendants (Yahoo!, Stan James and Brittens Pools) in an action brought by the English and Scottish Football leagues concerning whether the companies are free to use data concerning football without the Leagues' permission.

Interactive Television
We advise a number of major broadcasting and technology clients on all aspects surrounding the provision of betting, gaming and lotteries services via interactive television. Our work includes advising on betting and gaming regulation, including advising on whether any licences are necessary, as well as on all aspects of the relevant broadcasting and advertising and gambling regulations.

Levy Review
Head of the Gambling Group, David Zeffman, was a member of the independent review group that was established to make recommendations to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on arrangements for the future funding of British horseracing and David continues to advise on a number of related matters.

Lotteries and Competitions
We continue to advise numerous broadcasting (including ITV and Channel 4) and publishing clients as well as retailers and manufacturers on the regulatory and contractual issues involved in running television game shows, competitions and sales promotions.

Online and Mobile Services
We advise various clients in the online and mobile sectors on their proposals for providing betting and gaming content via the internet and to mobile phones, in particular in relation to white-labelled services which raise regulatory as well as branding and technology issues.

Sponsorship
We have advised on the sponsorship arrangements between sports rights holders / teams and gambling companies, particularly due to the very specific regulatory issues involved in such agreements. For example, we advised Boylesports, the online gambling operator and Ireland's largest independent bookmaker, on its high profile shirt sponsorship and partnership agreement with Sunderland Association Football Club. We also acted for Fulham FC on its 2009 sponsorship arrangement with Bodog and Tottenham Hotspur plc in relation to its club record shirt sponsorship and partnership deal with MANSION, the international gaming and entertainment group. We also advised the RFU on its sponsorship arrangement with Betfair.

Spread betting
We work for a number of spread betting companies, including Sporting Index, WorldSpreads Group and FX Pro. In particular, we advised WorldSpreads Group on its placing and admission to trading on AIM and on the disposal of its sports spread betting business and Irish business, both to management led teams.

Tax advice
Stephen Hignett and Graham Chase wrote the gambling duties, VAT and tax chapters of Smith and Monkcom's third edition of The Law of Betting, Gaming and Lotteries, the leading legal text on gambling, which was published in 2009.