Pinsent Masons LLP has been advising companies operating in the
gambling sector for many years. We advise both operators and
suppliers, and in relation to both remote and bricks-and-mortar
gambling, including spread-betting. Together with colleagues
in our Corporate and Dispute Resolution groups, we work with gambling
sector clients on large and small scale IT and commercial
contracts, corporate transactions, disputes and fraud
investigations. We are a full service firm and also offer
supporting services relating to property, tax, employment and
pensions.
We have seen exponential growth of both our practice and the
gambling group in the last two years, as our gambling sector
clients extend their online operations and have increased their
demand for our services.
We have combined our long-standing knowledge of the gambling
sector with our extensive experience of negotiating and managing
complex IT projects and our detailed IP specialisation to develop a
particular expertise in complex and high value contracts for the
provision of online gambling systems and related services.
Together with our clients' commercial, technical and legal teams,
we drill down into the detail of these arrangements, including the
minutiae of complex revenue calculations, to ensure the contracts
reflect the commercial deal.
Follow the link to see a diagram of how our gambling practice is set
up, some of our recent key deals and the key individuals in the
Pinsent Masons gambling group.
The following are a few examples of our work in the gambling
sector:
Acting for William Hill in relation to:
- an agreement with Playtech Software Limited, the AIM-listed
international online gaming software provider, for the provision of
an online casino, poker and bingo games system and related services
to William Hill Online, a new joint venture between William Hill
and Playtech;
- a suite of agreements with Orbis Technology, a leading provider
of integrated gaming and betting solutions, for the development and
support of a major new software system to facilitate William Hill’s
online and telephone betting services;
- the successful defence of claims of defamation, passing off by
false endorsement, and breaches of personality rights, the Data
Protection Act, Article 8 of the European Convention on Human
Rights and the French Civil Code;
- domain name disputes including assertions of trade mark
infringement and passing off;
- contracts with Global Draw Limited and Inspired Gaming (UK)
Limited for the supply, installation and maintenance of gaming
machines for the whole of the WH retail estate; and
- a contract for the supply of a multi-channel feed from
Satellite Information Services Limited (SIS) to enable William Hill
to broadcast SIS and Turf TV simultaneously in its real
estate.
Advising Genting Stanley Alderney, a subsidiary
of Singapore-listed Genting International Plc, on an agreement with
Playtech Software Limited for the provision of a new online casino
and poker games system for the new online Circus Casino. In
2007 the Genting Group acquired Stanley Leisure (now trading as
Stanley Casinos) and now owns three of the UK's most popular
land-based casino chains – Circus, Mint and Maxims.
Acting for the shareholders of Million 2 1, a
leading UK service provider for prize competitions, voting,
lotteries and other interactive facilities, on its sale to
International Game Technology, a New York Stock Exchange listed
company which is a leading gaming machine manufacturer and online
casino software supplier.
Advising Ann Summers on a white-labelling
agreement with St Minver for online casino and bingo games.
We also advise in relation to prize draws and competitions, in
particular on structuring them so that they fall outside the
regulatory regime of the Gambling Act - further information on this
is available on our OUT-LAW. During 2008
Antoinette Jucker was quoted extensively in the national press in
relation to the numerous house sale competitions run in the second
part of 2008. We have successfully lobbied the Gambling
Commission for greater clarification in its guidance on the
requirements of the "skill test" in this respect.
For more examples of the work we have done in the gambling
sector, please see our full
credentials flyer.
To find out how we might work with you, please contact Susan Biddle, Andrew Priest or
Antoinette
Jucker.