People round-up 05/01/12
A round-up of the key industry moves from the last week.
William Hill names new PR director
Richard Prescott spent more than a decade as media director for England’s rugby teams.
William Hill has named former England rugby media director Richard Prescott as its new director of PR.
Prescott spent more than 13 years with the Rugby Football Union (RFU), and was involved with the management team when England’s men’s rugby side won the World Cup in 2003.
He has also had spells as consumer PR manager for telecommunications company Mercury Communications and as group PR manager for hospitality company Whitbread.
Absolute Poker co-founder pleads guilty
Brent Beckley, co-founder of and director of payments for Absolute Poker, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges and admitted he knew he was breaking the law when arranging for US banks to process online gambling funds.
Eight months after Beckley, and 10 others including the founders of PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker were indicted on charges including money laundering and illegal gambling offenses in a crackdown by the Department of Justice, the 31 year-old entered the plea in US District Court in Manhattan, saying he knew it was illegal to accept credit cards so that customers could gamble online.
“I knew that it was illegal to deceive the banks,” Beckley told Magistrate Judge Ronald Ellis in a plea deal that calls for him to receive a sentence of between a year and a year and a half in prison. Sentencing was set for 19 April next year.
Denise Coates awarded CBE
Denise Coates, co-CEO and founder of Bet365, has been awarded a CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.
Coates has been recognised for ‘services to the community and Business’, joining notable public figures such as comedian Ronnie Corbett and actress Helena Bonham Carter in receiving the honour.
Coates, said: “It’s an incredible honour to receive this award. It would not have been possible without the fantastic support and commitment of everybody at bet365.”
Sue Rossiter joins RGA
Sue Rossiter, former head of policy with the UK Gambling Commission, has joined lobby group the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) as its director of projects and policy.
Rossiter takes up her new role from today, and will be based in the organisation’s London Office.
Betclic Everest has appointed Ashley-Christian Hardy as a fraud analyst. Hardy had spent the last three years as a fraud security operations analyst with Pocket Kings, and previously held a similar role with Bet365.
Christian Maglia has joined Instant Payment Services as its Senior Sales and Business Development Manager for the gaming sector. He had spent the last two years as senior business development manager with Italian/Maltese gaming software house Wirex.
Email any new moves to t.victor@egrmagazine.com with the subject line ‘eGR People Moves’.