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Online Gambling Executives Arrested in France

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on September 19, 2006 - 6:42pm.
London - Following the lead of their U.S. counterparts, French authorities have detained two executives at an Internet gambling firm, on allegations they violated French gambling laws. The arrests of co-CEOs Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger of Austria-based BWin International Entertainment -- the parent company of gambling site Betbull -- were condemned by the company, which maintains that it accepts no business from France. "The arrest of Manfred Bodner and Norbert Teufelberger is an attempt to intimidate an entire industry," said Betbull CEO Gunter Schmid. "To the national courts, the European Courts, and the European Commission it will send the signal that it is not the general public that requires protection from abstract and unfounded threats of privately operated gaming but it is the operators that require protection from the real violation of their basic human rights from overpowering executive bodies across Europe." The illicit gambling charges against BWin executives follow the revocation of the company's betting license in Germany, and the arrest of two executives of online gambling firms by U.S. authorities.
tags: Games | Law | Gambling | Europe | France | Austria | Law Enforcement | Arrests | BWin |

Rockstar Games Shutters Vienna, Austria Development Studio

Authored by dmw on May 12, 2006 - 12:14pm.
London - Rockstar Games, the unit of video game publisher Take-Two Interactive responsible for the "Grand Theft Auto" franchise, has shuttered its development studio in Vienna, Austria, GamesIndustry.biz reported. The closing affects more than 100 employees, some of whom will be offered other positions at Rockstar or Take-Two, with the rest receiving severance packages. Rockstar Vienna produced Xbox versions of the developer's "Max Payne" and "Grand Theft Auto" titles.
tags: Games | Europe | Career | Rockstar Games | Layoffs | Closings | Austria |

Austria's On Demand Microelectronics Raises $8 Million

Authored by Mark Hefflinger on November 18, 2005 - 3:21am.
Frankfurt - On Demand Microelectronics (OMD), an Austria-based semiconductor developer and spin-off from Analog Devices's local design center, announced that it has raised approximately $8 million in its first round of venture capital financing. OMD claims to be the world's first company to deliver a fully software-programmable semiconductor for processing of high-definition digital video for the digital TV market. Germany-based High Tech Private Equity, gamma capital partners, Bank Austria Grunderfonds, the venture arm of Bank Austria Creditanstalt and Austria Wirtschaftsservice participated in the round.
tags: VC | Austria | Microelectronics |