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Microcap & Penny Stocks : IATV - ACTV Interactive Television -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: art slott who wrote (4654)	9/23/1999 1:27:00 PM
From: art slott	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 4748

By: its_outta_here Reply To: 2368 by its_outta_here Thursday, 23 Sep 1999 at 8:29 AM EDT Post # of 2408 This gets better each time - TVGIA TV Goes to the Races wired.com A new cable channel is set to turn your TV remote control into a powerful wagering tool. TV Guide's new horse-racing cable channel -- called TV Games, or TVG -- will broadcast five to six races every hour, 12 hours per day, from racetracks nationwide. "Now you can sit in your La-Z-Boy recliner and bet races from all over the country," said Mike Hannigan, customer service manager at the horse-racing Web site TrackMaster. TV Guide, which is owned by News Corporation and Liberty Media, will broadcast its new channel along with expert commentary, tutorials, and instructional segments, as well as behind-the-scenes features on racing celebrities and the horses themselves. Now being beta tested in Kentucky, Oregon, and Maryland, TVG is scheduled to begin accepting wagers from its trial markets in mid-October. TVG said it will launch in 20 states within the next 24 months. All bets go through Oregon, the company said, to capitalize on the state's favorable tax rate. Users must open a TVG account and receive a PIN number to place wagers on TVG. Winnings are automatically deposited into bettors' accounts. To withdraw money, the bettor has to request that a check be mailed. By the end of 1999, TVG plans to add streamed races to its online offerings, and facilitate a PC wagering platform. State laws on Internet gambling remain muddy, and there are no federal laws that restrict Internet betting. Hindeman said that since horse racing deals exclusively with paramutuel bets -- those placed against other players, as opposed to the 'house' as in casino gambling -- it's historically been treated more leniently by gambling laws. "We don't plan to go into any place where we're not welcome," said TVG spokesman John Hindeman. "We'll only offer the service in states where we have distribution for the TV channel and where we have the appropriate agreements in place with the racing interests in each state." TV wagering will eventually be available through standard satellite and digital cable set-top boxes equipped with interactive software, according to Hindeman. Using a regular remote control, customers will be able to access horses' past performances and handicapping and wagering information, and place their bets accordingly. By clicking a button on the remote, users will be able to switch from the TVG broadcast to the wagering interface and back. "[TVG is] endorsed and pushed by NTRA, and every major racetrack in the country is behind the plan," Hannigan said. "Thirty race tracks have agreed to be our exclusive partners, which means we're the only account wagering provider that carries NYRA races across the country," said Hindeman. "We're seen by over 1 million subscribers via the Superstar/Netlink group satellite service -- mostly rural customers across North America." More than 100,000 homes are signed up to watch the channel via Intermedia cable systems in the Louisville area, home of the Kentucky Derby, he added. Raging Bull Advertisement - Trades as low as $4.95 - E*TRADE BoardMark MemberMark View Next 10 Messages \| Respond \| Previous \| Next Remove SubjectMark View SubjectMarks