[operaman]

Feb. 21 (Bloomberg) -- Shares of U.K. Internet gambling companies PartyGaming Plc and Sportingbet Plc rose on speculation that laws restricting online wagers in the U.S. may be relaxed.

``There's speculation of a lifting of the ban passed by the U.S. Congress which would be good news for companies like PartyGaming,'' said Kevin Lyne-Smith, an investment consultant at Julius Baer Holding AG's private banking division in Switzerland, which manages the equivalent of $100 billion.

PartyGaming and Sportingbet were among Web gambling operators that stopped taking bets from the U.S. after Congress unexpectedly passed legislation in September that criminalized processing of credit-card payments for the industry. U.S. gamblers accounted for about 85 percent of PartyGaming's revenue in 2005.

``A relaxation in the law is seen as a possibility with talk that it is proving too onerous for banks to track illegal payments,'' said Martin Slaney, head of spread betting at GFT Global Markets in London.

Shares of Gibraltar-based PartyGaming jumped 4.25 pence, or 11 percent, to 41.5 pence in London today. The stock fell 76 percent in 2006 after the U.S. law was passed. Sportingbet shares climbed 5 pence, or 14 percent, to 40 pence, the biggest gain since Oct. 24. They slid 87 percent in 2006.

PartyGaming is scheduled to report 2006 earnings on March 1. Neither company immediately returned calls from Bloomberg News.

[jjgold]

That is just fake releases to pump the stock up

Law is here to stay and offshore wagering will be gone very soon

[bookie]

Maybe the rise has to do with Neteller laying off 250 and getting real about it's reduced prospects.

--

NETeller's fall from the heights continued on Friday, with the announcement that the Canadian e-wallet services firm will trim 250 positions from its workforce. The continuing contraction will reduce the total number of workers employed by NETeller to approximately 425, distributed across its Canada, UK, and Asia-Pacific operations.

[Bill Dozer]

My guess is it's the result of Party and 888 making a case that there is life after US.

[bigloser]

Party and Sportingbet are both big poker sites , my guess is that they will relax this pat of it.

[SBR_John]

They could get a bump if the democrats win or look likely to win.

But if its a Hillary ticket then say hello to President McCain.

[jjgold]

Hilliary Clinton is a shoe in for the Pres

Reps are soldier killers remember that and Bush caused 911 to happen

voters are not stupid

[Willie Bee]

voters are not stupid

I beg to differ, JJ. The county where I reside, one of the most conservative counties in a very red state, is full of folks who blissfully graze on GOP crapola and blindly follow the one with the loudest bell hanging from their neck.

[pags11]

this is all a bunch of bullcrap...it's making me depressed...