New World Newsfeed: Linden Partners With Online Gambling Service To Handle Online/International Payments

The Lindens have partnered with 888 Holdings, an online gambling company, to handle payment services, especially for international Second Life users. As M. Linden puts it in the press release, "[W]e’re pleased to work with them to provide easy and secure payment options for our users outside the United States." I was curious that the selected company is mainly known for providing online services for large casino concerns like Harrah’s Interactive Entertainment. Did this partnership mean the Lindens planned to re-instate L$-based gambling, which was banned in 2007 out of concern for US laws?

"That's not something on the current roadmap," Peter Linden told me by email. "The agreement is technically with Gisland, their payment processing division (888 Holdings is the public limited company, Dragonfish is the brand name of 888’s B2B Division, and Gisland is the operating company.) We're working together with Gisland on a cashier interface and other tools that will give Residents more payment options and make it easier for Residents to pay in a wider range of native currencies than they can now. Gisland will also help Linden Lab implement appropriate anti-fraud measures as we expand these payment options. In addition, Gisland will assist Residents directly with payment-related issues, including failed transactions."

Comments

[Eddi Haskell]

I don't like this one bit. These offshore gambling concerns are sleazy; didn't Linden Labs get into trouble in mid 2007 for allowing gambling operations inworld from organizations like this? Aren't their tie-ins to organized crime?

This is unethical and wrong, and I want Linden Labs to cancel this decision.

[Dusan Writer]

OK - "decoder alert!"

I've noticed something odd lately. And it's the phrase "not on the current road map". Whether this is a consciously chosen phrase or it's being picked up by osmosis by folks at the Lab, I'm really starting to believe that it actually means..."Yes, that's something we plan to look at and probably do, but we're a long way from formalizing it and haven't yet done an assessment to green light doing work on it."

M used the exact same phrase with regards to the Teen Grid merger. He told me that merging the Teen Grid is "not on the current road map" although went on to say

"Thanks for clarifying, Dusan. The employees who most frequently think aloud about the topic are probably Philip and I because we’ve both said we see it as an important next step for the grid…at some point in the future…"

I have to say - I'm betting on betting. Or at least I'm betting that they'll have a big long contentious internal discussion about it. Frankly, I'm not sure they'd actually DO it unless they needed a nuclear option - it would deeply impact their ability to either go public (make it more likely?) or to sell to a third party (less likely).

So..."not on the current road map" = "hell yeah, we'll think about it, why wouldn't we" and NOT "no, that will never be on the table".

But mostly, this deal is about being able to on-board more countries with more payment methods and, I suspect, finally kill off that Aristotle thing (which do YOU prefer Eddi? Aristotle verifying your identity with their links to Homeland Security and whatnot, or some casino company in Gibraltar HAHAHA)

[AnnOtooleInSL]

Probably more about eliminating the L$ currency and wiping out any sales transactions unless performed through xstreet.

[BumbleParx in SL]

I don't like this one bit either. Credit cards have no problems converting US$ into local currency, and if you use PayPal you can see the conversion before you pay. Under no circumstances do I want my credit card details being held by 888 Holdings.

[BumbleParx in SL]

...and I don't mean to sound grumpy but you really shouldn't create a link that sounds like it is a LL press release when in fact it takes you to a poker news site.

[Archie Lukas]

SEE?

It is ALL about the sleazy profit line at LL

cut any free services; provide this dubious and nasty malicious habit and family destroying habit instead.

I'll block everything to do with it and paedophilia.