Online gaming group BetonSports

[Manne]

No deal seen for online gambler

The online gaming firm BetonSports' shares remain halted after FBI arrests executives.
Online gaming group BetonSports has not reached a deal with U.S. prosecutors over charges against the company and its chief executive, a source close to the situation said on Wednesday.

Shares in online gaming companies had earlier rallied after a gaming news Web site published a report saying the U.S. Department of Justice had reached a deal with BetonSports allowing it to resume trading by the end of the week.

"No deal has been done between BetonSports and the Department of Justice," the source told Reuters.

BetonSports was not immediately available for comment.

Worries of a crackdown on online gambling in the United States knocked gaming stocks on Tuesday after the FBI moved to shut down the U.S. operations of BetonSports.

One UK trader cited a report on theonlinewire.com, which said BetonSports had reached a deal with the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday night, meaning the case was company-specific and not linked to an industry-wide crack down.

Traders said the sector was also due for a bounce after sharp falls this week. Shares in Sportingbet.com Plc earlier rallied 15 percent, while Partygaming Plc rose 11 percent and 888 Plc gained 10 percent.

But by early morning Wednesday, Sportingbet was down 3.6 percent from its opening price, PartyGaming was down 1.2 percent, and 888 shares were flat.

Shares in BETonSPORTS remain suspended.