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 A survey conducted late last year by the Poker Players Alliance specifically asked Californians about their past experiences with PokerStars. According to the results, there is an extremely strong consumer sentiment in the state that would favor PokerStars entering the California market.

With more than 1,200 individuals polled, the PPA survey found that 82% rated the PokerStars experience as either excellent or very good.
Another 82% agreed that PokerStars demonstrates integrity to its customers (only 2% disagreed while 16% had no opinion).
A total of 84% of those surveyed believed that PokerStars treated players well when the site operated in the US.
A whopping 95% think that PokerStars should be licensed in California if online poker is eventually legalized in the state. Those same individuals would like to have the option to play on an online poker site operated by or supported by PokerStars software.
The poll was sent to PPA’s leading activists during the first two weeks of November 2013 in order to gauge members’ opinions in key states when it comes to PokerStars.
“We have heard from many of you regarding the future of PokerStars in the US, so we wish to get a sense of the community to help guide our decision-making,” the PPA letter reads.
The PPA has had a close relationship PokerStars, with the organization having received a large portion of its funding and membership from PokerStars in past years.
Last year, the PPA conducted a similar survey asking New Jersey members if they supported the AGA’s attempt to block PokerStars’ license application—94% did not.
A California tribal coalition agreement published Tuesday includes language that would specifically prohibit PokerStars from entering the California market due to its “bad actors” clause.
The clause, which is included in a draft bill text, would not allow online poker operators who conducted real money games in the US after 2006 to obtain a license.
 

 Betfred has withdrawn from more than a dozen markets, as of Monday June 9.

Countries on the new blacklist include Germany, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Hungary, Portugal and Canada.
Players from these countries who currently have accounts will no longer be able to use them other than for withdrawing their funds.
The terms and conditions on the website have been updated and reflect the complete list of countries from which it will no longer accept accounts:
Betfred does not allow South African, German, Swedish, Dutch, Norwegian, Finnish, Belgian, Polish, Bulgarian, Austrian, Czech, Hungarian, Japanese, Latvian, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian, Ukrainian, Canadian, French, Italian, American, Kyrgyz, Spanish, Greek, Danish, Serbian, Montenegrin, Chinese, Israeli or Turkish citizens or residents to open accounts, deposit funds or place bets on our sportsbook, casino, poker, games or bingo.
The reason for the withdrawal has been given as “regulatory and general licensing processes,” according to a moderator on the PokerStrategy forum.
Betfred operates a poker room on the iPoker network, and PokerStrategy is owned by iPoker’s parent company Playtech.
An email which has been sent to players explains that funds must be withdrawn “within 30 days as access to your account will be unavailable beyond then.”
However, a statement made by PokerStrategy indicates that players have only two weeks to process withdrawals.
Much of Betfred’s business comes from its original home, the UK. Under new gaming laws, the UK Gambling Commission will be demanding that all its licensees explain the legality of their operations in countries where they are not nationally licensed.
As the UK is such a critical market to Betfred, the withdrawal may be connected with the new regulatory demands.
William Hill, another company which gets much of its business from the UK, recently announced that it was withdrawing from 55 countries for “regulatory reasons.”

 Last week, PokerNews was denied access to its self-sponsored MSPT series due to its affiliation with online poker. The Venetian, through Executive Director of Poker Operations Kathy Raymond, has since released a statement which was subsequently published by PokerNews.

“Given our Chairman’s [Sheldon Adelson] clear position on the matter of online gaming, the Venetian/Palazzo made a business decision to not allow an online blog during the Mid States Poker Tour event,” offered Raymond.
The decision by the Venetian came as a surprise to many in the poker industry; especially considering that PokerNews is the official sponsor of the Mid-States Poker Tour.
A Two Plus Two thread on the topic has amassed more than 100 replies with the vast majority of posters siding against Adelson, who is the founder of the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG).
PokerNews Response
PokerNews issued its own statement concerning the denial of access via Editor-in-Chief Donnie Peters.
“With each MSPT event, PokerNews Live Reporting comes as an option for the venue. Venetian decided not to pick up this option, and PokerNews was given no specific reason,” said Peters.
We are aware of Sheldon Adelson’s stance against online poker, and would like to remind everyone that his stance is a hindrance to the growth of the game we all love.”
Peters went on to say that “PokerNews remains committed to the MSPT as the tour continues to flourish, and we look forward to providing live coverage. With 12 events remaining on the 2014 MSPT schedule, we encourage all poker players to attend one of the upcoming MSPT stops.

 The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) released its much anticipated plan on affiliate licensing Monday.

The notice, authored by DGE Director David L. Rebuck, details the policy addressing the approved affiliate marketing models including Sponsorship Deals, Cost Per Click (CPC), Cost Per Impression (CPM), Cost Per View (CPV), Cost Per Action (CPA), Revenue Sharing and a Hybrid CPA/Rev Share deals.
Any other form of compensation must be approved by the DGE.
The manner of compensation an affiliate receives will determine if it is required to maintain an Ancillary Casino Service Industry Enterprise (CSIE) license or simply become a Vendor Registrant.
Vendor Registrants
Affiliates that receive flat rate fees for CPC, CPM/CPV, and some CPA deals involving a pay-per-sign-up, deposit, download or betting volume are only required to be a registered vendor.
Companies that engage in sponsorship deals with online gaming companies are also required to become Vendor Registrants.
Ancillary CSIE Licenses
Compensation plans that award affiliates percentage based fees related to user gamer actions—CPA or net gaming revenue—require the igaming marketer to obtain an ancillary CSIE license.
Those marketing companies engaged in hybrid models that combine CPA and Revenue Sharing components are also required to obtain an Ancillary CSIE License.
In addition, the policy details compensation models for Refer-A-Friend deals in which an igaming website pays a flat rate to a user for each referral. No license is required if the user receives less than $2,500 in fees during a calendar year.
Master Affiliates and Sub-Affiliates
According to the DGE, master affiliates will need to acquire an ancillary CSIE license if they have a Revenue Share deal in place with their sub-affiliate(s).
However, if the master affiliate and sub-affiliate only deal in flat-fee structured compensation plans, only a Vendor Registration is required.
In April, the New Jersey Assistant Attorney General issued a warning to six affiliates in the New Jersey market demanding the “immediate removal” of links associated with unlicensed online poker sites currently operating in the state.
A spokesperson for the DGE stated that the promotion of online poker sites operating illegally in the US could “taint legitimate sites by associating them with the illegal ones, and conversely may lend the appearance that these illegal sites are affiliated with authorized sites.”

 Bitcoin-only online poker room Satoshi Poker has been acquired by BurnTurn Poker.

The sale went through an auction held on the BitcoinTalk.org forums. The final purchase price is unknown.
Under the terms of the deal, BurnTurn Poker will “leverage all of Satoshi Poker’s technology and intellectual property” as it prepares to launch out of stealth mode later this year, George Lewis of BurnTurn Poker said in a statement.
Plans for a Bitcoin-only poker room are in place for the fourth quarter of 2014.
“Satoshi Poker’s early leadership with both its technology and community development efforts gives us an head start as we prepare to launch a new type of online poker experience,” added CEO Ragnar Del Torres.
The company is promising to release further details about the launch in upcoming months.
“We are committed to marrying their knowledge and technical skills with our vision to deliver a Bitcoin Poker experience that enthusiasts can enjoy and trust,” Del Torres added.
Approximately one year ago, Bitcoin casino site SatoshiDice was sold for $11.5 million.

 The Maltese Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) has issued a notice suspending gaming llicenses issued to Goalgaming Limited.

The notice says that Goalgaming Ltd “has thus been directed to suspend all gaming operations, cease to register new players, not take any further deposits, not offer any games falling under the Authority’s licences, provide registered players access to their accounts, settle all players’ dues and to remove any reference to the Authority, to the licences issued by the Authority and the logo/kite-mark of the Authority from all unapproved websites.”
Players who have outstanding payments due to them from Goalgaming sites are invited to contact the LGA directly giving the personal details set out in the suspension announcement
Goalgaming operates Goalwin, on the Ongame Network and PokerMambo and Poker d’Assi—pokerdassi360.com—on the Revolution Gaming Network.
Players have been reporting cashout difficulties for over 18 months.
As late as January 31, a post on 2+2 from “Jekus,” who describes himself as one of the largest affiliates for the sites, and claims to be in “direct contact with Goalwin’s management and their support,” said that the “whole liquidity problem was caused by 3rd parties. These 3rd parties still owe them enormous amounts of money and they were forced to take legal actions.”
The sites are still up and running, although reference to the LGA appears to have been removed.
A few days ago, pokerfuse reported that Win Cake, on the Revolution network, was experiencing increasing cashout problems. Win Cake is licensed in Curacao.
In February, Cake Entertainment N.V announced a name change to Cake Next Entertainment Ltd after forming a strategic partnership with Free Web Holding Ltd.
The principals of Free Web Holding include current CEO of Play2B, Francesco Merighi, one of the founders of Goalgaming.
 

 The Global Poker Index (GPI) has announced that has acquired the prestigious European Poker Awards, and will also host the first ever American Poker Awards in February 2015.

GPI is a the leading poker ranking site that scores and ranks poker players based on tournament results worldwide.
The annual European Poker Awards, in its thirteenth year, recognizes the achievements of European poker players across 19 different categories.
“Without a North American counterpart, it always felt like something was missing,” GPI’s Alex Dreyfus stated. “Now, with poker on the eve of a new resurgence in the US, it’s the perfect time to change this.”
Dreyfus intends to duplicate the success of The European Poker Awards, and make it “bigger both in US and Europe.”
 
Los Angeles, February 2015
The site of the inaugural American Poker Awards will be Los Angeles, California, February 2015.
“The choice of location was easy. LA is already home to some of the world’s most iconic ceremonies—the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys, and others—and we don’t think poker deserves any less,” Dreyfus stated.
“We are at the eve of a poker boom in California, with the pending online regulation, and it would definitively help both the live and online poker industries to create a rendez-vous that will not only attract the attention of the poker world, but garner mainstream attention as well,” he added.
 
European Acquisition
The acqusition of the “historic” European awards ceremony was “to ensure its legitimacy, and expand it globally,” Dreyfus told pokerfuse.
“Moreover, I love the way it is organised with a nomination panel and an independent Jury, which i believe is the best way to make it transparent and accurate.”
The decision coincides with the company’s strong presence at the 2014 World Series of Poker, including the launch of a free magazine.
Zokay Entertainment, parent company of GPI, also recently unveiled a unified website across its products, including new acquisition The Hendon Mob, Fantasy Poker Manager and the recently launched PokerCalendar.

 Former Australian payment processor and Black Friday informant Daniel Tzvetkoff has been sentenced to time served and fined $13 million.

Tzvetkoff pled guilty to conspiracy and a single count of operating an illegal gambling business. He faced up to 75 years in jail. A probation report from last week had recommended a sentence of 6 to 12 months.
However, US District Judge Lewis Kaplan decided to comply with the pleas of Tzvetkoff’s lawyer, who argued that his client had already served sufficient time behind bars.
Tzvetkoff spent approximately four months in a Brooklyn jail following his arrest in 2010.
“For a first-time offender who has never before experienced prison, four-plus months inside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn constitutes a harsh and significant punishment,” Goldstein had said.
Tzvetkoff is credited by many as being the informant who provoked Black Friday by handing over documents to the US federal government that related to payment processing for PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and other poker sites.
Daniel Tzvetkoff’s story was published in the book “Alligator Blood” by James Leighton, which could hit the silver screen in the future thanks to Hollywood director Robert Luketic’s purchase of the movie rights for the story.
According to the freed businessman’s attorney Robert Goldstein, Tzvetkoff is currently engaged as the CTO for a “respectable organization” in Australia.
“Daniel is a capable, highly skilled, and intelligent young man and he looks forward to a productive, happy, and quiet life with his family,” Goldstein added.
 

 Full Tilt’s “Rush” mobile app now supports standard cash games in both real money and play money formats.

The available structures are 6 max No Limit Hold’em and 6 max Pot Limit Omaha at real money stake levels from $0.01/$0.02 through to $5/$10. The play money equivalents are 1/2 to 250k/500k.
Apps for both Android and iOS have been released and are available for free download, the precise version of each depending on the relevant jurisdiction.
Full Tilt’s original Rush-only mobile app launched in 2010. After the company was bought by the Rational Group and re-launched, one of its first priorities was to get a temporary mobile app back on the market.
The native apps were officially re-released in February.
 
Growing Fast
With Rush, Adrenaline Rush and ring games, Full Tilt’s mobile offer is developing quickly, as the importance of the mobile market increases.
Competitors have been doing the same. Last week partypoker upgraded its mobile client to include sit and gos, and Bodog introduced a browser based mobile client for its fast fold game Zone Poker.
In December last year, Winamax became the first operator to launch a dedicated app for Windows Phone.
In an interview in January, PokerStars’ former Chief Marketing Officer Alex Payne said that over half of new sign ups were now coming through the mobile channel.
 

 PokerNews were denied permission to report updates and chip counts from the MSPT’s Mid-Season Championship, which was held at the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

The news website is the title sponsor of the poker tour. It has reported live from all the events of the series so far, and was scheduled to cover the Main Event at the Las Vegas Sands casino.
According to a report first posted on poker forum Two Plus Two, subsequently verified by pokerfuse, PokerNews was denied entry to the Sheldon Adelson-run casino due to the site’s affiliation with online poker.
Along with live tournament reporting, PokerNews also publishes substantial content on online poker, particularly on the new US-regulated market. It currently lists the WSOP online poker rooms in Nevada and New Jersey as US sponsors.
The media outlet reported live from the eight previous MSPT stops this season.
The Venetian tournament, which drew 854 runners for the $1,100 event, was held earlier this week in the middle of the card room’s popular Deep Stack Extravaganza poker series.
Sheldon Adelson has initiated a fierce campaign against regulated online gaming. The Las Vegas Sands owner has funded massive lobbying efforts to further his personal political agenda.
By far the largest news and reporting site for live poker, PokerNews creates significant content and buzz around the events it covers, with live “chip counts,” video content, player interviews and event updates throughout the tournaments it covers.
Its reporters are also currently in Las Vegas to cover the World Series of Poker, where this year they have exclusive rights to shoot video from the floor.
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