Poker
Poker News
LGA Issues Public Warning About NetStronger Online Poker Network

 The Maltese Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) has issued a public information notice stating that “the website www.netstronger.com has no connection with the Authority.”

The NetStronger website contains two regulatory logos with links to regulators sites. One is for the LGA, the other for the Curaçao eGaming regulator.
The LGA warns that “any references to the Authority and, or any gaming licence issued by the Authority in Malta on the mentioned website are false and misleading.”
The LGA notice was issued last week, but the LGA logo on the NetStronger site has remained in place.
The NetStronger online poker network claims 14 separate skins, all of which sport both LGA and Curaçao license logos. The Curaçao logo links to the license for WantedPlay.com, one of the skins on the NetStronger network.
The network itself is owned by Beproga Ltd, a company which does hold a Class 4 license from the LGA. WantedPlay Ltd is the business to business (B2B) arm of Beproga. According to data from PokerScout, the network maintains an average of over 80 cash game seats at any time.
It is possible that Beproga has been remiss in not registering the NetStronger network with the LGA, or misunderstood the scope of its own Class 4 license. Until the situation is clarified, players should exercise caution before playing on the network.
Author: Ekaterina
02 . 04 . 2014 y.
PokerStars: California Gambling Control Commission is “More Than Qualified” to Determine Suitability

 PokerStars has released a statement explaining its position on a potential “bad actor” clause in proposed Californian legislation.

In response to media suggestions that it is working to ensure that no bad actor clause is inserted into online poker law in California, Rational Group Head of Corporate Communications, Eric Hollreiser, told OnlinePokerReport.com that “PokerStars has not, will not and need not request any changes to the California gaming regulations.”
“The California Gambling Control Commission has a 15-year history of successful consumer protection and is more than qualified to continue to determine suitability,” he continued.
A week ago, Leslie Lohse, the Treasurer of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians and Chairperson of the California Tribal Business Alliance (CTBA), issued a statement saying that they “will strongly oppose any legislation which allows PokerStars to participate.”
The statement made reference to “PokerStars” continuing to operate in the US after UIGEA became law in 2006 and stated that “only entities that adhere to the highest regulatory standards, such as those used in the regulation of Indian gaming, should be licensed to provide online play.”
Soon after, a coalition of 12 California tribes united to express their opposition to the removal of a bad actor clause stating any “easing of regulatory standards” that would accommodate bad actors [...] would erode the integrity of Intrastate Internet poker.”
PokerStars’ statement refutes that argument stating that “groups such as the CTBA “are misrepresenting the Unlawful Internet Enforcement Gambling Act (UIGEA) and PokerStars’ past U.S. operations.”
Hollreiser continued to explain that “UIGEA did not make illegal any gaming that was not already illegal before its passage. This has been confirmed by the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals and by the U.S. Department of Justice.”
Hollreiser also pointed to the fact that PokerStars holds licenses in 11 jurisdictions around the world, more than any other operator and highlighted that it is normal to “leave the assessment of suitability to qualified expert regulators” rather than to legislate against specific operators “to gain a competitive market advantage and to limit competition.”
The New Jersey regulator is particularly singled out. “The same position has been taken by the legislators in New Jersey,” said Hollreiser, referencing the fact that PokerStars’ initial application was “suspended” in part due to an “unresolved federal indictment” against PokerStars’ founder Isai Scheinberg.
The point he makes is clear, even without a bad actor clause, regulators can take into account the necessary factors to make an expert decision.
The statement ends optimistically, saying that “PokerStars looks forward to demonstrating [its] suitability to the regulator just like any other company seeking to operate in California and investing in a fair and well-regulated market.”
Author: Ekaterina
01 . 04 . 2014 y.
Another $5 Million Paid to U.S. Full Tilt Players

 The claims administrator in the Full Tilt remission process announced yesterday that another 2,200 players have been reimbursed to the tune of $5 million.

This latest round of payments went to petitioners who had been approved in the first round of reimbursement that commenced on the last day of February (Green Friday), but who had supplied inaccurate bank account information to the Garden City Group (GCG). After submitting the correct banking details, those players have now received payment via ACH.
Players who neglected to provide GCG with accurate bank information by the due date of March 13 can now expect payment in the form of a cheque sent to the mailing address listed on the Petition for Remission. Players who owe a debt collectable by the Treasury Offset program are advised to fill out a Unified Financial Management System Vendor Request Form posthaste.
Added to the $76 million Green Friday payouts, approximately 29,700 former U.S. Full Tilt players have now been reunited with $81 million that had been in limbo since Black Friday, the three-year anniversary of which is a mere two weeks away.
Players still estranged from their funds include Full Tilt affiliates, pros, and players who took issue with the account balances on record with the DoJ and GCG. Though no time table has been mentioned at the latest fulltiltpokerclaims.com update, announcements regarding the petitions of those players are likely next on the GCG agenda.
Author: Ekaterina
01 . 04 . 2014 y.
Internet Poker Bill Proposed in New York

 A New York lawmaker has proposed an online poker bill just days after a federal effort to ban online gambling reached both chambers of Congress.

State Senator John Bonacic has introduced S 6913, which restricts online action to games of skill such as poker and excludes casino games. The measure seeks a licensing fee of $10 million that would not expire for 10 years. Taxation would be set at 15%.
A bad actor provision is included, aiming to keep out those who failed to recognize the UIGEA and continued operating in the U.S. market. Should lawmakers vote in favor and Governor Andrew Cuomo approve the measure, New Yorkers could be playing in one year following the establishment of rules and a vetting process for would-be operators.
Cuomo supports land-based gaming, as did 57% of voters in a November referendum. A casino expansion plan is in the works and online poker could possibly be tacked on.
The New York state effort comes on the heels of a Sheldon Adelson-supported anti-online gambling federal proposal last Wednesday that targets the 2011 DoJ interpretation of the Wire Act that has a number of states queuing up to offer online gambling. New York has a population just shy of 20 million, third most in the nation.
Author: Ekaterina
31 . 03 . 2014 y.
888 Sees Silver Lining in UK’s New Regulations

 In 888 Holding’s shining 2013 full year financial results, the group was bullish on the opportunity in the forthcoming introduction of the UK’s new Point of Consumption (POC) system.

“In more mature markets such as the United Kingdom, we anticipate that there will be further consolidation given the advantages of scale, brand and technology that larger operators can employ in a more competitive environment,” reads the statement.
“This trend will be reinforced by the planned introduction of a Point of Consumption Tax in the UK, due to take effect from December 2014,” it continued.
The UK market is critical to 888’s success. Revenue from UK customers amounted to $163.3m in 2013—more than 40% of the group’s total revenue—compared to $161.7m across the rest of Europe combined, $46.4m in the nascent American markets, and $29.1m in the rest of the world.
On December 1, new online gaming regulations will come into force in the UK. It will require all operators who accept wagers from UK customers, including online poker rooms, to obtain a license from the UKGC and must pay a 15% tax on gross profits from such customers.
888’s positive take on a substantial new tax burden this year echoes that of William Hill who, in their Q3 2013 financials, asserted that the POC tax could lead to “market share gains,” adding that the group “[sees] that as an opportunity.”
More colorfully, William Hill’s CEO stated in the investors call that, for small operators “who are struggling,” they would “shove a hosepipe down their throats and turn the tap on.”
Yet publicly, the industry is decrying the introduction of the new taxation with PR rhetoric, doomsday predictions and threats of legal action. According to the RGA, an industry group comprised of gambling operators licensed offshore, the new system “heightens the risk that British licensees will lose significant market share to black market operators,” as a large number of UK customers switch to more attractive offers on unlicensed sites.
Author: Ekaterina
31 . 03 . 2014 y.
Democratic Governors: Anti-Online Gaming Law Would Cut $20 Billion in Existing State Revenue

 In a letter to the leaders of Congress expressing concern over the recent push to outlaw internet gambling in the US, the Democratic Governors Association asserted that if such legislation were enacted it would cost state budgets some $20 billion in lottery revenue alone.

Governors Peter Shumlin (D-VT) and Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH) authored the letter outlining the “severe and disastrous impact on state governments” that would result from a ban on internet gaming as proposed by Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).
Under the “Internet Gambling Control Act of 2014,” expected to be formally introduced by Graham this week, all forms of regulated internet gaming and internet lottery—including Mega Millions and Powerball which are currently available in 44 US states and other territories—would be prohibited.
Only online horse racing and fantasy games, explicitly exempt by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), would be allowed under the proposed bill.
Gaming regulation has traditionally been under the jurisdiction of the individual states. A federal prohibition would infringe on the rights of 47 US territories that currently have some form of regulated internet gaming.
Such a ban would result in the loss of revenues used to “support critical programs for education, senior care, veterans’ services, environmental protection, responsible gaming treatment programs, and other good causes,” the letter claims.
 
Author: Ekaterina
28 . 03 . 2014 y.
New Bills Seek to Amend Wire Act to Ban All Online Gambling

 Two new bills officially introduced on Wednesday in both the House of Representatives and Senate would ban most online gambling in the US, including online poker in Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware, all of which went live with legal, regulated online gaming within the last year.

The proposed legislation is part of the efforts of billionaire Sheldon Adelson and his Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG), who has previously vowed to “spend whatever it takes to stop online gambling.”
The bills, which have bipartisan support, would amend the Wire Act of 1961 to include all online gambling except fantasy sports and horse racing.
The bills would even prohibit the sale of lottery tickets over the internet. Illinois was the first state to sell lottery tickets online after it requested and received clarification from the US Department of Justice on the application of the Wire Act.
That clarification—a letter issued in December 2011—asserted that the use of the terms “sporting event or contest” in the Wire Act only restricts sports betting.
The new bills would change the language of the Wire Act to include “any bet or wager” placed over a wire (telephone, internet etc), with the exception of fantasy sports and horse racing.
In what is considered by many to be a dysfunctional Congress, the likelihood that such a bill in its current state would pass into law is very slim considering it has both opposition and support on both sides of the aisle.
Adelson money has made proposing a ban on internet wagering a popular activity, as politicians seeking reelection and others with eyes on higher offices look to bolster their campaign funds. Earlier this week Texas Governor Rick Perry joined the bandwagon, opposing igaming in spite of the fact that such a ban would infringe on states’ rights—an issue Perry has been known to champion in the past.
Those in favor of online gambling have used the promise of additional revenues—and the threat of lost revenues—to make their case. Earlier this week, the Democratic Governors Association that came out against a ban based on a cut in lottery revenue and an infringement on states’ rights.
In recent years, rumors of a federal bill outlawing online gambling but carving out an exception for online poker have floated around Capitol Hill. Though neither side will openly admit it, the chance that poker receives a carve out as part of a compromise exist.
“If you want to have a poker exception, offer an amendment and see if it will pass,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), primary sponsor of the Senate version of the bill erroneously titled “Restoration of America’s Wire Act.”
Cosponsors in the Senate include Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH).
In the House the bill is sponsored by Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) with Reprenentatives Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), Jim Matheson (D-UT), Lamar Smith (R-TX), Jim Jordan (R-OH), Trent Franks (R-AZ), George Holding (R-NC), Frank Wolf (R-VA), James Lankford (R-OK), and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) as cosponsors.
Author: Ekaterina
28 . 03 . 2014 y.
Adelson’s Fellow Board Member Buys 51 Million Shares in bwin.party
Las Vegas Sands Corporation non-Executive Director Jason Ader has bought 51 million shares in bwin.party.
Chairman Sheldon Adelson’s anti-online poker campaign is in full flow, but according to Ader, Adelson made no objection to the purchase.
“He always agrees to disagree, and that’s why he likes having independent voices on his board. I never would have made the investment without him knowing,” said Ader.
Ruth Parasol DeLeon and James Russell DeLeon, the founders of partypoker, have agreed to divest their 14% shareholding over the next three years. The agreement was made as part of New Jersey license negotiations with the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE).
Ader was a Wall Street gambling and leisure analyst before founding his own investment firm, Ader Investment Management LLC. He explained that he made the investment because he felt bwin.party was “undervalued and has been underperforming.”
bwin.party shareholder rules mean that any shareholder with a 5% stake in the company has the right to nominate a main board director. Now that Ader has the requisite shareholding, he could theoretically sit on both boards, the Las Vegas Sands and bwin.party.
Adelson is now the world’s 8th richest man according to Forbes magazine, with a fortune of over $40bn. Even though he made that wealth from the gambling business, and is perhaps the most successful casino owner in the US, the industry has almost unanimously failed to support his attempts to ban online gaming.
Sheldon Adelson is now 80 years old, an “old man in a hurry” whose time has passed.
Author: Ekaterina
28 . 03 . 2014 y.
Poland Opens Up to Payment Processors, But Poker Remains a Gray Area

 The Polish Gambling Act was amended last October to expand the range of financial service operators permitted to process gambling transactions, and the new amendments have now come into force.

At present the change will affect the legally-licensed sports betting and horse race betting sites. They will now be able to offer their customers cashier options from payment processors such as Skrill and Neteller.
The main act was passed in 2011, and is highly restrictive—it does not permit licensed online poker. Infringement proceedings have been initiated against Poland by the EU, of which it is a member state, and the October amendment was partially a response to EU Commission concerns.
Prior to the amendment, online gambling transactions were effectively limited to Polish banks and financial providers. With the amendment’s introduction, other EU licensed firms can now offer services.
Last November, the Polish government submitted proposed amendments to the law that would allow a wider product offering for internet gambling, but still exclude online poker. Provision would be by a state licensed monopoly.
Despite the probability of complaints from other countries about these proposals, the EU Commission is unlikely to intervene too forcefully. It has allowed other gambling monopolies, even if only provisionally, such as that in Greece.
The prospects for nationally licensed online poker remain slim. However, there are few measures in place to combat the “gray” market, and players have little difficulty accessing online poker rooms, or depositing and withdrawing their funds from them.
Author: Ekaterina
27 . 03 . 2014 y.
Merge Anonymizes Sit and Go Registration

 A new software update that rolled out across skins on the US-facing Merge Gaming this week introduced anonymous registration for all sit & go tournaments.

Screen names are now hidden during the registration process across all SNG types, including heads up tables. Only when a tournament fills and players are seated are screen names revealed.
The change could have a substantial impact on the registration process as it removes all table selection skills, preventing professional players from judging the profitability of games. In particular, heads up lobbies may be significantly impacted.
The idea of anonymizing just the registration process of tournaments is a new idea, although online poker rooms have been experimenting with anonymous poker to varying degrees.
At the extreme, Bodog, a Merge Gaming competitor with its US-facing Bovada skin, removed all screen names from the lobby.
Other poker rooms have flirted with the idea, with optional anonymous tables on many networks, particularly heads up lobbies, and regular screen name changes permitted at some poker rooms.
Author: Ekaterina
27 . 03 . 2014 y.
pages: << 1 ... 25 26 27 28 29 ... 80 >>
  • 1669

  • 1816
  • 1537

  • 1543

  • 1549

  • 1546

  • Getting Started Poker in 4 steps

    Step 1 Step 2
    Step 3 Step 4
Sportsbook
Live betting
Mobile betting
Freeroll Tournaments
Poker
Casino
Bonuses