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Doyle Brunson Bows Out Of WSOP Tournaments

 Doyle Brunson, a living legend of the game and Poker Hall of Famer, tweeted that he will be passing on tournament play at the WSOP this summer.

At 79 years old, Brunson, who won the event in 1976 and 1977, said age was catching up with him.
Brunson finished 17th in the 2009 WSOP Main Event, the last time he would place in the money, taking home £31,198. The last of his 10 gold bracelets came in the 2005, accompanied by a $367,800 jackpot, which at the time was one of the largest cash wins of his career, propelling him amongst the all time greats of the game.
Plaudits for the aging poker master have trickled in across the web. In its article on Boyle’s semi-retirement, the website Poker News Daily said, “During the better part of the last decade, one of the highlights of the WSOP has been the day Brunson sits down at the Main Event. The eyes of the room are always trained on him, as everyone wants to see if it is going to be the year he makes a deep run. And when he does finally get knocked out, he always gets a standing ovation upon his departure.”
The last time he made the money in the traditional WSOP Main Event was in 2004 when he placed 53rd.
Author: Ekaterina
17 . 05 . 2013 y.
Station Casinos Revenue Drops in First Quarter

 First quarter revenue for Station Casinos dipped slightly after it fell two per cent from revenues at the same time last year.

The company attributed this mainly to customers’ gambling less throughout the period as a result of increased taxes and delayed tax refunds. Station Casinos’ Chief Financial Officer Marc Falcone said that while there were a number of reasons for the revenue decrease, revenues appeared to be improving once again.
“Net revenues in the first quarter were impacted by a combination of the increase in Social Security payroll tax, federal tax refund delays and one less day in February this year versus last year,” he said. “Results improved meaningfully in March.”
Station Casinos recently made headlines in the poker world after the launch of Ultimate Poker in the US state of Nevada. The company owns 57 percent of the parent company of Ultimate Poker, which is the first and currently only real money online poker service to operate in the state.
While Ultimate Poker appears to have had a solid start, Mr Falcone did not want to be drawn to the company with regards to Station Casinos’ first quarter revenue performance. “It’s too early to understand revenues and profitability of this start-up business at this point,” Mr Falcone said.
He did add, however, that Ultimate Poker’s launch had exceeded the company’s expectations and that the company is viewing online poker as an increasingly significant area of its total business following the launch. “We are committed to expanding our presence in Nevada while, at the same time, expanding our reach to other states as online poker becomes legalized on a broader scale,” Mr Falcone said.
Ultimate Poker is currently 36th on Pokerscout’s Online Poker Traffic list, with a seven-day average of 167 players on the site. The poker site dealt its one millionth hand on Tuesday, two weeks after its anticipated launch.
 
Author: Ekaterina
16 . 05 . 2013 y.
Illinois Gaming Bill Up For Debate

 The legislature in the US state of Illinois is set to debate the legislation of most forms of online gaming – of which poker is included – after a State Senator circulated proposals for his bill.

A new bill dedicated solely to online gaming was created after it was originally part of a broader gaming expansion bill before online gaming aspects were removed from it in April. The current bill being put forward by Senator John Cullerton would not permit online sports betting to take place but would allow other forms of gaming over the internet.
A licence fee of US$20 million would be charged to online gaming services wishing to operate in the state, with taxes on gaming revenue set to be between 7.5 per cent and 20 per cent. The bill would also lead to the creation of a Division of Online Gaming, which would help regulate the market along with the already established Illinois Lottery.
A measure to block online gaming companies which had illegally accepted bets from US players in the last decade was originally included in the bill. This has been removed from the bill, however, and only persons and companies convicted of illegally accepting bets would be banned from obtaining an Illinois licence.
The upcoming debate on the Illinois online gaming bill is the latest of a series of legislative events relating to poker in the US. Recently, Governments in the states of New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada have all passed legislation to permit online poker and online gaming in general. A bill in Pennsylvania to legalise online poker is set to be viewed by a state Government committee in the future.
While at present, the Illinois bill has many legislative hurdles to go through, the trend towards legislating online poker means that there is certainly a realistic chance it may pass. A date for the bill’s debate has not yet been confirmed. However, it is widely believed that State Senator Cullerton will attempt to give the bill its first committee hearing later this week.  
Author: Ekaterina
16 . 05 . 2013 y.
California Native American Tribes Present New Poker Bill

 A new California online poker bill has been introduced by leaders of eight tribes. The Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act of 2012 is being supported by the powerful Pechanga tribe and is the second tribe-backed bill to be introduced in the past year.

The new bill contains stipulations that place strict restrictions on the regulation of online poker in the state of California. Under this legislation, California Native American owned card rooms would be the only eligible operators to apply for an online poker license. Furthermore, license applicants would need to establish an online poker business utilizing its own assets and credit. This clause would exclude most, if not all, out of state and international operators from “buying” their way to a license in the manner of 888 in Nevada, and potentially, PokerStars in New Jersey.
The Internet Poker Consumer Protection Act would also require the state of California to opt out of any future federal legislation. This bill would also restrict the ability to increase player liquidity by banning compacts with state and international jurisdictions. A “bad actor” clause is included in the bill to ban operators or related companies from building online poker products in California.
The new bill also has financial clauses that are generally friendly towards the potential tribal operators, especially the controlling powers. Licensing fees would be relatively low and the tax rate would be a modest 10% on gross gaming revenue. Operators would need to have a land based establishment that has been in operation for 5 years in order to apply for a license. Most importantly to the tribes, the great majority of online poker revenues would go to the Native American tribes.
California’s new online poker bill contains protectionist language that provides the greatest benefit to the Native American tribes. Although California boasts a large number of card rooms and poker players among its 27.7 million inhabitants, it has struggled to develop legislation that satisfies the gambling community and the desires of the tribes. Mainly, gambling interests have been unable to agree upon a revenue sharing structure and online poker licensing regulations.
The constant struggle to develop a suitable and agreeable legislation in California has led to several failed bills and the introduction of clashing, simultaneous bills. The new bill will be the third one in circulation with Senator Wright’s and the San Manuel tribes’ potential legislations. Senator Wright’s bill would provide a more lenient stance on operators in California and leaves the possibility of a federal bill and online poker compacts.
The San Manuel tribes’ bill has similar language and stipulations to new bill. Sources have stated that the two bills may be combined in order to gain more support, although the COPA consortium was disbanded due to online poker disagreements. Nevertheless, all tribes have voiced strong opposition to the Wright Bill that would essentially allow racetracks to participate in online poker and force tribes to relinquish sovereignty during the licensing process.
California is currently feeling pressured to pass a bill in the near future with neighboring state, Nevada, already in operation. Some predict that new legislation will be passed before the end of the year, but a 2014 time table seems to be more reasonable at this point. The new tribal bill will also face some issues in the Senate Governmental Organisation Committee that will oversee the new online poker legislation. Currently, Senator Wright chairs this committee and is committed to pushing his bill through the state government.
Author: Ekaterina
16 . 05 . 2013 y.
Partouche Poker Site Closing

 Partouche.fr will close its virtual doors prior to this summer season in what may result in a call for French gaming regulators to make changes in the country's rigid tax structure and ring-fenced player base.

Currently ranked 36th on PokerScout's worldwide rankings with a seven-day average of 167 cash game players, Partouche.fr trails other French sites in player traffic such as Winamax, PokerStars.fr, both iPoker and PartyPoker's France offerings, and Barrierepoker.fr.
Group Partouche has come under heavy criticism in recent months beginning last year when the popular Partouche Poker Tour failed to reach its guaranteed €5 million prize pool and group chairman Patrick Partouche attempted to renege on the guarantee. After being pressured by angry poker players and the media, Partouche decided to kick in the additional €736,880 to honor the €5 million commitment. But in an angry tirade, Partouche cancelled the tour following the 2012 season.
Another controversy erupted earlier this year when pokerenligne.com was first to broadcast a video that allegedly shows the top two finishers in the 2009 Partouche Poker Tour Main Event cheating by using hand signals to reveal their hole cards to each other. Jean-Paul Pasqualini and Cedric Rossi collected a combined €1,600,000 by soft-playing each other until they were the last two remaining players.
That discovery followed German player Ali Tekintamgac being kicked off the final table of the 2010 Main Event also for cheating. Tekintamgac was in cahoots with others posing as journalists who fed him information about his opponents' hole cards via hand signals. Tekintamgac and his chips were removed from the final table and the remaining eight players finished the event.
The latest issue to sully the Partouche name ocurred less than three months ago when French regulator ARJEL announced that Group Partouche was under investigation for permitting employees and family members to play at Partouche.fr and receive cash rewards and free entries to tournaments. Regulators scrutinized 40 accounts for possible improprieties.
The demise of Partouche.fr was first reported on PokerUpdate as early as September of last year. Rampant rumors circulated that the site was on the outs. The controversies that followed appear to have sealed the fate of Group Partouche and their French poker site, as evidenced by posters on 2 + 2 and a poker52 article.
Poker rooms in France are subject to strict regulations that include a heavy tax rate and a player pool confined within French borders. There has been talk of the need to allow for increased liquidity and a relaxing of the tax structure to allow for greater profitability for operators.
Author: Ekaterina
15 . 05 . 2013 y.
Amaya Ongame and mybet Sign Online Poker Deal

 Amaya Gaming’s Ongame network has made yet another move in firmly establishing itself in the European online poker market. It was announced on Monday that the service provider has been chosen by German company mybet to power its .com and .it websites.

The announcement means mybet will no longer be using iPoker to service its sites, which it had done prior to making the switch to Ongame. Mybet and Amaya have had a direct business relationship since 2005, when it began using the Canadian headquartered company’s online casino software.
Mybet Holding CEO Mathias Dahms said that the switch was done as part of his company’s aim to further boost the success of its online poker service. "Amaya's casino games have proven to be not only highly popular but also very profitable (for mybet),” he said.
“Now, we are aiming to achieve the same results for our poker and live dealer offerings. Switching to Ongame Poker and adding Amaya's Live Dealer enables us to improve both customer satisfaction and profitability."
Amaya CEO David Baazov also expressed his delight at the deal, saying the expansion of the Amaya Ongame – mybet business relationship was important for its ambitions in Europe. "Being able to support partners like mybet with a full range of games and products is an advantage for both parties,” Mr Baazov said. “It improves our relationship and presents new business opportunities".
Amaya has made a number of major announcements with regards to its online gaming business, including the appointment of former Ultimate Bet COO Paul Leggett as the head of its online wing. Its Ongame network also recently signed an agreement with Italian gaming giant Cogetech to power its newly launched poker site, Izipoker.it.
The company also signed an agreement with US company Aristocrat to integrate its software into its online gaming platform, which may be a huge move considering the trend towards online poker regulation in a number of US states.
Mybet has experienced a strong growth in the online poker side of its business so far this year. Earlier this month, the company stated that first quarter revenue for its ‘Casino and Poker’ services increased by 39 per cent year-on-year to €6.6 million, which was reflective of a shift in mybet’s focus. This focus has been further reflected and strengthened through its deal with Amaya and its Ongame network.
Author: Ekaterina
15 . 05 . 2013 y.
O'Dwyer Wins EPT Monaco Main Event

 He came into the final table with the chip lead and was head and shoulders above all but one fellow player, so it was little surprise that Steve O’Dwyer reigned supreme in the EPT Grand Final Monaco Main Event.

The Irishman beat a field of 531 players to take out the top spot and the €1,224,000 (around US$1.59 million) cash prize. It was his first win since February last year, where O’Dwyer came in first place at the WPT National Series Main Event in Denmark. That event, however, did not have the remarkable talent that participated in the EPT Monaco Main Event, which made this win a whole lot more significant.
It was also little surprise that the runner up was Canadian Andrew Pantling, the only other player going into the final table with a stack that rivalled that of O’Dwyer. While Pantling has previously seen poker success in Monaco – He won the €5,000 No-limit Heads-up event in the EPT Monaco back in 2010 – he has had mixed fortunes on the general live poker scene. The London-based Canadian takes home €842,000 (around US$1.1 million), by far the biggest cash win in his poker career.
At the start of the last day, it looked like Pantling may have been on the way to take out the Main Event after he eliminated short stacked Australian Grant Levy in eighth place. He then knocked out Jason Mercier in seventh spot and took the chip lead from O’Dwyer in the process.
Pantling and O’Dwyer did briefly have a fellow rival in Johnny Lodden, however. Lodden held the chip lead for a long period of time in the middle stages of the tournament, and he was always not going to let it go without a fight. The tourney eventually came down to just Lodden, Pantling and O’Dwyer, and the chip lead briefly bounced between the three of them like a hot potato.
The Norwegian ended up getting knocked by the man responsible for taking away his two-day long chip lead earlier in the tournament, Steve O’Dwyer. It came after O’Dwyer’s Ace Jack outkicked Lodden’s Ace Ten, sending him out in third place and €467,000 (around US$610,000) richer.
Lodden’s departure left Pantling and O’Dwyer in heads-up play, with Pantling holding a small chip lead at the start of it. This would not last long, with the Irishman gradually taking back the chip lead and building up a solid buffer between his and Pantling’s chip stacks.
The last hand of the Main Event saw O’Dwyer and his Ten Eight starting hand hit trips on the Eight of Diamonds, Eight of Spades and Jack of Spades flop. Pantling check-called the Irishman’s post flop bet of 300,000 with his King Five of Spades and the Four of Spades on the turn gave him a flush.
Pantling would raise 1,425,000 – a significant amount of his stack - after the third spade came on the board. O’Dwyer re-raised all in, a move that was promptly called by Pantling. While it looked like Pantling was likely to win the hand, the river would bring him bad news, with the Eight of Clubs showing up as the last on the board. This gave O’Dwyer quads as well as the top prize of the tournament.
It was a remarkable end to six days of top level poker play at this year’s EPT Grand Final Monaco Main Event.
 
Author: Ekaterina
14 . 05 . 2013 y.
Online Poker Drops Sharply in Italy

 Revenues for online poker in Italy have dropped drastically during the first quarter of the year, according to figures published by regulatory authority AAMS.

The figures showed that online cash poker in the southern European country fell by 34.6 per cent, resulting in a total revenue of €43.1 million in the first three months of the year.  Online tournament poker, on the other hand, had a total revenue of €28.7 million, a 36.4 per cent drop from the same period last year.
In a statement released with the figures, AAMS stated the reasons for the sharp drop were a “decline in popularity of online poker in Europe” as well as “a general decline of spending on games in Italy”. The drops also offset the strong 84.7 per cent increase in online casino revenues in Italy over the first quarter.
As was expected, PokerStars remained the major player in Italian online poker throughout the first quarter, with the company occupying more than half of the poker market in the country. The company also had roughly one third of the cash game market in Italy during that time.
While PokerStars dominates the Italian market, other online poker companies are still surviving in the market despite the first quarter drop. The online company iPoker still has a solid chunk of Italy’s online market, with its .it domain having a seven-day average of 550 players, according to Pokerscout.
Ongame’s Italian domain is not too far behind, with a seven-day average of 495 players, good enough for it to be the world’s 20th most popular online poker site. PeoplesNetwork’s .it domain had an average of 485 players over the same period while International averaged 445 players on its online Italian domain.
Other online games in Italy, including bingo and sports betting, also decreased sharply during the first quarter of 2013.
Author: Ekaterina
14 . 05 . 2013 y.
CVC Faces Deadline to Increase Bid for Betfair

 CVC Partners has until today to renew its bid to take over Betfair after the the popular betting exchange rejected last month's proposal.

The offer of £910 million put forth by CVC three weeks ago was found by Betfair executives to be less than acceptable. Analysts of the deal have surmised that upping the purchase price by £10 per share might be enough to take the company private, especially considering Betfair's recent projected revenue figures that show estimates for fiscal year 2013 to be well above £387 million.
“We would expect CVC to come forward with a higher-priced approach to reflect the extra value in the core business highlighted by [the latest] update,” said Simon French of Panmure Gordon.
Betfair's latest increased revenue projections may entice the company to invest its holdings in new acquisitions instead of paying off its shareholders. CEO Breon Corcoran has stated that he would like to follow the purchase of Blue Square Bet in April with similar “targeted acquisitions" that would expand Betfair's geographic reach and close certain product gaps.
Rumours abound that today's deadline may be extended, but Takeover Panel rules require the London-listed Betfair to agree to any such considerations.
Author: Ekaterina
14 . 05 . 2013 y.
UK Online Gaming Bill Passes Review

 The UK’s proposed gambling bill for online casino and betting operators has passed its first major hurdle, after it passed the review of the UK parliament’s DCMS Select Committee.

Proposed by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the Gambling Bill for Point of Consumption (POC) Tax passed the UK parliament’s DCMS Select Committee’s review on Friday. The bill aims to regulate online gaming companies based outside of the UK on a point of consumption basis.
The bill also calls for all online gaming companies taking money from UK-based customers to obtain a licence from the country. Up to now, only companies which have ‘key equipment’ in the UK require a licence to operate, while companies with licences in UK territories, Gibraltar and the European Union are allowed to advertise in and take bets from the UK.
By passing the DCMS Select Committee’s review, the bill can now be introduced into the parliament to be voted on and put into legislation pending the bill’s success.  
The bill has not come without its opponents, however, with the Gibraltar Betting and Gaming Association (GBGA) threatening to take legal action against the Government if it did not change the point of consumption tax part of the bill. A number of online gaming companies with UK customers have their headquarters in Gibraltar, and they are likely to be one of the hardest hit by the tax if it is put into legislation.
The current point of consumption tax on Gross Gaming Revenues in the UK stands at 15 per cent, and would be the tax imposed on companies which are affected by this bill. While the bill passed the committee’s review, the DCMS select committee did so whilst requesting the country’s Treasury Department review that rate of tax.
This request came as the UK office of professional services firm Deloitte stated that the current rate could lead to approximately 40 per cent of existing non-UK based online gaming companies away from the UK market. UK-based online gaming operators pay corporate taxes in the country rather than a point of consumption tax, and will continue to do so even if the bill passes.
While a date has not been set, the bill could be introduced into the UK parliament as early as next week following the review’s passing of the committee.
 
Author: Ekaterina
13 . 05 . 2013 y.
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