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Pennsylvania Legislators Release Text of Proposed Online Gambling Measure

 A proposed bill extending Pennsylvania’s regulatory reach into online gambling has been introduced by Pennsylvania State Representative Tina Davis (D-Bucks County).

The measure, titled House Bill 1235, was immediately referred to Pennsylvania’s Gaming Oversight Committee, on which Davis serves. The measure had gone through several draft phases dating from its original creation in 2012, with Davis announcing in January her plans to introduce a bill this session.
Major recent additions to HB 1235 deal with internet gaming and its possible licensure by the commonwealth. Speculation that the bill would include a “bad actor” clause was unfounded, though the licensing structure proposed within the bill would favor Pennsylvania’s existing land-based casinos.
According to the language presently within HB 1235, internet gaming licenses could be applied for by those entities who already hold an existing slot-machine license, which defines the approved gambling venues within the state.
Both the entities licensed to offer online gaming and the players themselves must maintain a physical presence within Pennsylvania, with players initially required to register in-person at a licensed gaming venue. A minimum internet gambling age of 21 is also declared within the measure.
Online poker and other non-house-banked games are specifically included in the measure, along with dozens of traditional table games, including poker-themed, house-banked variations offered in many live venues. All would be regulated in online versions should this measure become law, with approval and testing required for each.
Pennsylvania would receive 28% of the gross revenues generated from online gambling, with online poker revenue defined to come from the rake and tournament fees, not players’ winnings.
Another revision in the full version of HB 1235 is the lowering of the proposed initial application/licensing fee from $16.7 million to $5 million, with a $500,000 renewal fee due every three years.
Davis’ Bucks County 114th District borders on New Jersey and is a battleground over gambling revenues between Pennsylvania and nearby New Jersey and Delaware, both of which have already authorized some forms of online gambling.
Eleven other Pennsylvania legislators have already signed on as co-sponsors of the bill: Thomas Caltagirone, Rosita Youngblood, Dom Costa, William Kortz, Vanessa Lowery Brown, RoseMarie Swanger, Mark Cohen, Ed Neilson, George Dunbar, John Galloway and John Sabatina.
Author: Ekaterina
24 . 04 . 2013 y.
Online Gambling Bill Introduced in Pennsylvania

 In an effort to make their state a veritable force in the gaming industry, Pennsylvania lawmakers have now proposed legislation that includes legalizing online gambling.

The prime sponsor of the bill, State Rep. Tina M. Davis, pointed out that two bordering states—Delaware and New Jersey—have already legalized Internet poker.
“These states have seen their gaming industry take a hit from Pennsylvania’s casinos, with our state becoming the second largest gambling market in the country,” Davis wrote.
The proposal calls for the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to regulate “licensing, operation of, and responsible participation in internet gaming to ensure that this form of gaming is within the regulatory framework,” she continued.
The full text of the bill has not yet been released via the state’s web site, but Chris Krafcik of Gambling compliance has reported that Davis has made significant changes to the bill since she announced it would be introduced. Originally slated to include a licensing fee of $16.7 million and a tax rate of 45% of Gross Gaming Revenue, the bill now suggests a license application fee of $5 million with a 28% tax rate.
The proceeds from internet gaming would be split between the Property Tax Relief Fund and the State Lottery Fund, according to Davis.
She estimated that the Pennsylvania gaming industry provides 16,000 jobs and generates more than $7 billion in tax revenue. Davis wants to ensure that the state keeps control of that money.
Last year, the National Governors Association, chaired by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett, opposed a federal proposal to regulate online poker “as an unnecessary preemption of state authority.”
Of Pennsylvania House Bill 1235, Davis wrote:
It is imperative that we maintain the integrity of our gaming industry amid inevitable federal preemption and competing states, as well as possible expansion of internet games through the privatization of our own State Lottery. A responsible internet gaming system must be created in order to protect Pennsylvanians and the success of the established gaming industry in the Commonwealth.
Just last week, the state hosted the Pennsylvania Gaming Congress, organized by Spectrum Gaming Group, to “discuss the opportunities and challenges” in the state’s “meteoric” rise to become the second-highest-grossing commercial casino jurisdiction in the US.
Bally Technologies, which has a partnership with Amaya Gaming Group, owner of the Ongame online poker network, was a sponsor.
Author: Ekaterina
23 . 04 . 2013 y.
PartyPoker Cancels First Five Pokerfest Events

 PartyPoker suspended, then cancelled, the first five events in its spring Pokerfest tournament series Sunday.

In total, $482,500 was guaranteed in prizes across the five events, including a $215-buyin NLHE event with an assured $350k prize pool.
Players who registered for the tournaments had their buy-ins refunded.
According to player reports, Event 1 had a significant overlay at its scheduled start time.
A bwin.party representative was not immediately available to comment on the withdrawal. Players report that support staff blamed the problem on technical issues.
Two freeroll tournaments will run as an apology for the last minute cancellation, according to at least one report, with a combined $15k value given away in tournament ticket prizes.
The 6th and final event of the day—and the largest buyin, a $530-buyin, $250k-guaranteed tournament—did run, after it was suspended for reportedly 15 minutes. In total 501 players registered for the event, just covering the guarantee. First prize of $50k was awarded to the victor in the early hours of Monday morning.
Author: Ekaterina
23 . 04 . 2013 y.
Belgian PartyPoker Players Transitioned to Bwin

Successful migration of players onto the single licensed brand earlier this week.

bwin.party migrated all Belgian PartyPoker players onto its sister brand Bwin.BE, Wednesday.
Back in March, bwin.party was removed from the Belgian blacklist and was granted a license to operate in Belgium under the Bwin brand.
Author: Ekaterina
22 . 04 . 2013 y.
QuadJacks to Relaunch Under New Management

 Just four months after joining Global Poker Index, Marco “AgentMarco” Valerio has jumped back into business with QuadJacks, taking on a new role as general manager.

His abrupt departure from “monitoring and assisting” growth at GPI comes just weeks after its parent company, Zokay Entertainment, announced partnerships with the WPT and WSOP through Fantasy Poker Manager, the free-play fantasy sports site that lets fans draft their own roster of pros.
On Saturday, shortly after Valerio announced on Twitter that he would take on a new role at QuadJacks, pokerfuse chatted with him about his vision for the revamped site.
“Before I left QJ, I had thought about eventually taking control,” Valerio told pokerfuse. “When I left, it wasn’t clear whether I could do that. If I had thought it was going to be a sure thing, I probably wouldn’t have taken the job with GPI.”
To be clear, Valerio is not an owner of the new QuadJacks, but he plans to dedicate his full-time attention to the site. He declined to immediately reveal the names of the owners.
“There is a new ownership structure,” he said, “but I am not a part of it. I was not an owner of QJ before, and that hasn’t changed.”
The Italian-born Valerio—and his distinctive voice—made his mark in poker media through QuadJacks, the Nevada-based online poker radio station, particularly with his popular WSOP interviews and lengthy post-Black Friday discussions with players and those influential in the poker community.
He left QuadJacks at the beginning of 2013, and the site went somewhat silent.
Valerio said he wants to help tell the rest of the story, as online poker begins its slow, state-by-state crawl back into the US market. He has put together a “robust” team of names that “the poker community will recognize,” that he expects to announce soon.
“Damn, I really wish we could be doing some kind of parody of Team Ivey,” he said.
He said he wants the new QuadJacks to be a “companion to today’s poker playing community … a place which poker players could count on to express themselves.
“As for the new features… I can’t reveal too much yet, but we’re definitely exploring all our options at the WSOP this year. We made a pretty big impact last summer that people still talk about today. I want us to outdo ourselves in 2013.”
“Put outdo ourselves in italics for emphasis if you can,” he added.
Author: Ekaterina
22 . 04 . 2013 y.
Caesars Applying for New Jersey Internet Gambling License

 Caesars Interactive, the online division of World Series of Poker parent Caesars Entertainment, has begun the process of applying for an online gambling license in New Jersey according to a recent Press of Atlantic City report.

The Caesars Interactive application, if successful, would allow Caesars’ online division to bring some of the games it already offers overseas to the US market. Caesars Interactive, which was founded in 2009 as Harrah’s Interactive, is based in Montreal and already offers a real-money casino-games suite to UK players.
Caesars Interactive is headed by former PartyGaming CEO Mitch Garber, who has a long history in online gaming, including a stint as the head of Optimal Payments, which later acquired online processing site NETELLER. Garber’s old ties to Optimal likely played into an online processing deal between Optimal and Caesars Interactive which was hammered out late last year.
The US-based parent company, Caesars Entertainment, already operates four Atlantic City casino properties: Bally’s, Caesars, Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City, and the Showboat.
The Press of Atlantic piece quotes Caesars Interactive spokesman Seth Palansky as stating that CI hopes to offer more than just poker in New Jersey. Palansky was formerly the WSOP's Director of Communications before moving over to a similar role at Caesars Interactive.
Author: Ekaterina
19 . 04 . 2013 y.
Bodog Removes Skrill Payment Option

 Pokerfuse can now confirm that Bodog has stopped processing deposits and withdrawals from Skrill accounts. Bodog’s affiliate management company, Betting Partners, told pokerfuse that Skrill was no longer an option on Bodog sites.

Players are being asked to choose alternative deposit and withdrawal methods. There is no suggestion that any funds are at risk. No official reasons have been given for the change.
Players have reported failed cash outs over the last few days and some have received an email announcing the changed policy:
Effective April 17, 2013, Skrill (Moneybookers) will no longer be an available payment method. However, you can always make or receive a payment after that date by using one of our many other great deposit and withdrawal options.
Bodog_Ice, Bodog’s Network Liaison rep on 2+2 was unable to comment: “Because the cashier side is specific to each operator.”
Bovada, the US-facing site on the Bodog network, did not accept Skrill, and is not affected by this change.
Since MoneyBookers was bought by private equity fund Investcorp Technology Partners in 2007, it has grown rapidly and rebranded as Skrill. In 2010, Skrill was listed as the fastest growing private equity-backed company in the UK based on profits.
 
Author: Ekaterina
19 . 04 . 2013 y.
Major iPoker Upgrade: Mobile Platforms, New VIP System

 iPoker operator Playtech announced Thursday a significant new upgrade to its poker client that will include new mobile clients, a new multi-tiered VIP system, and new tournaments structures.

A native mobile client for Apple iOS devices and an HTML5 platform are scheduled for released “within weeks” on select rooms on both iPoker and iPoker France, pokerfuse has been informed.
Also set to roll out is a new iPoker client update that includes a new “Elite VIP” system, which will allow operators to customize up to 54 separate tiers, allowing for “highly segmented rewards and benefits” to create “prestigious VIP levels.”
The new Elite system will work in conjunction with existing VIP rewards. A new progress bar in the poker client will let players to track progress through the Elite system.
Rooms will have the facility to run year-long VIP goals. No details yet on exactly what rewards poker rooms will be offering, but an example screenshot of a “SuperElite” loyalty program may hint that it looks to compete with PokerStars’ annual high-volume Supernova Elite program.
The new client also brings new shoot out and heads up tournament formats, both in SNG and scheduled tournaments. Heads up SNGs will also have popular “rematch” buttons. Also in the upgrade are configurable bet buttons to allow players to define bet sizing.
The new client is scheduled to roll out over all operators across iPoker’s networks in the coming weeks.
 
Author: Ekaterina
18 . 04 . 2013 y.
New to the Game Tables from FullTilt Poker

 In a new attempt to capture more users, Fulltilt poker has introduced New to the Game tables. These special tables are designed for beginners and new players. They aim to give new players a chance to learn different game types and get better at them without being eaten by multi-tabling sharks.

The difference between a regular table and a New to the Game table is in a New to the Game table the hand is played in a slower pace and tool tips are shown to indicate the player key aspects and options of the game. Moreover current hand strength is always shown which makes it quite harder to muck the nuts involuntarily.
Obviously not everyone will be allowed to play in these games; otherwise they would be filled with 16 tabling low stakes semi-pros. The key variation for eligibility to enter these New to the Game tables is the number of hands you´ve played. Similarly, your eligibility to register for New to the Game tournaments (scheduled and Sit & Go) depends on the number of tournaments you’ve played. The limit is 2000 hands for ring games or 75 tournaments, not matter schedules ones or Sit & Gos. These limits are set for each type of poker. For example, if you play 2000 hands of Pot Limit Omaha in New to the Game tables, you can still sit down and play No Limit Hold´em in the same tables. Also, if you reach to the limit in Pot Limit Omaha Games, you can still go ahead and play Pot Limit Omaha tournaments.
It is a lot easier to find New to the Game tables in Basic View in Fulltilt Poker client. To enable Basic View, open the Options menu in the game lobby and select Lobby View > Basic View.  When searching for a type of game in Basic View, you will be automatically directed to New to the Game tables. That is of course, if you are eligible to play those games. When you complete 2000 hands in ring games or 75 tournaments, you will be directed to the standard games. You can identify New to the Game tables in the standard view lobby by the icon “N”.
Since the real reason of these tables are to learn new types of games and enhance the poker skills, only the smallest stakes are offered. Also you can sit at a maximum of two New to the Game ring game tables or tournament tables simultaneously.
Author: Ekaterina
18 . 04 . 2013 y.
PokerStars Completes NJ Application, 90-Day Review Period Begins

 Rational Group US Holdings, a United States-facing entity associated with online poker giant PokerStars, has completed its interim application to purchase and operate the Atlantic Club Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, NJ.

Rational agreed to purchase the struggling Atlantic Club casino late last year in an attempt to re-establish a toehold in the US market. The purchase was conditional upon Rational receiving approval from New Jersey regulators.
New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement declared last week that Rational US had officially completed the lengthy application process, starting the regulatory clock ticking on a 90-day review period during which Stars’ and Rational’s suitability to operate the Atlantic Club will be assessed.
The purchase of the Atlantic Club has drawn a heated protest from the American Gaming Association (AGA). The AGA, which represents many, but not all, of the United States’ largest casino/entertainment corporations, publicly accused PokerStars of being a “criminal enterprise” and has attempted to intervene in the PokerStars approval process by supplying separate briefs and documentation to New Jersey regulators.
Rational responded to AGA’s complaints with both a statement to the media and with formal briefs filed with Division of Gaming Enforcement, claiming that AGA’s “sole interest” in the application “... is economic warfare.”
In a statement to Forbes, Eric Hollreiser, Head of Corporate Communications at PokerStars, alleged that Caesars, one of the largest contributors to the AGA, approached PokerStars with a deal to sell the Rio Casino in Las Vegas just prior to AGA filing its brief.
The review process of the PokerStars / Rational application is expected to continue until early July. At that time, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission will have 30 days to schedule a final suitability hearing and render a decision on the Rational US application.
Author: Ekaterina
17 . 04 . 2013 y.
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