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Hopefully Very Soon

PokerStars seems to have an agenda that is unlike all other online gambling operators. The recent news that the giant internet wagering poker company has plans to purchase a brick and mortar casino in New Jersey’s Atlantic city seems out of place with the concept of cyber gambling.

The legalization of internet wagering has been on the back burner for the jurisdiction of New Jersey where Atlantic City has been the focus of possible internet gambling server locations which would help the flagging fortunes of the ocean side city. The recent flooding caused by Hurricane Sandy hasn’t helped the economy at all.

A report in the Wall Street Journal says the Isle of Man based Poker Stars has been negotiating the purchase of the older casino formerly the Golden Nugget and then the Atlantic City Hilton from equity group owners Colony Capital for under fifty million US dollars. PokerStars managed a settlement with the department of Justice after they were indicted along with other online poker operators during the crackdown in April of 2011. PokerStars agreed to pay $731 million to the federal government in order to settle a nine-count criminal indictment. Whether the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement will allow a license to be issued to PokerStars is questionable.

The Wall Street Journal reported that a "rigorous investigation" would be conducted of any license applicant, including PokerStars. Something also revealed by the news article is the fact that deal hinges on New Jersey legalizing online gaming within its borders where a proposed bill is currently in debate in their legislature. This maybe an attempt to get into the online poker business legally in New Jersey which in turn may open the door for PokerStars in the State of Nevada where sixteen licenses have been granted for legal real money internet poker in Nevada.



Online PokerStars Wants a Piece of US Gambling Pie

Every kid knows that falling off a cliff is never good, but what about a "fiscal cliff" — how would that feel?

Americans may indeed find out, if Congress is unable to pass a budget plan prior to Jan. 1. So, what's at stake if such an event occurs? Plenty.

First, some background.

Members of both political parties have spent beyond the nation's means for many years. This economic fact of life is a bit more embarrassing for Republicans, since most GOPers at least try to talk a good game of fiscal sense. Not so much on the other side of the aisle, however. Today's progressives advance an unending list of needs requiring government intervention — with little consideration given as to how to pay for it all. For context, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hasn't even bothered to pass a budget for three years running.

Republicans consistently promise to slow the growth of government but fail. Democrats continually … promise, and succeed. The result is a $16 trillion (that's 16 followed by 12 zeros) federal debt, and counting. Annual interest in fiscal year 2012: $359 billion.

Last year, leaders on both sides struck a deal (the Budget Control Act of 2011) to the effect that automatic spending cuts of $1.2 trillion ("sequestration") would be tied to the termination of $500 billion in tax cuts (including Bush tax cuts and expiration of the payroll tax holiday), unless a budget agreement could be worked out. Such was the advent of the fiscal cliff; a scenario concocted in order that real discussion about real pain caused by real budget realities could be put off until after the 2012 presidential election.

And so here we are: three weeks until drastic spending cuts and tax increases lead to what most economists assure us will be another deep recession.

You've heard of the World Series of Poker. Well, this is the world series of budget negotiations — with $16 trillion in the pot.

For Republicans, it's no longer acceptable to sketch out a rough proposal for a flatter, slimmer tax code without identifying the specific deductions and tax credits targeted for elimination. For an American middle class addicted to tax preferences, this promises to be a difficult exercise. You see, many right-wingers are only situationally conservative; they're fine with a tighter code so long as their favorite preferences are preserved.

Another difficult hurdle: Most House Republicans have signed a pledge to refrain from tax increases. An agreement to raise marginal rates would be a clear violation of this promise. But what about a plan that would maintain present rates, eliminate certain preferences, and produce more revenue? This is precisely what House Speaker John Boehner put on the table last week, to howls of protest from some corners of his caucus.

On the other side, the vast majority of congressional Democrats are certified liberals intent on protecting (and expanding) the welfare state. They always want tax increases. One problem, though: "Tax the rich" is not a plan — it's a campaign slogan. The reality of ending the Bush tax cuts would produce about $800 billion of new revenue over a decade, or about eight days' worth of what it takes to run the federal government in each of those years.

Yet another problem: Increasing taxes on those making $250,000 a year hits small business owners hard. While small businesses may be the primary job creators in America, many of these entrepreneurial types have their business income taxed at individual rates. An income tax increase combined with Obamacare's new mandates and tax hikes will not produce the new jobs required to stimulate a sustained recovery.

Reminder to all class warriors: What sounds so populist in the heat of a campaign often does not work so well in the real world of profits and losses.

Which brings us to the real dilemma of entitlement reform on Capitol Hill, a topic that usually sends the left into fits of hysteria. Just witness the grief inflicted on Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon (one of the most reliably liberal members of the Senate) for his co-sponsorship of a serious Medicare reform proposal with Congressman Paul Ryan. And that bill simply provided seniors a chance to opt out of traditional Medicare for a better deal in the private market!

The fiscal cliff debate brings together all the ingredients for ugly — a down-in-the-mouth GOP pushed to find new revenues in addition to difficult budget cuts, and a newly energized, progressive president all dressed up to spend, but facing a fiscal cliff (and debt ceiling increase) that will force him to rein in heretofore sacrosanct entitlement spending.

Stay tuned … this could be more entertaining than "Lincoln."




A Washington poker game with $16 trillion in the pot - baltimoresun-com

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Welcome!!

It’s been a big few weeks of poker, with Michael Kanaan winning an FTOPS just seven days ago and now this week a few of the most recognisable names in Australian online poker have been busy posting their own results. If there was an Australian online poker hall of fame, then James Obst, Jonathan Karamalikis and Brendon Rubie would be just a few of the names that would be hard to overlook. Each of these players were busy this week, with Karamalikis and Rubie posting handy results on Monday morning, while Obst was trying to win his third FTOPS jersey.

Obst wasn’t the only player with FTOPS success this week though, as Michael “m_hawk_1” Hawkins was looking to win his second FTOPS jersey. Plenty of other players also found some solid scores this week, so make sure to read on and find out about some of this week's other biggest and best online poker results from around the region.

December 10th – Full Tilt Poker, FTOPS Event 18: $322 NLHE Multi-Entry ($750K Guaranteed): Another star-studded FTOPS saw 3,487 entrants create a prize pool in excess of $1 million in Event 18 of the schedule. Australia would again be represented at an FTOPS final table, with Michael “m_hawk_1” Hawkins eventually finishing in a very solid 6th place, taking home an impressive $38,810. Interestingly, Hawkins won an FTOPS jersey in 2009 and while he couldn’t add another one to his record, he still continues to prove to be one of the most formidable Australian online poker players.

December 10th – PokerStars, $215 Sunday SuperSonic ($125K Guaranteed): There were 1,138 players involved in this Sunday SuperSonic on Monday and one of those players was Australia’s Jonathan “xMONSTERxDONGx” Karamalikis (pictured, right). With a big score up top, Karamalikis would make it all the way to heads-up before his tournament would eventually come to an end in 2nd place. For that effort, a large $31,881 was sent Karamalikis’ way just a short while before Christmas.

December 10th – PokerStars, $162 Sunday 6-Max ($100K Guaranteed): Not one of the 933 players involved in the Sunday 6-Max this week would be good enough for Brendon “brendon1717” Rubie (pictured, left), as the young Aussie would come up with the victory, with the 1st-place finish worth $24,673. With that, Rubie’s lifetime tournament winnings tick past $2.5 million.

December 10th - PokerStars, $162 Nightly Fifty Grand ($50K Guaranteed): It wasn't only the Aussies who were busy at the felt this week, with New Zealand's "beesweet35" managing to finish 2nd in the Nightly Fifty Grand. That score was worth a handy $9,960 to the Kiwi.

December 7th – Full Tilt Poker, FTOPS Event 10: $216 NLHE Multi-Entry 6-Max Rush ($75K Guaranteed): There was a small overlay in this FTOPS event last week and one of the players in the mix of things trying to pick up some of that value was James “TheFatFISH” Obst (pictured, centre). Having already won two FTOPS jerseys in the past, Obst is clearly one of the most decorated Australian online poker players in history. While Obst wouldn’t be able to add another jersey to his record, the 2nd-place finish was still worth $11,400.

December 7th – PokerStars, $11+R NLHE ($40K Guaranteed): A large field of 1,602 players and plenty of rebuys created a prize pool in excess of $50,000 in this event last week. One of the players in contention for a handy return on their investment was Mark “DrummerBoyAK” Reed. In the end, Reed would finish in 3rd place, collecting $5,021.

December 6th – PokerStars, $55 NLHE 6-Max ($20K Guaranteed): This event was capped out at 500 players last week and that’s exactly how many entries there were. One of those players was Barney “barnzboiWHU” Thomas and he would prove too strong for the competition, finishing in 1st place and collecting exactly $5,000.

December 6th – Full Tilt Poker, $100 NLHE ($22.5K Prize Pool): The numbers during the first few weeks at Full Tilt Poker have been strong, with this particular $100 buy-in event featuring a field of 226 players. One of those players was James “BizBills” Bills and a solid 1st place would send $5,876 his way.

December 5th – PokerStars, The Hot $109 ($10K Guaranteed): Of the 232 players involved in this Hot $109 last week, only one player could win and it happened to be Aussie Anthony “leggieblufs1” Legg who would claim the 1st-place prize of $4,744.



From the Virtual Felt: Big Aussie Names Posting Big Results | pokerasiapacific-com

Beth Bronfman, the managing partner of View, a New York advertising agency, never know whether to hold 'em, fold 'em, or do anything else with 'em. In fact, poker was never on her radar until she was invited to a women's poker networking event in Manhattan.

"I figured I'd go, even though I had never played poker before," Bronfman told ABC News. "It sounded fun."

On December 3, Bronfman joined forty other high-powered financiers, lawyers, artists and fashion executives at the Maserati showroom in downtown Manhattan for an evening of full houses, straights and lots of schmoozing.

The evening was hosted by Alexandra Lebenthal, the CEO of Alexandra and James, an asset management company for high net worth investors and her former business partner, Michelle Smith, the current CEO of Source FA, a boutique wealth-management firm. The two have been hosting quarterly, women-only poker nights since 2010 as a way of bringing clients together while attracting new ones.

"It's a chance for women to do something fun, meet people, and learn a new skill," Lebenthal told ABC News. Poker, she believes is actually quite instructive business tool: "It teaches you how to negotiate and how to read other people, something many women need to learn," she said.

"It's so much about strategy and risk-taking and smart risks," said Smith, who has been playing for about four years. "There's something about not playing every hand, not feeling like you have to play every hand, that resonated for me. You shouldn't play 80 percent of your hands, and the 20 percent you do play you should play well."

Ellen Leikind, the founder of Poker Prima DIVAS, who runs Lebenthal and Smith's events, agrees. A former marketing executive for Fortune 500 companies, Leikind quit her job about a decade ago and began playing poker, a game she had learned as a child. She attended poker tournaments, and was distinctly aware that she was one of only five female players amid a sea of testosterone.

"I thought to myself, 'This is golf all over again'," Leikind, the author of Poker Woman: How to Win at Love, Life and Business Using the Principles of Poker, told ABC News. "Golf has traditionally been a men's sport. When I was in the corporate world, I'd go to sales meetings and the men were on the golf course making deals and getting promoted, and the women were at the spa, where there was no action. Some women held meetings in spas, but in a spa you're having a massage by yourself. The biggest camaraderie was when you were standing in the dressing room together."

Poker, on the other hand, provided a great opportunity for networking, but women were mostly excluded from the games. So in 2004, Leikind founded her company and has since hosted poker events for women at 40 corporations, including Pfizer, Hearst, and Morgan Stanley. But her focus is not just on the game itself, but also the strategy and negotiating skills that go hand in hand with it.

Maryann Morrison, founder of the Women's Poker Club and Woman Poker Player magazine, believes that women are better poker players than men, because they tend to have a stronger sense of intuition and are more detail-oriented.

Also, "men still have a hard time thinking women will bluff them at the poker table," she said. "You get some young girl coming in and the men think she's really sweet and innocent. A woman who knows her game and knows how to read people well will do really well."

Read More: Women Business Execs Learn When to Hold and Fold 'Em - ABC News

The PartyPoker World Poker Tour Prague concluded Sunday night, and a new WPT champion has been crowned. Walking away with the €325,000 ($423,957) first-place prize and the title was Marcin Wydrowski.

WPT Prague Final Table Results
Place Player Prize
1 Marcin Wydrowski €325,000 ($423,957)
2 Alexandr Lahkov €213,775 ($278,866)
3 Bodo Sbrzesny €137,470 ($179,246)
4 Tony Chang €101,800 ($132,736)
5 Michael Gagliano €76,315 ($99,506)
6 Alin Grasu €61,150 ($79,723)

At the start of the final table, PartyPoker Pro Bodo Sbrzesny held the chip lead but had a bystander's view of the first elimination that involved Alin Grasi and Tony Chang during Level 25.


Read more: Marcin Wydrowski Wins PartyPoker World Poker Tour Prague | PokerNews

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Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid sounded a pessimistic note Tuesday on chances to pass an online poker bill in the handful of days remaining in Congress this year.

The Nevada Democrat said that even with support, there might not be a path available for the legislation that would legalize Internet poker and initiate federal licensing for companies that want to run the games.

His comments came as key Senate Republicans, including Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., said they believed they have lined up enough votes to help advance the bill.

"Senator Heller believes there are sufficient Republican votes, and Senator Kyl agrees," Heller spokeswoman Chandler Smith said.

Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., has been co-sponsor with Reid of a draft bill that has been circulated around Capitol Hill and among casinos and other interest groups, but not formally introduced.

Kyl's office did not comment Tuesday.

Reid spokeswoman Kristen Orthman said Kyl and Reid met on Monday. She said Reid was told that Kyl was continuing to seek Republican votes for the bill but was not told how many might be in hand or under what conditions.

Reid has complained regularly about lack of Republican votes for the poker bill. At a meeting with reporters on Tuesday, he was asked about new reports of GOP support for the draft bill that has languished for most of the year.

Asked about the bill's prospects at this point, Reid threw up his hands and questioned whether there was a suitable bill for it to be attached as an amendment.

"Everyone, listen to this," he said. "We suddenly have Republican votes on Internet poker, two weeks before Christmas. Without being vulgar, what the hell would I put it on?"

Reid stopped short of declaring the bill dead for the year, and the frenetic final days of a congressional session sometimes are marked by deal-cutting that results in some bills being passed and some bills being killed.

The online poker bill is seen as a top priority of Nevada casinos that have been preparing to enter the online gaming market.

The Nevada Gaming Commission has granted interactive gaming licenses to 16 companies, and the state is expected to play a big role in carrying out any federal online poker regime.

At the same time it legalizes Web poker, the bill also would make most all other forms of online gambling illegal.

The bill has drawn opposition from officials in states that are considering their own plans for online gaming, and who argue that legalized gambling is a state and not a federal matter.

As a voter, taxpaying constituent, and poker enthusiast, I am writing to ask for your support in passing legislation to license and regulate Internet poker.

From what I understand, The GOP's proposed budget cuts will leave seniors like me stranded at home eating cat food. After Congress throws us all over the cliff, online poker will be just about the only pleasure we will have left.

Online poker tournaments can be played for as little as $.50 which allows players to play in their homes on a cat food budget. Licensing and regulation will ensure that age verification measures are implemented, consumer protections are provided, and protections for those with excessive gaming habits are mandated. Current law does not provide any protections for anyone.

Licensed and regulated U.S.-based horse race wagering sites have proven through years of experience that online betting sites can successfully implement these important protections. The game of poker deserves no less.

If you support generating tax revenue without increasing taxes and creating domestic jobs rather than outsourcing them, you will support the licensing and regulation of online poker. I hope that I, along with my over one million fellow Poker Players Alliance members, can count on your support.
F. Doug Craig

* * *

Mr Craig,
You have some nerve. You claim to be on a cat food budget yet you want the ability to gamble your food money away in a "risky scheme" like online poker. You blame the GOP for cuts that will affect you and other seniors. So can we then assume you are receiving taxpayer subsidies in the form of Medicare and Social Security?

You expect the U.S. government to take money from me and give it to you in a program everyone of us knows won't be there when we retire? So you can gamble it away? Your reasoning is badly flawed sir.

Robert Johnson
Hixson

The Southern Baptist Convention's ethics entity and other gambling foes are speaking out against legislation to legalize online poker that is a threat to gain U.S. Senate passage before the end of the year. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and conservative Sen. Jon Kyl, R.-Ariz., have drafted a bill that reportedly would legalize Internet gambling on poker. They have yet to introduce the proposal, but opponents are concerned Reid may attach it to must-pass legislation that would receive a vote before the "lame-duck" session closes.

The Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) "steadfastly opposes your efforts," the entity's president, Richard Land, told Kyl in a Dec. 5 letter.

"We cannot support any effort that grants government sanction to any form of gambling," Land said. "Your bill not only does that but also creates a regulatory mechanism that is certain to be used to introduce other forms of Internet gambling in the future.

"No amount of regulation or taxation could make such legalization a winning proposition for America," Land wrote Kyl.

The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) also has expressed its opposition to the Reid-Kyl proposal.

"Pastors regularly see the destructive impact of gambling on families and children," NAE President Leith Anderson said in a Dec. 11 statement. "Those problems will increase if gambling moves from buildings to home computers."

The online poker bill would weaken a 2006 federal law designed to bar most Internet gambling, Land told Kyl. That measure, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, requires financial institutions to block credit card and other payments to online wagering businesses, which primarily are located overseas. Gambling foes, with the agreement of the U.S. Justice Department at the time, argued a 1961 law that prohibited wagering over telephone wires also barred Internet wagering.

Proponents of online gambling gained impetus for their efforts when a late 2011 opinion by the Justice Department contended the 2006 law applies only to sports betting. Georgia and Illinois are now selling lottery draw tickets on the Internet, and other state legislatures are considering bills to legalize online gambling, The Wall Street Journal reported Dec. 5.

Kyl, who supported the 2006 law, believes the new legislation will help limit the spread of gambling, according to The Journal.

Foes of his bill disagree.

"This is being disguised as a protective bill, if you will, that would limit gambling, but in fact ... this is just a precursor bill" to opening the Internet to casino gambling a few years from now, said Chad Hills, Focus on the Family's gambling analyst, in a Dec. 11 online interview.

The proposal would aid Reid's home state, Nevada, its opponents contend. The directors of state lotteries are even working to defeat the legislation. Only Nevada is set up to license Internet poker operators, a state lottery defender told the Las Vega Review-Journal. The state directors also argue federal legislation is unneeded, since their lotteries are able to regulate Internet gambling.

Kyl and fellow Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada say they have enough GOP support in the Senate to approve the bill, the Review-Journal reported Dec. 11.

If the bill passes the Senate, it still would face a challenge in the House of Representatives. Rep. Joe Barton, R.-Texas, has introduced a bill to legalize online gambling. Land wrote him in October to ask him to withdraw support for his proposal.

Stop Predatory Gambling (SPG), a Washington, D.C.-based organization that combats government partnerships with gambling, said legalizing online gambling would result in Facebook "casinos" that "would have a devastating impact on America's children under 18 and deeply worsen the nation's epidemic of gambling addiction."

The organization said America's children are a major target for casino operators seeking the legalization of online gambling. Facebook sees gambling as a significant strategy for the development of new revenue streams, said SPG, citing a July report in the Daily Mail. More than 20 million children under 18, including 7.5 million under 13, use Facebook regularly, according to Consumer Reports, SPG said.

"Legalizing Facebook casinos represents the biggest expansion of casino gambling in history, opening a Las Vegas casino in every home, office, dorm room and smart phone in America, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year," according to SPG.

Land told Kyl in his letter, "We know all too well the destructive power of online gambling. It is ruinous not only to those who engage in the practice but also to their families and society as a whole. With its addictive lure, Internet gambling often leads to broken marriages, child neglect, and depleted finances, among other devastating consequences."



Baptist Press - Online poker opponents warn of Senate battle - News with a Christian Perspective

According to Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid, it is looking unlikely that the online poker bill will be passed in the time remaining in Congress this year.

In the few days remaining in Congress this year, it is looking uncertain that the online poker bill will be passed. Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid was unconvinced that there would be sufficient time to pass the bill despite the support that it has received.

Reid’s opinion comes even though key Senate Republicans have stated that they believe the bill can be advanced with the extra votes they have managed to secure.

Senator Dean Heller’s spokeswoman, Chandler Smith stated, "Senator Heller believes there are sufficient Republican votes, and Senator Kyl agrees."

Senator Jon Kyl has co-sponsored a draft bill with Reid that has not been formally introduced. Kyl stressed the need to represent the bill appropriately without trying to add it to other bills.

"If it ever comes up in the Senate, and it’s offered in the inappropriate way – that is to say, not part of some bill that nobody is going to vote for – then there’s no question about Republican votes in my view," commented Kyl.

Reid has been pushing for more Republican votes for the bill for some time and in a recent meeting with Kyl on Monday he was assured that Kyl was persisting with his push for more Republican votes.

When Reid was questioned about his expectations for the bill for this year, he threw up his hands and said,

Everyone, listen to this. We suddenly have Republican votes on Internet poker, two weeks before Christmas. Without being vulgar, what the hell would I put it on?

There are no guarantees at this point in the year and there have been examples of bills that have been passed with the help of feverish deal-making during the last days of congressional sessions. It is unclear whether the online poker bill will be one of those that is passed or that dies at this point in the year and Reid would not make a final declaration.

The bill would not only legalize online poker, but would result in most other forms of online gambling being made illegal. This bill is a top priority for casinos in Nevada as they are beginning the process of preparing for changes in legislation that will allow them to enter the online gaming industry.



Passing of Online Poker Bill Looking Uncertain

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As the "fiscal cliff" looms, Congress is letting legislation languish that could bring in significant new revenue: a draft bill by Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Jon Kyle, R-Ariz., to regulate online poker.

The Department of Justice last year cracked down on Internet gaming by shutting down the three largest providers of online poker in the United States, says John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance. The three catered to about two-thirds of all poker players in the United States who play online. Since then, the disenfranchised have moved their play to overseas providers.

Gaming industry experts estimate that 10 million to 15 million U.S. gamblers wager $4 billion to $6 billion online, through websites whose owners are based outside abroad. It's impossible to estimate, they say, how much of that total poker represents; but whatever the figure, participants playing through overseas providers pay no U.S. income tax on their winnings. Were online poker to be legalized in the United States, and were those winnings to be taxed, the added government revenue would be, Pappas said, "nothing to sneeze at."

If Reid's draft bill were to become law, Pappas said, the federal government would collect and pass on to states billions of dollars in new revenue over 20 years. "That would pay for a lot of programs that need funding," he says. The Poker Players Alliance says passage of Reid's draft bill, or something like it, would be a good thing. "We have always advocated licensed and regulated Internet poker," Pappas says.

"This would establish a U.S. system that would create strong regulations and keep bad actors out. It would allow the market to be run by regulated companies based here in the U.S. who would be accountable to U.S. players and U.S. regulators."

Not to mention that the potential revenue for government would be "extremely high," Pappas said.

That's not to say the alliance likes everything about Reid's proposed legislation. The bill, as drafted, would not allow U.S. players to compete with poker players overseas. And it would exclude from the U.S. market for five years operators who previously offered online poker.

"We think that's unduly unfair and would eliminate some of the best operators globally," Pappas says. "It's part of the anticompetitive nature of this bill."

Not passing the bill, however, would be to invite chaos, its' advocates say.

Without such a bill, the 50 states would be free to promulgate 50 different sets of online-gaming rules.

Such a prospect worries a variety of groups, including Catholic Advocate and grassroots organization 60 Plus Association, that say the unbridled expansion of online gambling would harm underage gamblers, seniors, the poor and people with gambling addictions.

The American Gaming Association, which represents brick-and-mortar casinos, sounds a similar note: Without congressional action, they say, problem gamblers and minors will be put at unnecessary risk, and law enforcement will lack the tools necessary to prosecute illegal online gambling operators.


Read More: Online Poker Regulation Stalls Amid Need for the Tax Revenue - ABC News

New owners of the Ongame Network, Amaya Gaming Group Inc., have announced a global licensing deal with Playboy Enterprises. The two companies will collaborate on new ventures in online poker and lotteries. The first Playboy branded sites are planned for 2013.

Scott Flanders, CEO of Playboy believes that online poker and the Playboy brand are a natural fit: “The Playboy lifestyle is about indulging our passions, and we are focused on bringing content, products and experiences to consumers around the globe that define this lifestyle.”

Playboy previously offered online gaming using the Cryptologic Network, but that deal ended in Jan 2009. The introduction of the UIGEA made it impractical for Playboy to offer gambling to the US market and Cryptologic made a strategic decision to put an end to its network and move its players to Boss Media. Playboy chose to close rather than follow the other skins across.

Cryptologic changed strategic focus to become a specialist supplier of casino games to other companies and in April 2012 was bought by Amaya. Playboy’s decision to partner with Amaya will have been influenced by their previous relationship and experience with Cryptologic.

Amaya has recently been expanding organically, with strategic partnerships, and through acquisitions. In the last business quarter, the company bought Ongame, partnered with B&M Casino the Mohegan Sun, and closed a software licensing deal with the Betfair Group.

Amaya’s CEO David Baazov is optimistic about the relationship with Playboy. “With its tremendous online audience and boasting one of the highest unaided global awareness and social media user engagements of any brand, we’re confident that our collaboration with Playboy will be a recipe for success and look forward to guiding them in their online endeavors.”

Notorious founder of Playboy, 86 year old Hugh Hefner took the company back into private ownership in March 2011. He appointed himself “Chief Creative Officer” leaving the operational and administrative functions in the hands of a professional CEO. The company’s strategy has been to create partnerships with other organizations and use the Playboy brand to drive customer acquisition.

Poker770 are celebrating 10 years in the online poker business and have created a set of unforgettable 10th Anniversary events as a thank you gift to their loyal fan base. Poker770 know that without the dedication of their players, none of what they do would have been made possible, so throughout the month of December, they're offering players the chance to play for $177,000 in prizes! Coinciding with the festive season, there are three fantastic events taking place, and prizes to be won every day!

To begin with, Poker770 have created their very own Advent Calendar with a whopping $60,000 in gifts to be won every day until Christmas Eve! There's a new gift to be discovered each and every day ranging from bonus cash and tokens, to iPods, games consoles and so much more! To benefit from this unique event, players just need to collect 100 points770 and log in to Poker770's Advent Calendar to find out if they're one of the lucky daily winners.

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I have a story in the Record today on the New Jersey state Assembly and Senate planning to vote next week on an online gaming bill that is similar to the one that Governor Christie vetoed almost two years ago.

Online gaming supporters have removed a dealbreaking subsidy of up to $30 million in horse racing purse subsidies, while also tightening up language that they hope removes Christie’s worries that “internet cafes” all over the state could advertise their sites as places to gather and gamble.

Still, the chief objection that Christie had still could loom large:

Christie has been mindful of the state Constitution’s requirement that all casino gambling take place within the Atlantic City boundaries. Click the link for reasons why online gaming backers think they can persuade the Governor this time.

Also, CANJ President Tony Rodio sent me this comment: “The CANJ supports the implementation of internet wagering legislation. Internet wagering must be implemented in a lawful, appropriate, thoughtful and prudent fashion. We believe that the pending legislation goes a long way towards fulfilling those objectives.”

Meanwhile, I found it interesting that Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, once agreed with the idea that voters would have to pass a statewide referendum to allow for online gaming that could be played by residents anywhere in the state.

Burzichelli said his mind was changed when he realized that many jurisdictions allow gamblers to use cell phones at blackjack tables, for instance. Burzichelli said if his brother was at the table and he was back home, he could effectively play the hand while sitting at home.

“This is the same thing, really,” Burzichelli said of online gaming.

Still, the constitutional argument mentioned in the link is the one more likely to be part of Christie’s analysis of this issue.

Christie once opposed pushing for sports betting while a federal law barred it in New Jersey. but now he’s the lead name in the lawsuit filed against the state by the NCAA and the four biggest pro sports leagues. The governor has not shown an antipathy toward gambling, in spite of his threats to close down the Meadowlands Racetrack two years ago.

His concerns have been subsidizing money-losing operations, or about constitutional issues. It will be interesting to see if Christie decides to move forward with this one – and if any rulings in the sports betting case in the interim (oral argument will be on Tuesday on whether the leagues have standing) prove to be at all relevant.

Late this afternoon, the official word came from the offices of Nevada Senator Harry Reid regarding the drive for federal online poker legislation: he’s pulling the plug.

With only about one week left in the 112th session of the U. S. Congress (the new Congress will be seated on January 2), Senator Reid issued a written statement regarding the proposed legislation that he had worked on with outgoing Arizona Senator Jon Kyl. “We have simply run out of time in this legislative calendar,” Senator Reid’s statement read. The current Congress only has a handful of bills that have the opportunity to pass and linking a federal measure for online poker regulation would jeopardize passage of those bills.

“I am disappointed,” Reid added in the statement, but he did offer what might be a glimmer of hope for the future of federal action. “Senator Dean Heller (Reid’s Republican partner from Nevada) and I remain committed to this issue and it will be a priority for us in the new Congress.”

While Reid, Kyl and Heller proposed to be at the forefront of moving the issue through the Senate, they were facing more opposition to the issue than they previously had thought. Reid and Heller were looking to ensure that Nevada would be the epicenter of a federal online gaming outlet (with the Nevada casinos providing the action), while Kyl, a longtime anti-gambling zealot, was looking to actually limit online gaming (the proposed Reid/Kyl bill would have virtually outlawed any other online gaming) before he retired from Congress. The push back from fellow Senators – not to mention the Governors of the individual states and Indian tribes – proved to be too much to overcome.

When the new Congress is seated come January, the opportunity for new legislation to be proposed (the Reid/Kyl bill was never introduced; Texas House of Representative’s member Joe Barton’s online poker regulatory bill will “die” with the end of this Congress and will have to be reintroduced) could very well be a short one. “Our goal is to definitely try again next year,” David Krone, the chief of staff for Senator Reid, “but Senator Reid’s feeling is that, after a while, there comes a time when you’ve lost the consensus that you’ve built. There will be a window next year, but I don’t see it going long.”

The journey of federal online poker legislation has been one fraught with starts and stops virtually throughout the entirety of this Congressional session. Although Rep. Barton introduced his bill last year, it received little attention save for two House subcommittee meetings. A vote was never taken on Rep. Barton’s bill and, as such, it never reached the floor of the House of Representatives for consideration.

The Senate did not even take up the issue of federal online poker regulation until after the U. S. Department of Justice ruled in December 2011 that the Wire Act of 1961 – the law most often used to state online gambling and poker were illegal – only applied to sports betting. This opened the floodgates for the individual states to start offering online gaming, from lottery ticket sales in Illinois to Nevada’s efforts to open an intra-state online poker network to Delaware’s passage of a full online casino gaming law.

The Reid/Kyl bill would have shut all of those operations down, just as Rep. Barton’s bill would have. While opening up online poker for American players (the players would not be allowed to play internationally), virtually all other forms of online gaming (bingo, slots, table games, lotteries, etc.) would have been banned. The Reid/Kyl bill, however, seems to have never gotten out of the gate, leading to infighting among the two Nevada senators as to who really had the best interests of their constituents (and potentially the powerful Nevada casino industry) in mind.

With the failure of federal online poker regulation for 2012, the states are now the last option before the calendar flips. Although Nevada has their regulations in place and has awarded licenses, it isn’t until the spring of 2013 that the first sites are expected to go online. California seems to be “warming the engines” to push for online poker regulation, while New Jersey is expected to make their moves on the issue of full-fledged online casinos before the New Year. Even with these options in motion, however, it will be much longer before Americans can warm up their computers for a regulated online poker world in the United States.



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