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Like brick-and-mortar retailers, casinos in Las Vegas—and pretty soon in Atlantic City—are finding themselves up against a familiar foe: the Internet.

It may seem counterintuitive that Nevada and New Jersey—homes to the two biggest gambling cities in the country—are leading the charge at the state level to legalize online betting. But states, like many Americans, are looking for new revenue streams as the economy continues to sputter to life. And some casinos are being proactive, looking for ways to develop or partner their way to a Web-based gaming presence. In February, Nevada become the first state to approve legal online poker. It sparked an online gaming renaissance and a shift in operations from "Wild West" offshore locales to the United States, Ben Mezrich, author of "Straight Flush," told CNBC Tuesday, the day the book was released. He's also the author of "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook" on which the movie, "The Social Network," was based.

But revisiting the world of gambling that fueled his earlier book—"Bringing Down the House," about card-counting M.I.T. students—"Straight Flush" is another inspired-by-a-true-story tale of American college buddies who, this time, build an online poker empire in Costa Rica, only to see it all fall apart.

When Congress banned online gaming in the U.S. in 2006, "it became like prohibition—these guys were kind of like Al Capone," Mezrich said in a "Squawk Box" interview. "They were operating in this grey area."

Their company, AbsolutePoker-com, was shut down in 2011, when the Justice Department seized their site. Founders, Scott Tom and Brent Beckley, were indicted. Beckley surrendered and received a 14-month prison sentence. Tom is still on the run.

"These guys were the first people and these guys are paying the price for being too early," Mezrich observed. "They were days away from being like Mark Zuckerberg." Fast forward to 2013, UltimatePoker-com went live in April, becoming the first legal, real-money poker site in the U.S. "You can register and deposit from anywhere, but you can only play [online] from within the state of Nevada," Tom Breitling, chairman and co-founder of Ultimate Poker told CNBC.

"It's pretty exciting that there's economic development happening with jobs and taxes," he added. "We have over a hundred employees. We're hiring new people every day, especially as this looks to expand beyond Nevada."

New Jersey, which has approved "full-blown casino gaming" legislation, is the next state on the company's list for expansion, he said. "Then you have Deleware that's also approved it. And there's about 10 other states that are looking at it and are very serious about the legislation."

(Read More: New Jersey Gets Online Gambling as Governor Signs Revised Bill)

Breitling is no stranger to gambling.

After selling online travel company Travelscape-com to Expedia for more than $100 million, Breitling and his business partner in 2004 bought The Golden Nugget for $215 million. They had become the youngest casino owners in Nevada. About a year later, they sold The Golden Nugget to Landry's Restaurants for around $340 million.

The most important decision Ultimate Poker made as a company was to own its technology, Breitling said, explaining the process for screening users to make sure "they are who they say they are," at least 21 years old, and in the state of Nevada.

"It's really complex technology that verifies your IP address. No [virtual private networks]," he added. "And you have to have a cellphone. So we ping you with a cellphone to make sure you're within the state. And we send you a text message, and you have to reply to that."

As Ultimate Poker carves out its online platform, Breitling stressed that he's cognizant of the potential for cannibalizing the business of physical casinos. "Our partners, Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, own Station Casinos and they are also the owners of the Ultimate Fighting Championship."

"We're going to do nothing that jeopardizes that land-based operation [in Vegas]," Breitling pledged. "For us it's about this integrated online/offline relationship." Gaming revenue from the Vegas strip totaled $6.2 billion last year, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. In the years to come, legalized online gaming in the U.S., by many estimates, could approach $10 billion annually.

It only makes sense to regulate and tax online gaming in the U.S. because it's legal in many countries all over the world, the "Straight Flush" author Mezrich argued. "The countries make a lot of money on it."

He pointed out that "a few weeks ago, we were all lining up for Powerball tickets" when the jackpot was more than a half billion dollars. "That's fine, but online poker is not fine? Where is the logic there."


The 'Wild West' of Online Poker Goes Legit in US

Self Proclaimed “King of Betfair” Convicted

We’ve all heard of someone being conned of their hard earned dollar, it can be from a complete stranger or someone we know, like a family member. Such is the case with Eliot Short, self proclaimed “King of Betfair” who has been found guilty of conning family and friends on a gambling system that would yield “extremely high returns.”

Eliot Short promised family and friends what he could not deliver, he also claimed he netted him more than £21million, ‘extremely high returns’ using a system on gambling website Betfair. He convinced not only family and friends of this complete and utter lie, but somehow convinced News of the World to run a feature on his successful system and that he obtained his £21million from this betting system as a former City trader.

The twenty-six year old had impressive offices office in Knightsbridge, a chauffeured luxury automobile, designer suits and an extravagant lifestyle.

Judge Peter Testar sentenced Short whom he said, ‘lied shamefully through his teeth’, and that he was ‘potentially dangerous as far as the financial interests of others are concerned.’

The jury convicted him of nine counts of fraud including an additional count for supplying an article for use in fraud. The victims have been reported to have given Short over £400,000.
Betting Scams of Winning Tips

In similar events, This is Money has written a several articles detailing the gambling systems offered by Colin Davey of Spinacoin.

Last June, an article featured in the online paper went into details of how a math teacher, John Howard of Sanderling Way in Stowmarket “promised rich pickings from a gambling website.” The mailshot asked interested parties to send out a percentage of winnings in return for the roulette system he had devised some 25 year prior.

After an investigation in what seemed a “to good to be true” offer, the reporter found that the interested parties were introduced to the website Spinacoin and that the address of supposed retired math teacher was actually the home of Miss Serena Davey and the Spinacoin website was set up bySovereign Group UK Limited, whose director is Mr Colin Davey.

Forward now to one year later and it seems as though these mailshots from tipsters are now being introduced once again from a fully licensed online gambling website called Spinacoin.

The mailshot claimed,

‘This method could find you just three or four bets per week, with nearly every one winning at prices up to 6/1.’ And this guaranteed money-making machine is yours for just £27, payable to Davey’s company, Sovereign Group (UK) Limited.

Further probing by the reporter found that the address in Stowmarket was indeed the home of Serena Davey, a relative of Colin Davey and company secretary of Sovereign Group (UK) Limited.

Contacting the Suffolk County Council Trading Standards, the news reporter says evidence provided went to an investigation that lead to nowhere. A council spokeswoman responded: ‘We are working with Mr Davey in a proportionate manner to ensure his future advertising is fully compliant with trading standards law and are continuing to monitor the situation.’ Anyone who wanted to complain about him should ring Citizens’ Advice.

Colin Davey along with Serena Davey declined to comment on behalf of the reporters invitation to refute his claims of a betting scam.



Online Gambling Systems, Great Tips or The Ultimate Betting Scam? | CS Report

Illinois lawmakers adjourned another legislative session on Friday without passing online poker,

As reported on pokerfuse PRO Monday, online gambling was introduced as a part of an overall gambling expansion bill, but was stripped out to make the bill more palatable to Governor Quinn who had previously spoken out against its inclusion.

It was rumored that online gambling would be introduced as a standalone bill, and even though a draft of the legislation was circulated, no bill was introduced.

Illinois lawmakers are challenging Quinn to call a special legislative session to work out the state’s underfunded pension issues.




Illinois Online Poker Stalls Again | Pokerfuse Online Poker News

The USA’s first legal online poker site, Ultimate Poker, has continued to gain momentum since launching a little over a month ago on April 30th, 2013, and has recently announced the addition of four more pros to their roster of sponsored players.

Jason Somerville, Will Reynolds, Lauren Kling and Jonathon Little now join players such as Antonio Esfandiari and Terrence Chan in representing the Nevada based site, and will be sporting Ultimate Poker patches during the World Series Of Poker currently underway in Las Vegas.

Jason Somerville (photo) already has a WSOP bracelet to his credit after taking down the 2011 WSOP $1k No Limit Hold’em event for $525,274, and presently boasts $2,527,084 in life time earnings. Commenting on his latest deal the 26 year-old, who is also one of the few openly gay poker players in the professional circuit, tweeted:

“part of a whole new family 😁 @danawhite @UltimatePoker pic-twitter-com/5sBYuZrEj0--excited to finally play some real money poker on @UltimatePoker for the first time. playing some $1/$2 right now, come join me!”

Jonathon Little’s poker credentials are equally as impressive with the two-time WPT Champion and poker author having racked up $4,931,381 in winnings from live tournaments since 2006. William Reynolds, too, is a talented young pro with $1,689,953 in live winnings, but he will now also be able to showcase his online talents at Ultimate Poker, having previously won $1,689,953 playing online under the screen name Reynolds XO. Following his appointment, Reynolds tweeted:

“Toured @UltimatePoker’s office today..Professional environment with an expert team.. Looking forward to repping UP this WSOP”

Finally, Lauren Kling, too, is a talented online pro with her $223,382 in live earnings being outstripped by the $1,094,916 she has won online under the screen name Locoenlacabeza. The young beauty will also add a touch of glamour to Ultimate Poker’s list of sponsored pros.




Ultimate Poker Roster Of Pros Grows To 9

In this weeks latest interview, igaming sits down with Jay Rosenkrantz, or better known under the moniker “KRANTZ” on 2p2. “KRANTZ” can be found playing under “purplEUROS” on PokerStars, and “pr1nnyraid” on Full Tilt Poker FTP (pre-4/15/11).

To family and friends he is simply Jay or Krantz, but to the poker world he is somewhat of an online cash game legend, he was once a private poker coach of 3bet-net, and with a little help from his friends, he is now the co-founder of Deuces Cracked, an interactive poker training community that began in 2007.

Krantz is listed on Card Player as earning $28,837 total at WSOP, placing 58 in 2012 43rd Annual World Series of Poker Event 53 – $1,500 No-Limit Hold’em total earnings of $9,574 and back in 2010 at 41st Annual World Series of Poker $10,000 World Series of Poker Main Event he earned $10,000 placing 684.

Studying film and television at Boston University, Krantz discovered online poker at the popular twoplustwo poker community. Hailing from New York, Krantz is a minor celebrity from the G4TV series 2 Months 2 Million. He is a producer, a writer and is also known for his work in the documentary series From Busto to Robusto.

On HighStakesDB, Krantz under his Full Tilt Poker screen name is 25th on the list of biggest poker winners tracked by online poker database service.

In this up close up and personal one on one, Krantz shares his passion for film making with his latest project BET RAISE FOLD: The Story of Online Poker. The feature length documentary film is set for a June 2013 release and outlines the ten year journey from Chris Moneymaker’s $2.5 million in the World Series of Poker Main Event to how it has shaped the emergence of a brand-new profession, the online poker professional.



Jay Rosenkrantz - The Storyteller of Online Poker | CS Report

The great investment thesis behind Zynga (NASDAQ: ZNGA ) was that it would eventually turn its play-money Zynga Poker game into a wildly lucrative online poker business, rivaling even the most established players in gaming. There was a time when an idea like that wasn't too far-fetched. Zynga Poker has around 36 million users every month on Facebook with around 6 million of those on the site every day. The problem is that online poker isn't legal here in the U.S., so this huge user base hasn't translated to a significant profit.



Can Zynga Survive Without Online Poker? (ZNGA)

Ten years ago, poker shows proliferated on TV and then faded but with several states and federal legislators moving to legalize the game online, some networks are betting that TV poker is back.

“Online poker will introduce a lot of new people to the game and I think that will bring another big wave to television,” said Jamie Horowitz, vice president original programming and production for Walt Disney’s ESPN.

ESPN televises the popular World Series of Poker (WSOP) tournament, currently taking place in Las Vegas through July 6. ESPN will air 26 segments on WSOP starting on July 23.

On Wednesday, CBS’s Showtime will air for the first time on TV a 2009 documentary called “All In - The Poker Movie,” about how poker has come to be part of the mainstream culture.

Hollywood agents, TV executives, poker and gaming executives have been meeting to discuss and pitch new poker programs, from reality shows about female tournament players, to shows potentially featuring new online gaming companies.

Others caution, however, that a resurgence in poker TV needs more than the three states, Delaware, Nevada and New Jersey, that have passed online gambling laws to kickstart the game on TV again.

“Although online gambling may only have momentum in three states right now, it could be a great lead-in for programming,” said Alec Driscoll, director of gaming development for American Casino and Entertaiment Properties LLC.

Off-shore poker websites such as PokerStars were the forces behind the poker TV boom, starting around 2003, serving as on-air sponsors and buying air time for their own shows.

But that all changed on April 15, 2011, known in the gaming industry as “Black Friday,” when the U.S. Department of Justice indicted the founders of these sites on charges of bank fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling offenses.

The sites were closed to U.S. online players, sending shockwaves through the poker world and the TV industry.

Networks slashed shows. But then the DOJ in late 2011 clarified its stance on the Wire Act, enabling states to legalize online gambling.

CASINOS AND NETWORKS EXPECT BIGGER MARKET

Nevada was the first state to go live in late April, while others like New Jersey and Delaware are preparing to start online poker in coming months. Several others are considering similar laws, while lawmakers in Congress are also working on legislation to allow online poker gambling across the United States, giving casinos and TV networks a bigger market.

Larry Gerbrandt, principal of Media Valuation Partners, said the last poker TV boom helped offshore online poker sites to drive viewers to their sites. Gerbrandt said it will take similar investment by fledgling online gaming companies to fuel television, although he believes poker show ratings are rising.

Comcast’s NBC Universal’s E! Network is developing a new reality show called “Queens are Wild” that follows four top female poker players who room together as they travel the world and compete to win millions.

Ben Spector, of Los Angeles-based Tollin Productions, said he was approached by top Hollywood agency CAA to pitch the reality show on female poker players to networks.

Taiwanese-born professional poker player Maria Ho, who has accrued more than $1 million in tournament earnings, is one of the women featured. Ho is no stranger to TV and has appeared on “The Amazing Race” and “American Idol” and is a commentator on the “Heartland Poker Tour” syndicated TV series.

“When I got into poker, I didn’t see myself going down the TV path,” Ho said. She gave up plans to go to graduate school to play poker. “It’s been the ride of my life.”

Gary Quinn, vice president, programming, NBC Sports Group, said the unit is in discussions about different poker projects. It airs the “National Heads Up Poker Championship” and brought back “Poker After Dark” in 2012 after withdrawing it a few years earlier.

New online gaming companies are mulling TV opportunities. Station Casino Inc’s Ultimate Gaming, the first company to take online bets in the U.S. in Nevada last April 30, is in discussions with networks.

“We are speaking with NBC and Fox and several other networks to see what the appetite is for the category over the next 24 months,” said Joe Versaci, Ultimate Gaming’s chief marketing officer.

Versaci and others are watching California closely because of its size and entertainment footprint. “What happens in California in late 2014 and 2105 will be key, not only because it’s the epicenter of where TV is produced, but because its like a country itself and can support a large poker market,” he said.


U.S. networks bet on comeback for TV poker | Other Sports | Sports | Toronto Sun

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) thinks that the Internet Gambling Regulation Enforcement Act of 2013 is the bee's knees. The "grassroots poker advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide" said that the bill sponsored by Representative Peter King (R-NY) protects Americans' freedom to play poker online and helps to stop a "patchwork of state laws" that limit player pools and provides consumer protection on a national level.

The bill allows states to license "intra-state online poker and casino style games under appropriate federal regulatory oversight," according to the group. "On behalf of the PPA membership and millions of poker players in the United States, I thank Congressman King for his commitment to protecting Americans’ freedom to play poker on the Internet," said former Senator Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA. "States are already moving to regulate online gaming. In order to avoid a patchwork of state laws that limit player pools and provides consumer protections only to Americans in those states, it is time for Congress to step up and pass federal legislation."

The bill requires states to be certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury to license potential operators but can choose to participate in the national online gaming market without becoming a licensing agent; authorizes federal funding to address gambling addiction; gives states the freedom to opt-out of Internet gaming and allows for them to establish their own intra-state online gaming regimes; calls for mandatory implementation of technologies to protect against underage gambling; allows equal access to licenses for all providers, including Indian tribes and lotteries; alls for regulators to determine the suitability of online operators when evaluating license applications; and offers standards to thwart fraud, abuse and cheating to ensure fair games for customers.

Delaware, New Jersey, and Nevada already have their own laws pertaining to online gambling.





PPA Applauds Federal Internet Gambling Bill | GamePolitics

If the gaming market hadn’t already largely determined it, the Senate Majority Leader confirmed it Friday: The era of online poker in Congress is essentially over.

In an interview with the Sun on Friday, Sen. Harry Reid stopped short of officially declaring the effort to revive an online poker bill dead, but said he couldn’t see any type of legislative effort succeeding.

“I felt for several months now that I don’t see any movement on this,” Reid said. “I don’t see anything happening.”

Reid said that a bill filed in the House of Representatives yesterday by Rep. Peter King, D-N.Y., made the prospects of a poker bill even bleaker, because it “basically authorizes everything – 21, poker, everything,” Reid said.

While Reid added that he doubted King’s bill would pass, the introduction of a broad piece of gaming legislation both divides the sympathies of pro-gaming lawmakers and helps to stiffen the resolve of those opposed to gaming, whom online poker enthusiasts had hoped to persuade with the limited nature of their gaming legalization.

Poker and other forms of internet gaming were made illegal under the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, but the Department of Justice’s 2011 reading of the 1961 Wire Act opened the door to individual states to develop online gaming within their own borders.

Earlier this year, poker lobbyists told the Sun that if legislation wasn’t in the process of moving by June or July, online poker on a federal level was pretty much sunk. On the state level, the Nevada Legislature legalized it earlier this year.

Reid indicated Friday that things with poker were, despite his best hopes, at a standstill.

“We’re still trying, but I’m not really confident we can get something done,” he said.

Read more: Reid says House bill to legalize online gambling hurts online poker efforts - Las Vegas Sun News

Eleven million people play online poker; 10,999,999 of ’em win, usually $2,000 each. No doubt you know one of the 10,999,999 — Uncle Bob’s strange friend who wears a topcoat in the summer, the nerdy college kid down the street, the librarian with the darting eyes. The only problem these folks have is how to declare the $2,000 on their income tax, because they’re honest and online poker is illegal. I, on the other hand, have no tax problem because I lose — $100 each year. How my $100 loss generates the $21 billion necessary to pay off all the winners escapes me. Obviously I don’t understand simple math — one reason, I suppose, that I lose. You can learn from my mistakes. Each January I weigh the same question: Spend $100 on poker or $100 for a few months in a health club? Shuffle up and deal! You win! Download the software, and let’s begin your triumphant journey. Your first challenge is to select a screen name, always known as your “moniker” in poker parlance; it’s the name you’ll take to the table with you. A proper moniker is key to success; it declares your poker prowess, strikes fear into the hearts of your opponents, authenticates your raw intelligence, and lets everyone know that you are one powerful poker dude or dudess. Two categories of monikers are acceptable. The geographic moniker is preferred: Amarillo Slim, Montana Fats, Georgia Slim, Dakota Fats, Brooklyn Slim, Chicago Fats, Melbourne Slim, England Fats, Amazon Slim, South Auckland Fats. Unfortunately, all geography, with the exception of Lake Titicaca, is already taken, so unless you’re a 10-year-boy with time for all-day giggling, you’ll probably want to use the power-moniker convention. The power moniker must always be preceded by “the” — for example, the Mongoose, the Matador, the Professor, the Surgeon, the Terminator, the Hammer, the Liposuction, the Patriot Act, the Shoe, the Top Hat, the Flatiron, the Racecar, the Wheelbarrow, the Thimble. I made my mistake by defying both conventions and using Man with Very Large Head. It strikes no fear; it garners no respect. Step 2: Practice and learn. All sites offer a just-for-fun option during which you will win $4 million in play money in 10 minutes, even if you turn the keyboard over to a meatloaf while you read a how-to book on card values explaining the relative worth of the ace of hearts, the 10 of diamonds, the laminated business card, and the card catalog. Step 3: Master poker talk. Gotta know the talk. All sites allow players to text banter back and forth. These will get you started: “I got a hand like a foot” — after you fold a hand. “Let’s get the clerks out” — after you raise the bet. “Go fish” — after you win a hand. “This $#*!%@ game is nothing but dumb luck” — only applicable to me after I lose my $100. Step 4: Time to send money (make a deposit) to the poker site. This step requires inserting a long thin tube in your left ear to drain all your brains, because you are about to send real live money to an illegal, unmonitored offshore enterprise run by unnamed people. All poker sites offer countless ways for you to make your deposit, and although they highly recommend that you give ’em unencumbered access to all your bank accounts or send compromising photos that they can use to blackmail Bill Gates, I use Western Union. I have a buffer between absolute insanity and the absolute of my money. Western Union requires you send your money to a specific person — poker sites have it covered. I wire $100 to a Sir Wallace Peabody-Bilk in Gibraltar. Another mistake on my part: I don’t trust ’em, and they get even. Step 5: Win. You now have 10 minutes of poker experience — that’s enough. I have 60 years’ experience, and it does me no good. My brothers, sisters, cousins, and I learned to count by playing penny-ante poker with Grandpa Slim. I can still hear his sweet words of poker wisdom: “You! Big-head boy! Never draw one to the flush if ya have ta put in more than one-fourth the pot. One-fifth or less only!” “You! Giant noggin! Always deal draw poker in dealer’s choice so you can see all the other players’ action before you make your decision.” Those, plus 1,000 other rules and —“Grandma Fats, check the size of that boy’s bean! It’s damn near as big as this here poker table.” Eventually I refined the 1,000 rules down to one: Only play poker with drunks — a rule that has served me well enough over the years to break even when I’m in Las Vegas, first by letting me steal the drunk money at poker and then by losing it all betting on football. Final advice: Hurry to it — because next year, if I can find a health club with a three-drink minimum, mandatory cigar smoking, and no tipping the dealer, I’m done with online poker, and the whole monetary foundation of the industry will collapse.



Play online poker and win $2,000

The latest efforts to legalize and regulate online poker on a federal level may backfire and actually see online poker legislation take a step backwards, according to Senator Harry Reid of Nevada. The Democrat was reacting to a bill proposed by Rep. Peter King which seeks to legalize all types of online gambling in the United States, except for sports betting.

Senator Reid said in an interview that he was not very hopeful that the latest bill would progress, and the fact that it includes other types of casino games actually makes its chances bleaker. The logic is that previous bills that were strictly pro-online poker only may have had a chance because those against online gambling were prepared to compromise if poker’s exclusivity was maintained. However, now that online poker has been lumped together with other online casino games in King’s latest proposal, there is little chance that gambling opponents will give it any support.

Reid said that King’s bill “basically authorizes everything – 21, poker, everything.”

The Senator didn’t go so far as to say that he believed online poker legislation efforts on a federal level were dead, but he said that he didn’t see any of the existing bills making any real progress.

“I felt for several months now that I don’t see any movement on this,” said Reid. “I don’t see anything happening.”

Rep. King, in the meantime, is adamant that his bill is the right way to go for the country’s online gambling industry. “A common federal standard will ensure strong protections for consumers, protect against problem and underage gambling,” said King, “and make it easier for businesses, players, lawmakers, and regulators to navigate and freely participate.”



Reid Fears New Federal Gambling Bill Harmful to Online Poker Chances

The producers of BET RAISE FOLD, a new documentary aiming to clear online poker's image, have turned to crowdfunding site Kickstarter in an effort to raise funds.

$20k Target Achieved

The target goal of $20,000 was met at the start of June, but with the fundraising campaign set to continue until the end of the month the producers are already estimating they will come out with a total budget of at least $24k.

As is the case with most Kickstarter fundraising efforts, the minimum pledge for the BET RAISE FOLD doco is $1, with donors set to reap dividends ranging from as little as a digital copy of the film to as much as $10,000, the title of "poker god" in the film credits and the title of executive producer on its IMDB page.

Rebuilding Poker's Image

The filmmakers stated on their Kickstarter site that they are producing the documentary in order to rebuild online poker's image and to help it emerge from "a dark time" in which it was banned by US lawmakers, targeted by the US Justice Department and attacked by anti-gaming lobbyists.

In their words, "One of the major goals of our film is to tear down misconceptions that the general public has about poker and online poker. Our film humanizes professional poker players and reveals the truth about poker culture, poker strategy, the poker community, and the incredible passion so many people have for the game."



Online Poker Doco Raises Money With Kickstarter - Special Reports - Onlinecasinoreports-com

A new niche was created last year when online poker affiliates began offering access to multiple networks using the same software. The best known brand doing this is Muchos Poker. These poker rooms allow players to easily move money between a number of online poker networks without having to use an ewallet. There are many reasons why this might end in disaster.

Poker in Venice

Poker in Venice has gone out of business. The site is still accepting new players and it appears that the banking system is still live.

Poker in Venice accepted groups of players through affiliates. These players were offered access to six different networks. These included Ongame, InstaDeal, Merge Gaming, Revolution Gaming, Enet and Play2B. Players would deposit into Poker in Venice by credit card, debit card or ewallet. The money would then be transferred between these skins when a player wished to move their play to another network. Players could also cashout through Poker in Venice.

In addition to affiliate deals, there are several skins. These include 4Donk, PokerXE and Howdy Poker. The latter posted an announcement on their site warning players not to deposit that read:

Don’t make any deposits!

Howdy Poker are sorry to announce that PIVGAME LTD which we are a whitelabel solution under, have decided to transfer all players to the Play2B network. All players will receive an email very soon with all information on how to proceed and how to get their bankrolls. Howdy Poker never had access to player funds, only PIVGAME had access to them. Therefore if you wish to contact LGA, you have to mention PIVGAME, since they are the licensee. For further support, please contact: [email]Support@pokerinvenice-com[/email].

Poker in Venice reportedly demanded this notice be removed and it is no longer on the site, but may be found in a June 1, 2013 Google cache.

The Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority has done nothing for players that got stiffed in the past. Pokerfuse describes it as A Rubber Stamp in EU Clothing. Remarkably, the Poker in Venice network warns players when one of their offers are not licensed in Malta due to the loss of regulation. For example, the Cake Poker review page states:

Notice: Please note that you when you are playing on the Cake Network you are leaving the Jurisdiction of Malta and therefore not protected by Maltese law.

Now these players are not getting paid by Poker in Venice. Players that contact the company are told that their funds have been transferred to Play2B, one of the former partner rooms. Players will be required to rake 75% of their balance before requesting a cashout. Players must agree to these terms in 10 days or the funds will allegedly be forfeited.

Muchos Poker

Muchos Poker was once a whitelabel partner of Poker in Venice on a number of networks. This ended in October 2012 when Poker in Venice ended the contract unexpectedly. These players were forced to stay on Poker in Venice, but then were told the money was held by Muchos Poker. Many reports show these players were never paid.

Muchos Poker was later banned from the iPoker Network. The reason for this is not clear.

This is not to say that Muchos Poker is in trouble. It is only that their business model is susceptible to issues created outside of their system, which is a cause for concern. The Poker in Venice dispute and ultimate failure is an example of potential problems that may affect players in the future.

Multiple Platform Networks Are Glorified Affiliates

Most skins operated through networks like Poker in Venice and Muchos Poker are through affiliate agreements with actual online poker operators. The affiliates use an advanced payment system that is similar to cashout anytime, a prominent marketing tactic used by the now defunct Rake Reduction. Players are subjected to far more liabilities than signing up directly to just one of these rooms. For instance, if a single online poker room fails to pay the multiple platform affiliates, the entire system can crash. There can also be problems if one of these poker rooms is late on clearinghouse or affiliate payments. It is hard enough to run a single online poker room, much less one that spans seven networks.

Multiple platform operators also suffer from attracting winning players. The latest push by online poker rooms to attract recreational players makes winning players less valuable. This makes multiple platform skins less attractive, especially when the lack of player loyalty is considered.

Players outside of the United States have access to sufficient payment processing options. The convenience of moving funds between rooms instantly through an affiliate is not a reason to choose one of these multiple platform affiliates over a direct signup to a poker room.

Does Not Include Two Skin Sites

Several online poker rooms offer two skins. These include Betsafe and Poker Heaven. These operators have a long history of paying players.




Warning About Multiple Platform Online Poker Rooms

New York Congressman Peter King has introduced another attempt at federal legislation of internet gambling, but this time the bill looks beyond the question of online poker.

Federal Online Gambling Attempt

The Internet Gambling, Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013 aims to legalize online gambling at the federal level through a system of licensing and regulation, and attempts to address the current situation in which internet gambling is decided on a state-by-state basis.

The legislation would establish standard online gambling regulations across the 50 states, while allows existing state laws to continue operating within the borders of those respective states. According to King, it would ensure strong consumer protection and make it easier for all Americans to freely participate.

Current State of Play

Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have all passed laws approving some of form of online gambling in the past year. Nevada's law authorizes local firms to host internet gambling for non-state residents. This effectively creates a nationwide framework for online gaming despite the failure of federal regulation attempts.

These three states have led the way in online gambling legislation since a US Department of Justice ruling in 2012 that in-state online poker does not violate federal law. Previously, it was thought that in-state gaming was in violation of the 2006 UIGEA, which effectively outlawed online gambling across the US.





US Congress Sees New Federal Online Poker Bill - Gaming - Onlinecasinoreports-com

Not long ago, legislation to legalize online poker seemed a good bet to pass Congress. But the retirement of Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., last year has left online poker players without a key Senate GOP ally and a card short of a winning hand.

Since the federal government largely shut down the Internet poker industry in April 2011, poker players and the casino industry have been lobbying furiously for the legalization and regulation of the online game at the federal level. Those efforts have resulted in the introduction of several pieces of legislation, including a high-profile effort last year from Kyl and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

For a time, there was even talk of attaching the Reid-Kyl bill to an omnibus spending package, but House Republicans balked at its inclusion. Reid, whose state is home to several large gaming companies, has since soured considerably on the prospects for federal poker legislation, telling the Las Vegas Sun recently that he’s pessimistic about anything happening in the near future.

Supporters of legalizing online poker agree that Kyl’s departure has left a leadership void on the Hill that has yet to be filled.

“The biggest challenge is that there is no real non-Nevada Republican in the Senate that would take the lead,” said John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, which represents more than 1 million online poker players. “A lot of people viewed Kyl as being a very reasonable counterpart in all this, someone who can credibly go to gambling opponents [in Congress] and say, ‘This isn’t about expansion of gambling, it’s about regulation of activity that’s going on in unregulated fashion.’”

Complicating the effort for federal legislation is the fact that states are independently authorizing online gaming websites within their borders, following a shift in late 2011 in the Justice Department’s interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act. That opened the door for states to offer online gaming to their residents. Nevada recently launched the first legal online poker site, with Delaware and New Jersey set to follow this year. Several other states, including Massachusetts, Illinois and California, are considering similar laws.

But poker players and the gaming industry would both prefer a federal solution. Poker sites rely on having a large pool of players and liquidity to support a range of games and betting levels, meaning smaller states likely couldn’t support more than one or two providers. The gaming industry also would prefer federal oversight for the sake of consistency, and to avoid a patchwork quilt of various state rules to comply with.



Online Poker Players Short of Winning Hand on Hill : Roll Call Policy

Opponents of legalizing online poker have cited a number of reasons for their resistance, including a moral objection to gambling and the dangers of giving addicts a constant, easily accessible alternative to brick-and-mortar casinos, where other safeguards could be in place.

But one Florida man has spent the past eight years on a personal mission to expose what he views as the greatest danger of online poker websites: the potential for money laundering by criminals and terrorists.

Software engineer Jim Thackston’s crusade began in November 2004, when he noticed his nephew playing online poker against someone from London.

“The first thought in my head was, what an interesting way to move money,” Thackston recalled.

Thackston began researching ways in which criminals and money launderers could use the sites to move money across international borders without being detected. He soon found that neither the government nor the online poker industry were focused on what he considered the serious threat of defined winners and losers prearranging to play at the same Internet table.

“The problem with their anti-collusion techniques is that they’re geared toward finding cheaters rather than money launderers,” Thackston said.

He even set up a website providing instructions on how to defeat online poker’s built-in protections and launder money without detection. His work eventually got him the notice of the House Financial Services Committee, whose chairman at the time, Spencer Bachus, R-Ala., was a staunch opponent of online gambling. It also drew notice from the Tampa field office of the FBI, which asked him to take down what were essentially step-by-step instructions for Internet money laundering.

Thackston has since been in contact with gaming authorities in New Jersey and other places, and his concerns have been recognized as legitimate by the FBI’s Cyber Division, which acknowledged in a 2009 letter to Bachus that online poker sites could indeed be used by criminals to transfer ill-gotten gains.

Thackston’s concerns were also among the justifications used by law enforcement authorities following the subsequent shutdown of the online poker industry in 2011. The government went so far as to label one major poker site a Ponzi scheme that transferred money from players to the site’s founders.

While online poker is now only legal in Nevada, Thackston said his concerns will re-appear with more states set to follow. He said Nevada’s population is likely too small to attract significant money laundering, but he warned that New Jersey’s offering may do so when it goes live later this year.

“There’s a fairly decent pool of liquidity in New Jersey. From math I’ve done, New Jersey could be the first [state poker website] where you could get actual money laundering,” Thackston said.




Seeing Enemies Across the Poker Table : Roll Call Policy

As Legal Poker Sites blogger John Mehaffey says, there is a whale of a difference between online casino gaming and online poker gaming, and this holds true for both federal as well as state level gambling laws. While liquidity is least important for online casino gaming, it is the life blood of online poker gaming, which is why clubbing online poker with online casino gaming in a federal-level online gaming bill can actually hinder online poker legalization in the country.


The issue of legalizing online poker at the federal level has been a raging debate for a long time. Online poker will work in most US states only if they form interstate online poker compacts and merge their player pools to increase liquidity. The Commerce Clause might likely apply to interstate online poker compacts and the merging of player pools as it empowers the US federal government to regulate commerce at the interstate level.

On the other hand, merging player pools is unnecessary for online casino gambling as most online casino players prefer playing video poker or online slots. Casino games such as blackjack, roulette, and others also do not require the formation of interstate compacts to increase liquidity. Although multi-player blackjack is popular, most online casino players would gladly give up playing blackjack in favor of other online casino games such as slots.

Besides, gambling opponents who might agree to an online poker only bill might not be willing to support an online gambling bill that includes casino gambling. Supporters of online poker legalization could argue that poker is a game of skill and strategy in case of an online poker only bill. This argument no longer holds true if online poker is clubbed with online casino gambling as most online casino games are luck-based games.

On the other hand, the online poker bill proposed by Reid and Kyl failed because it called for a complete prohibition of online casino gambling. Governors of states and state lotteries could not extend their support to such a bill. In fact, both state lotteries as well as governors expressed their disapproval of this bill because it completely excluded online casino gambling. Individual US states want to retain the right to legalize casino gaming.

According to Mehaffey, a federal-level online gambling bill can be successful only if it effectively deals with online poker’s liquidity problems while simultaneously leaving states free to legalize and regulate online casino games as they wish.



How King

Author Ben Mezrich is renowned for spawning films like “21″ and “The Social Network” through his works. In the new book, Straight Flush, he weaves a dramatic plot full of twists and turns, telling a rise-and-fall story without ruining the ending. The story is about a group of University of Montana fraternity brothers who are inspired to start an online poker company and how the government’s decision that it’s illegal affects them.

Mezrick says the actual online poker operation was started in Seattle, in a basement. “The ma in character, whose dad lived in Seattle, started the business in his dad’s basement.”

It was established in the early 2000s, a time when the rules of online poker were almost non-existent. According to Mezrich, “There was no specific law that said online poker is illegal, and there was no reason to think that you could get arrested for having an Internet company like that.”

The online poker gaming market was definitely huge and soon enough, the founders of the site found themselves with a Costa Rica operation earning them $1 million a day. “Essentially they were bringing in $1 million a day, there were about 15 million U.S. people playing poker online and it just grew into a massive industry.”

One fateful day, though, the government made its judgment on online poker, thus changing the story of the online poker company. Mezrich said, “There was a day which is known as black Friday. It was April 15 of 2011 when the U.S. government raided all these sites,” adding that “This was the sort of moment [...] known when to hold them, know when to fold them.”

This is a book likely to follow in the footsteps of Mezrich’s other books and land on the big screen someday, but the writer says there is yet to be a movie deal in place. So for now, if you like the sound of the story, just pick up the book.



New Poker Book Straight Flush

NETELLER, one of the most popular payment methods in the world of online gambling, has announced a new deal that will see it become the sponsorship partner of the Italian Poker Tour in 2013.

Online Poker Deal

Under the agreement, NETELLER will sponsor the Italian Poker Tour from the beginning of the new IPT season, which is scheduled to begin in San Marino from June 8-17 and run over five legs through to the tournament finale on December 2013.

Players with a NETELLER account will wear a special company tag during the event and be privy to unique promotional offers, and the highest-placed NETELLER customer will be awarded buy-in to the 2013 IPT. In addition, the unluckiest player in the Main Event (nicknamed "bubble boy") will receive €1000 from NETELLER.

Using NETELLER

Setting up an account is easy with this friendly payment option. Simply visit the NETELLER registration page, complete the signup form and activate your account via email, and finally submit your ID and secure ID + password to save the information.

Once you've activated your NETELLER account you will be able to transfer funds from your bank account to your online casino or online poker account. Most of the leading online gambling operators accept NETELLER as a deposit payment option.



NETELLER E-wallet to Back Italian Poker Tour - The Headlines - Onlinecasinoreports-com