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2006/12/07
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29893
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Chris Moorman is heading toward an unprecedented amount of online poker earnings. Moorman is less than $30,000 away from reaching his goal of $10 million in lifetime online tournament earnings. Last week, Moorman was just under $100,000 from the $10 million mark, and this week, he has narrowed that gap to less than $30,000, making it quite likely that he will soon reach this unsurpassed milestone.
In order to reach his goal, the online poker player simply needs to make a few more wins. At this time, PokerStars is is running the World Championship of Online Poker. The WCOOP is in its last week of play, which means that there are a number of good events for Moorman to join in with.
Moorman said: “Obviously I would love to reach the $10 million in style by winning a WCOOP. Hopefully I can break the barrier by the end of the series. With so many big tournaments still to come in the last week, I think there is a good possibility I can get it done soon.”
Along with reaching this unprecedented milestone in online poker earnings, Moorman feels that he has other achievements to fulfill in the poker world. He is hoping to win some of the big poker titles in the near future, and to climb in the online poker player rankings.
About a week ago, Moorman had needed to earn $92,719 to reach his current online poker earnings goal. A couple of days later, he needed only $77,000 to get there. Over the weekend, he earned even more, and was left with $52,594 to earn before he would reach his goal. After more wins at the beginning of the week, Moorman whittled the amount that was still outstanding to $28,657.
It has been reported that Moorman has earned over $4.7 million when playing on the PokerStars site, and over $3.4 million when playing on the Full Tilt Poker site.
Chris Moorman Heading Toward $10 Million in Online Earnings
In order to reach his goal, the online poker player simply needs to make a few more wins. At this time, PokerStars is is running the World Championship of Online Poker. The WCOOP is in its last week of play, which means that there are a number of good events for Moorman to join in with.
Moorman said: “Obviously I would love to reach the $10 million in style by winning a WCOOP. Hopefully I can break the barrier by the end of the series. With so many big tournaments still to come in the last week, I think there is a good possibility I can get it done soon.”
Along with reaching this unprecedented milestone in online poker earnings, Moorman feels that he has other achievements to fulfill in the poker world. He is hoping to win some of the big poker titles in the near future, and to climb in the online poker player rankings.
About a week ago, Moorman had needed to earn $92,719 to reach his current online poker earnings goal. A couple of days later, he needed only $77,000 to get there. Over the weekend, he earned even more, and was left with $52,594 to earn before he would reach his goal. After more wins at the beginning of the week, Moorman whittled the amount that was still outstanding to $28,657.
It has been reported that Moorman has earned over $4.7 million when playing on the PokerStars site, and over $3.4 million when playing on the Full Tilt Poker site.
Chris Moorman Heading Toward $10 Million in Online Earnings
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2006/12/07
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29893
It’s very hard to keep Phil Ivey down for long.
The nosebleed gambler had been getting mostly crushed on Full Tilt Poker recently, but over the past week put together around $900,000 in profits, according to HighstakesDB.
The 37-year-old Ivey is still down a seven-figure sum this year.
Before changing his screen name to “Polarizing” in his return to playing on the site he once represented, Ivey amassed more than $19 million in winnings over a five-year period. His profits were the most in online poker history and helped him solidify himself as the best all-around player in the world, live or online. Very few could figure him out.
The nine-time World Series of Poker champion is hoping for a much larger victory (than the $900,000 he won over the past seven days online) in the courtroom, however.
Ivey is in the middle of a legal battle with a London casino after it refused to pay him his $12.1 million in winnings last year. Ivey was betting huge amounts at a form of baccarat, and he just admitted this month that he was able to read the cards thanks to a manufacturing flaw in the deck. Ivey never touched the cards and maintains it was the casino’s fault for letting him find and exploit the situation. In other words, he says it clearly wasn’t cheating.
Back to the online poker world: Viktor “Isildur1” Blom rebounded this week, bringing his winnings on the year up to around $485,000. He was once up more than $5 million this year, but has been mired in his usual vicious swings. His low point was around $300,000.
Despite the winnings, he did manage to play — and lose — the biggest pot over the past week. In a $400/$800 no-limit hold’em contest against Alex “IReadYrSoul” Millar, Blom came out on the wrong end of a $277,000 hand. Here’s how the action went down:
Blom ($228,000) had the button and raised to $2,400. Millar ($138,000) called, and the flop fell 7Diamond Suit 6Club Suit 2Spade Suit. Millar checked to the Swede.
Blom fired $4,000, Millar check-raised to $12,400, and Blom made it $28,800.
Millar called, and the turn brought the JDiamond Suit.
Millar checked to the aggressor, and Blom bet $26,400. Millar just called this time.
The river brought the 8Heart Suit, and Millar checked for a third time.
Blom put him all in for around $81,000, and Millar called.
Isildur1 exposed the 10Diamond Suit 6Spade Suit, but was no good against Millar’s 2Club Suit 2Heart Suit.
Blom’s line of turning fourth pair into a bluff didn’t work, as Millar set a solid trap.
Here’s a look at the updated scoreboard for 2013:
Winners In 2013
cottonseed1: $3.54 million
Ben “Bttech86” Tollerene: $3.13 million
Niklas “ragen70” Heinecker: $3.00 million
Rhje: $2.48 million
Patrik “FiddaGrind” Antonius: $2.29 million
Losers In 2013
Gus Hansen: -$4.21 million
MalACEsia: -$3.77 million
samrostan: -$3.17 million
Phil “Polarizing” Ivey: -$2.22 million
patpatpanda: $1.33 million
Online Poker: Phil Ivey Won $900,000 This Past Week
The nosebleed gambler had been getting mostly crushed on Full Tilt Poker recently, but over the past week put together around $900,000 in profits, according to HighstakesDB.
The 37-year-old Ivey is still down a seven-figure sum this year.
Before changing his screen name to “Polarizing” in his return to playing on the site he once represented, Ivey amassed more than $19 million in winnings over a five-year period. His profits were the most in online poker history and helped him solidify himself as the best all-around player in the world, live or online. Very few could figure him out.
The nine-time World Series of Poker champion is hoping for a much larger victory (than the $900,000 he won over the past seven days online) in the courtroom, however.
Ivey is in the middle of a legal battle with a London casino after it refused to pay him his $12.1 million in winnings last year. Ivey was betting huge amounts at a form of baccarat, and he just admitted this month that he was able to read the cards thanks to a manufacturing flaw in the deck. Ivey never touched the cards and maintains it was the casino’s fault for letting him find and exploit the situation. In other words, he says it clearly wasn’t cheating.
Back to the online poker world: Viktor “Isildur1” Blom rebounded this week, bringing his winnings on the year up to around $485,000. He was once up more than $5 million this year, but has been mired in his usual vicious swings. His low point was around $300,000.
Despite the winnings, he did manage to play — and lose — the biggest pot over the past week. In a $400/$800 no-limit hold’em contest against Alex “IReadYrSoul” Millar, Blom came out on the wrong end of a $277,000 hand. Here’s how the action went down:
Blom ($228,000) had the button and raised to $2,400. Millar ($138,000) called, and the flop fell 7Diamond Suit 6Club Suit 2Spade Suit. Millar checked to the Swede.
Blom fired $4,000, Millar check-raised to $12,400, and Blom made it $28,800.
Millar called, and the turn brought the JDiamond Suit.
Millar checked to the aggressor, and Blom bet $26,400. Millar just called this time.
The river brought the 8Heart Suit, and Millar checked for a third time.
Blom put him all in for around $81,000, and Millar called.
Isildur1 exposed the 10Diamond Suit 6Spade Suit, but was no good against Millar’s 2Club Suit 2Heart Suit.
Blom’s line of turning fourth pair into a bluff didn’t work, as Millar set a solid trap.
Here’s a look at the updated scoreboard for 2013:
Winners In 2013
cottonseed1: $3.54 million
Ben “Bttech86” Tollerene: $3.13 million
Niklas “ragen70” Heinecker: $3.00 million
Rhje: $2.48 million
Patrik “FiddaGrind” Antonius: $2.29 million
Losers In 2013
Gus Hansen: -$4.21 million
MalACEsia: -$3.77 million
samrostan: -$3.17 million
Phil “Polarizing” Ivey: -$2.22 million
patpatpanda: $1.33 million
Online Poker: Phil Ivey Won $900,000 This Past Week
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
The laws in the USA regarding bank transactions state that transactions that anything to do with online gambling are prohibited by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.
Now as the online poker industry is getting back on track in the USA some payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard are accepting legal internet gambling transactions. The use of these mainstream payment processing service companies can be spotty at times though.
Visa has been slow to upgrade its codes that allows for legal online gambling transactions in states such as Nevada and soon New Jersey. Individual branches of some banks are also not up to speed on the legal online poker trend.
The first regulated online poker room in the USA, Ultimate Poker opened with five deposit options, including credit/debit cards, e-check, bank wire and check by mail. The World Series Of Poker-com launched recently to players that preregistered and the payment options were Visa Mastercard and e-cheque.
While the most deposit options are good the majority of complaints are coming from Visa customers who say their transactions have been declined. The Ultimate Poker web destination seems to have given up on Visa altogether as it is no longer a deposit option. Offshore gambling sites accept Visa regularly from players in the USA where as Mastercard is rarely available to unregulated locations that still accept players from America.
Visa is still in the process of catching up with the regulated US offerings. Regulated companies are required to apply for the Visa merchant verification value program setup through the individual banks, which are left to determine whether an online gambling deposit is a regulated or illegal one. This process does not appear to be utilized by most banks mainly because of the slowness and expense. Visa says it has introduced a new product that, “is able to differentiate between legal and potentially illegal gambling transactions.”
Mainstream Payment Options For Legal US Online Poker
Now as the online poker industry is getting back on track in the USA some payment processors such as Visa and Mastercard are accepting legal internet gambling transactions. The use of these mainstream payment processing service companies can be spotty at times though.
Visa has been slow to upgrade its codes that allows for legal online gambling transactions in states such as Nevada and soon New Jersey. Individual branches of some banks are also not up to speed on the legal online poker trend.
The first regulated online poker room in the USA, Ultimate Poker opened with five deposit options, including credit/debit cards, e-check, bank wire and check by mail. The World Series Of Poker-com launched recently to players that preregistered and the payment options were Visa Mastercard and e-cheque.
While the most deposit options are good the majority of complaints are coming from Visa customers who say their transactions have been declined. The Ultimate Poker web destination seems to have given up on Visa altogether as it is no longer a deposit option. Offshore gambling sites accept Visa regularly from players in the USA where as Mastercard is rarely available to unregulated locations that still accept players from America.
Visa is still in the process of catching up with the regulated US offerings. Regulated companies are required to apply for the Visa merchant verification value program setup through the individual banks, which are left to determine whether an online gambling deposit is a regulated or illegal one. This process does not appear to be utilized by most banks mainly because of the slowness and expense. Visa says it has introduced a new product that, “is able to differentiate between legal and potentially illegal gambling transactions.”
Mainstream Payment Options For Legal US Online Poker
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Since they came online in April, Ultimate Poker has had to do little to garner the attention of Nevada online poker players. As the only game in town, they basically could sit back and wait for the players to find them. Aside from some in-house promotion around its Station Casino properties and Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) bouts (Ultimate Poker’s operating company, Ultimate Gaming, is owned by the Fertita Brothers, which also own Station Casinos and the UFC), Ultimate Poker was getting their message out for a minimal expenditure. With the debut of WSOP-com from Caesars Entertainment and 888 Holdings on September 19, advertising is now becoming important as each company looks to seize their place in the market.
According to AdAge-com’s E. J. Schultz, that battle will start this Sunday when Caesars will roll out its first television advertisement for their regulated online poker room. Schultz reports that the advertising company Zambezi (from Venice, CA) will drive that advertising launch with a full-fledged assault on all forms of media, including radio, print and digital alongside the television campaign. Schultz reports that Caesars’ approach to the advertising will be the “whenever, wherever” opportunity to play online poker from home.
Caesars and Zambezi will also be looking to use a bit of humor in their advertising. AdAge shows one of the WSOP-com ads, featuring your everyday “Average Joe” who lacks the ability to show a “poker face.” Against 1998 WSOP World Champion Scotty Nguyen, the “Joe” displays all types of tells as Nguyen cackles and takes his money. “Enter WSOP-com,” the “Joe” says, “where I don’t need a poker face.” Other ads point out the ability to celebrate without scorn from your live opponents and a particular radio ad points out that you can “catch a flush while (you) flush.”
Schultz quotes Zambezi founder and managing partner Chris Raih as saying the ads are going for the comedic approach to try to make online poker inviting. “We’re creating new behavior,” Schultz quotes Raih.
Ultimate Poker’s ownership, Ultimate Gaming, has been using their own in-house creative resources for any advertising, but that may be about to change with the Caesars/888/WSOP-com entry. Schultz states that Joe Versaci, the Chief Marketing Officer for Ultimate Gaming, is now reviewing advertising agencies that would take over the marketing campaigns. At stake is not only Ultimate Poker’s Nevada operation but also the operation from their partnership in New Jersey with the Trump Taj Mahal for complete online casino gaming, including poker, which is expected to open shop later this year.
The Ultimate Poker television ads are very straightforward, pointing out that they were the first legally regulated online poker site where players could play for real money. The ads push the ability to cash in and out easily, either live or online, and the opportunities to win money from playing on the site. Surprisingly, at no point in this particular advertisement does Ultimate Poker make usage of perhaps one of their biggest assets, site ambassador and “Big One for One Drop” champion Antonio Esfandiari.
The advertising wars are going after what has been, to this point, a rather limited market in Nevada. According to PokerScout-com, Ultimate Poker is the 37th ranked online poker room in the industry with a seven-day average of 139 cash players (Ultimate Poker anticipates dealing its 20 millionth hand within the next few weeks); active for slightly over a week, WSOP-com’s seven-day average is 63 players, ranking it 42nd on the PokerScout charts. These numbers do not take into account tournament action (both Sit and Go and multi-table) that is occurring on the two sites, however.
The first salvo in the Nevada online poker advertising wars will be active this Sunday night and in a stunning fashion. Caesars will be advertising WSOP-com during the series finale of AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” which is expected to draw huge ratings across the nation. The ads, however, will only be seen in the state of Nevada. Other marketing moves by Caesars are branding on room keys for Caesars properties and, as Ultimate Poker did, in-house displays at their casinos.
Advertising Wars Begin for Nevada
According to AdAge-com’s E. J. Schultz, that battle will start this Sunday when Caesars will roll out its first television advertisement for their regulated online poker room. Schultz reports that the advertising company Zambezi (from Venice, CA) will drive that advertising launch with a full-fledged assault on all forms of media, including radio, print and digital alongside the television campaign. Schultz reports that Caesars’ approach to the advertising will be the “whenever, wherever” opportunity to play online poker from home.
Caesars and Zambezi will also be looking to use a bit of humor in their advertising. AdAge shows one of the WSOP-com ads, featuring your everyday “Average Joe” who lacks the ability to show a “poker face.” Against 1998 WSOP World Champion Scotty Nguyen, the “Joe” displays all types of tells as Nguyen cackles and takes his money. “Enter WSOP-com,” the “Joe” says, “where I don’t need a poker face.” Other ads point out the ability to celebrate without scorn from your live opponents and a particular radio ad points out that you can “catch a flush while (you) flush.”
Schultz quotes Zambezi founder and managing partner Chris Raih as saying the ads are going for the comedic approach to try to make online poker inviting. “We’re creating new behavior,” Schultz quotes Raih.
Ultimate Poker’s ownership, Ultimate Gaming, has been using their own in-house creative resources for any advertising, but that may be about to change with the Caesars/888/WSOP-com entry. Schultz states that Joe Versaci, the Chief Marketing Officer for Ultimate Gaming, is now reviewing advertising agencies that would take over the marketing campaigns. At stake is not only Ultimate Poker’s Nevada operation but also the operation from their partnership in New Jersey with the Trump Taj Mahal for complete online casino gaming, including poker, which is expected to open shop later this year.
The Ultimate Poker television ads are very straightforward, pointing out that they were the first legally regulated online poker site where players could play for real money. The ads push the ability to cash in and out easily, either live or online, and the opportunities to win money from playing on the site. Surprisingly, at no point in this particular advertisement does Ultimate Poker make usage of perhaps one of their biggest assets, site ambassador and “Big One for One Drop” champion Antonio Esfandiari.
The advertising wars are going after what has been, to this point, a rather limited market in Nevada. According to PokerScout-com, Ultimate Poker is the 37th ranked online poker room in the industry with a seven-day average of 139 cash players (Ultimate Poker anticipates dealing its 20 millionth hand within the next few weeks); active for slightly over a week, WSOP-com’s seven-day average is 63 players, ranking it 42nd on the PokerScout charts. These numbers do not take into account tournament action (both Sit and Go and multi-table) that is occurring on the two sites, however.
The first salvo in the Nevada online poker advertising wars will be active this Sunday night and in a stunning fashion. Caesars will be advertising WSOP-com during the series finale of AMC’s “Breaking Bad,” which is expected to draw huge ratings across the nation. The ads, however, will only be seen in the state of Nevada. Other marketing moves by Caesars are branding on room keys for Caesars properties and, as Ultimate Poker did, in-house displays at their casinos.
Advertising Wars Begin for Nevada
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Archie Karas became a poker legend 20 years ago when he turned $50 into $40,000,000 during a single streak in Las Vegas.
Today Karas — real name Anargyros Karabourniotis — sits in a Vegas jail, arrested for allegedly cheating at the tables.
Karas is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was busted in Sin City in cooperation with San Diego County, Calif., authorities who allege he’d cheated the Barona Casino out of $8,000 while playing blackjack there. Karas’ Vegas home was also searched.
Karas has four prior arrests for cheating at cards. Each ended with plea bargains that knocked the charges down to misdemeanors.
“We were quite familiar with him,” Gaming Control Board Chief of Enforcement Karl Bennison told the Review-Journal. “He has a history with us.”
He’ll be in court for an extradition hearing on Monday.
Poker Legend Archie Karas Busted For Cheating | Radar Online
Today Karas — real name Anargyros Karabourniotis — sits in a Vegas jail, arrested for allegedly cheating at the tables.
Karas is being held without bail at the Clark County Detention Center, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. He was busted in Sin City in cooperation with San Diego County, Calif., authorities who allege he’d cheated the Barona Casino out of $8,000 while playing blackjack there. Karas’ Vegas home was also searched.
Karas has four prior arrests for cheating at cards. Each ended with plea bargains that knocked the charges down to misdemeanors.
“We were quite familiar with him,” Gaming Control Board Chief of Enforcement Karl Bennison told the Review-Journal. “He has a history with us.”
He’ll be in court for an extradition hearing on Monday.
Poker Legend Archie Karas Busted For Cheating | Radar Online
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Things looked promising in Bulgaria for poker players expecting to experience a regulated and safe poker playing landscape, at least on the surface.
The government passed new laws to regulate gambling in March 2012, hoping to create a windfall of newfound tax revenues. This led to much promise as to how the online gaming industry could positively affect the country as a whole.
Unfortunately, the ideals that were put into law were not backed with strong intent. Now, approximately a year and a half later, in the midst of a deepening economic crisis, the country has not collected a single cent from poker.
Why is it that respected online poker operators are getting blocked at the front door? Well, in Bulgaria the problems run deeper than online poker. In Sofia, the capital city, there are daily protests by citizens demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski and an end to the corruption that plagues the country. How could a country, which has gained fame for its corruption, be trusted to engage in above board regulatory gaming practice? Only time will tell, but at the moment the outlook looks like a sham.
Dear Bulgaria: You Are Doing It Wrong!
This could be a tale in what not to do in the start-up environment of gaming regulation. All poker operators have been shut down with the infamous "Bulgarian Black List." In fact, there is only one licensed gaming company to date, Eurofootball.bg, a limited company out of Malta, which is centered on sports betting and partially owned by Bulgarian billionaire Vasil Krumov Bozhkov. Bozhkov was said to have alleged ties to the underworld and was featured in this wiki-leaks cable.
This situation subsequently results in zero revenue for the government from poker and encourages the black market of illegal operators to flourish. In turn, this is putting players at risk and jeopardizing the strong poker community in the country.
This situation is bad for all stakeholders — casual players cannot safely play the game they enjoy, professional poker players are out of their jobs, and a plethora of gaming companies within the country are deprived of generating revenue for which to pay their staff legal wages. This grand scheme by the government to generate income from the gambling companies is still sitting behind a mountain of red tape, while billionaire Bozhkov still collects on his license.
Problem? What Problem?
To put it simply, the Bulgarian government cannot get its act together. They are not capable of issuing online poker licenses in a timely matter, or even proposing laws which make sense. The current laws are ambiguous, either written by someone that has never visited an online poker site or written with the sole purpose of giving a clear-cut advantage certain (currently operating) companies. Pundits are declaring that this law was written to keep the market closed, favoring current Bulgarian companies and friends of the government.
Bulgaria is a great poker market. Several of the top online poker operators fully intend to enter this market, and those companies fully intend to enter it in compliance to regulatory conditions. Bulgaria has a strong poker community, which has supported global liquidity pools and the positive advancement of poker for over a decade. These are some great people and they deserve better.
To make matters worse, look at the contrast between Bulgaria and countries like France and Estonia. These other countries have been able to execute their regulatory practices without much of a hitch. These laws are so oversimplified it is borderline disturbing. It really looks like this is a calculated step by the government to perpetuate their hypocritical agenda.
There are two laws for discussion. The first is actually pretty good; according to article 245, paragraph 1, item 4 of the Corporate Income Tax Act (CITA), online poker operators would be obliged to pay 15% of all commissions collected from gaming. Compared to some other EU countries, this is an affordable and acceptable tax rate.
It is the next law that contains some astonishing "oversight" (if we can call it that). Article 245, paragraph 1, item 3 of the CITA demands another tax fee wherein all casino games (including poker) are imposed with a 5,000 BGN (about US $3,400) fee per "virtual gaming device," to be paid once per quarter. This is where things get a bit weird because this law isn’t defined well enough to give a definition what a virtual gaming device is. After consulting legal experts in Bulgaria, it is agreed that this would go to mean the actual poker tables. Imagine having to pay thousands per financial quarter, for each "virtual table?"
I don’t think so. No operator would be able to sustain that sort of rake.
It is remarkable that something so ambiguous is holding back so much revenue from the Bulgarian’s government coffers and holding back people from attaining jobs in this sector.
Sustainable Taxation
Those words in bold above aren't the most compelling two words in the world, but they are important for governments to recognize. We must acknowledge the importance of sustainable taxation in countries as they slowly move into regulated online gaming environments. This is not a hard feat to accomplish. In a game of poker, the "house" takes a commission. These commissions amount to a small percentage of what is in the pot at the end of each hand or tournament prize pool. As commissions are the only source of income for the online poker operators, it is accepted that kicking back a percentage of the commission to the government is fine and what forms the tax.
What is not fine is trying to burden the online poker operators with an undue double taxation scheme. Such interpretation is contrary to the principles of sustainable taxation and will do nothing but harm the willingness of companies to want to bring poker to town, and in turn will shut down a very lucrative source of tax revenue for the company.
The government passed new laws to regulate gambling in March 2012, hoping to create a windfall of newfound tax revenues. This led to much promise as to how the online gaming industry could positively affect the country as a whole.
Unfortunately, the ideals that were put into law were not backed with strong intent. Now, approximately a year and a half later, in the midst of a deepening economic crisis, the country has not collected a single cent from poker.
Why is it that respected online poker operators are getting blocked at the front door? Well, in Bulgaria the problems run deeper than online poker. In Sofia, the capital city, there are daily protests by citizens demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski and an end to the corruption that plagues the country. How could a country, which has gained fame for its corruption, be trusted to engage in above board regulatory gaming practice? Only time will tell, but at the moment the outlook looks like a sham.
Dear Bulgaria: You Are Doing It Wrong!
This could be a tale in what not to do in the start-up environment of gaming regulation. All poker operators have been shut down with the infamous "Bulgarian Black List." In fact, there is only one licensed gaming company to date, Eurofootball.bg, a limited company out of Malta, which is centered on sports betting and partially owned by Bulgarian billionaire Vasil Krumov Bozhkov. Bozhkov was said to have alleged ties to the underworld and was featured in this wiki-leaks cable.
This situation subsequently results in zero revenue for the government from poker and encourages the black market of illegal operators to flourish. In turn, this is putting players at risk and jeopardizing the strong poker community in the country.
This situation is bad for all stakeholders — casual players cannot safely play the game they enjoy, professional poker players are out of their jobs, and a plethora of gaming companies within the country are deprived of generating revenue for which to pay their staff legal wages. This grand scheme by the government to generate income from the gambling companies is still sitting behind a mountain of red tape, while billionaire Bozhkov still collects on his license.
Problem? What Problem?
To put it simply, the Bulgarian government cannot get its act together. They are not capable of issuing online poker licenses in a timely matter, or even proposing laws which make sense. The current laws are ambiguous, either written by someone that has never visited an online poker site or written with the sole purpose of giving a clear-cut advantage certain (currently operating) companies. Pundits are declaring that this law was written to keep the market closed, favoring current Bulgarian companies and friends of the government.
Bulgaria is a great poker market. Several of the top online poker operators fully intend to enter this market, and those companies fully intend to enter it in compliance to regulatory conditions. Bulgaria has a strong poker community, which has supported global liquidity pools and the positive advancement of poker for over a decade. These are some great people and they deserve better.
To make matters worse, look at the contrast between Bulgaria and countries like France and Estonia. These other countries have been able to execute their regulatory practices without much of a hitch. These laws are so oversimplified it is borderline disturbing. It really looks like this is a calculated step by the government to perpetuate their hypocritical agenda.
There are two laws for discussion. The first is actually pretty good; according to article 245, paragraph 1, item 4 of the Corporate Income Tax Act (CITA), online poker operators would be obliged to pay 15% of all commissions collected from gaming. Compared to some other EU countries, this is an affordable and acceptable tax rate.
It is the next law that contains some astonishing "oversight" (if we can call it that). Article 245, paragraph 1, item 3 of the CITA demands another tax fee wherein all casino games (including poker) are imposed with a 5,000 BGN (about US $3,400) fee per "virtual gaming device," to be paid once per quarter. This is where things get a bit weird because this law isn’t defined well enough to give a definition what a virtual gaming device is. After consulting legal experts in Bulgaria, it is agreed that this would go to mean the actual poker tables. Imagine having to pay thousands per financial quarter, for each "virtual table?"
I don’t think so. No operator would be able to sustain that sort of rake.
It is remarkable that something so ambiguous is holding back so much revenue from the Bulgarian’s government coffers and holding back people from attaining jobs in this sector.
Sustainable Taxation
Those words in bold above aren't the most compelling two words in the world, but they are important for governments to recognize. We must acknowledge the importance of sustainable taxation in countries as they slowly move into regulated online gaming environments. This is not a hard feat to accomplish. In a game of poker, the "house" takes a commission. These commissions amount to a small percentage of what is in the pot at the end of each hand or tournament prize pool. As commissions are the only source of income for the online poker operators, it is accepted that kicking back a percentage of the commission to the government is fine and what forms the tax.
What is not fine is trying to burden the online poker operators with an undue double taxation scheme. Such interpretation is contrary to the principles of sustainable taxation and will do nothing but harm the willingness of companies to want to bring poker to town, and in turn will shut down a very lucrative source of tax revenue for the company.
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Regulated online poker is live in Nevada. Players across the country are watching to see what Nevada online poker will bring to the rest of the US. It seems that 500 peak cash game players may be the most that Nevada can consistently bring to the table, according to data on Pokerscout-com. This number fluctuates from day to day.
Nevada online poker players have encountered several challenges. The first issue players have encountered is the verification process. New signups are verified through a database that confirms a player’s age and other information provided at signup. Players that cannot get their identity verified may have to submit identification before being allowed to play. Nevada online poker rooms may also require a document check when a withdrawal is requested, which includes a photocopy of an ID, bank statement or credit card, depending on the deposit method. This is required by Nevada law.
A geolocation process is required every time a player logs into the poker software. Cell phone triangulation is used to determine the location of the player. Players should be prepared to provide a cell phone number serviced by a company that is currently supported by their chosen site. Small regional carriers may not qualify. Sprint and Virgin Mobile are major carriers that are not currently supported by WSOP. A Tracfone will not work at all. A burner phone on a qualifying carrier can be purchased at discount stores for about $15.
Players must submit a Social Security Number. This is required under Nevada law and is likely to be the standard in regulated online gambling. All tax laws that apply to brick and mortar poker rooms will also apply to regulated online poker. This includes the issuing of a W-2G for tournament wins that net $5,000 or more.
Age Restriction
Players 18 years of age and older are accustomed to playing online poker at offshore sites. The three states that have legalized online poker have all legislated a minimum age of 21. It is safe to assume most or all states will follow this example in the future.
Banking Options
One interesting difference between regulated and offshore payment options is credit cards. Offshore sites almost exclusively accept Visa. Mastercard is the credit card of choice for Ultimate Poker and WSOP as the card has a high rate of acceptance. Visa transactions were declined at Ultimate Poker that it was dropped an option.
Ultimate Poker chose to offer cashier cage deposits and withdrawals. This has become extremely popular with players. The second most popular method at Ultimate Poker appears to be electronic checks. These deposits come directly out of a player’s bank account. WSOP does not offer cash deposits and electronic checks appear to be the most popular method there.
One difference that players visiting Nevada will notice between the two existing sites is that Ultimate Poker will allow a player to make a deposit before coming to Nevada. WSOP requires a player to be in Nevada at the time of deposit. This means a WSOP player needs to bring a credit card or check on the trip to make a deposit. Even if a credit card is the preferred deposit method it is a good idea to bring a check in case the card is declined. The check may then be used to deposit electronically.
Traffic
According to Pokerscout, the combined average number of players seated at cash games at any given time between Ultimate Poker and WSOP is about 200. Winning Poker, the fourth largest US facing offshore network, is 50% bigger than the Nevada market. Players will need to realize that game selection will not be comparable to offshore sites at this time. This will change as states begin to share player pools.
The peaks and valleys of traffic are defined in Nevada. Unlike offshore sites that draw players from all over the world, Nevada poker sites draw from just one time zone. There is little traffic at Nevada poker sites during overnight and morning hours.
Preparing for Regulated Online Poker as a Player |
Nevada online poker players have encountered several challenges. The first issue players have encountered is the verification process. New signups are verified through a database that confirms a player’s age and other information provided at signup. Players that cannot get their identity verified may have to submit identification before being allowed to play. Nevada online poker rooms may also require a document check when a withdrawal is requested, which includes a photocopy of an ID, bank statement or credit card, depending on the deposit method. This is required by Nevada law.
A geolocation process is required every time a player logs into the poker software. Cell phone triangulation is used to determine the location of the player. Players should be prepared to provide a cell phone number serviced by a company that is currently supported by their chosen site. Small regional carriers may not qualify. Sprint and Virgin Mobile are major carriers that are not currently supported by WSOP. A Tracfone will not work at all. A burner phone on a qualifying carrier can be purchased at discount stores for about $15.
Players must submit a Social Security Number. This is required under Nevada law and is likely to be the standard in regulated online gambling. All tax laws that apply to brick and mortar poker rooms will also apply to regulated online poker. This includes the issuing of a W-2G for tournament wins that net $5,000 or more.
Age Restriction
Players 18 years of age and older are accustomed to playing online poker at offshore sites. The three states that have legalized online poker have all legislated a minimum age of 21. It is safe to assume most or all states will follow this example in the future.
Banking Options
One interesting difference between regulated and offshore payment options is credit cards. Offshore sites almost exclusively accept Visa. Mastercard is the credit card of choice for Ultimate Poker and WSOP as the card has a high rate of acceptance. Visa transactions were declined at Ultimate Poker that it was dropped an option.
Ultimate Poker chose to offer cashier cage deposits and withdrawals. This has become extremely popular with players. The second most popular method at Ultimate Poker appears to be electronic checks. These deposits come directly out of a player’s bank account. WSOP does not offer cash deposits and electronic checks appear to be the most popular method there.
One difference that players visiting Nevada will notice between the two existing sites is that Ultimate Poker will allow a player to make a deposit before coming to Nevada. WSOP requires a player to be in Nevada at the time of deposit. This means a WSOP player needs to bring a credit card or check on the trip to make a deposit. Even if a credit card is the preferred deposit method it is a good idea to bring a check in case the card is declined. The check may then be used to deposit electronically.
Traffic
According to Pokerscout, the combined average number of players seated at cash games at any given time between Ultimate Poker and WSOP is about 200. Winning Poker, the fourth largest US facing offshore network, is 50% bigger than the Nevada market. Players will need to realize that game selection will not be comparable to offshore sites at this time. This will change as states begin to share player pools.
The peaks and valleys of traffic are defined in Nevada. Unlike offshore sites that draw players from all over the world, Nevada poker sites draw from just one time zone. There is little traffic at Nevada poker sites during overnight and morning hours.
Preparing for Regulated Online Poker as a Player |
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2006/12/07
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Relatively unknown small-stakes grinder Patty Beaumier has recently been introduced as the new site ambassador for the French arm of UK-based online poker site PKR.
The 24-year old Masters student from the Graduate School of Journalism in Paris, who plays on the site under the screen name “BabyTes”, is slated to represent the site at a number of live tournaments across Europe as well as at the World Series of Poker Europe, which begins on October 11.
As to why they selected the small-stakes player, PKR CEO Malcolm Graham commented “Our sponsorship approach has largely been to unearth and support talent from our players’ ranks, and it’s important that those with potential at the lower stakes get the chance to shine.”
Beaumier originally started playing on the site in 2011 prior to getting signed and it’s expected that she will also be on hand when PKR holds their own $500 buy-in live event at London’s Aspers Casino in November.
PKR Adds "BabyTes" As French Site Ambassador | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
The 24-year old Masters student from the Graduate School of Journalism in Paris, who plays on the site under the screen name “BabyTes”, is slated to represent the site at a number of live tournaments across Europe as well as at the World Series of Poker Europe, which begins on October 11.
As to why they selected the small-stakes player, PKR CEO Malcolm Graham commented “Our sponsorship approach has largely been to unearth and support talent from our players’ ranks, and it’s important that those with potential at the lower stakes get the chance to shine.”
Beaumier originally started playing on the site in 2011 prior to getting signed and it’s expected that she will also be on hand when PKR holds their own $500 buy-in live event at London’s Aspers Casino in November.
PKR Adds "BabyTes" As French Site Ambassador | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
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2006/12/07
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The UK Gambling Commission has launched a consultation on the protection of customer funds. Responses are required by December 4, and the resulting license condition amendments will come into force at the earliest in April next year.
Currently there is no stipulation under the UK’s regulatory system dictating how player funds must be held. The issue has not had a higher profile previously because there are so few UK licensed operators; the UKGC quotes a figure of £162.32m held on players’ behalf for the period Oct 2011 to Sep 2012 across all licensees. However, with the pending introduction of a new gambling act, which will require the UKGC to regulate all operators serving UK customers, the amounts of player deposits will increase dramatically.
The document notes that online poker has been particularly vulnerable to the insolvency of operators and the subsequent loss of player deposits, but takes comfort from the fact that few players have lost money—a veiled reference to PokerStars assuming responsibility for player deposits (except US) when it took over Full Tilt.
It proposes six options which “all represent, to a greater or lesser degree, increased protection against the risks of funds being unavailable to customers in the event of insolvency or because of fraudulent actions.”
Option 1: Segregated accounts – where funds are held in a separate bank account.
Option 2: A ‘Quistclose’ trust – a peculiarly UK legal form where funds held by an operator are restricted for a particular purpose and therefore not available to creditors in the event of insolvency.
Option 3: Insurance against insolvency
Option 4: An independent trust account
Option 5: Reserve held by the regulator
Option 6: Rules for specific gambling products
In addition it proposes to change the rules on disclosure so that customers are informed about the risks they are taking when they make a deposit. The nature of that disclosure forms a separate topic within the consultation. The UKGC’s light touch regulatory philosophy is evident in its explanations for various options: “What is important is that the regulator takes all appropriate actions to protect the consumer and/or to ensure that the consumer makes informed choices about the risks they are comfortable with.”
UK Explores Protection of Customer Funds | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
Currently there is no stipulation under the UK’s regulatory system dictating how player funds must be held. The issue has not had a higher profile previously because there are so few UK licensed operators; the UKGC quotes a figure of £162.32m held on players’ behalf for the period Oct 2011 to Sep 2012 across all licensees. However, with the pending introduction of a new gambling act, which will require the UKGC to regulate all operators serving UK customers, the amounts of player deposits will increase dramatically.
The document notes that online poker has been particularly vulnerable to the insolvency of operators and the subsequent loss of player deposits, but takes comfort from the fact that few players have lost money—a veiled reference to PokerStars assuming responsibility for player deposits (except US) when it took over Full Tilt.
It proposes six options which “all represent, to a greater or lesser degree, increased protection against the risks of funds being unavailable to customers in the event of insolvency or because of fraudulent actions.”
Option 1: Segregated accounts – where funds are held in a separate bank account.
Option 2: A ‘Quistclose’ trust – a peculiarly UK legal form where funds held by an operator are restricted for a particular purpose and therefore not available to creditors in the event of insolvency.
Option 3: Insurance against insolvency
Option 4: An independent trust account
Option 5: Reserve held by the regulator
Option 6: Rules for specific gambling products
In addition it proposes to change the rules on disclosure so that customers are informed about the risks they are taking when they make a deposit. The nature of that disclosure forms a separate topic within the consultation. The UKGC’s light touch regulatory philosophy is evident in its explanations for various options: “What is important is that the regulator takes all appropriate actions to protect the consumer and/or to ensure that the consumer makes informed choices about the risks they are comfortable with.”
UK Explores Protection of Customer Funds | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
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2006/12/07
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Since last week, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement showed its willingness to open as soon as possible online gaming market within the State. According to the spokesperson of the regulatory authority, the deadline for license delivery will be respected. The goal is to allow the introduction of online gambling including poker as soon as possible, which means before the end of the year. Since the regulation of online gambling in New Jersey, the Division of Gaming Enforcement of the State recorded many license applications from nearly 40 different operators. Atlantic City could be one of the major operators in this sector of online casino in New Jersey. The 12 casinos of the city are competing on the opening of this new market and are among the candidates for licensing. According to the law, the director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, David L. Rebuck should make an announcement 45 days before the opening of the market, announcement that operators are eagerly awaiting. The list of operators who obtained their license will be communicated after the official announcement.
In July, the big boss of Caesars Entertainment, Gary Loveman, announced that his brand will partner with 888 Holdings for its online gambling offerings in New Jersey. As a reminder, Caesars Entertainment operates four casinos in Atlantic City. Borgata Casino of Atlantic City will benefit from the platform and experience of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment for its online poker services and other online games within the State.
Poker News - Online gambling in New Jersey: It's coming soon!
In July, the big boss of Caesars Entertainment, Gary Loveman, announced that his brand will partner with 888 Holdings for its online gambling offerings in New Jersey. As a reminder, Caesars Entertainment operates four casinos in Atlantic City. Borgata Casino of Atlantic City will benefit from the platform and experience of Bwin.Party Digital Entertainment for its online poker services and other online games within the State.
Poker News - Online gambling in New Jersey: It's coming soon!
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2006/12/07
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On 1st January 1998 the first online poker room opened its tables for individuals who desired to play online poker games for real money. Back then the $3/$6 Texas Hold em limit was the only on line game available to the public. However as the time passed online poker has progressed noticeably. In these days this game is seen by lots of specialists as the most attractive and important forms of entertainment on-line. An impressive amount of people from across the world decide to have fun with this online game. On the internet there are hundreds of online poker web sites on more then twenty poker networks. On the dedicated poker websites yourrrre able to play this awesome card game for real money or for free. The web poker games which are played day by day by lots of people from all over the world are usually Texas Hold em poker, Omaha, 7 card Stud , Stud 8 and 5 Card Draw. On-line may be played out a lot more games but the number of tables and players is substantially lower for these kind of poker games. In the past it wasn't very safe to play internet poker on the internet for real money. But at present the situation have improved drastically. The majority of the online poker sites are licensed and regulated. This online venues follow strict rules and use safe and secure payment methods. On the net you can find websites that let you to play all your favorite poker-online games with free poker money. This is the most practical method to play when you're a novice in playing poker on the internet. If you choose to play like this you will certainly not be concerned about losing your own cash. To have fun with all of those games first you will need to sign up at an internet poker web-site. Before doing that make sure that your pc is equipped with a quick Net connection. At an online poker website beside games you can also play in numerous poker tournaments. They have grown drastically during the last few years. All these contests are taking place every day, every week and month to month and have guaranteed prize pools which can reach $2.5 million. There are numerous types of internet poker tournaments such as multi table, single table, satellite, sit and go, free roll. In most of these contests you can play the game of poker, just in case you are not willing to invest your own hard worked money, with free poker money. If you want to have available a big selection of competitions to play you need to search for the biggest and most popular poker sites. . If you want to play poker on the web for free please visit this site about free poker money.
PR-BG-com... News from the source - Online Poker Games And Tournaments Which Are Very Popular
PR-BG-com... News from the source - Online Poker Games And Tournaments Which Are Very Popular
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2006/12/07
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Hey there guys.
We are an early start-up aiming at providing better tools for online poker players. We decided to create a professional social platform such as Linkedin - but for poker players & stakers. We want to make it easier for players to find quality and reliable stakers that can fund their game. The platform is in its early stages and we want to start collecting some real poker players that can give us more feedback.
So please if anyone would be interested in joining our platform, just PM me so I can provide the details.
PS: This is not an advertising message, we are not promoting anything. The access on the platform is free and we are not looking to collect emails for marketing purposes.
I am willing to answer any question and I want serious users to PM as well. It is not a joke.
Thank you,
Octavian Neguletu
We are an early start-up aiming at providing better tools for online poker players. We decided to create a professional social platform such as Linkedin - but for poker players & stakers. We want to make it easier for players to find quality and reliable stakers that can fund their game. The platform is in its early stages and we want to start collecting some real poker players that can give us more feedback.
So please if anyone would be interested in joining our platform, just PM me so I can provide the details.
PS: This is not an advertising message, we are not promoting anything. The access on the platform is free and we are not looking to collect emails for marketing purposes.
I am willing to answer any question and I want serious users to PM as well. It is not a joke.
Thank you,
Octavian Neguletu
Join:
2013/10/03
Messages:
1
tavy88 wrote:
Hey there guys.
We are an early start-up aiming at providing better tools for online poker players. We decided to create a professional social platform such as Linkedin - but for poker players & stakers. We want to make it easier for players to find quality and reliable stakers that can fund their game. The platform is in its early stages and we want to start collecting some real poker players that can give us more feedback.
So please if anyone would be interested in joining our platform, just PM me so I can provide the details.
PS: This is not an advertising message, we are not promoting anything. The access on the platform is free and we are not looking to collect emails for marketing purposes.
I am willing to answer any question and I want serious users to PM as well. It is not a joke.
Thank you,
Octavian Neguletu
Thanks for the tips!
Join:
2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
Major Russian Internet Service Provider (ISP) Beeline has blocked access to the dot-com domain of PokerStars.
Attempts to access PokerStars using Beeline brings up a message saying: “Access to the requested resource has been blocked by the decision of public authorities.”
Beeline is a major Russian telecommunications company with international operations in the Ukraine and in South East Asia. It has previously obeyed government orders to block access to opposition political parties during a crackdown by Premier Vladimir Putin.
The domain is listed on the official blacklist published on Beeline.ru. According to a statement by the ISP on the website, the blacklist is “in accordance with the legislation in force,” which requires telecoms operators “to restrict access to information prohibited for distribution by court order or public authority.”
No other domains of other major online poker providers could be found on the published list.
The block is only a removal of the domain from the ISP’s Domain Name System (DNS); switching to another public DNS system, like Google’s, gets around the block, local reports indicate.
A November 2012 Supreme Court Ruling made ISPs responsible for blocking access to online gambling sites in Russia, though until now there has been no evidence that the authorities would enforce the decision. Previously a mobile operator has blocked gambling domains, but this is the first known case of a major broadband provider.
Russian ISP Beeline Blocks PokerStars-com | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
Attempts to access PokerStars using Beeline brings up a message saying: “Access to the requested resource has been blocked by the decision of public authorities.”
Beeline is a major Russian telecommunications company with international operations in the Ukraine and in South East Asia. It has previously obeyed government orders to block access to opposition political parties during a crackdown by Premier Vladimir Putin.
The domain is listed on the official blacklist published on Beeline.ru. According to a statement by the ISP on the website, the blacklist is “in accordance with the legislation in force,” which requires telecoms operators “to restrict access to information prohibited for distribution by court order or public authority.”
No other domains of other major online poker providers could be found on the published list.
The block is only a removal of the domain from the ISP’s Domain Name System (DNS); switching to another public DNS system, like Google’s, gets around the block, local reports indicate.
A November 2012 Supreme Court Ruling made ISPs responsible for blocking access to online gambling sites in Russia, though until now there has been no evidence that the authorities would enforce the decision. Previously a mobile operator has blocked gambling domains, but this is the first known case of a major broadband provider.
Russian ISP Beeline Blocks PokerStars-com | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
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2006/12/07
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29893
Bulgaria enacted in March 2012 new laws for the regulation of online gambling in the country. This government initiative brought hope to fans of online poker as it would enable them to discover a regulated market as in neighboring countries, like Romania market. But so far, the new law has no effect on the landscape of online gambling while the industry could have positive effects on the country economy especially as the government implements these regulations to increase tax revenues. In a year and a half, no license to any online poker room has been granted while many operators are interested in the Bulgarian market. For a country that is plagued by economic crisis and corruption, the opening of the online gaming market would have been beneficial to the State treasury.
The situation in Bulgaria is ironic because despite the government's desire to open the regulated market of online game, all operators who requested a license are included in the blacklist. Currently, only one operator has an online gambling license in Bulgaria. Eurofootball.bg is the only sports betting website operational in the country and coincidentally, the site is a condominium of the Bulgarian billionaire Vassil Bozhkov Krumov. Meanwhile the good sense of the government, poker enthusiasts should fall back on offers of poker tournaments from other European countries and continue to play on illegal platforms.
Poker News - Bulgaria: Law about online poker is still pending
The situation in Bulgaria is ironic because despite the government's desire to open the regulated market of online game, all operators who requested a license are included in the blacklist. Currently, only one operator has an online gambling license in Bulgaria. Eurofootball.bg is the only sports betting website operational in the country and coincidentally, the site is a condominium of the Bulgarian billionaire Vassil Bozhkov Krumov. Meanwhile the good sense of the government, poker enthusiasts should fall back on offers of poker tournaments from other European countries and continue to play on illegal platforms.
Poker News - Bulgaria: Law about online poker is still pending
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2006/12/07
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New Jersey will soon follow Nevada in offering its residents the option to play online poker. Like all Americans outside of Nevada, New Jersians have been unable to enjoy online poker since the Department of Justice shut down the industry in 2011, but that will change on November 26 when online poker sites run by Atlantic City casinos go live.
After a five-day testing period to make sure the software is operating as it should, the sites will go live. I believe that companies who get a quick start in the market have the potential to realize big gains in the years ahead as more states move to legalize online poker.
The biggest company to get involved is PokerStars. PokerStars is the largest poker website in the world, and the company has teamed up with Resorts Hotel Casino to offer online poker.
For the time being, sites will only be available to people physically located in New Jersey, but that is sure to change in the years ahead. Eventually the laws will allow for intrastate gaming, so residents in New Jersey will be able to play against residents in Nevada and so forth as more states join in.
There are 12 casinos located in Atlantic City, and so far at least 9, and possibly a tenth, have already lined up a partner for launching an online poker site, so there is definitely not a lack of interest.
One of the biggest casino owners in Atlantic City is Caesars Entertainment (CZR). The company operates four casinos in Atlantic City, and has announced it would partner up with 888 Holdings to offer online poker.
The stakes are high for Caesars, and a strong start to online poker in Atlantic City could position the company to dominate the market as more states start passing their own online poker legislation.
In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before all states pass similar legislation. Poker revenues are just too big to ignore. The biggest problem with online poker before was the inability of the federal government to regulate the flow of money and tax what was taking place.
The potential revenues are huge, and Atlantic City is in desperate need of an increase in cash flow. The city hit a high of $5.2 billion in casino revenues in 2006, but that figure was down to $3 billion last year.
According to Robert Griffin, who is the CEO of Trump Entertainment Resorts, online poker could eventually make up 20% of the company's total revenue.
What we are seeing is the rebirth of online poker in the U.S. It will take some time, but eventually states across the nation are going to try to get their piece of the action. Nevada and New Jersey have small populations, so the financial gains for companies such as Caesars will be limited, but that will change if we see states like California or New York start to get involved. California is the more likely of the two to pass legislation, but New York will definitely be paying close attention to what happens across the Hudson in New Jersey.
I expect both California and Nevada to legalize online gambling in the next couple of years, and once that happens it will most likely spread quickly through the rest of the nation. For Caesars, I do not see too material of an impact from New Jersey online poker, but the long term benefit of getting an early start in the industry will pay big dividends in the years ahead.
Online poker gets a start date in New Jersey
After a five-day testing period to make sure the software is operating as it should, the sites will go live. I believe that companies who get a quick start in the market have the potential to realize big gains in the years ahead as more states move to legalize online poker.
The biggest company to get involved is PokerStars. PokerStars is the largest poker website in the world, and the company has teamed up with Resorts Hotel Casino to offer online poker.
For the time being, sites will only be available to people physically located in New Jersey, but that is sure to change in the years ahead. Eventually the laws will allow for intrastate gaming, so residents in New Jersey will be able to play against residents in Nevada and so forth as more states join in.
There are 12 casinos located in Atlantic City, and so far at least 9, and possibly a tenth, have already lined up a partner for launching an online poker site, so there is definitely not a lack of interest.
One of the biggest casino owners in Atlantic City is Caesars Entertainment (CZR). The company operates four casinos in Atlantic City, and has announced it would partner up with 888 Holdings to offer online poker.
The stakes are high for Caesars, and a strong start to online poker in Atlantic City could position the company to dominate the market as more states start passing their own online poker legislation.
In my opinion, it is only a matter of time before all states pass similar legislation. Poker revenues are just too big to ignore. The biggest problem with online poker before was the inability of the federal government to regulate the flow of money and tax what was taking place.
The potential revenues are huge, and Atlantic City is in desperate need of an increase in cash flow. The city hit a high of $5.2 billion in casino revenues in 2006, but that figure was down to $3 billion last year.
According to Robert Griffin, who is the CEO of Trump Entertainment Resorts, online poker could eventually make up 20% of the company's total revenue.
What we are seeing is the rebirth of online poker in the U.S. It will take some time, but eventually states across the nation are going to try to get their piece of the action. Nevada and New Jersey have small populations, so the financial gains for companies such as Caesars will be limited, but that will change if we see states like California or New York start to get involved. California is the more likely of the two to pass legislation, but New York will definitely be paying close attention to what happens across the Hudson in New Jersey.
I expect both California and Nevada to legalize online gambling in the next couple of years, and once that happens it will most likely spread quickly through the rest of the nation. For Caesars, I do not see too material of an impact from New Jersey online poker, but the long term benefit of getting an early start in the industry will pay big dividends in the years ahead.
Online poker gets a start date in New Jersey
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2006/12/07
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Minor changes from Bodog incrementally improve the client software.
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New exponential bet slider in Bodog software upgrade make it easier to get all in. When all in there is now an onscreen equity display.
By Jocelyn Wood
October 03, 2013
pokerfu.se/d3zn
Bodog’s latest software upgrade adds new table features and fixes a bug that unexpectedly caused some players to post a big blind.
The bug affected the “Wait for BB” option by automatically unchecking the selection box if the player in the big blind seat left. This led to players who expected not to post until they were in the big blind posting blinds in advance.
Improvements included an upgrade to the bet slider which now increments bets exponentially “allowing for more play/movement in the first half of the bar and less in the 2nd half.” The slider can also be operated by using the ”+” key.
Display features have also improved. There is now a tournament information table accessed through a new details tab. It shows your current position in the tournament, the number of players remaining in the tournament, average stack size, the next level and time until the next break.
A new animation shows folded cards sliding to the middle of the table, and for players who do not fold, but end up all in, there will now be an on table display of the equity held by each hand.
Bovada Poker
Bovada Casino
Bovada Sportsbook
Bodog = Bovada
Share:
New exponential bet slider in Bodog software upgrade make it easier to get all in. When all in there is now an onscreen equity display.
By Jocelyn Wood
October 03, 2013
pokerfu.se/d3zn
Bodog’s latest software upgrade adds new table features and fixes a bug that unexpectedly caused some players to post a big blind.
The bug affected the “Wait for BB” option by automatically unchecking the selection box if the player in the big blind seat left. This led to players who expected not to post until they were in the big blind posting blinds in advance.
Improvements included an upgrade to the bet slider which now increments bets exponentially “allowing for more play/movement in the first half of the bar and less in the 2nd half.” The slider can also be operated by using the ”+” key.
Display features have also improved. There is now a tournament information table accessed through a new details tab. It shows your current position in the tournament, the number of players remaining in the tournament, average stack size, the next level and time until the next break.
A new animation shows folded cards sliding to the middle of the table, and for players who do not fold, but end up all in, there will now be an on table display of the equity held by each hand.
Bovada Poker
Bovada Casino
Bovada Sportsbook
Bodog = Bovada
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2006/12/07
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29893
Over the past five years, the U.S. Justice Department has busted more than a dozen Internet poker sites that allowed Americans to play online for real money.
Websites were shut down, operators were arrested and millions of dollars were seized, even though all the websites were run from outside the U.S. and most of the operators were foreigners.
The message from the feds to the world is clear: If you run a website that allows U.S. citizens to play poker for cash, you're breaking U.S. law and we're coming after you.
However, there seems to be an exception — and it's right here in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
"What we're doing is legal," declared entrepreneur Jason B. Kellerman, owner and CEO of Pure Play, one of the largest online poker rooms in the world. "We're not a gambling site. We're a subscription-based poker site."
Kellerman insists his Financial District operation breaks no California or federal gambling laws because the online poker tournaments — which award huge cash prizes to winners — are free to enter.
"We operate under a different business model than other online poker sites," the 44-year-old said. "Ours is a subscription model, patented by me. People pay a $25 monthly fee to become a member of Pure Play. Then, once you're a member, you can play in all the online poker tournaments you want for free, and win cash prizes."
The sweepstakes model
Under the law, Pure Play is not considered gambling but a type of "sweepstakes," Kellerman said. That's because people can join for free by sending the company a sign-up postcard, he said.
"Legally, what we do is no different from what McDonald's does with its Monopoly contest, where you collect game pieces to win cash prizes," Kellerman said.
"When you buy a burger, you get a Monopoly game piece. What makes it a legal sweepstakes and not gambling is that you can get a game piece without buying anything if you write to McDonald's and request one. Pure Play operates under the same legal principle."
Customers are willing to pay the $25-a-month fee to join Pure Play even though there's a free option.
"It's a matter of convenience," Kellerman said. "People don't want to send in a postcard every month. Instead, most of our customers give us a credit card number and we bill them every month. Plus, our paid members don't have to look at ads on the site when they play. Our free members do."
Kellerman refused to disclose Pure Play's total current subscriptions, only saying it numbers "in the hundreds of thousands." He did, however, note that most of his customers are from the U.S. and more than 9 million people have registered since it debuted in 2005.
In addition to the tournaments, which hand out about $100,000 in winnings a month, Pure Play also offers other casino games, although they have no cash payouts.
Not afraid of the law
Despite other online poker companies being shut down, Kellerman said he has no fears about himself or any of his 20 employees being arrested.
"There's not a lot of concern about that," he said. "We have never ever had an issue or even an inquiry or concern on the part of any authority, federal or state."
Nevertheless, Kellerman concedes that what he is doing has questionable legality in at least parts of the U.S. Pure Play's website lists 14 states — mostly in the South and Midwest, not California — whose residents are banned from becoming members because of respective state gambling laws.
In addition, public records show that there have been numerous consumer complaints made against the company. From August 2010 to February 2013, according to the most recent information available from the Better Business Bureau's website, there were 33 complaints filed about Pure Play. Of those, 18 were about billing or collection issues, 13 were about product or service issues, and two were about advertising issues.
However, of the 33 total complaints, 30 were resolved to the customer's satisfaction.
What constitutes gambling?
Determining whether the multimillion-dollar business is a legal sweepstakes is not cut-and-dried. After all, the fact remains that his paid customers who don't win a tournament are still out their money.
I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School who's considered one of the foremost experts on gambling law and who consulted for Pure Play, said several factors make the San Francisco operation legit.
"Legally, for an activity to be considered gambling, it must contain three elements: consideration, chance and prize," Rose explained. "Consideration means you have to pay to participate. Chance means the activity involves luck, not skill. And prize means you can win something of value.
"If consideration is missing and something is free to participate in, that's a sweepstakes. If chance is missing and an activity is skill, that's a contest. And if prize is missing and you can't win anything of value, that's an amusement. Legally, Pure Play is a sweepstakes and not gambling because it's free and hence lacks the element of consideration."
The San Francisco Examiner contacted both the U.S. and California justice departments to see if the state and federal attorneys general agreed with Kellerman's assessment that Pure Play is not breaking any laws.
Neither department, however, would confirm that Pure Play is legal. In fact, both would not even discuss the matter.
"The department declines comment, thank you," said Michael Passman, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department.
And Michelle Gregory, a spokeswoman for the California Justice Department's Office of Gambling Control, said, "I cannot comment on the legality or illegality."
A brief history of online gambling
1998: The world's first online poker site, Planet Poker (| Planet Poker), opens. The site, operated from Costa Rica, makes it possible for people in the U.S. and around the world to play poker over the Internet for
Websites were shut down, operators were arrested and millions of dollars were seized, even though all the websites were run from outside the U.S. and most of the operators were foreigners.
The message from the feds to the world is clear: If you run a website that allows U.S. citizens to play poker for cash, you're breaking U.S. law and we're coming after you.
However, there seems to be an exception — and it's right here in the heart of downtown San Francisco.
"What we're doing is legal," declared entrepreneur Jason B. Kellerman, owner and CEO of Pure Play, one of the largest online poker rooms in the world. "We're not a gambling site. We're a subscription-based poker site."
Kellerman insists his Financial District operation breaks no California or federal gambling laws because the online poker tournaments — which award huge cash prizes to winners — are free to enter.
"We operate under a different business model than other online poker sites," the 44-year-old said. "Ours is a subscription model, patented by me. People pay a $25 monthly fee to become a member of Pure Play. Then, once you're a member, you can play in all the online poker tournaments you want for free, and win cash prizes."
The sweepstakes model
Under the law, Pure Play is not considered gambling but a type of "sweepstakes," Kellerman said. That's because people can join for free by sending the company a sign-up postcard, he said.
"Legally, what we do is no different from what McDonald's does with its Monopoly contest, where you collect game pieces to win cash prizes," Kellerman said.
"When you buy a burger, you get a Monopoly game piece. What makes it a legal sweepstakes and not gambling is that you can get a game piece without buying anything if you write to McDonald's and request one. Pure Play operates under the same legal principle."
Customers are willing to pay the $25-a-month fee to join Pure Play even though there's a free option.
"It's a matter of convenience," Kellerman said. "People don't want to send in a postcard every month. Instead, most of our customers give us a credit card number and we bill them every month. Plus, our paid members don't have to look at ads on the site when they play. Our free members do."
Kellerman refused to disclose Pure Play's total current subscriptions, only saying it numbers "in the hundreds of thousands." He did, however, note that most of his customers are from the U.S. and more than 9 million people have registered since it debuted in 2005.
In addition to the tournaments, which hand out about $100,000 in winnings a month, Pure Play also offers other casino games, although they have no cash payouts.
Not afraid of the law
Despite other online poker companies being shut down, Kellerman said he has no fears about himself or any of his 20 employees being arrested.
"There's not a lot of concern about that," he said. "We have never ever had an issue or even an inquiry or concern on the part of any authority, federal or state."
Nevertheless, Kellerman concedes that what he is doing has questionable legality in at least parts of the U.S. Pure Play's website lists 14 states — mostly in the South and Midwest, not California — whose residents are banned from becoming members because of respective state gambling laws.
In addition, public records show that there have been numerous consumer complaints made against the company. From August 2010 to February 2013, according to the most recent information available from the Better Business Bureau's website, there were 33 complaints filed about Pure Play. Of those, 18 were about billing or collection issues, 13 were about product or service issues, and two were about advertising issues.
However, of the 33 total complaints, 30 were resolved to the customer's satisfaction.
What constitutes gambling?
Determining whether the multimillion-dollar business is a legal sweepstakes is not cut-and-dried. After all, the fact remains that his paid customers who don't win a tournament are still out their money.
I. Nelson Rose, a professor at Whittier Law School who's considered one of the foremost experts on gambling law and who consulted for Pure Play, said several factors make the San Francisco operation legit.
"Legally, for an activity to be considered gambling, it must contain three elements: consideration, chance and prize," Rose explained. "Consideration means you have to pay to participate. Chance means the activity involves luck, not skill. And prize means you can win something of value.
"If consideration is missing and something is free to participate in, that's a sweepstakes. If chance is missing and an activity is skill, that's a contest. And if prize is missing and you can't win anything of value, that's an amusement. Legally, Pure Play is a sweepstakes and not gambling because it's free and hence lacks the element of consideration."
The San Francisco Examiner contacted both the U.S. and California justice departments to see if the state and federal attorneys general agreed with Kellerman's assessment that Pure Play is not breaking any laws.
Neither department, however, would confirm that Pure Play is legal. In fact, both would not even discuss the matter.
"The department declines comment, thank you," said Michael Passman, a spokesman for the U.S. Justice Department.
And Michelle Gregory, a spokeswoman for the California Justice Department's Office of Gambling Control, said, "I cannot comment on the legality or illegality."
A brief history of online gambling
1998: The world's first online poker site, Planet Poker (| Planet Poker), opens. The site, operated from Costa Rica, makes it possible for people in the U.S. and around the world to play poker over the Internet for
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2006/12/07
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With the release of the movie “Runner Runner” in the US on October 3rd, which explores the world of offshore online poker, a process of politicization has already begun. Groups such as the American Gaming Association have used the Justin Timberlake movie to push their message across that the United States government needs to introduce online poker and gambling regulations as soon as possible. The AGA purchased ads across major media channels, including Google, Facebook, Twitter and the film website Imdb-com to bring to the public’s awareness the need for the introduction of national law.
One of the AGA’s messages reads: “Online gambling is here. It’s happening. Let’s create a regulated market in the U.S. that keeps the bad guys out and lets players play … safely.”
Runner Runner stars Timberlake as a gifted college graduate who gets involved with online poker, believing that he has been cheated out of his tuition money by an offshore site.
The President of the AGA, Geoff Freeman, has also taken to the media to give interviews and his message is clear: Introduce a policy of oversight in the United States that will govern online poker and gambling. He also urges citizens to pressure their congressional representatives to support federal online poker legislation.
“Washington is changing,” Freeman is quoted in a recent interview. “There’s less negotiating in the dark of night in smoke-filled rooms. We have to take other approaches.”
Besides its aggressive new marketing campaign which coincides with the release of Runner Runner, the AGA is also planning to invite its members and the gambling public at large to take part in its efforts.
“The time has come for the association to be more proactive, more zealous in telling our story,” said Freeman. “We’re going to engage players.”
AGA Uses Online Poker Film to Get Regulation Message Across
One of the AGA’s messages reads: “Online gambling is here. It’s happening. Let’s create a regulated market in the U.S. that keeps the bad guys out and lets players play … safely.”
Runner Runner stars Timberlake as a gifted college graduate who gets involved with online poker, believing that he has been cheated out of his tuition money by an offshore site.
The President of the AGA, Geoff Freeman, has also taken to the media to give interviews and his message is clear: Introduce a policy of oversight in the United States that will govern online poker and gambling. He also urges citizens to pressure their congressional representatives to support federal online poker legislation.
“Washington is changing,” Freeman is quoted in a recent interview. “There’s less negotiating in the dark of night in smoke-filled rooms. We have to take other approaches.”
Besides its aggressive new marketing campaign which coincides with the release of Runner Runner, the AGA is also planning to invite its members and the gambling public at large to take part in its efforts.
“The time has come for the association to be more proactive, more zealous in telling our story,” said Freeman. “We’re going to engage players.”
AGA Uses Online Poker Film to Get Regulation Message Across
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2006/12/07
Messages:
29893
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The open source project is a collaborative effort between pokerfuse and software engineering and network security consulting firm SeNet International.
PokerShield is a complete bootable computer operating system that can be run from a CD, flash drive or installed on your computer’s hard drive. Its goal is to shield players from such hazards as social engineering attacks, phishing, keyloggers, hole card viewers and other attempts to compromise the security of the online player.
The portable platform is locked down to mitigate the risk of malicious software being installed on players’ computers, the most common security breach affecting online poker players.
“If users follow the security protocols that accompany PokerShield, they will greatly reduce the risk of attacks that have commonly plagued online poker players,” says Gus Fritschie, Chief Technology Officer of SeNet International. Gus has been a long-time contributor to pokerfuse on topics of preventative computer security.
PokerShield is based on a custom hardened and secure Linux Ubuntu operating system which hosts two Windows virtual machines: One is secured and locked down with its only intended purpose being to play online poker; The other will allow players unrestricted access to the internet. Any attacks made against the unrestricted VM—or even the host computer—will not compromise the security of the poker-playing section of PokerShield.
PokerShield is currently in development. When it is released, it will be free and open source to the poker community. For more information on PokerShield, visit pokershield-com. You can sign up to the mailing list so you are notified of updates.
PokerShield: A Free and Open Source System for Secure Online Poker Play | Pokerfuse Online Poker News