Gambling News
Online Gambling Operators in France Detained for Running Illegal Bitcoin Exchange
TOULOUSE, France – (Reuters) - French police have dismantled an illegal Bitcoin exchange and seized 388 virtual currency units worth some 200,000 euros ($272,800) in the first such operation in Europe, a public prosecutor said on Monday.
Pokerstars Guarantees $5 Mil: Adds ‘Micromillions Challenge’ to 8th Championship
ONCHAN, Isle of Man – PokerStars today announced the schedule for the eighth running of the world’s most popular online poker championship, MicroMillions. It will take place over 11 days from July 17-27, and feature 100 events with $5 million in guaranteed prize money.
The highlight will be the $22 No Limit Hold’em Main Event tournament on the final day of the championship, which has a $1 million guarantee. Incredibly, six of the seven previous Main Event winners have pocketed huge six-figure paydays, with a record first prize of just over $160k – all from just a $22 buy-in.
Kansas City Area Bookies: Is Sports Betting Legal in Kansas, Missouri?
Kansas City bookies are abundant and with good reason. The Chiefs have one of the most loyal fan bases in the nation while college basketball and college football enjoy huge popularity.
Breaking News: Amaya Considers London, New York for Secondary Listing
(Reuters) - Canada's Amaya Gaming Group Inc is working towards a secondary listing, either in London or in New York, the online gambling company's head told the Times on Saturday.
The company was weighing the benefits of a dual listing, but had not finalised which city it would be in, the daily quoted Chief Executive David Baazov as saying.
Amaya Gaming could not immediately be reached for a comment outside of regular business hours.
Doyle Brunson Says World Series of Poker Main Event Hours ‘Too Damn Long’
Poker legend Doyle Brunson has tweeted that he will no longer play in the World Series of Poker Main Event.
Brunson, who turns 81 next month, tweeted:
To everybody who keeps asking...I'm not playing the Main Event. Hours are just too damn long
Van Der Sloot Marries Pregnant Girlfriend in Prison
Joran van der Sloot married his pregnant Peruvian girlfriend in prison Friday. The Dutchman is serving a 28-year-old sentence for the 2010 murder of another Peruvian woman.
Van der Sloot, 26, married Leidy Figueroa in Lima's Piedras Gordas penitentiary during a small midday ceremony. She is expected to give birth in September.
Van der Sloot was convicted of killing 21-year-old female Peruvian student Stephany Flores. He met her in a Lima casino while following the Latin American Poker Tour.
2014 World Series of Poker Main Event Kicks Off
The 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event was set to begin on Saturday. Over the next three days, we will grasp the number of entries and, as such, the ultimate prize money to be handed out.
Last year’s WSOP had Ryan Reiss (remember him?) walk away with the top prize of $8,361,570. We won’t know the winner until November when the final table takes place.
EU Wants Health Warning for Online Gambling Advertisements
BRUSSELS – (Reuters) - The European Commission will urge countries to demand that online gambling advertisements display warning messages like cigarette packets, according to a draft document seen by Reuters.
The EU executive will make its recommendation to improve controls of the 10.5 billion-euro ($14.3 billion) online gambling industry next week, focusing on advertisements to tackle compulsive gambling.
Russia to Open Up Sochi, Crimea for Gambling: Easing Online Poker Restrictions
Russia has announced plans to ease restrictions on Internet gambling while opening up Sochi and the Crimea for land-based casinos.
China Jails 68 People in Online Gambling Bust: Up to Nine Years Prison Time
(Reuters) - China has jailed 68 people for up to nine years for online gambling, state media said on Friday, making it the country's largest such bust of a ring, which was valued at $78 billion.
The group operated in the southern province of Guangdong via overseas gambling websites between March 2008 and April 2013, using the sites to lure bettors and take commissions, the official Xinhua news agency said.
Ex-Mob Boss Son Convicted in Looting of Company
Camden, N.J. – (Associated Press) - The son of a former Philadelphia mob boss and another reputed mob associate were convicted Thursday of federal fraud charges for taking over a Texas-based mortgage company and then plundering its assets to buy homes, luxury cars, a plane and a yacht.
Odds to Win the 2014 Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest: Total Prop Bets
Carrie Stroup here with your odds to win the 2014 Nathans Hot Dog Eating Contest for both the men and the women, all courtesy of Sportsbook.com. Place your 1st bet, get your 2nd bet for free.
Fixed World Cup Game Doubted
FIFA has cast doubts on allegations made by a German magazine that a World Cup group game between Cameroon and Croatia had been fixed.
FIFA is demanding that Der Spiegel provide details of all its conversations with convicted match-fixer Wilson Raj Perumal to prove the June 18 game had been fixed. Cameroon lost 4-0.
Phil Ivey Responds to Borgata Cheating Allegations: ‘Was All Skill’
Poker pro Phil Ivey is looking to have a lawsuit filed against him by the Borgata Casino in Atlantic City dismissed. The Borgata alleges that Ivey and a companion cheated the casino out of nearly $12 million while playing baccarat.
One Drop Winner Daniel Colman Aloof, Won’t Promote Poker
Immediately following 23-year-old Daniel Colman’s Big One for One Drop $15 million plus win early Tuesday, the Boston poker player ran off and refused to talk to any media.
Colman fled the World Series of Poker host casino, the Rio, within five minutes.
His handlers claimed Colman “was not interested in promoting poker”.
From the Las Vegas Sun:
Aria Ordered to Pay $100k for Barring Agents
LAS VEGAS – (Associated Press) - A Las Vegas Strip casino has agreed to pay $100,000 to settle allegations that a supervisor shooed away state agents who were watching a high-stakes roulette table, even though state law requires all gambling to be open to the public.
The Nevada Gaming Control Board released the proposed settlement with Aria Las Vegas this week. The agreement must be approved by the Nevada Gaming Commission.
Poker Pro Chad Brown Passes Away at Age 52
Following a long bout with cancer, poker pro Chad Brown has passed away at the age of 52.
Brown died at 1:15 am Wednesday morning at Calvary Hospital Hospice in the Bronx, New York.
Daniel Negreanu Now All Time Top Money Earner in Poker: $8 Mil Loser at One Drop
Regardless of where he finished at this year’s World Series of Poker Big One for One Drop, Daniel Negreanu had become the biggest money earner of all time in poker.
Latin Series of Poker Rebrands as Latin Poker Series Following WSOP Dispute
San Jose, Costa Rica – As most of the poker world focuses their attention on Las Vegas for the world's richest poker tournament, the guys behind the World Series of Poker have turned their attention to south of the United States. In response to a claim by the WSOP that LSOP is infringing on its copyright with its use of 'Series of Poker', LSOP management have opted to rebrand as the Latin Poker Series (LPS).
Paris Hilton Ex Rick Salomon Leads Big One for One Drop
Rick Salomon, perhaps known best for starring in that infamous sex tape with one time girlfriend Paris Hilton, lead with chips heading into the finale of the 2014 Big One for One Drop.
Macau Revenue Dips: First Decline in More Than Four Years
(Reuters) - Gambling revenue in Macau fell 3.7 percent in June on an annual basis, the first decline in more than four years, with analysts saying the soccer World Cup had diverted gamblers and their hefty bets away from the world's largest casino hub.
The southern Chinese territory of Macau, a special administrative region, like neighbouring Hong Kong, is the only place in the country casino gambling is legal.
Man Convicted of Shooting Player Over $5 Poker Hand
A North Carolina man has been convicted and sentenced to serve up to 60 months behind bars for shooting a fellow poker player over a $5 hand.
Prentice Reaves was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury by a Columbus County jury on Tuesday.
The incident began as a friendly poker game and quickly turned violent.
Sam Trickett, Antonio Esfandiari Look to Repeat Their One Drop Success
Heading into Monday of the first day of the $1 million buy-in Big One For One Drop Sam Trickett and Antonio Esfandiari were among the top three chip leaders with Tom Hall leading the pack.
Esfandiari and Trickett finished 1st and 2nd at the inaugural Big One for One Drop two years ago. Both walked away with a huge payday. Esfandiari took home $18,346,673 while Trickett took home $10,112,001 as the loser. This event, which featured 42 entries, will pay less to the winner than the first year’s One Drop, $15,306,668.
Primary School Teacher Blows Away £60,000 on Internet Gambling
Women find online gambling more attractive than drugs and sex according to a report filed by the Daily Mail.
Jenny Murray is a primary school teacher profiled in the Daily Mail report. She blew away a whopping £60,000 accessing online gambling websites and, to this day, is £18,000 in debt.
From the Daily Mail:
Poker Pro Johannes Strassmann Body Found in River
A 29-year-old professional poker player from Germany who went missing June 21 has been found dead.
Slovenian police confirmed that a body found in the Ljublijianica River this past Friday is that of Johannes Strassmann.
The poker pro had been visiting some fellow players. He went missing after a trip to the town of Ljubljana.
Atlantic City's Competition Forces Makeover
In the old days, Atlantic City had legal gaming to itself on the Atlantic Seaboard and in typical fashion people thought that would always be the case. But casinos owned by Native Americans opened.
Pennsylvania approved gaming and gave Philly-area gamblers a choice of staying on their side of the river or paying a toll to ride across New Jersey to a town many people don't think is safe. They have gaming to the south too.
Gambling911.com World Exclusive: Man to Sue Jay Cohen for Money Owed by WSEX
A man who is owed nearly $70,000 by now-defunct online sportsbook World Sports Exchange tells Gambling911.com in a world exclusive interview that he intends to sue World Sports Exchange former co-owner Jay Cohen for the owed funds.
Phil Ivey Claims 10th World Series of Poker Bracelet: Tied for Second All-Time
Phil Ivey has claimed his 10th World Series of Poker bracelet and is tied for 10th all-time after Phil Hellmuth with 13. The 38-year-old Las Vegas resident is tied with Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan although one can argue that Ivey’s wins are far more impressive due to the dramatic increase in player fields.
Ivey’s feat was accomplished at the $1,500 buy-in Eight Game Mix tournament in which he also walked away with $167,332. His last three victories have come in mixed game formats.
Luis Suarez Loses Sponsorship Deal With 888 Poker
(Reuters) - Poker brand 888 has cancelled its sponsorship deal with Luis Suarez after the Uruguay striker was banned from all soccer-related activity for four months for biting an opponent during a World Cup match.
Suarez, one of the most talented but controversial players, lit up the English Premier League last season with club side Liverpool and became one of the online gambling company's brand ambassadors only last month.
Famed Showboat Casino in Atlantic City to Shut Down
ATLANTIC CITY (Associated Press) — Casino contraction hit Atlantic City again Friday, as the parent company of the Showboat Casino Hotel announced it will close the Mardi Gras-themed casino on Aug. 31.
Caesars Entertainment told The Associated Press on Friday morning the company will shutter the poorest-performing of its four Atlantic City casinos.
CEO Gary Loveman said in a statement that the “difficult decision” is necessary to protect the rest of its business in Atlantic City, where it currently owns four of the 11 casinos.
