Gambling News

Gambling911 World Exclusive: The Russ Hamilton Recordings, Who Knew What

The poker community listened with fascination and disgust this week, after Russ Hamilton's personal assistant, Travis Makar, released audio of secretly recorded meetings between Ultimate Bet founders and lawyers.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Thu, 05/16/2013 - 13:26

Partouche Online Poker Parts Ways, Closing Shop

France online poker venture, Partouche, is shutting down.

The company announced plans to cease existence effective next month (June 2013).

Partouche cited France’s stringent tax code, combined with a limited player pool, as reason for its failure.

Submitted by Ace King on, Thu, 05/16/2013 - 10:31

Asia Pacific Poker Tour Macau Season 7 Schedule Released

The PokerStars.net Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) has released its APPT Macau* Season 7 schedule (see below), which will take place at 'PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams' from June 7-16.

Submitted by Press Release on, Thu, 05/16/2013 - 10:10

Ware is he Now: Former WSEX.com Owner Lives in German Brewery

A co-founder of now defunct World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com), Hayden Ware, is living quite the intoxicating life, Gambling911.com can report.

Hidin' Ware?

Ware and his German-born wife now reside in a converted German brewery.

The Wares paid around 655,000 euros (about $890,000) for the 3,230-square-foot space located in Berlin.

Whether any of that money belongs to players of WSEX.com is unknown as Ware’s involvement in the shuttered online gambling company during its later years remains somewhat of a mystery.

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Thu, 05/16/2013 - 09:41

Tribes in California Craft Own Draft Legislation for Internet Poker

Tribes in the state of California have put together their own draft legislation to legalize online poker.

The proposal would allow Tribal casinos and the state’s 88 card rooms to license Web poker sites.

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians near Temecula and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians in the Coachella Valley are currently pushing the draft legislation.

State Senator Rod Wright (D-Ingelwood) has introduced his own bill (Senate Bill 51) that would permit horse tracks to hold such licenses.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 23:45

Atlantic City Revel Casino Gets Reprieve

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — Revel was given a second chance Wednesday from New Jersey casino regulators, and now it’s seeking the same thing from customers.

In winning a reprieve, the bankrupt casino acknowledged several big mistakes, including preventing its guests from smoking; not paying enough attention to slots players; and booking too many hip acts at the expense of other forms of entertainment.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 22:55

Macau New Resort Casino Approved

HONG KONG (Associated Press) - Macau casino operator SJM Holdings has received official approval to build a new resort in the world's biggest gambling center.

SJM said its contract for land in the Cotai district was published Wednesday in the official government gazette. The company is racing to catch up with rivals like Wynn Resorts and MGM.

The new projects are centered on the Cotai Strip, a patch of former swampland intended to be Asia's version of the Las Vegas Strip.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 17:19

DOJ Freezes Accounts Between Bitcoin Exchange and Dwolla: Maryland Center Stage

The US Department of Justice on Tuesday froze accounts belonging to one of Bitcoin’s most prominent exchanges, Mt. Gox.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 12:12

Tiger Woods to Host $10k Buy-in Poker Tournament This Weekend

The world number one golfer Tiger Woods is set to host a $100,000 buy-in poker tournament this coming weekend in Las Vegas.

The two-day charity tournament, known affectionately as “Tiger Jam”, has raised approximately $14 million to benefit college access programs of the Tiger Woods Foundation.

Poker pros joining Tiger will include Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Mike Sexton, among others.

Submitted by Patrick Flanigan on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 11:13

Iovation Investigated by Nevada Officials: Company Linked to Poker Cheating Scandal

Nevada State Gaming Control Board Chairman A.G. Burnett has stated in an email that regulators are looking into identification verification firm Iovation and its relationship to licensed online poker company UltimatePoker.

Iovation had ties to an insider cheating scandal at UB.com, a now defunct online poker site.

Submitted by Ace King on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 11:00

Minted Poker Moves to Fledgling Plutos Poker Network

Everleaf Poker Network’s flagship room, Minted Poker, has jumped ship to the newly started Plutos Poker Network.

Minted has offered a 100 rakeback deal to long time Minted Poker players who have been unable to play as a result of Everleaf’s reported insolvency. The company claims that Everleaf owes it a substantial amount of money.

Submitted by Ace King on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 10:31

Hedge Fund Tycoon Talal Shakerchi Loses £850,000 in Poker

A London tycoon, Talal Shakerchi, has lost more than £850,000 in a poker game held over the past weekend.

The 49-year-old head of hedge fund, Meditor, staked 500,000 euros (£424,112) along with five other players for an unofficial game at the European Poker Tour in Monaco this past weekend.

Submitted by Ace King on, Wed, 05/15/2013 - 10:19

Jason Mercier Leads at Final Table of 2013 Super High Roller EPT Grand Final

Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier, who bust the Main Event in seventh place two days ago for €137,000, is chip leader for the final table of the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final €100k Super High Roller.

Mercier, who also won the Open Face Chinese tourney for €48,000 at the start of the festival, leads a star-studded final which includes PCA Super High Roller champion Scott Seiver, Vladimir Troyanovskiy, who was runner-up in the PCA $25k High Roller and EPT Barcelona Super High Roller finalist Mike Watson.

Submitted by Press Release on, Tue, 05/14/2013 - 22:41

Verdict Reached in Las Vegas Sands Case

LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — A Las Vegas jury has reached a verdict in a Hong Kong businessman's breach-of-contract lawsuit against the Las Vegas Sands, potentially bringing nine years of litigation to an end.

Richard Suen sued the casino giant run by multibillionaire Sheldon Adelson for $328 million in 2004. He says the company owed him for his help securing a lucrative gambling license in the Chinese territory of Macau, the only place in that country where casino gambling is legal.

Submitted by Associated Press on, Tue, 05/14/2013 - 15:39

Paul Leggett Hiring by Amaya Under Review by Nevada Gaming Commission

Former UB.com COO Paul Leggett has been tagged as the next head of gambling firm Amaya but the Nevada Gaming Commission might not be too happy.

UB.com closed shop following a 2011 indictment by the US Government owing millions of dollars to players.

The website LegalPokerSites.com begged the question, with so many other folks from the online gambling sector unemployed, why bring on Paul Leggett?

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Tue, 05/14/2013 - 15:23

Atlantic Club Claims it Knew Nothing About PokerStars Running Afoul of US Law

Responding to a lawsuit filed by PokerStars, Atlantic City casino The Atlantic Club insists it knew nothing about PokerStars legal problems in the United States despite extensive mainstream press surrounding the matter.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Tue, 05/14/2013 - 10:45

Interview With Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson Part II

Gambling911.com continues its interview with Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson, who addresses the departure status of two pros. Additionally, Ms. Larson responds to concerns over Lock’s communications process, which she describes as a “work in progress”.

In case you missed Part I of this interview, you can find it here.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Mon, 05/13/2013 - 23:36

Blue Monday’ Online Gambling Beneficiaries Jailed, Forced to Resign

It’s been nearly two years since close to a dozen online gambling domain names were seized as part of a payment processing sting operation.

Submitted by Alejandro Botticelli on, Mon, 05/13/2013 - 23:03

Jason Mercier Leads Super High Roller EPT Grand Final 2013

Team PokerStars Pro Jason Mercier, who bust the Main Event yesterday in seventh place, is chip leader in the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final €100k Super High Roller at the end of Day 1. Mercier has 1,183,000 with Sorel Mizzi currently second with 885,000. There were 41 players today, with seven re-entries. 30 players made it through Day 1 but those who were eliminated today have until play starts tomorrow at noon to re-enter.

Submitted by Press Release on, Mon, 05/13/2013 - 20:12

Phil Hellmuth, Annie Duke Revealed as Part Owners of Defunct UB.com Poker Site

Shocking revelations have come out over the past week regarding poker pros Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke’s affiliation with shuttered UB.com. While both were well known as the faces behind the company, taped conversations released in recent days shows that the two players actually had part ownership in UB.com.

Submitted by Ace King on, Mon, 05/13/2013 - 16:47

Spate of Casino Kidnappings has Officials, Gamblers Worried

The number of casino crimes in Macau jumped during the first quarter of 2013. These include a rise in kidnapping reports.

From Macau Business Daily:

Submitted by Jagajeet Chiba on, Mon, 05/13/2013 - 12:34

Crockford’s Claims Phil Ivey Exploited Cards: Won’t Pay £7.8m in Winnings

Following news that poker pro Phil Ivey has sued London’s oldest casino, Crockford’s, that establishment has fought back claiming that Ivey won £7.8m by 'reading' the back of cards.

Crockford’s refuses to pay out the £7.8m. Ivey insists he did nothing wrong.

The Daily Mail explained how the alleged scheme transpired:

Submitted by Ace King on, Mon, 05/13/2013 - 12:21

John L. Smith: Allowing Sports Betting Investor Groups in Vegas Carries Some Risk

John L. Smith, a columnist for the Las Vegas Review Journal, offered his assessment of a planned move to allow investment groups or syndicates to place large wagers in the state of Nevada.

Submitted by Gilbert Horowitz on, Sun, 05/12/2013 - 22:50

Lock Poker Exploring Bitcoin Options

One of the largest US-facing online poker rooms has confirmed they are exploring a Bitcoin payment platform. This is the biggest online gambling company to date that has announced plans to offer the digital currency.

“We are indeed looking at Bitcoin as an alternative (payment solution),” Lock Poker Founder and CEO Jennifer Larson tells Gambling911.com.

Submitted by Aaron Goldstein on, Sun, 05/12/2013 - 22:16

Gambling911.com World Exclusive: Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson Interview

In her first ever sit down interview, Lock Poker Founder and CEO talks about recent concerns surrounding her company and the strategy moving forward.

Lock Poker last year migrated to the newly formed Revolution Gaming Network and the growth pains have been felt ever since. Compounding these growing pains is the lack of payment processing available. This has led many to question the company’s financial stability.

Submitted by C Costigan on, Sun, 05/12/2013 - 21:49

Steve O’Dwyer Wins EPT Grand Final Main Event 2013 and €1,2 million

Steve O’Dwyer has won the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final Main Event for a massive €1,224,000 first prize after what many consider to be the best final table in history.

Submitted by Press Release on, Sun, 05/12/2013 - 17:59

EPT Grand Final High Roller 2013 Winner Will Receive €1,211,600

The winner of this season's PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final €25k High Roller will receive a whopping €1,211,600 first prize. There were 121 players in the event which, combined with 37 re-entries, means a total of 158 entries - creating a €3,871,000 prize pool.

As well as their cash prize, the winner will also receive a stunning bracelet worth €8,000 from Shamballa Jewels, Official Bracelet Sponsor of EPT Season 9.

Submitted by Press Release on, Sat, 05/11/2013 - 21:45

Daniel Negreanu, Jason Mercier at Final Table of EPT Grand Final 2013

Two of the biggest names in poker, Daniel Negreanu and Jason Mercier, will represent the final table of the EPT Grand Final 2013.

Submitted by Press Release on, Sat, 05/11/2013 - 17:08

Andrew Pantling Leads for Day 5 of EPT Grand Final

Canadian player Andrew Pantling won a massive pot against Norwegian Team PokerStars Pro Johnny Lodden in the last few moments of Day 4 to take the lead in the PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino EPT Grand Final. He has 2,248,000 and Lodden is down to 1,352,000. Pantling, 30, from Ontario, won the €5k heads-up tourney here at the Grand Final three years ago, and was third in the 2009 Irish Open.

Submitted by Press Release on, Fri, 05/10/2013 - 19:08