Has Online Poker Become Legal in the United States: DOJ Plays Santa
Following a shock announcement that has the online poker community wondering if the floodgates may soon be opening, experts and the media alike were attempting to interpret the US Department of Justice new stance on Internet poker’s legality. It appears the activity may no longer be viewed as “illegal”.
From the Wall Street Journal:
Early Christmas Gift: Department of Justice Changes Position on Internet Gambling
The DOJ was playing Santa Claus for the Internet poker industry coming into this Christmas weekend.
The Department of Justice on Friday announced it has changed its long held stance related to Internet gambling. The federal Wire Act of 1961 will now only apply to sports betting and not to online poker.
“The Department’s Office of Legal Counsel (“OLC”) has analyzed the scope of the Wire Act, 18 U.S.c § 1084, and concluded that it is limited only to sports betting,” U.S. Deputy Attorney General James Cole wrote in a letter on Friday.
Jonathan Duhamel WSOP Bracelet Stolen in Home Invasion
Jonathan Duhamel, last year’s World Series of Poker Main Event winner, became the victim of a brutal home invasion Wednesday. Two masked men forced their way into his home in a suburb of Montreal, beating up Duhamel and getting away with his diamond encrusted WSOP bracelet.
World Series of Poker Champ Jonathan Duhamel Hospitalized After Brutal Home Invasion
The 2010 World Series of Poker Main Event winner, Jonathan Duhamel, was released from a hospital after being attacked during a home invasion Wednesday.
The crime occurred at his home outside Montreal in the Boucherville borough, which is known to have a relatively low crime rate.
Quadjacks Thursday 5 PM EST: PPA Director to Discuss I. Nelson Rose Joe Bartton Flap
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Richard Muny is slated to appear on the popular Quadjacks.com Live Internet Radio Stream Thursday afternoon to offer his opinion on the controversy swirling around noted industry attorney I. Nelson Rose and his disparaging comments about Republican Texas Congressman Joe Barton.
Rep. Barton has sponsored a bill that would allow online poker at the federal level.
Absolute Poker Founder Brent Buckley No Rat Says Website
The founder of an online poker website, Brent Buckley, plead guilty on Tuesday to violation of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and money laundering/bank fraud. As a result, he is expected to serve up to 18 months in prison. Based on past cases involving similar charges, it is doubtful Mr. Buckley will serve more than a year behind bars. Buckley was among those charged April 15 as part of a multiyear investigation into three online poker ventures including Mr.
Minted Poker Bug Exposes Mucked Hole Cards Without Showdown
The PokerFuse.com website was reporting on Tuesday that a bug on the Everleaf Network’s biggest online poker room skin, Minted Poker, was exposing mucked hole cards without a showdown.
PokerFuse.com reported:
The hand replayer in the browser client of Minted Poker was revealing the hole cards of all players – even of those that folded before showdown.
Poker Players Alliance Lashes Out at iGaming Attorney I. Nelson Rose’s Attacks on Barton
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) came out swinging Tuesday, expressing frustration with noted Internet gambling attorney I. Nelson Rose. The attorney has, in recent interviews, attacked Texas Republican Joe Barton, author of a bill to legalize online poker in the US.
Carbon, Merge Poker Traffic Up 74 Percent, Bodog Traffic Stabilizes
Merge Gaming Network climbed to ninth place after spending seven weeks in 10th, according to the popular traffic monitoring website PokerScout.com.
Online Poker Founder Brent Beckley Pleads Guilty in U.S. Fraud Case
By Thom Weidlich - Dec 20, 2011 12:02 PM ET
(Bloomberg) - Brent Beckley, a founder of Absolute Poker of Costa Rica, pleaded guilty in a U.S. illegal-gambling case that seeks at least $3 billion in forfeitures and penalties.
California Online Poker Bill on Back Burner Until the Summer
California wants online poker legalized and they need online poker legalized to help pay the bills.
But for once maybe, the state legislature wants to sit back and “do things right”.
That will happen after they return from a three-month vacation. Yes, this is the state that is dead broke and the state legislators get to take a three month vacation.
Barney Frank Has Joined the Infamous Club of Celebrity Nip Slips (Video)
Yes it’s true, Democratic Massachusetts Congressman Barney Frank has joined the infamous club of celebrity nip slips.
Frank, who has been a huge supporter of one’s right to gamble online, appeared in a CSPAN video recently with a wardrobe malfunction.
From PerezHilton.com:
Harrah's Atlantic City Pays Out Another $1M Poker Jackpot
(NewJerseyNewsRoom.com) A woman won $1 million on a $20 poker bet at Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City on Sunday. She became the second player in the casino’s "Three Card Poker 6 Card" bonus jackpot promotion, started September 26, to earn $1 million.
According to an Associated Press report on NJ.com, officials at Harrahs said the woman, whose name was not disclosed, had been playing at the table for about two hours before she hit the promotion’s top prize— a royal flush in diamonds.
888 Strong End to 2011
(Reuters) - British online gaming company 888 Holdings Plc. said it expects core profit for 2011 to be significantly above market expectations, aided by strength in its casino and poker businesses.
Cash-strapped Britons are staying at home more, watching TV and gambling online, updates from consumer-facing companies showed, as fears grow that the UK will slip back into recession.
The company, which operates 888 casino, poker, sport and bingo brands, said on Monday it would invest in several newly-regulated markets across Europe.
Shufflemaster, OpenBet Apply for Nevada Online Poker License
CardPlayer.com is reporting that Shufflemaster, the global supplier of automatic card shufflers, slot machines and, more importantly, wireless gaming solutions, has applied for a license to operate an online poker venture in the state of Nevada.
Nevada is set to begin allowing intrastate online poker as early as February ahead of potential federal legislation.
Zynga Stock Market Debut a Disappointment
Online game-maker Zynga raised an amazing $1 billion in the single biggest Internet IPO since Google in 2004. The company made its stock market debut on Friday with results essentially flat.
After rising 10 percent above the $10 offering price, it fell to as low as $9.50, then recovered to around its original $10.
From Time.com:
Online Poker Felon Bill Sponsor Senator Marquerite Prentice May be Gerrymandered Out
A Washington State Senator, Marguerite Prentice, may lose her seat due to so-called gerrymandering. Prentice helped co-sponsor a controversial bill that made playing online poker in the state a Class C felony with the punishment comparable to that of a multiple drunk driving offender and child molester. Washington is the only state that criminalizes actual online gamblers.
The Seattle Times noted that Prentice, a Democrat, will have to compete with other Democrats to remain in the legislature.
Xmas Gifts We’d Like to See for Poker Players, Online Gambling Folks, Politicians More…
With Christmas just around the corner, Gambling911.com takes this opportunity to tell you what Christmas gifts we'd like to give to some of our friends in the gambling industry.
To Full Tilt Poker part-owners Howard "The Professor" Lederer and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson, who've been accused by the U.S. government of running a ponzi scheme: A "Get out of Jail Free" card.
To Full Tilt Poker part-owner Phil "Poison" Ivey, who's now suing Full Tilt Poker: A copy of the best-selling book "How to Sue Yourself."
Nevada May Have Enough of a Player Pool to Support Intrastate Online Poker
Director of the Center for Gaming Research at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, David Schwartz, told CardPlayer.com Friday that he believed Nevada would be one of those states that could support legalized online poker at the intrastate level.
Former Bermuda Premier’s Son, Celebrity Poker Tournament Organizer Sentenced
A physician and son of the former Premier of Bermuda was sentenced this week to serve up to 17 years in prison.
New Jersey Drops Online Gambling Provision From Sports Betting Bill
(Associated Press) - Lawmakers have dropped provisions in a proposed sports betting law that would have let state residents place bets from their home computers or smartphones.
Sponsors said the changes were necessary to keep Gov. Chris Christie from vetoing the bill like he did with a measure in March that would have made New Jersey the first to approve in-state online gambling.
The bill would still let people bet on sports at Atlantic City casinos and horse tracks around the state.
Ron Paul Iowa Ads: We Got ‘Em (Video)
Ron Paul is going strong in Iowa and many believe he can take that state in its Caucus a few weeks from now.
His ads are slick and they are airing virtually nonstop throughout Iowa.
From the Washington Post:
38 Operators Granted Danish Gaming Licenses
A total of 38 operators have been granted online gambling licenses in Denmark.
The nation was one of the first to embrace Internet casino gaming during the late 1990’s and is home to some of the most successful poker pros.
PokerStars, Bwin, 888, Betfair and Unibet have all made the cut.
The new regulatory framework goes into effect January 1.
Government Spending Bill: Chances of Online Poker Attachment Slim
The much talked about Government Spending Bill that would allow the US Government to continue running into 2012 has been suggested as something a measure to legalize Internet poker could latch onto.
Texas Republican Congressman Joe Barton in his own words last week:
“There’s going be an omnibus bill of some sort of in the next 3 weeks with a continued resolution to fund the government through next September. This bill could be a component of that if there are revenues in the bill,” said the Congressman.
German States Sign New Gambling Law
(Reuters) - Fifteen of Germany's 16 federal states gave their approval on Thursday (December 15) to a new gambling law which will open up 20 sports betting licences and introduce a 5 percent gambling sales tax.
State premier Peter Harry Carstensen of Schleswig-Holstein, the only state not to add its signature to the new law, told reporters it would still need approval from the European Commission.
But another premier, Reiner Haseloff of Saxony-Anhalt, said the approval of Brussels was expected.
Jajajeet Chiba: Bovada = Stupada
I have been trying….oh have I been trying….to make some sense of the new Bodog.com rebranding to Bovada.lv. I even resorted to some heavy hookah smoking last evening to no avail.
What’s in a name?
Mine, Jagajeet Chiba, means “One Who Has Conquered the Earth”. Betcha didn’t know that.
My wife, Sadhvi, her name means “Chaste, Virtuous, Honest and Noble to Her Husband”.
Bovada?
I think there might have been a female sacred cow living up the street from me back in my native India with that name.
Public Policy Polling Has Ron Paul One Percentage Point Behind Gingrich
Most of the national polls have GOP candidate Ron Paul tied with Mitt Romney in the Iowa Caucus but at least one poll now has Paul closing in on Newt Gingrich.
The long time Texas Congressman is coming in one point behind Gingrich the Public Policy Polling.
Berlin Poker Bandit Organizer Sentenced
After a long-lasting trial the organizer of the so-called poker robbery in Berlin has been convicted to six years and four months in jail for armed robbery and assault. Yesterday the district court in Berlin found the 30yo guilty of hiring the executing robbers by a relative, instructing them, driving the getaway car and splitting the loot. During the robbery on the poker tournament in a luxury hotel in March 2010 242.000€ had been captured.
Hellinger Online Gambling Trial On Hold
The trial for Magazine Publisher and online gambling payment processor Don Hellinger has been put on hold with a yet-to-be-determined new date. The trial was originally set to begin January 3, 2012.
Hellinger processed online gambling payments for a number of prominent i-Gaming ventures during the period 2005-2006 including now-defunct BetOnSports.com and Bodog.com, which has since become Bovada.lv.
Ron Paul Can Win Iowa (Video)
Don’t look now but GOP candidate Ron Paul is gaining on Newt Gingrich and has passed by Mitt Romney in some recent Iowa caucus polls.
The mainstream media is starting to hint at a Ron Paul upset.
The Texas Congressman, who has not only supported legalizing online gambling in the US, but has co-sponsored bills with the likes of Democrat Barney Frank, is considered the dream candidate for those in the poker community.
