Gambling News
Geshkenbein Leads at Berlin Cup 2013
EPT Snowfest champion Vladimir Geshkenbin is leading the remaining 36 players as the debut €1,100 Berlin Cup goes into Day 3 with 1,500,000 in chips. The 24-year-old Russian has already accrued more than $1.1million in live tournament winnings, including the €390,000 he snagged for taking down Snowfest in Season 7.
World Sports Exchange Finally Shuts Its Doors: Sinisterly Apologies
After years of slow pays and no pays, one of the first online gambling websites has unceremoniously shut its doors.
World Sports Exchange is officially dead following 17 years in business.
Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra Capo Anthony Staino Pleads Guilty to Racketeering, Gambling
Anthony Staino, 55, of Swedesboro, N.J., pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in a racketeering conspiracy as a capo in the Philadelphia La Cosa Nostra (LCN) Family and committing loan sharking and illegal gambling.
Full Tilt Poker $4 Million Guaranteed MiniFTOPS XXII Kicks Off Sunday
DUBLIN –At least $400,000 will be won this Sunday at Full Tilt Poker as MiniFTOPS XXII kicks off, starting with Event #1, a $24 + $2 No Limit Irish Knockout tournament.
Later that day, $350,000 guaranteed is on the line in Event #2, a $20 + $2 No Limit Hold ‘em event taking place at 13:00 ET.
Irish tournaments are one of three new and exclusive tournament types featured on the schedule, which also includes a 5-Card Stud Tournament (Event #25) and an Escalator Tournament (Event #30).
Poker Brat Phil Hellmuth Left Out of Commemorative High School Year Book
Wisconsin native and – yes – high school graduate Phil Hellmuth has apparently been left out of that school’s commemorative yearbook.
Hellmuth, the current record holder for most World Series of Poker bracelets at 13, is arguably among that high school’s most famous alumni.
The self-proclaimed “Poker Brat” tweeted Thursday evening:
Caesars Interactive Entertainment Seeks New Jersey Online Gambling License
Caesars Interactive Entertainment is the latest company to apply for an online gambling license in the state of New Jersey.
Caesars Entertainment operates the World Series of Poker and currently holds an Internet poker license in Nevada. But the Silver State only has around 3 million people living there compared to New Jersey’s nearly 9 million along with the other couple million just across both rivers in New York City and Philadelphia. New Jersey will permit anyone to access licensed online gambling sites provided they are physically located inside the state.
Tampa Downs Summer Series 2013 Announced: Second Big Florida Poker Tournament
The Players Poker Championship has unveiled its Tampa Downs Summer Series 2013 schedule, which runs July 15-21.
The two-day Main Event will take place on July 21. The event itself be held at the Silks Poker Room.
This is the second big poker tournament to be announced for the state of Florida in recent days.
Not a Pretty Picture Painted of Art Dealer Tied to Poker, Sports Betting Probe
The Business Insider of Australia gave the low down on New York-based art dealer Helly Nahmad, a Lebanese-American indicted this week in connection with an international high stakes poker/sports betting ring.
It ain’t all that pretty either.
Megan Willett writes:
Poker Player Esben Guenther Leads After Day 2 of 2013 Berlin Cup
Norwegian player Esben Guenther is leading the remaining 281 players as the €1,100 Berlin Cup goes into Day 2. There were 638 players today and 196 made it through, including EPT Snowfest champion Vladimir Geshkenbein, EPT Berlin winner Kevin MacPhee, Erich Kollmann, Jan Collado, EPT Player of the Year Ondrej Vinklarek, EPT Kyiv winner Max Lykov, Pieter de Korver, Max Heinzelmann, Kevin Vandersmissen and Ana Marquez They will be joining the 85 Day 1a survivors for Day 2.
Gambling911.com Marketing: NBA Betting Search Picks Up Steam
While poker and gambling news dominated Thursday’s readership traffic at Gambling911.com, the NBA Playoffs are fast approaching and G911 is revving up its coverage with some decent results already starting to trickle in.
[For industry professionals, be sure to check out our Marketing section regularly here and if you wish to contact us, please do so here. We are available 24/7.]
2013 Berlin Cup Attracts 638 Poker Players
There were 638 players for Day 1b of the €1,100 Berlin Cup today which combined with yesterday's 273-strong Day 1a field, means 911 players in total, creating a €883,670 prize pool with €180,000 for first. 112 places paid.
Nearly half the players (435 / 48%) came from Germany - more than ten times the number from the next biggest country Russia, which has 5% of the field with 43 players. It's the first time the Berlin Cup has ever been held and the €883,670 prize pool far exceeds the €500,000 guarantee.
Producer of Showtime’s ‘Ray Donovan’ Denies Wrongdoing in FBI Poker Sting
Bryan Zuriff, an Executive Producer for the upcoming Showtime drama “Ray Donovan” has denied any wrongdoing in connection to an FBI probe of high stake poker games and sports betting with ties to the Russian Mafia.
Probability Plc Looks at Potential US Online Gambling Alliances
(Reuters) - UK-based Probability Plc, a maker of gambling games for mobile phones, is in advanced talks with potential U.S. partners to break into the American online gaming market as several states relax betting restrictions.
The legalization of online gambling in New Jersey this year, following similar legislation by Nevada and Delaware last year is expected to persuade other states to change their laws.
Macau Poker Cup 2013 Schedule: PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams Will Host
The Macau Poker Cup 2013 schedule features events that kick off April 17 and run through April 28. The event itself will be hosted at the newly branded PokerStars LIVE at the City of Dreams in Macau.
Stars has moved from their temporary home in the Grand Waldo Entertainment Complex.
One of the most highly anticipated events taking place during the Macau Poker Cup is the $HK$11,000 Macau Poker Cup: Red Dragon Main Event, which last year featured the largest number of entries for any tournament held in Asia to date. It includes a $5 million guaranteed prize pool.
Massachusetts Online Gambling Bill Would Not Allow PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker
A measure to legalize online gambling in the state of Massachusetts includes a provision that would prevent wagering firms that engaged US citizens post 2006 prohibition from obtaining a gaming license.
Among those companies that continued to accept business from Americans up until April 2011, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker would be excluded under such a provision. It should be noted that New Jersey and Illinois both contained similar language in their own Internet gambling legislation only to remove such a provision later on in the process.
Baccarat Accounts for 91 Percent of Macau Revenue
Baccarat has accounted for 91 percent of Macau’s gross revenue numbers and 67 percent of its gross income of 57.815 billion, according to the Gaming Inspecition and Coordination Bureau.
Insurance Broker Used $1.9 Million of Clients Funds to Gamble Online
An insurance broker from Prudential has been indicted, charged with allegedly bilking his insurance clients out of over $1.9 million and using those funds to gamble online.
The indictment alleges that Daniel J. Trolaro, 34, unlawfully used the funds of nine clients to place wagers via the Internet from June 2008 through February of this year while employed at Prudential in East Hanover, New Jersey.
Trolaro will not be arrested, however, he must appear before a judge in Morris County in the coming weeks.
Full Cash Games Confirmed at European Poker Tour Grand Final
Edgar Stuchly, President of the European Poker Tour, has confirmed a full slate of cash games at this year’s EPT Grand Final (2013)…..
Today I’m happy to confirm that this year’s PokerStars and Monte-Carlo®Casino European Poker Tour Grand Final will be the largest festival of cash games in the tour’s history.
Yes, cash games.
It’s Official: PokerStars Applies for NJ License to Operate Atlantic Club Casino
While news broke earlier in the year that the world’s largest real money online poker room was in talks to acquire the Atlantic Club Casino and Hotel in Atlantic City, PokerStars had not yet filed for the necessary licensing application with New Jersey’s Gaming Commission.
The company filed the application last week and will now undergo a 90-day review. Most industry experts believe PokerStars will ultimately be permitted to operate in the state.
Ohio AG Unit Raids Internet Cafes Over Illegal Gambling
COLUMBUS – (Associated Press) - Early Wednesday afternoon, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Timothy J. McGinty were in Euclid and announced the execution of six search warrants on six separate internet cafes that are currently open and operating illegally in Cuyahoga County.
Three are owned by VS2 Software, the company that supplies the Video Lottery Terminals.
Frederic Vacher Leads After Day 1a of First Ever Berlin Cup
French player Frederic Vacher is chip leader with 239,200 at the end of Day 1a of the first ever Berlin Cup. There are 85 players remaining from the 273 who started at noon. The €1,100 tourney has a guaranteed prize pool of €500,000. Today's survivors include Team Pro Jan Heitmann, Connor Drinan, Petr Jelinek, ************************, Yury Gulyy, Michael Tureniec and Thomas Mühlöcker. Updates are on www.pokerstarsblog.de (in German).
Poker Maximus V to Feature $2 Million in Guaranteed Prizes
Poker Maximus is back and bigger than ever! This time featuring over $2,000,000 in guaranteed prizes!
CarbonPoker is excited to announce we are running our fifth tournament series this year with the launch of Poker Maximus V. The last 4 Poker Maximus tournament series were so successful that players have been clamoring for the next installment.
Online Jackpot Games to Offer $2 Million at Cake Poker: Upgrades Blackjack
Popular online gaming site, Cake Poker (CakePoker.eu) has launched Jackpot Games, a selection of cash and Gold Chip buy-in casino and entertaining games that offer wins of up to $2 Million. In addition, Cake has launched an upgraded version of their BlackJack games with new, advanced features including auto play, speed settings and the inclusion of strategy tips.
Legends Sports to Shut Down: Will Transfer Accounts to Other Book
Exactly one week after indictments were handed down against 34 individuals tied to Panama-based Legends Sports, that long established sportsbook has made the decision to shut down.
Legends alerted customers via email that they were in talks with another top online sportsbook to have all accounts transferred.
Majestic Star Casino in Gary to Host Heartland Poker Tour in August
Gary, IN –Heartland Poker Tour (HPT), one of the longest-running televised poker tours in the United States, announced today its upcoming return to Majestic Star Casino & Hotel this summer, August 9th-19th. Majestic Star, located just 25 minutes outside of Chicago in Gary, IN, has been one of HPT’s most popular stops, hosting the tour each year since its second season in 2006.
PokerStars SCOOP 2013 Schedule Released: Will be Richest Online Poker Festival
ONCHAN, ISLE OF MAN –PokerStars today released the official schedule for the 2013 Spring Championship of Online Poker, which takes place from May 12-26 and features 44 events (132 tournaments) spread across low, medium and high stakes levels, making it the largest poker festival ever held.
Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Will Feature $10 Million Guarantee
The Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida, has announced it will be hosting a $10 million guarantee poker tournament this Aug. 22-29. The Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open will be one of the largest guarantees of the year and is certain to draw big name players from around the globe. Gambling911.com, with headquarters nearby, will be in attendance.
NJ Men Arrested for Running Illegal Poker Games Tied to Russian Mob
Yugheshwar Rajkumar of Bergen County, New Jersey, has been taken into custody for his alleged role in running high stakes poker games tied to Russian organized crime.
The games were attended by Hollywood celebrities, athletes and high powered Wall Street executives, according to an indictment handed down on Tuesday.
Youth Brutally Murdered for Protesting Gambling Racket: Genitals Cut
An Indian youth was brutally murdered for his role in protesting a gambling racket.
The body of 20-year-old Subho Dhaki was found Tuesday morning at Shibtala in Dhulagarh, Howrah, under Sankrail police station. His genitals had been cut and placed in his pocket. Dhaki’s throat was also slashed.
The victim had protested gambling activity near his home at the Dhulagarh Market.
Spiros ‘The Greek’ Athanas Released on $1 Million Bond
One of online sports betting’s most legendary bookmakers, Spiros “The Greek” Athanas, has been released on $1 million bond according to court documents.
Athanas, one of 34 charged last Wednesday in connection to his alleged role in a multi-billion dollar sports betting ring, turned himself in two days later.
