Gambling News
PokerStars Deals 95-Billionth Hand and Gives Away $900k
PokerStars yesterday dealt its 95-billionth hand at a $0.08/$0.16 NL Hold’em full ring table. The action was paused to let everyone know that they were involved in hand 95 billion and when PokerStars’ Head of Poker Communications Lee Jones gave the signal, the cards were dealt.
After a board of 3-Q-2-6-5 was revealed, ‘Domy07’ showed down Q-J to collect the side pots with top pair, but ‘RichB17’ from the UK rivered a straight with J-4 to win the main pot and see his prize money doubled.
IGT Dividend Issued on Eve of Contested Shareholders Meeting
Slots manufacturer International Game Technology (IGT) has issued an 8 cents per share dividend on the eve of a hotly contested shareholders meeting.
The IGT board of directors declared the dividend, which is a 33 percent increase over this same quarter last year.
"This is a demonstration of our continued commitment to return capital to shareholders, efficiently and prudently, driven by the strong financial performance of the company," Hart said.
Attorney General Seeks Removal of Judge in VictoryLand Case
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Associated Press) — Alabama's attorney general is asking a Macon County judge to step aside from a case involving the seizure of 1,615 gambling machines and more than $223,000 in cash from VictoryLand casino in Shorter.
Attorney General Luther Strange filed court papers telling Circuit Judge Tom Young Jr. he should recuse himself because he's prejudiced against the state's evidence.
AGA Opposes Sale of Atlantic Club Casino to PokerStars
The American Gaming Association (AGA) is opposing the sale of the Atlantic Club Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City to PokerStars.
The AGA sent a letter to the New Jersey Casino Control Commission urging them to reconsider allowing PokerStars to acquire the property.
Heads Up Tables Online Poker for All Stake Levels Now at Americas Cardroom
Competition at one of the most popular US-facing online poker rooms is about to get way more personal. Americas Cardroom announced early this month the addition of heads-up tables to its already competitive lineup of ring games. The 2-seat max tables are now available in all stake levels.
Hollywood Casino Perryville Maryland to Feature Poker, Blackjack, More
Following a contentious battle in the state of Maryland, the first table games will be rolled out at the Hollywood Casino Perryville on Wednesday. These include variations of poker, blackjack, craps and roulette.
A gambling expansion measure was approved by voters this past November. More money was spent on the gambling expansion effort – by both supporters and opponents – than was spent on prior campaigns for state Governor.
Illinois Governor Vetoes Gambling Expansion Legislation
CHICAGO —(Associated Press) - Gov. Pat Quinn has vetoed a piece of old gambling legislation that would have added five new casinos and more slot machines.
This was lawmakers' 2011 attempt, but it didn't go to Quinn's desk until the end of session in January. Quinn had opposed the bill, saying it didn't contain enough ethical protections. He vetoed it today.
PokerStars Sunday Million 7th Anniversary Tournaments Sees Share of $2.5 Mil
ONCHAN, ISLE OF MAN – PokerStars player ‘benislovas’, from Lithuania, won the Sunday Million 7th Anniversary tournament on Monday, earning $848,589.33 after a three-way deal was done at the final table. The second- and third-placed players were ‘sexygee’ from the UK (a former SCOOP winner) and ‘Kasra84’ from Germany, who won $836,321.83 and $813,370.28 respectively.
Online Poker Segregation Takes Center Stage With Revolution, PartyPoker Moves
Segregating online poker players based on skill goes a step too far, so claims Aaron Todd of CasinoCity.com.
While a number of players might concur, operators have told Gambling911.com this is all a “fight for survival” with “reckless management practices” the primary reason why Full Tilt Poker failed in its first life before PokerStars ultimately revived the company.
Republican Mega Donor Sheldon Adelson Caught Up in ‘Bribe’ Scandal
Auditors at Las Vegas Sands Corp. admitted Friday "there were likely violations" of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act barring Americans from bribing foreign officials to secure an advantage.
This disclosure was made in a late afternoon filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission Friday that ultimately leaked out to the media Sunday.
Heading up Las Vegas Sands Corp. is none other than powerful casino magnate and mega Republican donor Sheldon Adelson.
New Jersey Internet Gambling Draft Legislation Due Out This Week
Come Thursday we should have a better idea as to how legalized Internet gambling will look in the Garden State.
New Jersey legislators, led by Democratic State Senator Raymond Lesniak, are expected to have draft legislation completed at that time.
Bookmakers Shy Away From Offering Odds on Jodi Arias Murder Trial Outcome
Online bookmakers over the years have stayed clear of offering odds on murder trials and the current Jodi Arias murder trial is no exception it seems.
“None of the books are offering odds,” noted Gambling911.com head Payton O’Brien.
The trial, which is being covered heavily by HLN, has helped boost ratings for that cable network.
Iowa Internet Poker Bill Heads to State Senate
A bill to legalize Internet poker in Iowa will be voted on in that state’s Senate this week.
A similar bill in 2011 passed the Senate but failed to get enough votes in the Republican-controlled House.
Senate Study Bill 1068 would allow all of Iowa’s 21 state-licensed casinos to license online poker sites.
Over the past two weeks, both Nevada and New Jersey have passed legislation allowing Web poker.
- Aaron Goldstein, Gambling911.com
Countdown to the Vote: IGT Power Struggle Comes to Head Tuesday
A much talked about proxy battle at the world’s largest slots manufacturer will come to a head on Tuesday.
Sands Says It May Have Violated Law Prohibiting Bribes
LAS VEGAS, Nev. – (Associated Press) - Las Vegas Sands Corp. says in a regulatory filing that it probably violated a federal law that prohibits bribing foreign officials.
The casino company said in a filing Friday that the Securities and Exchange Commission asked two years ago for records relating to compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Las Vegas Sands, which is controlled by billionaire Sheldon Adelson, said that after it got the SEC subpoena on Feb. 9, 2011, the audit committee of the board of directors opened an investigation.
Nigeria Cardinal Francis Arinze Odds to be Named Next Pope Improve
Nigeria could provide the next Pope with Cardinal Francis Arinze’s odds improving after moving towards between 7/1 and 9/1 at some books. Now Arinze is back to 5/1 odds at BetOnline. The Nigerian Cardinal initially opened at 9/2 odds.
Yankees A-Rod Reportedly Profits From ‘Non-Profit’ High Stakes Poker Game
The Boston Globe this weekend reported that a charity founded by New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez funneled just under 99 percent of funds raised via a 2006 high stakes poker tournament into the coffers of Rodriguez.
Moody's: Legalized Online Gambling in New Jersey a Boost to Casinos
(Reuters) - Moody’s Investors Service on Thursday said legalization of Internet gaming in New Jersey is credit positive for the Atlantic City casino industry.
Moody’s said licenses to offer Internet gaming will be limited to Atlantic City's existing casino operators and their partners, and it will attract more players to the city.
Casino Poker Rooms Closing as Online Crazy Subsides
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — The Tropicana hoped to step back into the big leagues when it opened its poker room in the heart of the Las Vegas Strip, touting it as the coolest in town.
Chicago Poker Classic 2013 Points Standings Released
The Chicago Poker Classic 2013 point standings has Pete Falco a runaway favorite at 59.25 with James Teter coming in closes at 39.5 points.
This event, taking place at the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, Indiana, has drawn significant interest and decent traffic to the Gambling911.com website. Information pertaining to this popular event has been sparse across the Net.
Tom Dwan Confirmed as Part of Negreanu vs. Hansen Challenge
Poker pro Daniel Negreanu confirmed late this week that online poker phenom Tom “Durr” Dwan will be taking part in the Negreanu vs. Hansen Challenge or, if you like, the PokerStars vs. Full Tilt Poker Challenge.
Negreanu tweeted:
Source Close to IGT Proxy Fight Gives Skinny on Tuesday’s Critical Vote
Gambing911.com Senior International Correspondent Jenny Woo had an opportunity Friday to speak to someone intimately close to the IGT power struggle that will culminate on Tuesday into a final vote that determines a potential new makeup of the world’s leading slot manufacturer’s board.
NJ to Appeal Judge Ruling Against Sports Betting in Garden State
(Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and state lawmakers vowed on Friday to continue fighting to legalize sports betting after a federal judge struck down a law that would have allowed it.
The New Jersey law, which Christie signed last year, had authorized sports betting at the state's racetracks and at Atlantic City casinos.
Sit 'n Go Race for $5K Begins at Americas Cardroom
Online poker players in the US might want to fire up their Americas Cardroom app—fast. The US-facing online poker site today announced the $5k SnG Race, a multi-leaderboard competition built exclusively for Sit 'n Go players that runs all March long.
Revolution Poker Launches Fair Play Technology, Lock Lifts Player Segregation
Gambling911.com can report that the largest US-facing online poker network (also accepting players from around the world), Revolution Poker Network, has just launched Fair Play technology
What is Fair Play Technology?
The new feature groups players into three categories (recreational, normal and advanced) whereby each category of players represents roughly 33 percent of the active Network player liquidity.
William Hill Buys Out Online Partner Playtech
(Reuters) - William Hill is to pay 424 million pounds ($643 million) for full control of its online business, marking an acceleration of the expansion of Britain's largest bookmaker.
The deal to buy out the 29 percent stake in William Hill Online held by software company Playtech was the company's second major deal in the past three months.
It has already agreed to pay 460 million pounds for the Australian and Spanish operations of online gambling company Sportingbet, deal set to complete on March 19.
Hansen vs. Negreanu Taunt Turns Into $300k PokerStars Full Tilt Poker Challenge
Dublin, Ireland – What started as a light-hearted twitter rant between long-term rivals Gus Hansen and Daniel Negreanu has escalated into a full-blown $300,000 heads-up battle between Full Tilt Poker‘s “The Professionals” and members of PokerStars elite “Team Pros” - to be played out live during EPT London next weekend.
US States Race to Capture Online Gambling Bonanza
(Reuters) - New Jersey Governor Chris Christie this week finally approved online gaming in the Garden State. Now comes the hard part: banding together with other states to attract more gamblers, drive up jackpots and lure players away from offshore websites.
Bitcoin ‘Best Performing Currency Year-to-Date’
Bitcoin, used by a small number of online casino operators, is being touted as the “best performing currency year-to-day” according to Tyler Durden of ZeroHedge.com.
Durden writes:
Girls Gone Wild Goes Bankrupt in Wake of Wynn-Francis Lawsuit
The company that produces racy videos of half naked women dancing and drinking has filed for bankruptcy. “Girls Gone Wild” filed for bankruptcy protection citing $16 million in debts, according to court papers obtained by Reuters on Thursday.
The franchise’s founder, Joe Francis, owes a $10.3 million debt to Las Vegas gambling magnate Steve Wynn according to papers filed in U.S. federal court in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
