Gambling News
Poker Pro Sorel Mizzi to Swim in Shark-Infested Waters as Part of Prop Bet
Big name poker pro Sorel Mizzi has bet $10,000 at 3:1 odds he can swim from Brazil’s Ipanema Beach to an island 5km away.
In doing so he will have to contend with sharks and risk getting caught up in a giant Net that keeps the man-eating Selachimorpha away from the beach.
National Governors Association Sends Letter in Opposition to Web Gambling Ban
The National Governors Association on Tuesday submitted a letter in opposition to a bill that would outlaw online gambling on the federal level (a copy of which appears below).
The letter was sent to both majority leaders in the House and Senate along with the minority leaders.
The bill to ban nearly all forms of Internet gambling except fantasy sports and horse racing was introduced by South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Republican Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah. A handful of politicians from both sides of the aisle have come out in support of the measure.
Hard Rock Mulls Over Possible Purchase of Atlantic City Revel Hotel
(Associated Press) - The president of the Seminole Indians' Hard Rock franchise says the company would consider buying Atlantic City's Revel Casino if the price were right.
Revel, Atlantic City's newest casino, is seeking a buyer or a partner for a joint venture.
Florida-based Hard Rock has been a long-rumored suitor for Revel and made preliminary inquiries earlier this year to New Jersey casino regulators about what license it would need if it pursued Revel.
Russian Player Wins $1 Million in PokerStars 2014 SCOOP High Stakes Event
ONCHAN, Isle of Man – Russian player Ivan ‘vandir4rek’ Soshnikov won the 2014 PokerStars Spring Championship of Online Poker Main Event ‘High’ tournament for more than $1 million on Monday night, in what turned out to be a record field of 657 players for the event, easily surpassing the 2010 record of 615. It meant the total prize pool of $6,570,000 was more than double the $3 million guarantee.
LSOP Announces Cities and Dates for LSOP Millions 2014 Day 1 Flights
San Jose, Costa Rica – The LSOP Millions kicks off July 27th with a whopping 16 Day 1 events, allowing more people than ever to play in the land-based series. And poker players don't have to leave home to be a part of it.
2014 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open Schedule Unveiled
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood, Florida released the entire tournament schedule for the 2015 Seminole Hard Rock Poker Open, one of the country’s largest cash tournaments.
NJ Bill Would Require Online Gambling Processors to Get 'Stricter' License
ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — (Associated Press) - New Jersey wants to subject companies that handle Internet gambling deposits and payments to stricter licensing requirements, in the hope it will make banks more willing to allow the use of credit cards to fund online betting accounts.
The reluctance of banks to allow credit card use to fund accounts is one of the main things holding back the growth of New Jersey's new Internet gambling industry.
Lesniak to Introduce Sports Betting Bill in NJ Despite Court Losses
State Sen. Ray Lesniak (D-Union) announced plans to unveil new legislation that would permit legalized sports betting at the state’s racetracks and casinos, threatening to call the bluff of the federal government regarding sports wagering.
Runner Up of 2011 WSOP Main Event Martin Stazko Was Target of Kidnap Plot
Czech poker pro Martin Staszko was the target of a kidnapping plot by a group of individuals suspected in the disappearance of two wealthy businessmen, it was revealed last week.
Bwin.Party Executives Acquitted in French Court
Bwin.party chief executive Norbert Teufelberger and the former co-CEO of bwin Manfred Bodner were acquitted in a French court on charges of violating Internet gambling laws in that country.
New Jersey Attorney General Denies Access to Online Gambling Affiliates
Online gambling affiliates, some of whom had already obtained their vendor licenses in the state of New Jersey, were dealt a serious blow by that state’s Attorney General last week. But it is actually the casinos themselves that will feel the most pain.
New Jersey Assistant Attorney General George N. Rover informed those affiliates of state licensed online casinos that they would be restricted from directly targeting NJ residents or visitors unless they removed all links and banners from offshore gambling sites still conducting business in the state.
Illinois Legislators Push for Gambling Expansion Once Again
(Associated Press) - SPRINGFIELD, Ill. | An Illinois lawmaker says the clock is ticking on a gambling expansion measure that could boost revenue for the state.
Democratic Rep. Bob Rita, of Blue Island, sent a letter to House Speaker Michael Madigan and Republican leader Jim Durkin on Monday hoping to gain support for his plan. The proposal has two options. One adds five casinos and slots at horse tracks. The other calls for a mega-casino in Chicago.
Internet Gambling Included in Pennsylvania State Budget
Lawmakers have made Internet gambling part of the Pennsylvania year’s state budget though few believe any measures would be signed into law in 2014.
The odds are stacking against Web gambling ever becoming legalized in the Keystone State.
Ex-NFL Player Charged With Illegal Gambling Busted Twice in One Week With Drugs
Former NFL player Rache Caldwell has been arrested for trying to sell the drug Molly.
Police had been monitoring Caldwell’s movements following his arrest just days prior for attempting to sell Ecstasy on the street.
And earlier this year he was arrested for running an illegal gambling ring.
World Series of Poker Hosts First Annual New Jersey Mayor’s Poker Tournament
Honorable Winner Will Receive $10,000 Donation for Local Charity of Their Choice
Atlantic City, N.J. – The World Series of Poker (WSOP) announced today that its online gaming platform WSOP.com will be hosting its inaugural New Jersey Mayor’s Poker Tournament on May 22 as part of the World Series of Poker National Championship week-long festivities in the newly WSOP-branded Bally’s Poker Room in Atlantic City.
Borgata Faces New Lawsuit in Counterfeit Poker Chip Scandal
Six poker players filed suit against Atlantic City’s Borgata Casino this week over prize money not paid when a tournament was cancelled due to the discovery of counterfeit chips.
Bwin.Party Board Shakeup Begins as Bodner Exits: Shares Plummet 4 Percent
Non-executive directors of Bwin.party Manfred Bodner and Helmut Kern will be stepping down at the conclusion of the forthcoming annual general meeting on Thursday of next week, thus signaling the start of what is likely to be a major board shakeup.
75 Percent of Visa Credit Cards Not Working for NJ Online Gambling Sites
New Jersey online gambling companies are seeing around a 75% decline in credit cards, according to Matthew Katz of CEO of CAMS.
He recently spoke to Rebecca Liggero of CalvinAyre.com regarding the current climate in New Jersey when it comes to payment processing.
“I think the biggest challenge is just education, getting the bankers to understand how significant the technology and the processes all the regulators have in place to be compliant,” Katz said.
Deutsche Bank Sells Cosmopolitan Vegas Casino for $1.73 Billion
(Associated Press) - Deutsche Bank AG is cutting itself free of The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas resort and casino, saying it’s selling the swanky but unprofitable high-rise complex on the Strip to Blackstone Real Estate Partners VII for $1.73 billion.
The German investment bank said in a statement Thursday that the cash deal remains subject to regulatory approvals. The bank had intended to sell the property from before it even opened in 2010 and had placed The Cosmopolitan in a separate bank division devoted to winding down or selling unwanted investments.
Buck & Butler Debut New Online Casino
Buck & Butler’s grand ambition is to be the industry’s most unique and innovative casino, and the people behind the new casino take pride in working hard every day to provide the market with a casino experience totally out of the ordinary.
Lindsey Graham Confronted Over Online Gambling Bill, Adelson Donations
What happens when you take one of the wealthiest men in the world and make him one of the biggest backers of a political party?
Well, you have politicians doing his bidding to eliminate business competition.
Crime Gangs Laundering $140 Billion a Year Through Sports Betting Sites
(Reuters) - Criminals are using betting on sports events to launder $140 billion each year, a report said on Thursday, exposing a lack of effective regulation that allows match-fixing to spread.
Soccer and cricket were identified as the sports most threatened by criminals seeking to rig the gambling market but tennis, basketball, motor racing and badminton were also affected, according to the report, which is based on a two-year research.
Phil Ivey Wins Over $500k in Two Days: Blom Drops $380,000
Poker icon Phil Ivey won $441,380 over a two day period after 835 hands were played in six different sessions concluding on Tuesday.
Most of his winnings on Tuesday came during a session played in the late morning at the $1,500/$3,000 8-game tables, according to PokerNews.
Joran Van Der Sloot to Marry in Prison, Become a Father
Dutchman Joran van der Sloot’s lawyer Maximo Altez confirmed that the convicted killer is set to marry while serving a 28-year prison sentence and he will become a father.
Van der Sloot was convicted of killing a 21-year-old female Peruvian student he met in a Lima casino in 2010. He had been visiting Peru to follow the Latin American Poker Tour.
PayNoRake.com to Now Guarantee 24 Hour Payouts
The management of the Chico Poker Network are thrilled to announce that, following on their success with the fast payouts and impeccable records achieved on TigerGaming.com – they can now extend the same 24 hour guaranteed payout service to PayNoRake.com - via Skrill, Neteller and EcoPayz!
CNBC’s Cramer Says to Get Your Money Out of IGT
In Wednesday’s lightning round, CNBC’s popular stock analyst Jim Cramer offered his advise on slot maker International Game Technology:
“Online gambling isn't taking off and there aren't a lot of new casinos being built,” said Cramer. “Therefore, I think there are better places to put money.”
New Jersey Internet Gambling Sees Decline in April
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Associated Press) — New Jersey's fledgling Internet gambling industry saw its first monthly decline, falling slightly to $11.4 million in April.
In March, which had one more day of gambling than April had, Internet gambling brought in $11.9 million. Figures released Wednesday by the state Division of Gaming Enforcement show the average online take per day was $380,958 in April, down from $383,173 in March.
UltimatePoker CEO Tom Breitling: Size Does Matter
UltimatePoker CEO Tom Breiting sat down to discuss the size of the online gambling market in a very small regulated portion of the United States.
“With the creation of a new industry, there are a lot of unknowns,” Breitling says. “And our company was pushed off balanced just a little bit (with emphasis) for revenue projections.”
Those projections for the Nevada market, where UltimateBet leads and is only one of two sites online, was for $80 million. In New Jersey, estimates were in the $250 million to $1.2 billion range.
Americas Cardroom Stops Serving New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada Markets
Americas Cardroom today announced a move to serve players only in markets without state-licensed poker sites. The online poker site today announced that, effective immediately, players in New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada will no longer be eligible to play real money online poker at Americas Cardroom.
‘Tsunami of Corruption’ is Heading for Aussie Sports Warns Match-Fixing Expert
Journalist and corruption in sport expert Declan Hill has warned of a “tsunami of corruption” about to hit Australian sport.
He uttered the dire warning while addressing the second Victoria Police Integrity in Sport Symposium in Melbourne.
"The match fixing linked to the Asian gambling networks have destroyed most Asian sports.
"The sports fans of Asia, the gambling people, the fixers of Asia are now going to turn their attention to Australia."
