Uncategorized
No one could claim that the path towards regulated online poker in American has been an easy one. Various powerful figures have been lending their weight to laws that would combat the UIGEA, but none have proved successful. However, the winds are changing in Washington and another push for legal online poker is underway.
The House of Representatives has discussed online poker a number of times, with bigwig Barney Frank a consistent instigator of debate. The Senate, on the other hand, have not formally covered the issue since 2006.
That’s all changed this week, with a hearing having been held to discuss the issue. It was entitled ‘Future of Internet Gaming: What’s at Stake for Tribes?’ and took place on November 17th. It concerned how the existing online gambling marketplace is affective Native American groups and what a regulated market might mean for them. It was designed to consider not only poker, but games like real money slots.
It’s almost traditional in the U.S. for Indians to run casinos and many are understandably concerned about the impact of online…
Read MoreAfter Black Friday hit, it might have seemed like mega buy-in tournaments were a thing o he past. The much hyped Oynx Cup quickly evaporated as Full Tilt found themselves mired in legal controversy. Ever the industry leaders, the WSOP have announced plans to run a $1 million tournament in 2012, all made possible by charity.
Guy Laliberte, the founder or Cirque de Soleil, is a well known amatuer poker player, having appeared on High Stakes Poker a number of times. He is also chairman of the ONE DROP foundation. A charitable concern dedicated to providing clean water to the most poverty stricken areas of the world.
This new tournament, christened the Big One, combines Laliberte’s two passions and looks set to bring together a whole host of pros to play for a huge prize. The WSOP are taking no rake from the event and 11.1% of the buy-ins will be given to ONE DROP. The prize pool has also been flattened, to encourage more entrants. Around 20% of the field will be paid.
Alongside Laliberte, 14 other online…
Read MoreNobody combines celebrity and respect in poker like Doyle Brunson. He has loomed over the game for years and continues to be a potent force at 77 years-old. So much so that he even has an online poker site that bears his name. DoylesRoom.com has been one of the most popular sites on the Cake Network for some years, but in the wake of Black Friday their figurehead has decided to jump ship.
Doyle Brunson spoke to Gambling 911 last week, confirming that he was ending his relationship with the site.
Reluctantly, I have decided to terminate my endorsement contract with Doylesroom.com. It pains me to leave at this time. I have aspirations of reentering the online poker business when the United States Government passes legislation, that officially legalize online poker sites. Doylesroom management has decided to continue to serve U.S. customers.
Although the big four U.S. poker sites have been shut down by the FBI, smaller operators such as Bodog and Doyles Room have been able to stay open. These downloads are now the de facto best…
Read MoreIt’s time for the final session of High Stakes Poker Season 9, with a few familiar faces joining a motley crew of poker professionals and big businessmen. The money on the table is no less impressive and, unlike the previous group, the poker on display shows signs of being interesting. The second session of the season had plenty of excitement, but little in the way of cerebral action. In the early stages of Episode 10, it looks like we might have finally found the group that can combine the two.
That has a lot to do with two players in particular. It was long ago ordained by the televisual gods that Phil Laak + Antonio Esfandiari = poker video fun. The duo have a long history of competitiveness and wasted no time needling each other on this occasion.
The tempestuous twosome were joined at the table by none other than Doyle Brunson and Johnny Chan. The Godfather of poker sporting some of his finest Doyles Room promotional code gear. If twenty WSOP bracelets weren’t enough to get you…
Read MoreThe straightforward position to take on poker’s Black Friday is that it’s a disaster for those inside the U.S. and, at worst, a minor inconvenience for those outside. When Full Tilt, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker were indicted by the U.S. government, millions of American citizens lost access to their favorite sites and their hard-earned money, while the best euro poker sites like party.bwin looked on from the shadows with barely contained glee.
That said, none of these sites are U.S. based and the nations in which they locate their headquarters are understandably riled up by the DoJ’s aggressive action. Antigua, home to Absolute Poker, have never been shy when it comes to criticizing U.S. online poker policy and are up in arms once again.
“I don’t think there’s another country in the world that puts people in jail for engaging in trade that’s lawful under international law,” said Antigua’s legal advisor Mark Mendel. Speaking to Reuters, he added, “it’s as if Antigua would put Americans in jail for selling pineapples.”
Accusing the poker sites of bank fraud, money laundering,…
Read MoreIn the midst of a disastrous day for poker players in the United States, there is a ray of hope for a small minority. The most ironic of locations, Washington D.C., has seen laws officially pass which legalize intrastate online gambling.
The Lottery Modernization Act of 2010 passed as part of budgetary plans late last year. The deadline for Congress complaints having expired, the laws have now gone into effect. Financial forecasts in a pre-budget report estimated that the regulation and taxation of online poker would generate around $13 million.
This is no reprieve for PokerStars, Full Tilt and other top texas holdem sites. The only body legally allowed to run an online poker website would be state lottery providers, Intralot. It’s also no help to the millions of players suddenly deprived of their favourite sites. The new site will only be accessible within Washington D.C. borders.
Plans are afoot to run test versions of the service in hotels and other locations later this year. The full details of the project are currently being hammered out by the D.C.…
Read MoreSo far, 2011 has been the year of intrastate poker legislation. Numerous states have seen bills floated which would legalize, tax, and regulate online poker rooms, while momentum at the federal level has stuttered to a halt.
The first few bills of the year have not met with success. Every effort to date has been caught up in political wrangling or quashed by a vote. That was until this week, when the Washington Post revealed that laws OK-ing online poker had officially gone into effect in Washington D.C.
The groundwork was set in place with little fanfare during the December 2010 budget. Within the reams of financial information were rules fully legalizing an online poker site run by the D.C. Lottery. Congressmen had until Thursday to challenge this new rule and, in the face of no opposition, the proposal became law with immediate effect.
The Lottery are hoping to run some tests later in the year, with the intention that a D.C. only poker site will launch in 2012. Hotel guests will be used as guinea pigs for the…
Read More