Yes its that time of year when everyone likes to predict what is going to happen in the coming months. 2011 was quite a year full of scandal, gossip, unexpected wins and newly created poker tournaments. If you were paying attention last year to the poker news then the predictions below make sense. I’m just not sure if I want to be proved right in every case.
Predictions
The Black Friday saga will continue to fill up poker chat forums for most of the year.
The increased pressure for federal online poker registration will get some preliminary ideas passed through the house. More governors will get on board as the national economy struggles to get back on its feet.
There will be an explosion of new online sites to play poker including sister sites to some of the physical casinos in Vegas and New Jersey.
At least five more states will pass some form of intrastate gambling law to increase [...]
Pokerstars has been in the spotlight lately because of some of their choices in regards to the Black Friday affair but this week Pokerstars has a bit of positive spin to share. The online poker giant is one of only three sites that will offer real money gambling in Belgium. Belgium, like the United States, is attempting to crack down on illegal websites. Their new Gambling Act has enough stipulations to keep casinos kosher.
Pokerstars established a relationship with a Belgium gaming group almost two years ago possibly in preparation for this new legislation. The Pokerstars.be site will be blocked to any player who is not authorized to play real money poker in their physical location.
Pokerstars is Belgium’s largest poker site. It provides the country and surrounding area with the majority of its poker tournaments. Having a recognizable name on the books is always good for business.
As Pokerstars.be gets underway John Duthie, an established member of [...]
That time has come again when we all start scribbling in our journals or tapping out lists on our keyboards. Yes poker fans its resolution time. The year is over and what a year it has been for poker, poker players and the world of online poker. We all need to try and do better in the coming year so what about some poker related New Year’s resolutions?
I resolve…
To be a better poker player. More practice, more skill learning, more vocab learning and basically a better poker game all over. Well I think we all resolve this one right?
To try and avoid any references to Black Friday if at all possible. Time to move onto a new subject I think.
To try out new poker apps and see how I can incorporate them into my poker game.
To visit the poker forums more often and chat with other players still learning the game. Its always nice to [...]
In 2006 the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) passed through Congress on the back of another bill. Its goal was to stop banks from processing monies earned through online gambling sites. Of course with the Black Friday affair we know this wasn’t very successful. Online casinos found other ways to get around the process or blatantly broke the law hoping they wouldn’t get caught. This week the 1961 Wire Act was reinterpreted and many think the UIGEA is next.
After the UIGEA the number of violations actually increased rather than decreased showing the law was in effective. With the new clarification of the Wire Act it no longer appears to apply in the Black Friday cases. Prosecutors are holding on to the violation of the UIGEA not to mention money laundering and fraud. But do they have the right?
The UIGEA is an American law applying to businesses operated in America. The Big Three poker sites [...]
Yes its more Black Friday news to report. A quick recap? On April 15 of this year the three major online poker sites operating in the U.S. were shut down by the Depart of Justice pending an investigation. The sites were accused of operating illegally, breaking the Wire Act and money laundering. In court this week Brent Beckley, the co founder of Absolute Poker website plead guilty to charges.
Beckley admitted before the court that he knowingly filtered American player funds through cover companies so their payment could be processed by American banks. In American online gambling is illegal and most banks will automatically stop any payment to a known poker website. Because Absolute Poker laundered the money through shell companies they manage to process millions of dollars within American borders.
Beckley was facing a thirty year plus jail sentence before he plead guilty to fraud and money laundering charges. According to news sources he has [...]
A month after the news of proposed online gaming legislation was announced, the state of Nevada passed gaming legislation with a unanimous vote. This makes the state the first to successfully pass poker legislation that refers to online play within their borders.
Of course its right that Nevada be the pioneers in the state based gaming legislation gig as they house the largest gambling center in the country. Las Vegas provides the state with a lot of revenue and lawmakers obviously realize the importance of supporting its main source of income as it changes and evolves.
Several Nevada based companies have applied for licenses under the new online gaming law. They include International Game Technology, Cantor Gaming and Caesars Entertainment. It seems the license application processing will open up early next year.
Many legislators have expressed concerns about legalizing online gaming at the state level and Nevada attempts to answer those concerns with the guidelines and rules [...]
The Wire Act has, for the last few years, caused online companies more than a little grief. By gambling online companies have been accused of breaking the Wire Act. The Act became law back in the 1960s when the whole Watergate thing went down. After a question of the legality of selling state lottery tickets online the federal government was forced to clarify what was actually covered by the Wire Act.
The verdict came back that the Wire Act applied to sports related betting only and had no sway over the selling of state lottery tickets. And because poker has recently been recognized as a card game of skill and so is not considered a sport in the literal or Wire Act sense. This is great news to poker players and pro poker organizations seeking passage of federal laws regarding online poker.
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has been working with legislators for the last few years [...]
Okay so we all know what happened on Black Friday back in April right? Well when the big three poker sites made an exit from the online market, other poker sites that had not been indicted but did hold a domain name in the U.S. started to worry. Bodog Poker was one of these smaller poker sites. They voluntarily withdrew from the American market in the summer but it seems they are making a return.
The problem for Bodog and other online sites was having an American domain with assets attached to it. If they didn’t have an American domain name the U.S. Department of Justice could not go in and seize their assets. Many poker sites, including Bodog, ended play for American players and moved their site to a European domain name. Now Bodog has returned to the U.S. Market offering cash money games through a new website Bovada.lv.
The domain “lv” is reserved for the [...]
Online gaming opponents have been gearing up for federal legislation for many months and the future seemed bright. That was until Sheldon Adelson made his disapproval of online gaming public. Chairman of the Las Vegas Sands and campaign contributor, Adelson may hold up the passing of a national law.
Adelson is a fixture of the Las Vegas gaming community and unlike many of his colleagues he does not see the positives of legalized online gaming outweighing the negatives. He believes that legalizing online gaming would encourage underage play. Because of this he will not support the legislation. As a well known republican fundraiser Adelson does have the ear of some key politicians in the debate for online gaming.
In order for legal gaming legislation to pass, the bill will need support from both sides of the aisle. Maybe it will take more research and dissemination of online gaming facts to get folks looking at the positives. Because [...]
Well it is the season and even online poker addicts take a few hours off to enjoy the holiday season. But when it comes to gift ideas what does the poker enthusiast put on their wish list? Here are a few ideas for gifts to buy your friends or even yourself with all that holiday gift money.
Playing card themed wallpaper or laptop covers. Easy, cheap and bound to be noticed on a daily basis.
Poker room sign. Yes they can be a little cheesy but if you get a personalized one it can be cute.
Set of engraved glasses and decanter for the game room. Nice classy touch for the man cave.
A wrist brace or arm rest for computing. Something to counteract all those digital bets.
Poker apps and tracking software. Well…duh.
Poker mags subscriptions…Nice for those who want to keep up to date on the latest in poker.
Non greasy snacks for nibbling while online. Harder to find [...]
