Deleware is the latest state to pass a bill through committee, while in Nevada online poker will probably have to wait until early 2013 before launching. Read about these stories in this week's Industry Update. Delaware Bill Passes Committee: Last week, Delaware lawmakers passed a bill through the House Gaming and Parimutuels Committee that would regulate online poker in the state. The bill will also allow bars and restaurants to offer Keno instant lottery games and pro-football parlay cards. It now moves on the House, where it will not be addressed for at least another two weeks. Melissa Blau, CEO of Live Gaming, said that concerns about security are unfounded. "The concerns around player protection, specifically underage gambling, can be mitigated and almost eliminated." She noted that prevention of underage gambling is something that is being executed successfully right now. Nevada Poker in 7-10 Months, Regulator Says: Cardplayer reported this week that the first Nevada licenses will be issued within 30-60 days but that online poker will likely not go live in the state for another 7-10 months, likely moving the launch date to 2013. The majority of the time will be devoted to regulators approving technology of licensed poker rooms. Meanwhile on the federal front, the CEO of MGM raised doubts about a federal online poker happening this year. Cake Poker Network Rakeback Increasing to 36%: Big news for rakeback players on the Cake Poker Network. Ahead of Lock Poker's purchase of the Cake Poker Network, Lock Poker announced last week that rakeback would be increasing from 33% to 36% effective June 1st. The new rakeback rate will be among the highest flat rakeback deals in online poker and will mean that Cake Poker/Revolution Gaming will be offering the highest rakeback to U.S. players. Full Tilt Poker/PokerStars Announcement This Week? It's now been almost a month since the Full Tilt Poker/GBT deal fell through. While Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars continue to be silent, reports from outlets such as iGaming Post suggest an announcement could happen this week. PokerScout Traffic Update: Online poker traffic gave up most of its gains of the previous week, down 8.2% according to PokerScout. Much of the decrease came from PokerStars, although among the top 10 sites, decliners outpaced advancers seven to three. Jottings: Obama administration release statement on online poker...Carbon Poker previews New Merge Gaming software...Facebook rise opens new door for online poker...WSOP satellites and marketing opportunities posted on PAS... Denmark signs agreements with five Euro regulators to promote cooperative Online Gaming Regulation... Party Poker Launches Championship Challenge...California regulator says online poker in Nevada "dependent on prayer"...Court considers harsher penalties for Beckley.
The Full Tilt Poker/GBT deal may finally be nearing a conclusion, while an online poker bill appears to be dead in Iowa. Check out these stories and more and this week's Weekly Industry Update. Full Tilt Poker Update: Will this be the week? Multiple poker news outlets reported this week that the finalization of a Full Tilt Poker deal may finally be nearing completion. GamingIntelligence originally reported that a deal would be completed by March 16th, while EGR reported that the deal is expected to be closed the week ending March 23rd. There have been many moments of false hope since this saga began on April 15th, but it is seeming more and more likely a resolution is near. If the deal is completed, GBT speculated that the site could be live within a month. Hopefully this time next week, we will be one of many reporting on a successful outcome. Bovada Restricts Players from Three States: Two weeks after the seizure of Bodog.com and the indictment of founder Calvin Ayre, Bovada.lv, the U.S. facing brand on the Bodog Network has placed restrictions on four states. Players located in Maryland received word on Tuesday that their accounts would be closed immediately, while new registrations and new deposits were halted for players located in New York, Utah and Washington. The states were blocked because of the difficult legal environment and extra enforcement measures that have taken place in each of the states. Iowa Online Poker Bill Declared Dead: A online poker bill that passed the Iowa Senate by a 29-20 vote last week has been declared dead by Iowa House speaker Kraig Paulsen. There is still time to pass the bill in the House, but Paulsen said he has no plans to progress the bill. Paulsen stated that there was a "general lack of interest" in online poker among the Iowa House. Estimates are that online poker would bring $30 to $60 million in revenue for state-licensed casinos and generate $2.9 million in tax per year. A Sioux City Journal op-ed calls online poker's likely demise in the state a lost opportunity. Playtech Will Apply for Nevada License: Playtech, software provider for the iPoker Network, will apply for a license in the state of Nevada, according to EGR. Spielo and Gtech G2 were also confirmed as applying for licenses in Nevada this week. Over two dozen applicants are believed to have applied for Nevada licenses thus far for the regulated market, which is expected to launch as early as this fall. PokerScout Traffic Update: Online poker traffic dropped again for the fifth straight week, down 1.1%. PokerScout noted that Merge Gaming was one exception in a broad decline, up slightly for the week. Bodog, on the other hand, saw loses of 9% on the week and is now down 13% since the Bodog.com domain name seizure and indictment of founder Calvin Ayre. Meanwhile, Everleaf Gaming is down 25% since they left the U.S. and French market 6 weeks ago. Jottings: New Jersey online poker billed delayed for six weeks...Bodog makes hand histories available...March U.S. Online Poker Processing Report released...Power Poker (Cake skin) bans existing US players...U.S. facing Winning Poker Network unveils $250,000 Black Friday tournament...Bulgaria to regulate online poker, block unlicensed operators...Mississippi online poker bill dead...Matt Damon Poker Documentary trailer released.
More big news this week as Shuffle Master announced the purchase of Bwin "surplus assets," while on Everleaf Gaming, the LGA announced "sanctions" on the network. At Full Tilt Poker, CEO Ray Bitar finally breaks his silence. Check out these stories and more in this week's edition of the Weekly Industry Update for March 11th. Shuffle Master Purchases Ongame: American gaming supplier Shuffle Master officially announced their acquisition of Ongame Network "surplus assets" this week. The announcement comes almost a year after the merger of bwin and Party Gaming and approximately nine months since the network has been on the market. It is believed that bwin and Party Gaming will merge platforms before the completion of the acquisition, which is expected within 9 months. It is believed that the departure of bwin from the Ongame network will result in a 20%-30% traffic loss. Pokerfuse weighs in on what the sale could mean for players. Bwin.Party Applies for Nevada License: Bwin.Party has joined a list of two dozen companies to apply for licenses in the regulated Nevada market. If accepted, it would be the first time Party Gaming or Bwin have operated in any part of the United States since the enactment of the UIGEA in late 2006. Last October, Bwin.Party announced a partnership agreement with MGM and Boyd Gaming. LGA Issues Sanctions Against Everleaf: The Lotteries and Gaming Authority, the licensor of Everleaf Gaming, issued a brief notice on the agency's website on Thursday which stated in full that "The LGA Enforcement Unit issued sanctions against Everleaf Gaming Ltd following an investigation which emerged with a number of irregularities in their operation. Everleaf Gaming is being monitored closely to ensure its operation respects Maltese law." The statement came one month after Everleaf abruptly banned U.S. and French players. Since the removal of U.S. players from the network, Everleaf has been "business as usual" for non-US players but U.S. players have still received nothing of substance related to the future of their funds. Traffic is down a relatively modest 23% since the removal of U.S. and French players. Cashouts for non-players remain slow (3-4 weeks) but steady. Full Tilt Poker Update: Ray Bitar broke his long silence this week with a brief interview apologizing to all that have been affected by the Full Tilt Poker situation. In the interview, Bitar says that he has been working every single day since Black Friday to ensure players are paid. The explained his silence by saying that any public statements could diminish the likelyhood of a successful outcome. In other Full Tilt news, a report surfaced this week that suggested that there may be another interested buyer in Full Tilt if the GBT deal falls through. PokerScout Traffic Update: Online poker traffic dropped slightly for the forth straight week, down 0.6%. Among traffic movers, Bodog was down 5% after having the Bodog.com domain seized. Meanwhile at Everleaf, traffic was down another 2%, bringing their three week decline down to 23%. PAS News: A couple notable exclusive PAS promotions started this Sunday, a $4,100 Rake Race from Coral Poker and a $18,000 Tournament Fever Series at Party Poker. In PAS offer news, the Party Poker CPA was removed from PAS. Jottings: Report suggests online poker bill in New Jersey could pass within days...D'Amato makes case for legalizing online poker (VIDEO)...Casinos want fair gambling...Judge decision will shape Campos and Elie trial...Europe Regulatory News: Spanish license applicants see 80% approval rate, Danish Online Gambling Association approves Betsson, Bet24 and Ladbrokes....Sporting says license unaffected by court ruling...Internet gambling worries tribes
This week two people charged in the Black Friday indictments went before a judge, while a report from EGR indicates that Facebook may be looking to get into online gambling. Check out these stories and more in the weekly PAS Industry Update. Full Tilt Update: On November 30th, the Federal Court in the Southern District of New York revealed that they it had granted Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker extensions until January 2nd to respond to complaints against the company. Full Tilt Poker is currently is settlement discussions with the DOJ, while GBT continues its efforts to acquire the company. Campos and Elie Face Judge: Last week a hearing was held at the federal court in lower Manhattan to discuss changes by two individuals charged in the Black Friday indictments. The two individuals who filed a motion to dismiss the charges are John Campos, vice chairman of the Utah bank involved in payments to online poker sites, and payment processor Chad Elie. Federal judge Lewis Kaplan seemed to be unsympathetic to the arguments stating that "I think it's extraordinarily unlikely that the entire indictment will be dismissed" but did call the hearing "interesting and helpful." A trial of Campos and Elie is expected to begin in March. 888 and IGT Among Companies to File License in Nevada: As we reported a couple week ago, Nevada has begun accepting license applications for the regulated market in the state. On Thursday, Cardplayer shed some light on some of the companies officially interested in taking part in the new market. 888 Holdings, International Game Technologies, Balley Technologies and Cantor Gaming were specifically named. Review of the applications are underway even though regulations are still not finalized, which must be done so by the end of January. It's looking possible that online poker could be running in the state by next summer summer. Report: Facebook Considers Online Gambling : In last week's update we mentioned how Zynga had no plans to enter the real money online poker space. This week, a report by EGR indicated that Facebook is looking at handing out eight licenses to online gambling operators in the United Kingdom and other regulated markets. If the reports are true, it's unknown the time-fame in which this would occur or how Facebook would address challenges such as age and identity verification. The report is representative of a wider trend that we are likely to see over the next few years: brick and mortar casinos and even companies that haven't been traditionally associated with gambling entering the space. Bodog Software Update Panned: Last week Bodog released a software update that Bodog hoped, among other things, would enhance the Bodog Recreational Poker model. With the update, player names have been removed from cash games and tournaments, a move that Bodog says will protect recreational players by creating a more level playing field. The update was met with significant controversy due to problems associated with anonymous tables, which includes more difficulty catching colluders. Latest Traffic Update from PokerScout: In PokerScout's weekly online poker traffic update indicated a 1% gain over the previous week helped in large part due to an increase from PokerStars. The Boss Network declined 8% while Party Poker declined 2% allowing iPoker to stay in 2nd place in the rankings for another week. PAS News: Reminder: there are only a few days left to show your support for PAS by voting for us in one of five categories in the annual iGB awards. Jottings: William Hill crowned operator of the year by EGR...Report opens door for internet poker debate in Iowa...Everleaf Adds Cash Games Restriction...Ultimate Bet Player Information Leaked...December US Payment Processing Update...Congressman and online poker support Barney Frank to retire in 2012.
The Full Tilt Investor deal officially cleared a major hurdle late last week with a new deal signed by the GBT and the U.S. Department of Justice. On the regulation front, Nevada got one step closer to bringing online poker to the state. On a federal level, two new online poker hearings were held which debated the merits of regulation in the United States. Check out all of these stories and more in the PAS Weekly Industry Update. Full Tilt Update- Deal Signed: On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Justice and Groupe Bernard Tapie officially came to terms on a deal that will have Full Tilt Poker forfeiting the assets of the poker site and related companies to the DOJ, which would then in turn sell the site to Groupe Bernard Tapie for $80 million. The DOJ will waive the civil charges against Full Tilt Poker but criminal charges will remain. U.S. players will need to file claims to the DOJ to be repaid their balances while GBT would be would reopen to non-U.S. players and would be responsible for repaying these players. A time frame has not been given on when players would be repaid or when Full Tilt would reopen, but Bernard Tapie had previously indicated that he wished for the site to be reopened by January 2012. Hearing Roundups: On Friday, the House Energy and Commerce committee held a follow-up hearing on regulating online poker in the U.S. Discussions again ranged from problem gambling to the benefits of regulation. Supporters such as John Campbell drew the parallel of online poker to Prohibition and the need for regulation to prevent unlicensed operators from operating, while Rep. Frank Wolf mentioned the online gambling-Jack Abramoff connection and an opinion that "online gambling is the crack cocaine of gambling" as reasons why online poker should not be regulated. You may view the hearing here. Meanwhile, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee held a hearing on the effects of regulated online poker on Native American tribes. American Indian groups want a share of internet gambling but do not wish to lose their sovereignty to receive it. If federal regulation occurs, Native Americas tribes want to be assured they would be allowed to operate, tax and license online gambling as well. The National Gaming Gaming Commission maintains that they have the expertise to regulate online gambling given their experience of overseeing 422 gambling facilities in 28 states which generate $27 billion in revenue. The hearing can be viewed here. Nevada to License Intrastate Online Poker: Starting in February of 2012, the Nevada Gaming Control Board will begin accepting applications for licenses to offer online poker within the state's borders. Nevada would become the first U.S. to offer regulated online poker. The District of Columbia also passed online poker legislation but efforts to bring games to the jurisdiction have stalled. In Pokeraddict's article, he theorizes that online poker in the state will not be profitable and that Nevada needs a federal solution -- where more states or countries are allowed to join the player pool -- in order to assure long term sustainability. Latest Traffic Update from PokerScout: Online Poker traffic for the week decreased 7.9% due in large part to the ending of the 70 billionth hand from PokerStars. Traffic at other top sites was mostly flat, although the Boss Network saw a 10% decline after a 19% increase the previous week. Despite the dip, a jackpot of €530,000 on the network still has not been hit and remains the highest in online poker. PAS News Reminder: Voting is ongoing for the iGB Awards . We would appreciate if PAS publishers and fans could show their support. Jottings: Unibet to re-enter French Market...Gross gaming revenue up 7% in Italy...After loses, Gigamedia will be changing course...Cyprus to crackdown on internet gambling...Kyl to possibly co-sponsor Senate online poker bill?
Recent Comments
