admin | 
09 7th, 2008| 
Two of the top online gambling and poker operators based in Austria, bwin and Casinos Austria, have been all over the local media for corporate espionage. Online poker operators are in cut-throat competition to grow and increase their liquidity in an industry were being small can mean death to a company. It is no surprise to see these companies doing whatever it takes to remain competitive. It is a quite a story and you can read more about it on CasinoMoz
Aug
26
The Republican party has been strongly against internet gambling for almost a decade, and it looked like that would continue this year when they introduced their party platform for the 2008 election year. But, in a surprising twist it appears that their opposition to internet gambling will not be included in this year’s party platform.
Could the party that supposedly stands for individual freedom be finally getting back to its roots?
The Poker Players Alliance executive director, John Pappas, said: “This is a small victory in our determined effort to educate both sides of the aisle that there is a true constituency in America that values its Internet freedoms.”
But, there is still the possibility that the ani-internet gambling language might make it back onto the Republican party platform before the Republican National Convention. If the Christian right raises a lot of stink about the Repblican party going soft on internet gambling then look for the language to be added back in. They have a lot more influence than the Poker Players Alliance, and the Republicans are already struggling to satisfy the Evangelicals who are not yet fully onboard with McCain who is seen as more liberal on social issues.
Let your voice be heard on internet poker and gambling by posting on gopplatform2008.com
Aug
20
Chan Poker, the online poker site of Johnny Chan, announced that they will be ceasing operations beginning August 21st, 2008. They urge any players with cash balances in their account to request a withdrawal immediately. More information on the site closure can be found on Chanpoker.com.
Aug
20
Poker Trillion and Boss Media continue to battle each other in the courts and the press. Poker Trillion issued a press release stating they had won a legal judgment requiring Boss Media to shut down its servers in September, and indicated that player funds might be at risk.
Boss Media responded with their own press release assuring players that their funds are secure and cannot be seized by any courts. Read the full response by Boss Media below:
Boss Media assures player funds and no disruption in services
In relation to the statements made by Poker Trillion August 18 (“Trillion Limited -v- Boss Media Malta Limited and Boss Media AB”), Boss Media has issued the following statement.
Poker Trillion’s recent comments are a reckless attempt to support a legal action that is without merit and initiated as retribution for their dismissal from the Boss Media network. To be clear, player funds are not affected by the current proceedings. All players’ funds are held separately under the control of the Malta Lotteries and Gaming Authority and cannot be seized by any court.
Poker Trillion is a former customer of Boss Media who was terminated because of rake back violations. They have since then repeatedly tried to disrupt the Boss Media business through the dissemination of groundless rumors. In April 2008 Poker Trillion alleged in a press release a claim that among other things, Boss Media player funds were frozen. The allegations were false but typical of the type of tactics employed by Poker Trillion.
While there has been no hearing on the merits of the Poker Trillion suit, there have been preliminary hearings on the matter. Boss Media has assured that adequate security is provided in Malta in the event of an award of damages against it which we believe to be unlikely.
Boss Media is currently exploring various legal options regarding our Maltese assets and can assure that Boss Media has the requisite assets in place to ensure that our business will continue to operate with the highest standards. In the extremely unlikely event that any Malta operations would be affected, Boss Media have high-performance back-up systems in place to ensure continued service to all our customers and their players.
Aug
14
On Tuesday night Yuvee04 won two consecutive Full Tilt Online Poker Series tournaments. This was the first time any player has accomplished the feat. He beat 655 entants in the $535 buy-in H.O.R.S.E tournament, and 2,472 players in the $216 turbo No-Limit Holdem tournament.
Aug
8
It appears the Russian are way ahead of the U.S. when it come to understanding poker. Poker has been officially declared a sport in Russia, and is booming in popularity. While the government in the U.S. attempts to drive poker underground, or at least to Las Vegas and gambling halls, the Russians have embraced poker and the game is offered at poker clubs throughout the country.
We may have beat them to the moon, but the Russians are way ahead of us on this issue. Maybe if poker becomes part of the Olympics someday the U.S. will finally wake up to the fact that poker is a sport and should be treated like one.
Aug
7
BetFair Poker had a great idea for a long-term poker promotion, however it did not turn out to be very long-term; it was won on the first day.
The poker promotion awarded $100,000 to the first player that won the $20k guaranteed and the $5k or $6k guaranteed in the same day. Betfair Poker regular redmist1 accomplished the feat and took home the $100,000 promotion. Congrats!
Aug
5
Ever since the UIGEA was passed there has been confusion all over the online poker/gambling industry ranging from the poker rooms, to the payment processors, to the banks, and yes even the geniuses that come up with these ridiculous pieces of legislation.
One of the main concerns seems to be defining what is considered “unlawful internet gambling’ in the United States. Is poker considered unlawful internet gambling, even though many that play poker consider it a game of skill? Online casinos offering slots, blackjack, and other games of chance are definitely gambling, but are they unlawful?
Well, the very smart people on capitol have attempted to clarify exactly what is considered unlawful internet gambling, and in the process have actually made things more confusing and ridiculous than they were before. A new bill introduced by Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) is called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Clarification and Implementation Act of 2008 (H.R. 6663) tries to offer further insight on what exactly the 2006 UIGEA is supposed to accomplish.
According to H.R. 6663, “No provision of this Act, or any amendment made by this Act, shall be construed as clarifying or implying that Internet bets or wagers, other than sports bets or wagers, which were accepted subsequent to October 13, 2006, are in violation of Federal law.”
“Federal Internet gambling prosecutions have involved sports betting, creating a lack of authoritative court decisions on the applicability of other federal criminal statutes to Internet poker and casino-style gambling.”
Shortly after the introduction of this bill the Poker Player’s Alliance came out with the following statement: “We are, however, puzzled by the introduction of H.R. 6663 and by the purpose of this legislation. While we agree with several findings in the bill that correctly identify the illegality of sports wagering, the PPA remains concerned with the implication H.R. 6663 asserts in that the [UIGEA] has made Internet poker an unlawful activity that needs special protection from prosecution.
“Previous federal case law (re: Mastercard 2002) made it clear that existing federal criminal law (WIRE Act of 1961) applies only to sports wagering, and not to internet poker. Further, the UIGEA itself states, ‘No provision of this law shall be construed as altering, limiting or extending any Federal or State law.’ Thus, H.R. 6663 only confuses a clear judicial standing on this matter.”
The PPA further comments on the bill by stating that it “does nothing to clarify the UIGEA” and “contradicts its own rule of construction by implying in its findings that the sites on which millions of Americans currently play are offering poker services in defiance of federal law.”
Confused yet? Or did this new bill make everything crystal clear for you?
The poker world may be crazy, but politics mixed in just makes everything insane.
Jul
31
It was reported by Forbes.com that the Feds seized $24 million from accounts that belonged to BoDog. However, BoDog denies the news and came out with the following statement written by Alwyn Morris, the CEO of Morris Mohawk Gaming Group:
An article was recently released on Forbes.com that creates several misimpression’s that the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group feels compelled to clarify for our customers. As most of our customers already know, all operators outsource payment processing functions to third parties and these payment processors are subject to regulatory constraints wherever they operate, and, occasionally in the US, are subject to legal action because of the uncertain legal environment there. However, the seizure of funds from these US payment processors was mischaracterized in this article, which refers to two specific legal cases against US processors. Rightly or wrongly, the article does not make a clear distinction between these cases, which, as a result, paints a misleading picture.
The facts are these: the first of these cases – relating to a seizure of funds from a processor known as JBL Services – happened some time ago and has absolutely nothing to do with the current payment processing challenges being experienced in the US. The constraints being experienced by payment processors in the US are universal in that region and not specific to any particular processor or site. Also, note that not one single player failed to get paid when this processor was disrupted.
The second case refers to a payment processor known as Zippayments.com and seizure of funds from this processor’s bank accounts in Nevada. The article falsely implies – but notably does not go so far as to state - that $9.9M seized from Zippayment’s Nevada bank accounts were funds on account for “Bodog”. This is simply false.
Processing partners with whom the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group does business are sophisticated organizations that are perfectly clear as to the actual facts of these cases and their contexts. They are unfazed by such media hype and Morris Mohawk wishes to ensure that its customers are similarly informed. Customer deposits are safe and every player has and will always be paid.
Jul
25
The depth of the cheating scandal at Ultimate Bet Poker continues to grow. The parent company, Tokwiro Enterprises, is left to clean up the mess left by the fraud. Apparently they are combining the two poker rooms under one site to be called CEREUS. I guess they think two negatives always equal a positive.
The Kahnawake Gaming Commission recently Issued the following statement:
KAHNAWAKE GAMING COMMISSION APPOINTS INDEPENDENT MONITORING-INVESTIGATION TEAM
Effective immediately, the Kahnawa:ke Gaming Commission (KGC) has appointed an independent monitor to investigate the KGC Licensee, Tokwiro Ent., parent company of both Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet, led by former New Jersey State Gaming Regulator, Frank Catania.
Mr. Catania is a former Director of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), the regulatory and enforcement agency responsible for maintaining integrity and trust in all Atlantic City gaming operations. As division director, he was a driving force in updating the New Jersey Casino Control Act by fine tuning the balance between regulatory necessity and economic stewardship. After leaving the DGE, he served as the vice president in charge of compliance for Players International, Inc. where he was instrumental in resolving compliance issues the company had encountered in the State of Louisiana, prior to his appointment. He is a principal in Catania Gaming Consultants and the Law Offices of Catania & Associates LLC
The Independent Monitoring Team will be given the task of completing a full forensic audit/investigation of the online gaming business of both licensed entities. The main purpose of the investigation is to ensure that the games offered to the public are fair and honest and that all player protections as required by the Kahnawa:ke Gaming Regulations are being complied with, without exception. The monitoring team will also be charged with verification that all those involved in the fraudulent activities in any manner, no matter how slight, have been or are removed from the licensee company and verify that Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker have submitted to full compliance with the directives issued by the KGC and recommended by the independent monitor.
Furthermore, Mr. Catania’s team will be empowered by the KGC to have full access to interview all employees, past or present, review all records, contact and interview all sub contractors and individuals whom the monitoring team believes necessary. Any failure by the licensees could result in immediate revocation of their license privileges with the KGC. In the event that any criminal activity is found to have occurred, such activity will be reported to the appropriate authorities for possible prosecution.
KGC License Holder, Tokwiro Enterprises has agreed to comply fully and submit to this independent monitor.
KGC Chairman, Dean Montour adds, “While the ongoing investigative process has dominated the attention of the KGC in recent months, we are fully confident in the ability of the Independent Monitoring Team to deliver results and assist the Commission in bringing this matter to a decisive conclusion.”
As per the terms of the monitoring agreement, and at the conclusion of the process, the KGC will review the report of the monitoring team and enter the results into their final considerations at the time of ruling in the Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker investigations.
Murray Marshall
Senior Advisor
Kahnawa:ke Gaming Commission