Online Casino News and Information

The Casino Action Group has lost their Microgaming license just hours ago and is now in a process of liquidation. Their casinos mentioned below are no longer taking deposits;

Music Hall Casino, Challenge Casino, Big Casino, Nostalgia Casino, Golden Reef Casino and UK Casino Club.

The games in the above mentioned casinos are no longer working at this time and there are no deposit options. Withdrawals are however enabled and we recommend that all players with monies in any of these casinos; take your money and run.

Casino Action’s affiliate program, Casino Profit Share, has also had their certification by CAP (Casino Affiliate Programs) removed and affiliates have been advised to cease promotion.

Again this is an action that has taken place not too long after the eCogra Seal was removed from the Casino Action Group’s casinos. See more information on their eCogra Seal removal here

InfoPowa has just recently released the following information.

Microgaming has just announced this evening that it has terminated its license with Tusk Investment Corporation, (owners of Casino Action Group)  after Tusk had sent in its plans of liquidation. By receiving this notice, the termination is put into effect immediately by Microgaming.

Microgaming will provide further announcements, as they are gathering the facts related to this matter, when it becomes available to them. As it looks from our viewpoint; this may be a serious blow to Tusk as it is planning this liquidation with their number of casino sites and poker rooms on the line.

Here is a list of the online casinos and poker rooms operated by Tusk Investment Corporation Limited, which are affected:

Their Online Casinos are Big Casino, Nostalgia Casino, Golden Reef Casino, UK Casino Club, Music Hall Casino and Challenge Casino.

Their Poker Rooms are Euro Poker Dream, Battlefield Poker, Poker Sweden, Royal Card Club, Mr Urban Poker, Red Nines, Caya Poker, Arctic Poker, GoHard Poker, Raw Poker, Ice Bear Poker, Poker.ie, CPT Gaming Poker, Daily Poker, Loose Games Poker, Flush Draw Poker, TilttAA Poker, Will Bet Poker, Poker Seas, Bet Road Poker, Hot Pepper Poker, Grand Central Poker, Hetman Poker, Off The Rail Poker, Dave’s Poker Room, Privy Poker, Atomik Poker and Berserk Poker.

Casino Action had just recently had their eCogra seal suspended. Read more about the eCogra suspensions here: SUSPENSION OF eCOGRA SEALS

Student –led Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS), at Harvard Law School, hosted a discussion, led by Vin Narayanan. This discussion was be on Governor Deval Patrick’s proposed bill to legalize gambling in the state of Massachusetts. This was held on Wednesday, February 20th this year.

Narayanan who is Managing Editor of Casino /times and has worked for USAToday, CNN and Capital News Service, gave a briefing on the political climate surrounding the pending legislation, including the bill, that would impose a prison sentence and a 25,000 fine for anyone playing online poker.

The discussion was sponsored by the HLS chapter of Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, which is part of an ongoing series of forums, summits, and speaking engagements, by some of the top poker experts in the world.

The GPSTS believes that poker teaches and sharpens important life skills. This makes poker more than just a fun game.

It will be interesting to see the outcome of this meeting, and what will come out of it!!  Stay informed!!

For more on what this was all about:
http://www.pr-usa.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=74711&Itemid=9

eCogra’s Compliance and Advisory Services recently did an onsite review of these casinos, which was part of a normal seal renewal process.

These revealed a failure to comply with eCOGRA’s Generally Accepted Practices. So they decided to suspend the seals pending investigation of the following sites:

www.challengecasino.com- Challenge
www.goldenreefcasino.com- Golden Reef
www.ibigcasino.com- I Big Casino
www.musichallcasino.com- Music Hall
www.nostalgiacasino.com-  Nostalgia
www.ukcasinoclub.com- UK Casino Club

These Casinos’s Management has been advised of this action, and was asked to comment on the findings.  There will be more information once these investigations are concluded.

To read more on this and about eCOGRA : www.ecogra.org

 eCOGRA and GamCare Gambling Seminar

eCOGRA will be hosting the next training course in London, March 19th of this year. Accredited companies and other firms under review all over the globe have committed to the expense of sending managers to attend.

This will be a two day course. Speaking will be a senior director of eCOGRA and Chief Inspector of the UK Gaming Board, Bill Galston OBE. After that will be a detailed tuition session on the clinical and social aspects on the problem, and underage gambling, given by expert professional speakers from GamCare.

The program is designed to cover all aspects of responsible gambling awareness and implementation to identify problem gamblers, with main concern on player protection.
The managers there will be taught on how to best ensure and trained to deal with responsible gambling issues, to see that marketing initiatives are in complainace with the Responsible Gambling Code.

On their return these managers will train their staff on these measures.

Tex Rees, eCOGRA’s Fair Gaming Advocate. Stated: “Our previous courses have been well received as valuable guidance in complying with best practice standards for combating problem and underage gambling.The next course has combined the expert professional knowledge of GamCare counsellors with the growing practical experience of top online gambling operators to produce what we believe is an effective and useful approach to a key industry problem.”

To read more on this and eCOGRA: www.ecogra.org.

The UK Telegraph reported: “Sixteen new casinos are to be given the go-ahead - six months after Gordon Brown signaled a retreat from plans to bring Las Vegas-style gambling to Britain.

“The Prime Minister was praised by charities and Church groups last summer for announcing a surprise review of the 2005 Gambling Act, which paved the way for eight small, eight large and one massive regional gambling centre in Manchester.

But only sixteen new casinos will go ahead.

A letter sent to the Scottish and Welsh governments, the 16 smaller casinos are to proceed, But the supercasino will be shelved.

This news was greeted with outrage in Manchester, where council leaders had hoped to use the supercasino as a means to regenerate a rundown area in the east of the city.

Gambling and gaming establishments are NOW allowed to operate in Pasig City, Manila, Philippines. An ordinance legalizing and regulating their existence was passed by the city council..

Ordinance No. 17, by Councilor Ronaldo Lipana, is aimed at regulating the establishment and operation of gambling and betting activities in the city.

The law covers online Internet gaming centers, poker, card games, casino, bingo, lotto, off-track betting, jai alai fronton and other activities approved by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor).

The United States should take lessons!!!

Read the whole story here: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/metro/view/20080206-117023/Pasig-says-yes-to-gambling

The leading candidates Democrats: Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. Republicans: Mike Huckabee, John McCain, Ron Paul and Mitt Romney. At the bottom on this you will find a link to read more about how these candidates stand on the UIGEA, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. I know you can not make an educated informative judgment, solely on their standing on the UIGEA Act. There were many issues involved in the last minute passage of this through the Congress, and some of these candidates were not in Congress when it was passed.

There is very little specific information on most of the candidates on this issue. Could it be they do not want to make many points till after the election???? I encourage you to contact the campaigns of the candidates, that you are thinking of voting for and ask their opinions or positions on this bill.
Please let them know you have not made up your mind as to who you are going to vote for, but that you are a PROUD poker player. Let hem know how strong the grass roots are behind the great game of poker. Not ONLY poker, but also all the other online games you LOVE to play. It is our Right to do what we want in our own homes, with our own money! Now is the time to let the presidential primary candidates know that POKER, as well as other games is NOT A CRIME!!

Stand up now and be heard before the election! Fight for our rights as US Citizens! After all this is Posed to be America THE Land of the FREE!!

Go here to read this whole article:
http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/news/newsandarticles_article.php?DID=450