Online Casino News and Information

Unless you are just back from a 2 year vacation to the moon, you will know there is an ongoing online gambling dispute. The United States Government is behind it. Back in September 2006, money motivated US congressmen devised a scheme to take over online gambling. Tax it in the US, collect revenue and rid the world of dishonesty.

True to form, President Bush signed the UIGEA. The bill was signed for the people, it was passed against the general opinion of the people, and it was without the voting structure of a democratic society. To put it bluntly, it was done by a dictatorship.

People have different views on gambling. Often, it’s a hobby for armchair experts. I enjoy a flutter on boxing, and when I place a bet, it’s as though I am landing and taking every punch, without the physical pain. I gamble for fun. Winning is a bonus. Use your common sense. Always bet what you can afford to lose, and gambling will never be a problem.

The Good - PPA (Poker Players Alliance)

The PPA was set up to fight in the name of public interest.

“The PPA’s mission is to establish favorable laws that provide poker players with a secure, safe and regulated place to play. Through education and awareness the PPA will keep this game of skill, one of America’s oldest recreational activities, free from egregious government intervention and misguided laws.”

The Bad - UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act)

The UIGEA was introduced to fight in the name of public interest. The problem was, the bill was signed and sealed, against the general opinion of the public. It was a non democratic bill. It was a direct violation of the WTO (World Trade Organization). In my view, the aim of the UIGEA was to damage a flourishing online industry long enough for the US Government to step in, control, tax and steal ownership of online gambling , under the noses of the rest of the world.

“The UIGEA prohibits the transfer of funds from a financial institution to an Internet gambling site, with the notable exceptions of fantasy sports, online lotteries, and horse/harness racing.”

“Antigua and the United States have been involved in a long-running World Trade Organization dispute over U.S. restrictions on online gambling.”

“The WTO ruled on January 25, 2007 that the U.S. is in violation of its treaty obligations by not granting full market access to online gambling companies based in the island nation.”

“On March 30, 2007 the WTO confirmed the U.S. loss in the case.”

Source : Safe Port Act - Wikipedia

Politics is a dirty business. Nothing should be viewed on face value. The US Government is motivated by one thing, money. Public interest is secondary. They are pursuing a new, lucrative, stream of taxable income. They want to weaken the opposition long enough to establish themselves as world leaders within the online gambling industry. Only then they will show their true colors.

The Ugly - The Political Aftermath

As things stand, the whole UIGEA thing has become a political battle. The PPA has no option other than fight fire with fire.

Recently the PPA urged US gambling fans to express their viewpoints to the Republican Party Platform Committee. The Platform Committee hosts a website, where suggestions are taken into account, when they construct their manifestos.

Many experienced and knowledgeable online gamblers stepped up to the plate regarding their opposition to a two sentence item on the platform expressing the GOP’s anti online gambling stance.

This week, the offending sentences appeared to be omitted from the updated draft. John Pappas, executive director of the PPA, stated:

“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,”

The co-chairman of the 112 member platform committee, Senator Richard Burr, from North Carolina claimed that the positive move was primarily to strengthen communication and appeal between the committee and their voting public. Burr was more reluctant to consider the move a victory. He indicated there may be a backlash from conservative right wing party members, who have requested the anti online gambling clause to be re-instituted.

Unfortunately Senator Burr’s prediction proved true and the clause was reinstated in a slightly modified form. It now reads:

“Millions of Americans suffer from problem or pathological gambling that can destroy families. We support legislation prohibiting gambling over the Internet or in student athletics by student athletes who are participating in competitive sports.”

We can argue motives, we can argue morals, we can argue freedom of choice, but it will be marked down as a victory for the opposition to online gambling. Sponsor of the amendment, Kendal Unrah of Colorado, who re-inserted the clause, stated:

“Internet gambling represents the most invasive and addictive form of gambling in our history.”

The only consistent thing about politics is the inconsistency. The US government has meddled with a rule that the World Trade Organization deemed a direct violation. The US Government lost that battle but carried on regardless, ignoring public opinion and international trading laws.

We can argue the rights and wrongs of online gambling but in the end, it appears the US government is intent on restricting the freedom of the people they were elected to protect. Their minority have ignored international rulings set up to protect society, to suit their own personal needs. They are losing the respect of the people.

The Republicans are preparing for their National Convention which starts next week. This will reduce the platform to approximately 50%. They will then get together on Wednesday to construct the final document for the convention, to adopt at the very first opportunity, the first day of deliberations.

This week, after the shock demise of ChanPoker, WSOP legend Johnny Chan’s poker room closed its doors forever. At the same time fellow poker legend Doyle Brunson strengthened his own brand, adding Doylesroom Online Casino, to his long standing poker site, Doylesroom.com.

Since the implementation of the UIGEA back in 2006, it has been difficult for online gambling sites to survive in what is now, a fiercely competitive industry. It now looks like a case of, only the strong and the versatile survive. With the recent addition of Doylesroom Casino, Brunson has taken major steps forward and it looks as if, with his direction, the site will be around for the long haul.

Last year Doylesroom switched networks. This switch allowed US players to return to the poker room, and they have swamped back in droves. Doylesroom didn’t just opt for any network, they teamed up with Microgaming.

Microgaming is the world’s number one gaming software company, and it is no real surprise that Doyle Brunson has called upon their gaming expertise to create and develop the recent new addition.

Doylesroom Casino, powered by Microgaming has an exciting selection of games to choose from. You have the option to play recognizable bricks & mortar casino games such as roulette (both American and European style), blackjack and three card poker. For slots fanatics, you have a wide selection of games to choose from, both three and five reel slot games.

The progressive jackpot games have awesome potential payouts. With over $6million worth of jackpots there for the taking, it may be worth a lucky spin of the reels. Unfortunately, I have never managed to get to Las Vegas to try my luck on their slots. With Doylesroom’s new Casino, I can still play for a life changing amount. Ok, I don’t have any showgirls dancing around in my living room, but I can assure you, this will change if I hit the jackpot.

Possibly, the most famous online progressive slot game is the Mega Moolah. Unlike many other slot games, when the Mega Moolah Jackpot lands, the progressive jackpot resets at a healthy $1million. So even if you hit after a big win, you will still have enough to bring a little Vegas lifestyle into your living room.

Doylesroom Casino offers games for all. For the low rollers, you can try your luck for as little as 10c, up to $1000 a spin for the high rollers. With a bad run of luck, all is not lost; Doylesroom Casino offers a superb cash back bonus of up to 30% on any casino losses. Beat that Vegas!

Doyle Brunson is a larger than life character, both online and off. Back in 2003 a consortium offered him a prop bet at 10/1 odds, on $100,000 that he couldn’t get his weight down below 300lbs. Doyle took up the challenge. Using the fiercely competitive nature that brought him 10 world poker titles, and a little help using his own version of the Atkins diet, Texan steaks, he took the bet and collected a cool $1million!

This is a BIG news story. This could and will affect a lot of poker sites and Casinos!! Just how much so is yet to be seen.
POKERTRILLION.com has been successful in its Application to Seize Boss Media Servers in Malta

Malta August 18, 2008 –The online poker site POKERTRILLION.com has announced that on 18th August 2008 at the First Hall Civil Court, Malta (Court record and Complaint Number 755-08), Judge Gino Camilleri issued a judgment authorizing Trillion Ltd to enforce seizure of the Boss Media Malta Limited and Boss Media AB servers, and that these servers cease being used for any commercial activity as from 18th September 2008 with Boss Media not being allowed to appeal the court’s decision any further.

This judgment, which relates to Trillion Limited’s multi-million Euro law suit for breach of contract against Boss Media AB and their associated companies, comes off the back of a number of successful applications made to the courts in Malta by Trillion Ltd. POKERTRILLION.com C.E.O Andy Pyrah explains, “Today’s decision will in effect bring down Boss Media’s operation in their licensed jurisdiction of Malta on September 18, and any partner still on the Boss (IPN) Poker Network at this stage will see their service closed down too”.

The judge further ordered that the cosignatory which is now responsible for the equipment also provides full accounts of the revenues being generated from this equipment.

Pyrah comments further, “It should also be noted that despite appeals from Boss Media, we’ve been successful in every one of our applications that we’ve filed with the courts in Malta and this includes having our initial garnishee order increased from €5million to €20million earlier this month, this in turn means that there is now a €20million freezing order on all Boss Media’s assets within this jurisdiction, and in accordance with European law we will be applying for this to be executed all over Europe”.

Stay tuned for all the news as we get it!!

In a Federal court on Wednesday, three Florida men plead guilty to gambling related charges.

Read the full story:

http://www.stltoday.com/

stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/9AED2B189BD9E23C8625749E0007BF4E?OpenDocument

Note the part about, The RVs had computers and mobile phone so gamblers could place bets, and one was parked at a Ram’s home game on Oct. 20, 2002. THAT Makes it Illegal Bookies!!! BetOnSports once was one of the largest gambling companies in the world.

The saga continues between the US and Antigua. Yet again the US put it off. The new date of OCT. 1st has been set for an agreement on the online gambling dispute.

Mark Mendel, the Attorney for Antigua, at the WTO, had an interview with the Antigua Sun, and stated that he hoped they could achieve a resolution, but did not predict any possible results on the matter. He just stated that both parties were attempting to work things out.

Mendel also said that Antigua is still holing all the cards, and he is ready for anything.

Antigua is challenging the UIGEA Act of 2006, in which prohibited the transfer of funds from financial institutions in the US. Antigua claims the act is in violation of the WTO.

So now the US is trying to shirk those obligations.

We will wait and see if any agreement will be reached Oct 1st. In my opinion that is very doubtful, but we will see.

Could this be a start to a new beginning for the online gambling Industry?

A Republican from Texas Pete Sessions, a US Congressman has introduced Bill HR 6663. This bill hopes to clarify the UIGEA as to what is legal and not legal in the US. This Bill may allow companies that willfully left the US market to re-enter the US market.

Currently the UIGEA says that banks must stop allowing transactions to illegal gambling sites, but does not define what is illegal, thus making it impossible for banks to implement the law.

With this new Bill Sessions attempts to to clarify this by defining illegal gambling to only relate to sports betting.

Below outlines the purpose of this Bill:

SEC. 2. CONGRESSIONAL FINDINGS AND PURPOSE.

(a) Findings- Congress finds the following:

(1) Prior to the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (hereafter in this section referred to as the ‘UIGEA’), Public Law 109-347, on October 13, 2006, Federal law was both vague and outdated regarding Internet gambling activities, as Federal criminal gambling statutes were passed decades before the commercial use of the Internet.

(2) To date, all 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.

(3) Sports betting, which is illegal in 49 of the 50 States, is viewed as particularly harmful because its potential adverse impact on the integrity of professional and amateur sports, and is the one form of gambling where there is settled Federal case law clarifying it as illegal on the Internet.

(4) Many European Internet gambling companies offering services not including sports betting to persons in the United States were fully listed on the London Stock Exchange, and thereby subject to high standards of transparency and scrutiny, but upon receiving clarification of United States law regarding Internet gaming through the enactment of the UIGEA, these companies closed their sites to persons in the United States.

(5) Continued legal jeopardy for companies that made a good faith effort to comply voluntarily with clarified United States law following the passage of the UIGEA punishes behavior that the law intended to foster and inadvertently rewards continued noncompliance by other foreign entities.

(6) In light of the foregoing and in deference to long-standing constitutional requirements of fair notice and transparency in the criminal law, the Congress finds it necessary to clarify that criminal statutes applicable to gambling do not apply to any person who offered Internet gambling services that did not include sports betting prior to October 13, 2006, and who ceased offering Internet gambling services to persons in the United States upon passage of the UIGEA.

(7) To effect the purposes and intent of the UIGEA, it is the sense of the Congress that the Attorney General should focus any prosecutorial efforts on those persons who–

(A) offer Internet sports betting in the United States; or

(B) process payments for illegal Internet sports betting in the United States.

The Bill is a non-partisan one, because Sessions is a Republican and is supported by Jesse Jackson Jr, Marion Berry and Bill Delahunt, who are Democrats.

We shall see how this Bill does, could it end with a tie vote also? We shall see!!

Four Republican Congressman sent a written letter to the Federal Reserve Board and the US Treasury Calling for more clarity on what the laws really are in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

Here is the body of that letter:

Dear Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke,

We are writing to request that you bring clarity to the Federal Reserve Board’s (Board) and U.S. Department of the Treasury’s (Treasury) proposed regulations to implement the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

As proposed, these regulations do not provide clear guidance to the public, in particular those that engage in online skill games, or regulated industries regarding what constitutes “unlawful internet gambling.” We believe that implementing such vague law and regulations, while holding the public and regulated industries liable for noncompliance, is an abdication of the federal government’s responsibility to both the public and unregulated industries. In addition, vague UIGEA law and regulations could be unnecessarily burdensome and costly to the public and particularly small businesses.

Therefore, we urge the Board and Treasury to, before finalizing UIGEA regulations, clarify the specific activity that constitutes “unlawful internet gambling,” providing guidance to both the public and the regulated industries that are tasked with blocking financial transactions related to “unlawful internet gambling.” It is our understanding that the UIGEA intended to uphold state and federal laws regarding “unlawful internet gambling” that existed prior to UIGEA’s date of enactment. Nevertheless, we encourage the Board and Treasury to confirm our understanding in its UIGEA regulations. To accomplish this, we request that you take the following actions.

First, transition the current rulemaking process to a formal rulemaking process involving an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) or a similar official who can provide legal advice. This official should examine the various federal and state laws and determine precisely what constitutes “unlawful internet gambling” as well as which financial institutions a regulated industry is required to block under UIGEA law and regulations.

Second, we request that undertake Regulatory Flexibility Analysis to clearly evaluate the regulatory burden that would be imposed on businesses of all sizes but especially small businesses.

Simply put, we believe that it is possible that if UIGEA law and regulations are implemented with the vague language we described above, a judge may be eventually required to answer the question of “what is unlawful internet gambling.” It makes fiscal sense to resolve this question before saddling the public, regulated industries, small businesses, and courts with uncertain UIGEA law and regulation.

We voted for UIGEA and support it now. As such, we have resisted legislative efforts which may have the effect of delaying interminably the implementation of UIGEA and its regulations. However, we are concerned about the legal and operational viability of a rule that leaves so much to interpretation and, accordingly, urge the Board and Treasury to take a more deliberative path to a workable rule as we have outlined in this letter.

Thank you for your consideration of our request. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

Judy Biggert
Jim Gerlach
Christopher Shays
Kevin McCarthy

Does this tell the Industry who to vote for? It sure tells me who, We the People, that don’t want our freedom taken away, who to let know how we feel about the whole UIGEA Bill!!