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Below .002, I buy!
Easy...here's a recent article on slot machines/on-line poker.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL
Posted: Apr. 22, 2012 | 2:02 a.m.
International Game Technology is poised to premiere "American Idol" on Facebook, and wants players to one day wager on the interactive version of its slot machine on the Internet.
While state and federal lawmakers inch along toward legalization of online gaming, IGT and the casino industry's other large slot machine makers are already lining up for a piece of the potential action.
And when it comes to the future of those who provide the technological bones of the gaming industry is debated, the only question is how much of the future online prize they'll want.
Analysts and investors have speculated openly whether slot machine companies and other gaming product vendors will be satisfied just to provide content for casino operators to use on their Internet gaming websites. They wonder whether equipment makers are prepared to manage their own Internet gaming portals and potentially compete online with the same casino companies that buy their slot machines.
WMS Industries officials said the company is following a business-to-business model to provide online casinos with slot machine themes and titles.
"We have made significant progress in our development of a technology and entertainment content base that will help our customers unlock the emerging opportunities provided through online capabilities," WMS President Orrin Edidin said when the Waukegan, Ill.-based slot machine maker applied for a Nevada Interactive gaming license last month.
The issue surfaced in January when industry leader IGT said it would spend $500 million to acquire social gaming provider Double Down Interactive, which developed Facebook's Double Down Casino.
IGT officials quelled speculation, saying the company "had no plans" to operate an online casino but would use Double Down to introduce its content to a new audience. A few weeks ago, IGT said it was debuting a free-play version of its popular slot machine themed on the reality television series "American Idol" to a social gaming audience on Facebook.
"The Double Down purchase is still being digested by investors who have questions about the benefits of the purchase and IGT's relationship with its brick-and-mortar customers," Janney Montgomery Scott gaming analyst Brian McGill wrote in a research report. "We do expect the interactive business to become more transparent over time as the results begin to be broken out separately."
Credit Suisse gaming analyst Joel Simkins, following a series of investor meetings with IGT management last month, said some of the company's major casino customers had complained about the slot maker as a potential competitor.
IGT already has a presence in Europe. Last year it paid $115 million for Entraction Holdings, a Swedish online poker network operator,
IGT Chief Executive Officer Patti Hart told Credit Suisse investors that most of the company's casino operator relationships remain strong, and that any loss in games purchased by IGT's unhappy customers won't break the balance sheet.
"(IGT) has a diversified customer base, with strong relationships in the regional markets and in Native American gaming," Simkins wrote in the report. "We tend to agree with this view and believe hemming and hawing by certain customers is more smoke then fire."
SOCIAL GAMING SURGE
IGT has company in the social gaming space. Slot machine rivals WMS, Aristocrat Technologies and Bally Technologies are putting games on the Internet to give potential customers or regular slot players a chance to try them.
Simkins said IGT's ownership of Double Down provides a platform for its large library of games and is a competitive advantage over other companies.
"Long-term, IGT believes it can deliver content for new virtual slot machines at 25 percent of the cost of its competitors," Simkins said.
Traditional social gaming providers also are exploring Internet gaming. San Francisco-based Zynga, which produces FarmVille, CityVille, Mafia Wars, and other games for Facebook, is reportedly in talks with Wynn Resorts Ltd. about a potential online gaming partnership, according to the New York Post.
Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said the company could parlay its popular virtual poker game into real-life betting, calling the possibilities "mind-blowing."
Most major slot machine manufacturers are poised to enter online gaming.
In February, Bally bought an Internet gaming platform from Chiligaming for an undisclosed price. Bally said it would use the system to help customers start casinos. Bally and rival Aristocrat then agreed to share an online poker network and online slot content in the U.S.
Also, table game and gambling equipment vendor Shuffle Master said it was spending almost $30 million to buy Ongame Network, a leading business-to-business online poker provider, from bwin.party Services of Austria.
NET POKER OFFERS GATEWAY
So how do these deals position the industry for pay-for-play online gaming?
The continuing emphasis, both state-by-state and federally, has been on legalizing Internet poker.
Other casino games, such as craps, blackjack, roulette or slot machines, are not on the table, which is the primary reason traditional slot machine makers are dealing themselves into poker.
"The best opportunity for legalization on the federal level is poker," said Reno businessman Paul Mathews Jr., a member of Gov. Brian Sandoval's Gaming Policy Committee. "Let's get poker done on a federal level, and let's prove we can do this right."
The casino industry, for the most part, wants Congress to legalize Internet poker, rather than leaving it up to individual states. The fear is that multiple states having Internet poker could lead to myriad regulations and rules for entry.
Nevada gaming regulators adopted Interactive poker regulations in January. Under the state's rules, only companies that are licensed for "brick-and-mortar casinos" can operate Internet poker websites catering to in-state gamblers.
That means companies such as MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming Corp., and the South Point are in, which would leave IGT and traditional slot makers as content providers only.
Federal legalization appears to be a long shot. Legislation has been hung up in Congress and is opposed by state lotteries and Indian gaming interests. And poker legislation may not surface at all in 2012 as political leaders focus on November's presidential election.
Meanwhile, Nevada's position as the only state with online poker laws may not last long. At least a half-dozen states, including California, New Jersey, Iowa and Mississippi, have draft online poker legislation or are exploring the prospects.
During the March i-Gaming North America 2012 Conference at Planet Hollywood Resort, panelists echoed the sentiment that Internet gaming would roll out state by state. States are taking the lead because the U.S. Department of Justice ruled in late December that the federal Wire Act of 1961 applies only to sports wagering, giving states the authority to determine whether they want to legalize intrastate online gambling.
"States have been more vocal about their rights," Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Andrew Zarnett told investors. "The debate on whether some form of Internet gaming will be legalized has now evolved to when will Internet gaming be legalized on a state basis. Federal standards may or may not be helpful."
Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon said it seems unlikely that online gaming legislation will be attached to a major federal bill this year.
"While almost all the experts are calling for federal bills, intrastate bills are the only ones moving forward," he said.
Despite the current uncertainty, some of the largest slot makers have stepped up their online gaming efforts. More than two dozen casino operators and gaming equipment manufacturers have applied for Interactive gaming licenses in Nevada. It's possible the first Nevada-only Internet poker website could be launched later this year.
Contact reporter Howard Stutz at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. Follow @howardstutz
Thanks WSS..that was an informative reply!
Who is Zynga....are they competition for ATIG? Or does our reservation legality trump many? This comes from AdAge Digital!
Digital
Zynga Gamers Could Soon Be Cashing In
Proposed Real-Money Option Has Annual-Revenue Potential of $5 Billion, but Creates Extensive Legal Issues to Maneuver
By: Rich Thomaselli Bio
RSS feed Published: April 23, 2012 inShare.70
Farmville cash is small potatoes.
Social-media gaming leader Zynga, makers of such hit Facebook games as Farmville, Words With Friends and Zynga Poker, has publicly expressed a desire to offer a real-money option to its more than 30 million monthly players. A Zynga spokesperson told All Things Digital in January, "We know from listening to our players that there's an interest in the real-money gambling market. We're in active conversations with potential partners to better understand and explore this new opportunity."
"It's coming," said attorney and gaming-law expert Cory Aronovitz. "They're taking baby steps, and they're working within state laws, but it's coming. And it's going to be big."
How big? There's a potential $5 billion in annual revenue for Zynga alone from online gaming, according to a January investor's note from J.P. Morgan. And there's another potential windfall for Facebook, which currently takes a 30% share of revenue on virtual products purchased through Zynga.
But before anybody starts to cash in their nonvirtual chips, there are some fairly extensive legal hurdles to get over. For one, very few states in the U.S. have legalized online gambling.
"They would have to be licensed by whatever jurisdiction they want to operate in, and they would have to have the controls in place to clarify that the player is in a specific spot [that offers legalized online gambling]," said Sue Schneider, a gaming-industry consultant in St. Louis. "The other option is, they provide the technology to partner up with an operator who would get the license."
Zynga has reportedly been in discussions with Steve Wynn and Wynn Resorts about an online-gaming partnership. Zynga declined to comment, but if true, that brings up a second problem. Wynn Resorts has a license to conduct gaming in Nevada (and outside the U.S., in Macau), but the company said it does not have one in any other state.
Another potential pitfall is that Indian tribes with gaming rights in states such as Connecticut will most assuredly put up a fight against legalized online gambling.
"Those are the issues that are being worked out now. It's not a federal licensing system, it's a state-by-state system, and it's quite challenging," said Keith Furlong, VP of Catania Gaming Consultants. "Everyone will want their piece of the tax revenue as well. It's a complex issue and, frankly, I don't know if the country has come to grips with the ability to game from the house yet."
Mr. Furlong said Zynga will also be required to change its corporate culture should it start accepting real money. "They're going to be regulated," he said.
Mr. Aronovitz, founder of the Casino Law Group and an adjunct professor of gaming law at the John Marshall Law School in Chicago, said that the online-gaming industry received a huge boost in December when the Obama administration reinterpreted the Interstate Wire Act of 1961, noting that "interstate transmissions of wire communications that do not relate to a "sporting event or contest' fall outside the reach of the Wire Act."
Added Mr. Aronovitz, "It has opened a floodgate of people of looking to get involved in internet gambling and it has spawned a huge debate of whether online gaming would be allowed. For instance, Illinois had been sitting on an online retail lottery-ticket bill. It has now launched; you can now go on their website and buy lottery tickets. Now the question is, "When will states offer poker, either through intrastate, or offer their own gaming bill?' And then the question is, "What is the platform?'
I don't know the answer to the first question," Mr. Aronovitz said, "but the logical answer to the platform question is social media."
Here's a current update for on-line gambling bills in 2012....or will it be 2013 before we are playing on-line? Neal
This month, the PocketFives Podcast remembers Black Friday and gives our listeners an update on Federal and state online poker legislation. The internet gaming industry was turned on its head on April 15th, 2011 when the U.S. Department of Justice indicted 11 individuals associated with PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker. All three sites left the U.S. market, while only PokerStars has managed to scrape up the funds to pay back players.
Watching the events of the past year unfold have been Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas and Vice President of Player Relations Rich TheEngineer Muny, who join the PocketFives Podcast this month. Both have played integral roles in advancing online poker legislation on Capitol Hill and speaking out on behalf of players everywhere.
PocketFives has published a plethora of legislative articles since Black Friday. If you haven't kept up, Pappas recapped the latest: "Players are already seeing what's happening. It's a combination of Federal and state action. Since Black Friday, we've had a lot of progress made here in Washington. I would characterize it as a lot of starting and stopping. In June following Black Friday, Congressman Joe Barton (R-TX, pictured) introduced his bill, HR 2366, and over the next six months, we had four hearings surrounding that bill and that issue."
However, there has been relatively little movement in 2012. Pappas explained what has happened in the New Year: "We haven't seen the type of progress that we would have hoped so far. We would have liked to see a bill passed out of committee by now. We would have loved to see the bill that Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) have spoken about many times, but we haven't. At the same time, we're also seeing the states move."
Pappas elaborated, "It's not necessarily related directly to our issue, but just a general slowdown of Congress to truly accomplish anything of substance. They are paralyzed by bipartisanship, particularly by what appears to be a divisive election year. The PPA is continually and constantly engaged with Republican and Democratic leaders talking about how we can get our issue raised between now and when Congress recesses."
Nevada has already approved regulations that would allow legal online poker and is in the process of reviewing potential licensees. "I do believe there will be real money, live play on the internet for residents in Nevada beginning sometime in early 2013," Pappas forecasted. "Who knows if New Jersey can get its bill signed by Governor Chris Christie (pictured)? [Nevada and New Jersey] could [have legal online poker] right around the same time." Other states like Iowa and California have investigated the issue, and Illinois recently launched online lottery ticket sales.
"In my opinion, it's no longer a matter of if, but a matter of when and how this will happen," Muny said of legalized internet poker in the United States. "The state efforts are pushing the Federal efforts forward… The Federal efforts are also pushing the states forward and that's due to the efforts of the poker community." Muny has spearheaded the Daily Action Plan here on PocketFives, which offers ways members of the community can get involved politically from the comfort of their own homes.
Could online poker become a rider? Or will it likely pass as standalone legislation? Pappas told the PocketFives Podcast that the number of opportunities for the former could be limited: "I don’t know that there will be a lot of opportunities. I think you'll see the PPA and others make serious plays to make sure online poker is included in those must-pass bills between now and the election. If we're not successful, there's a real opportunity in the lame duck session."
There has been a considerable amount of chatter on PocketFives and elsewhere that a piece of pro-online poker legislation could find its way onto the Cyber Security Act, which is still in progress. Pappas revealed, "There has been outreach from our lobbying side on that, but I would certainly encourage our membership to remind their lawmakers that not just the Cyber Security Act, but any moving vehicle this year is an appropriate vehicle for internet gaming, particularly those bills that require some sort of revenue component."
Muny noted that the Cyber Security Act is unique because it is germane to our issue, "whereas some of the other pieces of legislation, it would be hard to envision how we would fit in other than a revenue aspect."
Get up to speed on online poker's prospects in the United States by listening to this month's PocketFives Poker Podcast.
Barney Frank not Happy!
Barney Frank is losing hope on getting an Internet poker bill through Congress before he retires in January after 32 years in the U.S. House of Representatives.
In an exclusive interview with PokerNews.com, the original champion for Internet gambling rights on Capitol Hill indicated he had given up on poker legislation passing before he leaves office but then backtracked to say there may still be a chance in the lame-duck session between the November elections and the end of the year.
"I'd like to do it but I'm not optimistic," Frank said. "It's still possible. (Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid wants to do it. A lot of people here want to do it. It might get done in the lame duck. It could get done as part of an overall package. But I think other things will replace it."
Though it's little consolation to an American public that has lacked in reliable playing options since the Black Friday indictments, Frank is convinced that "it's going to happen within the next couple years."
When Frank first introduced legislation to license Internet gambling in 2007, there was little support from his colleagues. He achieved the lone positive congressional vote on online poker to date when a subsequent version passed through the House Financial Services Committee in 2010 but never made it in front of the full House.
Now he sees the licensing and regulation of Internet poker as closer than ever to happening for reasons that have little to do with Black Friday. It's not because of the sudden void in the market, the letter-writing campaigns from angered players, nor the deficiency in consumer protection revealed in the aftermath of the indictments.
"What is galvanizing things is the interpretation of the Wire Act by the Justice Department and the threat of different states doing different things," Frank said. "The chaos inherent in that is a good argument for legislation."
Frank said that two of the biggest problems standing in the way of online poker legislation at the moment are opposition from some Indian tribes and that Sen. Jon Kyl is not yet fully on board.
The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs has held two hearings in the past six months to discuss Internet gambling. Some tribes think they should be treated like a state when it comes to online poker while others like having a semi-monopoly on gambling in their areas.
Like Frank, Kyl has announced that he will not be seeking reelection in November. He is one of the biggest opponents of Internet gambling dating back to 1995 but has come around to join in talks with Reid about a compromise that would allow for regulation of Internet poker while prohibiting other forms of online gambling.
Frank said that Kyl, a high-ranking Republican who could bring the needed bipartisan support to the bill, is against including a revenue component in any Internet poker legislation out of fear that it could make gambling more popular and entice more state lotteries to get involved. Of course, many other legislators favor Internet poker licensing because of the revenue possibilities.
"We might have to wait until Kyl is out of office for this to get done," Frank said.
If Internet poker legislation is to happen in 2012, Frank said it will have to begin with Reid and Kyl in the Senate.
"The best I can say is that, if the Senate passes something, I think we can get it through the House," Frank said. "But the Senate has got a lot of problems these days."
Read more: http://www.pokernews.com/news/2012/04/pokernews-exclusive-barney-frank-not-optimistic-online-poker-12476.htm
Some Florida Poker News:
New Florida Poker Room In Jacksonville Leads State In Revenues
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By Earl Burton - Apr 19th, 2012 ..
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The newest poker room that opened in Florida last month, Best Bet Jacksonville, has surpassed expectations by leading the state in revenues in its inaugural month of action.
According to the Florida Times-Union, Best Bet Jacksonville pulled in the most revenues for the month of March of the 24 poker rooms in the state. Times-Union writer Roger Bull reports that, during the month of March, Best Bet Jacksonville pulled in gross receipts of $1,328,261, eclipsing the Isle Casino and Racing poker room, which earned $1,304,344. In the state of Florida, the rake is 10% of a pot or a $5 maximum, demonstrating the popularity of the newest room in the Sunshine State.
Bull reports that the excellent month by Best Bet Jacksonville came at the expense of two other, older establishments in the area, however. The Orange Park poker room earned over $1 million in February, but saw its gross revenues fall to $616,000 in March. Likewise, the St. John’s poker room saw its gross revenues decline to $213,000 from its February take of $407,000. This won’t worry the ownership of Best Bet Jacksonville, Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, however; the group is the owner of all three poker rooms in the Jacksonville area.
“I think any time any company opens a new location, you’re going to see somewhat of a shift in business,” Bull quotes Michael Munz, a spokesman for Jacksonville Greyhound Racing, as saying. Bull also said that Munz is expecting that there will be some leveling of the numbers as the newness of the Best Bet Jacksonville facility wears off and some players head back to their familiar haunts.
The success of Best Bet Jacksonville shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone in the Florida area or the poker industry. With its 70 tables, Best Bet Jacksonville became the largest poker room in the state the moment that it opened its doors. In addition to offering a wealth of poker action, the 144,000 square foot facility also offers pari-mutuel betting on horse and greyhound racing, giving players something else to do while on the grounds.
According to Deborah Giardina, the poker room manager of Best Bet Jacksonville, the poker room is a boon to the Jacksonville area. In an interview last month with News4Jax.com, Giardina said the poker room employs 200 people, from dealers to floor staff and waitpersons, with the average job earning $50,000 per year. In addition to this employment influx, the surrounding area’s restaurants, gas stations, hotels and the other businesses in the Regency Square Mall (where Best Bet Jacksonville is located) should expect to see a rise in revenues also, according to Giardina.
The poker world will get its first impressions of Best Bet Jacksonville a little bit later this month. Following the conclusion of the Seminole Hard Rock Showdown in Hollywood next week, Best Bet Jacksonville will play host to the World Poker Tour. The WPT Best Bet Jacksonville Open will begin on April 27 with the first of two Day Ones. The $5000 event is expected to bring in many of the players that are currently in action at the Hard Rock and the tournament has placed a guarantee of a $1 million prize pool on this event.
The WPT Best Bet Jacksonville Open will be one of the events taped for broadcast during the Season Ten television schedule of the WPT and it is being given the full treatment from WPT officials. The tournament’s eventual champion will not only walk off with the inaugural title from the event but also will receive a seat to May’s WPT World Championship at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and have their name etched onto the WPT Champions’ Cup, an honor that is only bestowed on full-fledged WPT championship tournament victors.
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I'll be the agnostic....Buy/sell? I havn't a clue! But, I'm still holding tight! Below .002....more buying for me. Neal
The on-line poker view of Mitt Romney is: Since he's running for president of the US and he is Mormon, I guess it's no surprise that he would fight it. Here's a section of an article that appeared on CardPlayer on 2/6/2012:
Mitt Romney, the frontrunner for the GOP’s nomination to run against President Barack Obama, told Las Vegas political journalist Jon Ralston last week that he is against online gaming.
When asked if he is a supporter of legalizing the activity, Romney responded: “No, no I’m not. Gaming has a social effect on a lot of people. I don’t want to increase access to gaming. I feel that we have plenty of access to gaming right now through the various casinos and establishments that exist.”
Closer...closer....closer to on-line gambling:
Home : Poker News : New Jersey Online Poker Bill Scores Small Win
New Jersey Online Poker Bill Scores Small WinEasily Passes Senate Commitee on Tuesday
by Brian Pempus | Published: Apr 03, 2012 | E-mail Author
Atlantic City
A bill in New Jersey aimed at legalizing online gaming was approved Tuesday by a Senate Committee by a 11-0 margin, with one abstention.
The legislation would authorize Atlantic City casinos to offer the activity to state residents.
The bill moves to a full vote by lawmakers. According to NorthJersey.com, that could happen as late as June.
Online poker in New Jersey doesn’t face an easy road, as it has been difficult historically to please Gov. Chris Christie with a proposal. However, it was reported in January that the idea has the governor’s “guarded support.”
New Jersey, along with California and Delaware, is actively playing catch-up with Nevada. The Silver State is on the verge of licensing companies to run poker sites.
Will New Jersey be the first state?
New Jersey's Internet gambling bill is scheduled to go up for a vote in the New Jersey Senate on May 31, later than sponsor Raymond Lesniak had hoped. The delay will push back his predicted Sept. 1 start date for online poker in the Garden State. Lesniak still says he expects online poker to be up and running in New Jersey "sometime in the fall."
Lesniak said last month that the bill would pass through both houses in mid-April. The bill was passed by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on April 3. The holdup, according to Lesniak, is that many of his colleagues in the legislature are going on vacation over the next month.
"We have to make sure we have all the Democratic votes there, so we have to schedule around people's vacations," Lesniak said. "Things like this happen. A year ago, the governor vetoed the first attempt. This time, it looks like we're going to reach the finish line. It's just taking longer than I hoped for."
Republican Gov. Chris Christie vetoed a similar bill last year. This year's version was amended to address Christie's concerns that commercial establishments outside Atlantic City could become centers for online gambling.
Since Christie's veto, there have been other developments with Nevada passing online poker regulations and the Justice Department's opinion on the Wire Act, which says that the Wire Act, previously used to discourage all forms of online gambling, applies only to sports betting.
Christie indicated in January that he had come around on the idea allowing Atlantic City casinos to host online gambling websites. Lesniak foresees New Jersey being the East Coast epicenter of online poker with other states, and potentially other nations, utilizing New Jersey's gambling experience to serve as the regulating body for a large cross-state pool of players once those states decide to get involved in online poker.
If the bill passes May 31 in the Senate, Lesniak expects it to be passed by the State Assembly in June and signed by the governor soon after. He remains optimistic that the bill is on track despite these speed bumps.
"I'm extremely confident," Lesniak said. "The casinos really need it. They want it. Really, it's the only way some of them will survive."
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news
Read more: http://www.pokernews.com/news/2012/04/lesniak-new-jerseys-internet-poker-bill-finish-line-12447.htm
On-line poker news from the Sacramento Bee:
Viewpoints: Regulating Internet poker adds revenue, protection
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By Ron Cottingham
Special to The Bee
By Ron Cottingham
Last modified: 2012-04-12T14:01:30Z
Published: Thursday, Apr. 12, 2012 - 12:00 am | Page 13A
Last Modified: Thursday, Apr. 12, 2012 - 7:01 am
Copyright 2012 . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
The Golden State is the nation's largest online poker market, with more than 2 million Californians wagering $13 billion a year at offshore poker websites. By passing legislation establishing state-authorized online poker, we could not only be generating billions in new state revenue, but just as important, we would be protecting Californians who currently play online poker against fraud and theft that are rampant among offshore gambling websites operating illegally within our borders without any regulation or repercussions.
The lack of consumer protections has resulted in huge losses for players. In January, players sued the Ultimate Bet website in U.S. District Court in California over a $20 million online cheating scheme that targeted high-stakes poker players. This lawsuit follows accusations from federal prosecutors that Full Tilt Poker built a global Ponzi scheme that bilked online players out of at least $390 million.
Poker players at California's brick and mortar card clubs and federally recognized tribal casinos are protected from such losses by long-established and proven government regulatory procedures and oversight, which are upheld by our state's gaming partners – California tribes and card rooms.
Those same consumer protections and state oversight should be extended to California's online poker players to ensure that the state's poker industry is free from criminal elements and false fronts. Extending much of the state's existing poker regulations to Internet poker will bring the same consumer safeguards, player security and operator integrity that Californians enjoy today at poker tables in brick and mortar facilities.
Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, recently took action to protect online players by introducing Senate Bill 1463, which seeks to authorize and regulate Internet poker in California. This bill follows three years of discussions and state hearings. We applaud Steinberg and Wright for their leadership in introducing this legislation. However, this bill is not perfect, and can go farther toward protecting consumers, providing the law enforcement community with oversight and securing revenues sooner rather than later.
As this bill moves forward, we hope additional safeguards will be included in the legislation that will strengthen player protections and solidify the economic benefits by preventing unsuitable gaming interests and operators from sidestepping our gaming regulations and policies. Such adjustments would guarantee California consumers and the law enforcement community the safest, most secure, and most reliable online poker environment possible. The law enforcement community must be assured that California's long-standing policies and safeguards on gaming are extended to the Internet to ensure the game's integrity.
Passing online poker legislation will do more than protect players; it will also generate much-needed state revenues to prevent cutbacks to public safety, education and other services. An analysis by Tim Gage, California's former director of finance, estimated that authorizing online poker would create more than $1.4 billion in new revenue for California over the next decade, another $248 million in economic activity and 1,300 new California jobs. This revenue will help put more police and firefighters in our communities and help reverse cutbacks that public safety agencies and schools have suffered across the state.
By drafting regulations that mirror California's existing gaming regulations, lawmakers can have online poker up and running by 2013 – a year earlier than SB 1463 envisions. The sooner regulations are in place, the sooner we can start protecting players and generating revenue.
It's time to act to protect California consumers and seize the opportunity that will generate jobs and revenue for our state.
Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/12/4407483/regulating-internet-poker-adds.html#storylink=cpy
General on-line gambling news...the bells are ringing!
States racing to set up legal online gambling
By Mark Gruetze, PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Friday, April 13, 2012
About the writer
Mark Gruetze has been a recreational gambler for more than 30 years, focusing on blackjack, video poker and poker. He is administrative editor of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Send questions to players@tribweb.com Hear him at 5 p.m. Mondays on TribLIVE Radio at TribLIVE.com.
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April 15, widely known as tax-deadline day, carries a starker meaning for fans of online gambling.
On April 15, 2011, federal authorities shut down U.S. operations of the three largest online-poker sites, stopping thousands of people from playing and tying up millions of dollars they had deposited or won.
Since "Black Friday," actions by the Justice Department, casino and online companies and several states indicate legal online gambling in the United States is tantalizingly close but still months away.
"Any time you're changing laws, whether it's in Harrisburg or Sacramento (Calif.) or any other place, it's time-consuming, an arduous process," Richard "Skip" Bronson, chairman of U.S. Digital Gaming says. His firm, based in Beverly Hills, Calif., provides online-gambling systems.
John Pappas, executive director of Poker Players Alliance, says many people expected virtual cards to be dealt in at least one state by the middle of this year after the Justice Department said in December that the Wire Act did not prohibit online gambling.
"Maybe by the middle of 2013, we'll see (online poker legal in) multiple states, but it's certainly not going to be this year," says Pappas, whose group favors federal regulation.
Bronson doesn't hazard a guess about which state will be first to have online gambling, but says Nevada, New Jersey, California, Iowa and Delaware are pursuing it aggressively.
Pennsylvania, the sixth-most-populous state, is noticeably absent from the list.
When one state starts online play, others will follow suit, as with lotteries and traditional casinos, Bronson says.
Nevada approved regulations for online poker in January. The Las Vegas Review-Journal predicts some websites could be operating by fall if the technology is approved. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie vetoed an Internet gambling bill last year, but indicated he might sign a revision working its way through the Legislature, news reports say.
Much of the action followed the Justice Department ruling that Illinois and New York could sell lottery tickets online to in-state purchasers. The department also said that except for sports betting, the Wire Act does not prohibit using the Internet for legal gambling in a state. That reversed the department's previous position.
Moves in the casino industry also indicate that legal online poker rooms -- and possibly, games such as blackjack, craps and slot machines -- are coming sooner or later. Major casino companies are partnering with or buying online-game providers. For example, Zynga, whose games include FarmVille and Facebook Poker, is negotiating a deal with Wynn casinos. Slot manufacturers Bally and Aristocrat agreed to work together to provide online-poker networks to casino operators.
The attraction, as always, is money.
"There's no revenue source that can compete with the kind of revenue that can be generated from online gaming," Bronson says.
Research company H2 Gambling Capital, based in Great Britain, predicts legalized online poker in the United States could generate operator revenue of $4.3 billion in its first year, rising to $9.6 billion in the fifth year. H2 says half of that would come from players in eight states -- the seven most populous, plus Massachusetts.
The states' share would depend on their tax rate; for example, an average rate of 15 percent on $9.6 billion would yield $1.44 billion.
Bronson says states eventually will form compacts allowing play to cross state lines, similar to the Powerball and MegaMillions lotteries. Pappas says the compacts could extend to other countries, as well.
One reason is that online poker rooms need at least 70,000 players to have "liquidity" -- the ability to offer a wide enough range of games and betting levels, Bronson says.
The biggest worries about online casinos include keeping underage players off a site; preventing a spread of compulsive gambling; protecting players' money (Full Tilt Poker, a target of last year's crackdown, is accused of using $150 million in players' money for its own purposes); and guarding against cheating and collusion. Supporters say existing software makes those issues easier to handle online than in traditional casinos, which must address similar concerns.
Pappas says a state-by-state approach would emphasize generating tax revenue and involving local companies rather than determining the best setup for players. Bronson says Congress is too divided to agree on a law that brings gambling into every home.
'Gambling with an edge'
Player's Advantage columnist Mark Gruetze is scheduled to appear next week on the "Gambling with an Edge" radio show hosted by video-poker expert Bob Dancer and Michael "Wizard of Odds" Shackleford.
The hourlong show will air live at 10 p.m. EDT Thursday on KLAV-AM1230, Las Vegas; listeners can tune in online at www.klav1230am.com. Dancer, author of video-poker books and software, has hosted the weekly show since February 2011. Shackleford, whose website www.WizardOfOdds.com is an encyclopedia of casino games and strategies, joined Dancer two months ago.
Money trail
Slot players lost $49.4 million in Pennsylvania's 11 casinos during the week ended April 8, the Gaming Control Board reported. That's up from $47.43 million in the comparable week last year. This week's total includes $959,144 from the Valley Forge Resort Casino, which was not open last year.
The state gets 55 percent of the "gross slot revenue," or what's left of players' bets after jackpots are paid.
Statewide, slot machines have a 90.05 percent payout rate since the fiscal year started in July; for every $100 put in, the machines return an average of $90.05. Payout rates for Western Pennsylvania casinos:
•89.86%: Rivers; slot revenue for the week was $5.05 million, down from $5.25 million last year.
•89.78%: Meadows; slot revenue for the week was $4.71 million, down from $4.75 million last year.
•90.43%: Presque Isle in Erie; slot revenue for the week was $3.28 million, down from $3.29 million last year.
QUESTION OF THE WEEK
Do I have a better chance of hitting a slot-machine payout if I bet less than the maximum? (from Derek Majernik of Brownsville)
No. How much you bet doesn't affect your chances of seeing the jackpot symbols on the payline. That's determined by the machine's random-number generator at the instant you hit the spin button. If you bet less than the maximum, your money will last longer simply because each bet is smaller.
More Player's Advantage headlines
Slot fans, casinos in midst of 'golden age of free play'
Don't be fooled by 'hot slots' data
Smoke-free casinos inevitable everywhere, advocate says
Don't get hooked by blackjack's Lucky Ladies side bet
It's the odds, not the spins, that are poor for slots
Keep gambling records for easier filing in tax season
Gaming board cites player fairness in blackjack rules in decision
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Read more: States racing to set up legal online gambling - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/s_791167.html#ixzz1sP3SyXa6
This is a VERY relative article for Indian on-line gambling. Although fairly long, I think most will find this informative and relating to our investment in ATIG. This comes from "Indian Country Today":
Gaming experts have an urgent message for indigenous leaders: Federal legislation to legalize online gaming is coming, and if you want to protect Indian country interests, you need to get your strategy in place now.
The clock is ticking toward the lame-duck sessions of Congress in the crucial weeks after the presidential election this November. Experts say that’s when there will be the greatest risk—and greatest opportunity—for the nations, because that’s when legislation is most likely to be pushed through. During such a session at the end of 2010, Washington was abuzz over Sen. Harry Reid’s (D-Nevada) efforts to attach an online poker bill to a must-pass appropriations bill. Reid’s proposal would have harmed Indian gaming tribes and given a huge advantage to some of his biggest backers in the commercial gaming industry in Nevada. After a groundswell of opposition from the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI), Reid backed down.
Reid’s bill would have hurt tribal gaming and tribal sovereignty by, among other things, imposing federal taxes on tribal governments that operate internet poker and separating the gaming operator from the gaming regulator, thereby limiting the tribal government’s role and authority. Perhaps the most bizarre provision would have excluded any tribe earning less than five percent of total U.S. gaming revenue from participating in the initial launching of Internet gaming, cutting dozens of small Indian casinos out of the market.
The buzz about Internet gaming legislation has quieted to whispers in D.C. lately, but the issue is still very much alive, says Tom Rodgers, a Blackfeet Nation citizen and owner of Carlyle Consulting, a lobbying firm that represents Indian tribes. “This is the quiet before the storm,” he says. “Our job representing Indian country is to be prepared, and even though it’s as quiet as a Sunday morning now, the storm is coming and if you’re not prepared, if you’re not informed and if you haven’t done your due diligence and worked through all the permutations, unintended consequences and the collateral damage, then you haven’t done your job.” The worst possible collateral damage, he says, is that tribes would be completely shut out of the market if they aren’t ready to negotiate. Being ready means knowing in advance what needs to be included in any online gaming legislation in order to protect tribal interests.
Once the tribes have the answers they need on how best to protect Indian country, the next step is to engage in the political process. “What are you doing to carry your message to the people running for office?” Rodgers says. “Are you reminding those already there of their obligations to support Indian country? Indian country can influence the vote in a lot of places and may even be dispositive in several states. What are you doing about getting out the vote?” He says the best approach is for all of Indian country to reach a consensus and act in unity, and that strategy is best achieved through large tribal organizations like the NCAI and the National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA).
Internet gaming was again a hot topic this year at NIGA’s annual trade show and convention April 1 to 4 in San Diego. In October 2010, NIGA adopted the following set of principles, stating that federal internet gaming legislation must:
• Protect the right of sovereign Indian governments to operate, regulate, tax and license Internet gaming without subordination to any nonfederal authority;
• Uphold the right of Indian governments to authorize Internet gaming to customers anywhere that such gaming is not criminally prohibited;
• Protect federal law and policy exempting tribal revenues from taxation;
• Respect existing tribal government rights under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) and tribal-state compacts;
• Protect IGRA from being opened for amendments;
• Provide positive economic benefits for Indian country.
At a recent Internet gaming conference, California Tribal Business Alliance Chairwoman Leslie Lohse (Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians of California) urged tribe leaders to engage in the process. “It is critical—no, I would say incumbent upon—tribal leaders to weigh in on the legislative proposals now to ensure that there are no foreseeable negative consequences that may undermine and compromise the inherent rights of tribal governments.”
Rand (left) and Light think legislation will go beyond IGRA, so now is a good time for tribes to start diversifing.
Additionally, tribal leaders need to consider a number of issues and answer several questions in order to be prepared to help shape the federal legislation that will impact Indian country. Rodgers suggests the following topics of discussion:
• Tribes should have the right to offer online gaming even if a state “opts out” of the federal regulatory scheme;
• Should tribes support the National Indian Gaming Commission as their continuing partner in regulating Indian gaming rather than another agency that’s unfamiliar with tribal gaming?
• There should be a common start date for online gaming for commercial and Indian gaming so that no operator gets the unfair advantage of being first and glomming the biggest market share;
• Internet cafes should be prohibited from online gaming;
• How will revenue from Internet gaming be allocated?
• How will revenues be allocated if a tribe enters a partnership with a big commercial gaming brand?
• What are the implications for world trade and its regulations in terms of taxes and revenue sharing if a tribe partners with businesses off shore, in Europe or beyond?
• How will tribal-state compacts play into online gaming regulations?
The issue of tribal-state compacts will be crucial. At a recent forum, Connecticut Governor Daniel P. Malloy, tribal officials from Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun (the two largest casinos in the country) and representatives of the Connecticut Lottery met to explore the prospect of online gambling and create a strategy to deal with mounting competition both in brick-and-mortar casinos in surrounding states and online gaming. “Internet gaming is going to come to the United States,” Malloy said, according to a Global Gaming Business report. “The tribes, the lottery, we’re all trying to figure this out together.”
One of the issues to resolve is the tribal-state gaming compacts signed in the 1990s with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, owner of Foxwoods, and the Mohegan Tribe. Both tribes give 25 percent of their slot revenues to the state, and both insist that Connecticut would have to renegotiate that deal if the state intends to implement online gaming. Mohegan Chairman Bruce “Two Dogs” Bozsum wants the governor to allow the tribes to take charge of Connecticut’s online enterprise. It’s also an area that Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chairman Rodney Butler is exploring. “There’s been a lot of talk about [Internet gambling] lately,” Butler says. “Nothing is certain. It’s something we’re interested in and studying. We need to know more from the state before we start forming assumptions. The financial values people are placing on it vary widely. You have to be first to market to make it a success.”
The urgency for tribes to be informed about and prepared for any online gaming legislation was sparked by the dramatic change in the landscape since December, when the Department of Justice released a legal opinion that the 1961 Wire Act prohibits online betting only for sporting events and contests, not lotteries and other gaming. This ruling was suspect for at least two reasons: the Justice Department’s sudden reversal of an opinion it had held for decades and the fact that the opinion was completed in September, but not released until December. “The reason for the delay is unclear, but the results are very clear,” says Joe Valandra, a citizen of the Sicangu Lakota and principal owner and president of VAdvisors, LLC, chairman and chief executive officer of Tehan Woglake, Inc., and former chief of staff of the National Indian Gaming Commission. “I believe it was hoped that this would be enough to push federal legislation over the top—using the floodgates argument—very similar to that used to produce the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.”
IGRA followed the U.S. Supreme Court’s 1987 decision in California v. Cabazon Band of Mission Indians, which affirmed the right of sovereign tribal nations to conduct gaming in Indian country. Believing that the decision opened the floodgates to unregulated Indian gaming, Congress rushed to enact IGRA the following year—a bill that both recognizes tribal sovereignty and paradoxically restricts it by giving states control over certain gaming regulations and the extent of gaming played on Indian lands. It also allows states to get a cut of Indian gaming’s profits through compacts.
Reid and the head of a powerful online lobbying group made comments recently that support Valandra’s floodgates theory. When asked to comment on the Justice Department’s new opinion, GamblingCompliance reported that Reid said, “It’ll give us an incentive to get something done. We cannot have a series of laws around the country related to [Internet] gaming. I know a lot about gaming. I’m a former chairman of the Nevada [Gaming] Commission, and I think it’s very important that we have a national law.” His comments indicate that lawmakers realize 2012 is the time either to pass a federal online gaming bill or be caught on the sidelines as some states enact regulations on their own.
The site also quoted John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, responding to Reid’s comments. “It’s very positive that someone like Reid is openly talking about the need to get this done this year,” Pappas said. “We’re hoping we can transfer words into law. It’s preferable for the players, for the business side of things, to have some clear and consistent standards across 50 states instead of a patchwork of state laws and activities that would be legal in one place but illegal somewhere else.”
The states are now moving—some say frantically rushing—to adopt laws and regulations that will enable them to be “first” in the market, Valandra said. ”This will clearly bolster the floodgates argument. In addition, former FBI director Louis Freeh and former Homeland Security director Tom Ridge are now leading an argument that federal legislation is needed to address law enforcement issues only the feds can address,” Valandra said.
The Justice Department opinion has indeed sparked a feeding frenzy among cash-hungry states looking to bolster revenues in the face of big budget deficits. By the end of February, a dozen states had either passed or proposed legislation for online gaming, according to Global Gaming Business magazine.
Other states also may not wait for the lame-duck session to enact legislation, Kathryn Rand and Steve Light said. They are the founders and co-directors of the Institute for the Study of Tribal Gaming Law and Policy, a component of the Northern Plains Indian Law Center at the University of North Dakota School of Law. Rand is the dean and Floyd B. Sperry professor of law at the University of North Dakota School of Law; Light is associate professor of political science and public administration at the university. “Legalization will happen—it’s just a matter of when, and most folks believe nothing will happen at the fed level until the election sorts out,” they say. “We think fed legalization is likely to be best for tribes, because of uniformity and more likely respect for sovereignty. But states may not wait for the presidential election.… The pressure here is economic.” Rand and Light think it’s “highly likely” that tribal online gaming will “push Indian gaming beyond IGRA, so we expect to see a legal and regulatory evolution of tribal gaming, with different policy goals than IGRA focused on.”
But neither federal nor state legislation will focus on tribes or tribal sovereignty, the partners warned. “Instead, the likely main focus will be regulation and taxation. That spurred our encouragement to tribes to think about how online gaming could serve tribal policy goals.” And not all tribes are poised to take advantage of the looming legalization, they said. “Those with recognizable brands and technological and regulatory capacity are in the best position, leaving behind the same tribes that have modest brick-and-mortar operations.” The partners predict that online gaming will exacerbate the divisions that exist between the financially successful gaming tribes and the less successful. Their advice: “Time to diversify!”
NIGA Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr. says, “whatever legislation has been rolled out so far does not meet what we believe are the appropriate standards for dealing with sovereign tribal government. [We] continue to be disregarded to a large extent—and then they wonder why we stand in opposition to their proposals. We’re not opposed to progress, we’re not opposed to technology and helping our economies, but as long as people make proposals without the appropriate respect to tribal governments, we have a huge problem with that.”
In their rush to expand from lotteries to casino gaming online, many states have left behind their former “moral objections” to gaming. The double standard is not lost on the experts. “States are rational actors in the worst way possible. They’re so broke that when they see novel revenue sources, they almost can’t help themselves. They clearly can’t reduce costs effectively, and we taxpayers have nothing left to give. New money is about the only option they have left,” says Anthony Broadman, an attorney a partner in Galanda Broadman, a firm specializing in Native American and gaming law. Broadman predicts that the moral objection arguments will arise in future political campaigns. “Certainly that’s been the pattern. Whether you’re morally opposed to gambling or not, states have been sanctioning games for decades through horse racing, card rooms, lotteries.”
Broadman thinks tribal gaming is likely to be more respected in federal legislation as opposed to “simply surviving through whatever carved out space exists in the states’ patchwork.” But whatever approach tribes take toward the opportunities presented by online gaming—whether it’s lobbying Congress, litigating with states or just venturing out into the cyberspace marketplace, “it’s going to take a fight,” Broadman says.
Read more:http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/04/02/states-and-feds-race-to-get-internet-gaming-legislation-indian-country-must-be-prepared-105987 http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/04/02/states-and-feds-race-to-get-internet-gaming-legislation-indian-country-must-be-prepared-105987#ixzz1s8WzJmgY
Looks like New Jersey has moved ahead with on-line gambling. According to PokerNews.com the following is news:
A New Jersey Senate committee passed a bill on Tuesday that would allow online wagering on casino games in the Garden State, the Associated Press reports.
The bill, sponsored by state Sens. Ray Lesniak (D-Union) and James Whelan (D-Atlantic), was approved by 11 senators at Tuesday's hearing, with only Sen. Paul Sarlo (D-Wood-Ridge) abstaining. The next step for the bill is a full Senate and Assembly vote, which likely won't happen until later this month at the earliest.
Lesniak told PokerNews last month that he expects Internet poker to be up and running in the state by September. He also stated that, because of the Justice Department's opinion that the Wire Act does not apply to online poker, New Jersey will be allowed to form compacts with other states — much like the country's multi-state lottery games.
Last year, the New Jersey legislature passed similar bills to legalize online gambling, but Gov. Chris Christie vetoed the measures, citing “legal and constitutional concerns.”
However, Christie's stance changed last December when the DOJ reversed its interpretation of the Wire Act.
“I think New Jersey should be in that business," Christie said in a press conference in January. "I think we should be an epicenter for that business, but I want to do it right. I do not want to rush and get legislation that either doesn’t pass state constitutional muster, or creates other problems for us."
Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.
Read more: http://www.pokernews.com/news/2012/04/new-jersey-senate-committee-approves-online-gambling-bill-12378.htm
It does appear that there is a "typo" on the last page relating to the year for the financial report. However, it is clear from the first page forward that this was a report for the year ending 12/31/2011. Probably has been corrected somewhere, by someone who gets paid the "big Bucks!" before the signature went on it. Seen many typo's in my time, far worse than that. I would consider it a non-issue unless it appeared on the signed doc. Then a retraction would have to be issued. LOL IMHO Neal
Do you remember the "Hayday" of Full Tilt Poker? Here's an article about it rising from the ashes....maybe! (from PocketFives.com)
By: Dan
Published on Apr 8th, 2012
Email A Friend Many in the online poker industry believe it's not a matter of if, but when Full Tilt Poker will rise from the ashes and re-launch under the direction of Groupe Bernard Tapie or another investor. With a deal reportedly in the works, posters on PocketFives have been busy debating whether they would placate the new Full Tilt, or avoid it like the plague, in a Poker Sites thread. On this holiday weekend, we thought we'd take a look at arguments on both sides of the coin.
After several posters decreed that they'd only play on a new Full Tilt if the management were different from the current crop, one member of PocketFives shared his bankroll plans: "I would withdraw like two-thirds of the $13,000 or so I had on there ASAP. I will play with the rest depending on traffic and how secure my money feels. The software is still better than any apart from PokerStars." You'll recall that PokerStars launched Zoom Poker in recent weeks, which is reminiscent of Full Tilt's Rush Poker.
Another poster echoed, "It will depend on how they address the issues that led to the downfall. If funds aren't segregated, licenses aren't held and valid, and they aren't 100% transparent about how they operate, then no. If they show they want to fix the issues and put some money into customer service to compete with Stars on that front, then I'll probably be back at whatever they call the re-launched site."
Big prize pools and high player counts could be enough to lure a number of players back, including one PocketFives member who argued, "Whoever was playing and making money will continue to play there. They might not play for a month, but then they will realize that making money is more important than holding a grudge, and the big prize pools and site traffic will bring all the fish back who were holding a grudge."
In the end, Full Tilt's software could be its saving grace, as a wealth of PocketFivers fondly recalled the client. In that camp were comments like, "Hands down, there was no poker software like Full Tilt. The graphics, the MTT structure, and the tournament schedules are just a few reasons why I would return in a heartbeat. As long as they ban those degens who helped the world's second largest poker site come crashing down, I am game!"
Speaking on the software, another online poker player joked, "Their software is better than sex. I'd snap-play."
Groupe Bernard Tapie and Full Tilt have been negotiating a deal for months now. While the lack of finality has enraged much of the poker community, the fact that the two parties are still engaging in discussions caught the eye of several players, including one that posted, "I figure if the new owners go to all this effort to buy and fix this company, then they are probably very solid and trustworthy."
As the rumored deal stands, Tapie would be responsible for paying back players outside of the United States, and the company has allegedly secured third-party financing in order to do so. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice would handle American refunds. This setup led one poster to maintain that playing on Full Tilt could be considered a "thank you" for getting his money back in the first place: "If FTP comes back, it's because GBT came in with their own money and saved your ass. The absolute least you could do is play and generate some rake as a 'thanks.'"
Finally, one poker player from Canada argued that he did not want to return to a shark-infested Full Tilt: "The games will be much harder to beat and there will be a lot fewer fish to win money from. Who are the players that pay the closest attention to what happens on the online poker scene? The sharks, not the fish. Who will go back right away when it is legalized, sharks or fish?"
In post 6862.
This was an article by Howard Stutz which appeared in the Las Vegas Review Journal on 4/8/2012. Howard Stutz's Inside Gaming column appears Sundays. He can be reached at hstutz@reviewjournal.com or 702-477-3871. He blogs at lvrj.com/blogs/stutz. Follow @howardstutz on Twitter.
Thanks for your interest. Most don't care beyond the news. Neal
Nevada on-line gaming news! Note the references to going live "in state" this fall. Numerous sites being approved. We need to get moving. IMHO
Gov. Brian Sandoval had departed the Nevada Gaming Commission chairmanship to run for attorney general when state regulators approved private gaming salons in 2002.
The regulation, which allowed casinos to set aside secluded gambling areas for big-spending high rollers, was the first time the state diverted from its long-standing policy that gaming take place in public view.
Sandoval brought up privacy last month during the initial meeting of the Gaming Policy Committee.
Nevada is about to embark on Internet gaming. State regulators in January approved regulations governing the operation of online poker sites. More than two dozen casino operators and gaming equipment manufacturers have applied for Interactive gaming licenses.
The first websites catering to in-state poker players could go live by fall once the technology is approved.
The policy committee, which Sandoval convened for the first time since the 1980s, will meet four times by August to look at ways the state can capitalize on the growing Internet gaming opportunities.
Sandoval, who is leading the panel, pointed out that Internet gaming is not as simple as approving regulations, licensing operators and throwing a switch to flip on the servers.
There is possible competition from rival states, looming potential of Congress legalizing Internet poker, and opponents who worry that online gaming will destroy Nevada's land-based casino industry.
There's also privacy.
In opening remarks on March 28 Sandoval said Nevada law requires "gaming be conducted in public."
The comment was somewhat ironic based on today's gaming standards. Private gaming salons, which were supported by major casino companies 10 years ago, are now common in the biggest Strip resorts catering to high-end baccarat business.
Also, Sandoval signed Assembly Bill 294 into law in June, which removed a prohibition on the use of mobile gaming devices by casino customers inside hotel rooms. Coincidently, Sandoval signed AB 258 into law, which directed the gaming commission to adopt Internet poker regulations, on the same day he signed AB 294.
Maybe he was onto something.
Online gaming, played on computers and mobile devices, is clearly conducted in private.
Gaming has evolved since 1961 when the policy committee was put into place by Gov. Grant Sawyer to deal with entertainment issues, discrimination and equal rights.
In 51 years, the issues have changed.
"Gaming has always been out in the open. That's why I brought it up," Sandoval said. "It's a provocative issue. We also have to be mindful of what is going on around us. We're not an island anymore. There are some 40-plus states with gaming."
The policy committee, which includes lawmakers, gaming executives, business leaders, and state gaming regulators, is seeking input from all viewpoints on Internet gambling, both positive and negative.
As with the private gaming salon debate, big gaming is all-in on Internet poker. Many of the major casino operators have deals in place with established online gaming providers should Congress legalize Internet poker. The companies have also applied for Nevada Interactive gaming licenses.
Two of the policy committee's members are MGM Resorts International CEO Jim Murren and Boyd Gaming Corp. CEO Keith Smith, whose companies have separate agreements with European online gaming giant Bwin.party, operators of PartyPoker and the World Poker Tour.
Murren has become one of Internet poker legalization's most vocal proponents, calling it "the future of our state" and "the future of our industry."
Sandoval said he would welcome all opinions, including those of Las Vegas Sands Corp. Chairman Sheldon Adelson, who has come out against the U.S. legalizing Internet poker. Adelson is concerned that underage gambling can't be properly policed. M Resort President Anthony Marnell III expressed a similar viewpoint.
"The purpose of this committee is to hear everything," Sandoval said. "We're not taking a narrow view."
The panel is advisory in nature and a report that will be drafted following the last meeting in August could end up offering state lawmakers some direction for the 2013 session.
The governor, however, isn't committing to any specific ideas.
"It's important that whatever comes out of this committee be brought to the attention of the Legislature," Sandoval said. "If that means a bill draft to make sure that competitively, or from a regulatory standpoint, Nevada continues to lead, then that's what I would like to see."
On-line gambling news from Atlantic City.
Odds improve for Internet gambling in Atlantic City
April 10, 2012|By Suzette Parmley, Inquirer Staff Writer
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about online gambling, put the servers in Atlantic City, backers say. WAYNE PARRY /… (To address constitutional concerns)New Jersey is again rolling the dice on Internet gambling from computer servers at Atlantic City casinos.
An expanded measure passed a state Senate committee last week that would allow online wagers not only from state residents but also gamblers from other states and even other countries.
Supporters say the second time might be the charm, as Gov. Christie has hinted he will sign the revised measure, as other states are angling for online gaming dollars and the Justice Department's interpretation of a key federal law just turned in its favor. But opponents, who say online wagering is one of the most addictive forms of gambling, vow to turn up the heat in their fight against it.
Although an Internet-gambling bill passed the Legislature last year, Christie vetoed it over concerns the activity could not be property regulated. But State Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D., Union), its chief sponsor, who is also behind a Senate bill to allow sports betting in Atlantic City casinos, said he was confident the governor would sign the new version.
"Not just because we've overcome the legal impediments, but also because it will give a much-needed boost to Atlantic City and create jobs there," Lesniak said.
What has changed?
The Justice Department, in December, reversed its long-standing position on Internet gambling by stating that the Wire Act of 1961 applies only to sports betting. The ruling is expected to have huge implications, since the department had long asserted that all forms of Internet gambling were illegal.
Second, Lesniak said, the issue of whether the New Jersey constitution - which confines casinos to Atlantic City - needs to be amended to enable Internet gambling has also been addressed.
"The argument the state constitution does not preclude the activity has since been bolstered by Temple Law School and Seton Hall Law School constitutional law experts," he said. "It's also been my opinion, as long as it's done from servers located in Atlantic City and that no organized Internet gaming activities could be conducted outside Atlantic City."
Other states have dealt with online gambling in different ways.
In Pennsylvania, State Rep. Tina Davis (D., Bucks) cosponsored a bill in October to close a loophole in the state's gambling law by prohibiting Internet sweepstakes cafés.
Some recent news on on-line gambling!
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KGO) -- It's estimated more than two million Californians wager $13 billion a year on online poker sites. Now some lawmakers want in on the action, proposing that the state license and regulate operators for 10 years; the first two years would be open to poker only, possibly more games later.
It could mean more than a billion dollars for the cash-strapped state budget over the next decade.
"The highway is littered with road kill of people who tried to stop technology," St. Sen. Rod Wright, D-Inglewood, said. "So you will either get in the game and play or what'll happen is you'll just get mauled over."
And no more going to Vegas, another proposal would allow sports betting at current gambling establishments like card rooms and race tracks, but California would have to ask the feds for permission because that's currently illegal except in four states.
The thought of expanding gambling in California worries opponents who say the social and economic impacts will only get worse.
"Increases in crime and all of the money it takes to deal with that, increases in unemployment, increases in homelessness, increases in welfare," James Butler with the California Coalition Against Gambling Expansion said. "An increase in divorces and an increase in suicide."
But supporters say people are already playing online poker. Californians don't have any protections or recourse when, for instance, winnings aren't paid out.
A coalition of Indian tribes and card room operators are ready to stand behind the online poker bill, but only if California gaming establishments, not out-of-state interests, can be licensed and only if it's poker.
"Right now millions of Californians are playing online poker and every dollar goes off-shore," Andrew Governar with the California Online Poker Association said. "We want to make sure that money stays in California."
Most online poker sites are based in foreign countries to skirt the federal ban on Internet gambling, but the feds have suggested states can legalize it within their boundaries. The sports wagering ban would be tougher to overcome.
(Copyright ©2012 KGO-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Profit...that was interesting news....thanks for sharing. Neal
Hi Easy......always tough to guess at what is needed to give us a big boost in PPS.....however, having said that, I think organizational news is needed right now. For example, a news release that the patent has been approved for TGN, could be a great trigger. Or, bringing more gaming companies under the TGN umbrella......like in the case of Tabcorp. (See stochholders review letter on the site). Profit info shouldn't be of any interest at this stage......this is all about "FUTURE" potential IMHO. The protection afforded Indian nations is the key here.....very interesting that they may get the upper hand first because of that unique separation from the US and their money transfer laws. That's BIG!
BTW......I haven't seen anyone's review of the site and in particular the poker playing software, which ultimately will be critical to be as successful as (for example) Poker Stars. I'll comment on the poker part of the site, as I'm an avid on-line player of NL poker. The site is very close in quality to PokerStars. It does contain reflection ability of the hand you just folded......that's important. It does contain sound software for dealing and chip play, in addition to an applause when you win. I haven't had time to review the "history" aspect of the game site......ex. you want to see what the flop was on the previous hand.....or what your pocket cards have been for the last 10 hands.....just haven't looked at that part, yet. But, my intitial review would give it an 8 out of 10, which puts us in the BIG game with the BIG boys, as far as I'm concerned.
Some others here might review the craps, roulette or whatever and let us know if they are of a good quality standard from their experiences with other sites.
Look forward to others giving their opinions and reviews. Thanks.. everyone and Good Luck with this one. I think it has potential. Always IMHO (in my humble opinion) Neal
I'm in with a fairly large investment. Here's just a few factors.......connect the dots logic to share.
1. Over the past 5 years there have not been any insider purchases.(fact from ETrade)
2. Were we to return to the PPS of last May (2011) we would virtually have a 10-bagger on our hands. (history)
3. News is often the instigator of PPS movement in the pinks.(personal experience of over 10 years in the pinks)
4. NIGA and NEWS is just around the corner. (Hello?)
Good Luck! IMHO Neal
Considering ATIG for a small investment. You've got to like the "Tribe" involvement....always has clout and built-in protections in the middle of the US. Also, is it possible to invest in companies like "Poker Stars" or "Club WPT", or are those not available in the OTC? Sooner or later this internet poker catagory is going to take off and get approved by the US.....too much money to miss out on for the US gov. in these tough times. IMHO Neal
Go Stockfire! The stereo pic guy!
Now that's a point! LOL....I already got one....putting my excess-not needed-not important- would have been thrown in a trash can if not used-probably counterfeit anyway better dog Cash into "natural gas auto engines". Betting on the future. Just wish I could trade my BKMP holdings in for it. BKMP just keeps inflating my account summary as though it were really worth something. Neal
those who don't dream of great things, always retire with small amounts........according to someone. LOL
Here's an idea....I'll sell you 70 million for .00008, then you can sell the 100 million for .00005 and retire! What do you think? Never mind....thinking is what got us all here to begin with. LOL
It appears there have been no further comments since DD said that was it 2/12! GOOOOOOOO BKMP! There! That changes the whole thing!
Who's???
There's only one pair....unless you're blind! LOL
We need buyers....send out the message! Just love to look at those two in your photo. LOL
While in prison, it's "BIG Mama Winick"!
New Year! New News? NAWWWWW!
New Year! To All!
Merry Holidays!
Maybe, instead of selling, we can trade losers for losers? LOL
My dog wants to know if you can predict the future?