09 3rd, 2010
On today’s Daily Deal, the coalition of California casinos clarifies its stance on internet gambling legislation, reports its financial results for the first half of two-thousand ten, the Main Event continues airing on ESPN and we find out who the final nominees are for this year’s Hall of Fame. It’s all ahead… faster than you can say, “I can dodge bullets, baby.”
Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily.
Recently, the Commerce Casino, Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollywood Park, and the California Gaming Association joined in opposition Congressman Barney Frank’s HR 2267, which would create a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States.
The four casinos have found themselves in a war of words against the , which has launched an online petition at PlayersBeforeProfits.com to reverse their stance against the groundbreaking legislation. Poker News Daily sat down with card room coalition spokesperson Waltona Manion to explore the coalition’s resistance.
Manion argued,
“We’re looking for Federal enforcement of the same strict licensing and regulation for online poker as U.S. land-based casinos abide by. This means that they have to license all of their employees and the physical operations should be in the U.S. In addition, the hardware and software should be tested and certified.”
She added, “Frank’s bill provides fewer industry regulations and player protections. It imposes lower taxes for foreign online companies than what U.S. casinos pay. It would enable illegal offshore companies to export significant money from our economy.”
We’ll keep you posted as this story develops.
888 Holdings, the gaming operator that owns 888 Poker, announced Tuesday that it will be cutting costs in order to address a loss in profits for the first half of 2010. The company has also decided to scrap its dividend in order to pay for acquisitions after the weak economy and World Cup caused a decline in poker revenue.
888’s first half financial results showed revenues were up 10.5% to one-hundred thirty million dollars, but pre-tax profit dropped by 56% to four point three million dollars. Poker revenue dropped 25% to nineteen point six million.
The Main Event continued airing on ESPN on Tuesday night with Day Two-B. Two one-hour episodes were devoted to the second Day Two and the feature table included and Jeff Shulman, who were seated next to each other. and Allied Network Solutions CEO Ted Bort tangled in a hand in which Bort called the clock after pushing all in. Friedman waited until the count reached one and quietly said, “I call,” but floor officials ruled that the clock had expired. Bort turned over top two pair and Friedman mucked.
A maelstrom of yelling ensued. ESPN aired a replay clearly showing that Friedman had called at the one-second mark and the dealer promptly said, “He called.” Nevertheless, another floor supervisor was summoned who also said the hand was dead. Don’t forget that Friedman was also involved in “Ante-gate” with .
Finally, the nominees as voted by the fans are in for the Poker Hall of Fame. This year’s class is a who’s who of the poker world, all of whom have distinguished careers warranting their nominations. This year’s class of nominees, who will be voted on by the 16 living Hall of Fame members and a 17-person media panel. Only these 33 individuals cast votes for induction. The nominees are:
1.
2.
3. -TRANIELLO
4. DAN HARRINGTON
5.
6.
7. TOM McEVOY
8.
9.
10.
Well, that does it for today’s edition of The Daily Deal, and we’ll be back with you on Tuesday of next week. Be sure to visit Poker News Daily every day for the latest poker headlines, and be sure to check us out at twitter dot com slash poker news daily. I’m Sean Gibson, thanks for tuning in, and we’ll see you next time. Now go crush those fish at the tables!
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The Poker Players Alliance called for action last week for its members to sign a letter urging Commerce Casino to change its position on Barney Frank’s bill to federally license and regulate online poker.
More than 7,000 people had signed the…
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Recently, the (PPA), the main lobbying force for the poker industry, launched a petition at to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance on critical internet gambling legislation. HR 2267, dubbed the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, was successfully marked up in the House Financial Services Committee last month and now waits for its time to be debated in Congress.
Nearly 7,000 players had signed the online petition at the time of writing and the PPA was shooting for 10,000. The push came as a result of an action alert sent by the PPA to its members and followed testimony in the House Financial Services Committee from the Commerce Casino’s Tom Malkasian. His testimony claimed in part that HR 2267 is “based on false revenue assumptions that would require removal of the right of any state or tribe to opt out of the bill in order to achieve the advertised tax revenue of $42 billion over ten years.”
Malkasian also highlighted that allowing illegal operators to receive licenses under HR 2267 equates to “locking in unprecedented market advantages that can undermine and destabilize the land-based casino gaming industry.” He also voiced concerns over HR 2267 conflicting with tribal compacts and allowing internet gambling sites to be located outside of the United States. The latter three concerns were each addressed during markup as part of a dozen amendments tacked onto the bill.
PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “They don’t want to compete with existing online operators or Harrah’s or Wynn or Google or anyone else who may get involved in internet gambling. They prefer to have their own fiefdom in California… A lot of lawmakers went out of their way to address their concerns via amendments, yet they still continue to oppose the bill.”
The PPA’s action alert merely called for players to contact the Commerce and express their disappointment with the casino’s stance towards the sweeping internet gambling legislation. Players took it upon themselves to suggest a boycott, which the PPA did not initially ask for. Pappas explained, “We felt that poker players can make those types of decisions on their own. We want to reserve a boycott and I don’t think it’s something we intended to call for. Should the Commerce continue to be obstinate, then we might revise our stance there.”
Pappas questioned why the Commerce wouldn’t be content to apply for a license under HR 2267 if the bill were to become law. The PPA’s main face speculated, “For a long time, they dominated the poker scene in California and they feel entitled to California’s online poker players’ money. Maybe they don’t feel that they’re as strong and won’t be able to compete.” On Friday night, Commerce Casino officials distributed a press release claiming support from the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens Casino, and Hollywood Park Casino in opposition to Congressman Barney Frank’s bill.
As part of his House Financial Services Committee testimony, Malkasian likened legalizing internet gambling to legalizing marijuana, a comparison Pappas did not look kindly upon: “In essence, they’re calling the pro players endorsing sites drug dealers. That would offend me, especially when it comes from our purported friends. It wouldn’t have been shocking if it were from Focus on the Family or Congressman Bob Goodlatte, but when it’s coming from a supposed friend of poker because it doesn’t fit their business model, of course we’ll voice our concern.”
After an internal debate on the proper course of action, the PPA launched PlayersBeforeProfits.com. “We came to a decision after hearing from so many of our members,” Pappas told Poker News Daily. “We felt obligated to inform our members about it. Our goal is to get 10,000 signatures. We’ll go back to the Commerce and see if they’ve revaluated their position after we do.”
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest legislative developments.
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Let the battle lines be drawn. Several days after the (PPA) to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance against pro-internet gambling legislation in the United States, more casinos have come onboard to strike down the bill.
In a letter issued to the press late Friday night from Commerce Casino Board members Tom Malkasian and Haig Papaian, it was revealed that the Bicycle Casino, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park also oppose Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267. None of the three additional casinos was quoted in any way.
Calling industry lobbying groups like the PPA “special interest groups receiving funds from illegal offshore gaming operators,” Malkasian and Papaian assert, “Poker players deserve to know the real facts so let us be clear: We support online poker and we are working hard to make sure it will benefit all Americans. America’s poker community should be united in opposing the Frank legislation that would ship jobs, revenue, and taxes beyond our communities. We need to work together to keep American dollars at home.”
The authors of the letter claim to employ more than 20,000 workers in California, a state that has been hit with a massive budget shortfall. It also cites a 2008 study from the California Public Policy institute saying that 70% of California residents use the internet and “according to another study in 2009, Californians wager an estimated $13.4 billion annually. That makes California the largest internet gaming market in the world, and without state legislation to protect it, critically-needed billions will be captured by offshore and out-of-state operators never to return.”
On Friday, PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that 6,000 players had signed an online petition found at to reverse the Commerce Casino’s stance. The organization was gunning for 10,000 names in total.
In response to the press release from the Commerce Casino Board members, pro chided via Twitter, “Your press release might be more credible if you got the bill number correct. It’s HR 2267.” The press release cites the Commerce Casino’s opposition to HR 4976, the tax companion bill to HR 2267 proposed by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA). However, Malkasian’s testimony in front of the House Financial Services Committee last month was wholeheartedly against Frank’s HR 2267.
In reaction to the harsh opposition set forth by the Commerce Casino, Pappas commented, “There are requirements in HR 2267 that companies set up at least 50% of their operations in the United States. On their concern of illegal operators, anyone who has been operating illegally won’t be able to get a license. It’s pretty clear their only concern is that they don’t want to compete.” A dozen amendments were added to HR 2267 in a markup hearing held one month ago to the day addressing many of the Commerce Casino’s concerns.
The Commerce Casino’s statements wraps up by saying, “We strongly support poker-only legislation. California lawmakers should be the first to bring an illegal enterprise under legal supervision, provide needed consumer protections, and capture revenue that can benefit our state first.” An e-mail address of supportonlinepoker@commercecasino.net is given for players looking for additional information.
Among the 6,000 poker players that have signed the PPA’s online petition are , , , , , , and new pro . All that’s required to sign is your name, city, and state. The PPA has even gone so far as to provide an avenue for players to Tweet the Commerce Casino automatically. Alternately, you can leave your telephone number and the PPA will personally patch you through to the Commerce Casino.
The addition of the Bike, Hawaiian Gardens, and Hollywood Park may open the rift even further between online poker players seeking legislation and the brick-and-mortar casinos they placate. Calls for a boycott of the Commerce have surfaced and many of the aforementioned “illegal offshore gaming operators” sponsor pros like Ivey, Duke, and Sebok through their dot-net counterparts. The Bike and Commerce both hold events, with the former fresh off crowning a champion in the Legends of Poker.
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily on Sunday for an exclusive response from Pappas.
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Amid the furor of poker players regarding his testimony in front of a Congressional committee, Commerce Casino board member Tom Malkasian responded late yesterday to Poker News Daily about the brewing controversy.
In the statement, Mr. Malkasian defended the position he made during testimony by saying, “The is ignoring the grave threat that the federal and state legislation poses to everyday poker plays. America’s poker industry should be united in opposing the Frank and McDermott legislation and keeping American dollars at home.”
Malkasian, who testified in front of the House Financial Services Committee in July during hearings for HR 2267 (the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act), continued to defend his stance by saying in the statement, “Federal and state regulation of online poker is coming and we can either fight to ensure that poker players’ interests are protected or allow illegal foreign operators, who are siphoning millions of American dollars out of this country, to dominate the U.S. market. We support the passage of federal and state legislation that will provide California poker players with a safe, secure and well-regulated online playing environment.”
Mr. Malkasian said in closing. “If domestic card casinos do not defend themselves from offshore interests, we stand to lose not only revenue but also the loss of jobs. We are against the Frank and McDermott bills. (The) Poker Players Alliance should be against this, too.”
In his testimony in July, Malkasian said the position of the Commerce Casino was against the introduced legislation for several reasons. The proposed revenues of the new law, which have been quoted as high as $42 billion over a ten year period, are based on “false assumptions and conflicting representations,” according to Malkasian’s testimony in Congress. There are also questions over the regulatory nature of the bill as well as the opt in/out language that would set what states would be a part of the law if passed.
Poker players, backed by the Poker Players Alliance and several top pros, acted quickly to counteract Malkasian’s stance – and, by extension, the Commerce Casino’s position – over several platforms. A website called “Players Before Profits” sprung up, offering an open letter to the Commerce Casino that decries their stance against the legislation. This letter has been endorsed by over 5100 people, including several top poker professionals and hundreds of recreational poker aficionados.
Twitter has also been an active battleground in the discussion, with many issuing Tweets spawned by the Players Before Profits site. As reported yesterday here on Poker News Daily, some players have even talked about the potential for a boycott of the games at one of California’s most popular (and largest) card room. Although he has signed the open letter to the Commerce Casino regarding its position, poker professional has used Twitter to clearly explain both sides of the issue.
Over the span of several Tweets, Greenstein discusses the issue fairly. “Commerce Casino management feels they are being unfairly singled out as the bad guys. Many CA casinos are against online (gambling),” the three time bracelet winner and two-time champion tweets. “They seemed ok (with the proposed regulatory laws) if regulators will be as strict with shareholders of online casinos as with them.”
Barry also notes the positives of online play by tweeting, “We can’t accurately measure the effect online poker has on the land based casinos, but I think it has been positive.” He finishes his Tweet series by saying, “Especially if we keep the trend of online qualifying for live tournaments. Online (poker) produces new players.”
The eventual outcome of the current rift between players and the Commerce Casino is, as of yet, unknown. Poker News Daily will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as news comes available.
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08 19th, 2010
Day 1a of the tournament saw 168 players enter the
08 4th, 2010
Last week, online poker players across the United States watched as HR 2267 passed out of the House Financial Services Committee by a 2:1 margin, 41-22. The winds of change are clearly in the air, but how long will the internet poker world wait until regulation finally comes to fruition?
Among those ardently working on Capitol Hill is (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas, who told Poker News Daily on Tuesday that he was elated to see the somewhat bipartisan support for HR 2267: “I was really pleased with the overwhelming majority and the bipartisan support for the legislation. If you look back just four short years ago, the House passed an Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act ()-like prohibition by a wide margin. Just two years ago, we had a bill defeated on a 32-32 stalemate. Now, we have a pro-internet poker bill that passed by a 2:1 margin.”
Time is quickly running out on the 2010 legislative session, with less than a month remaining for Congress to act. The lawmaking body is on summer recess until September 10th and has a target adjournment of October 8th for general elections. Pappas shared the PPA’s timeline for action: “What Barney Frank (D-MA) indicated in the committee hearing last week was that his intent was to move HR 2267 simultaneously with the revenue bill in the Ways and Means Committee. In September, we hope to have the Ways and Means Committee mark up their bill and bring both bills to the floor.”
The revenue companion bill to Frank’s HR 2267 is HR 4976, introduced by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA). It was discussed in the House Ways and Means Committee in May and boasts four co-sponsors. Meanwhile, HR 2267 lacks a supported counterpart in the Senate, where Senator Robert Menendez’s (D-NJ) S 1597 has not been discussed in any committee and offers no co-sponsors.
Among the various amendments added to HR 2267 last week included one by Congressman Brad Sherman (D-CA) forbidding those internet gambling sites operating illegally in the United States now from receiving licenses. The inclusion has raised the question as to whether rooms like and will exist in a regulated regime. Pappas speculated, “Most of the online poker sites have well-reasoned legal opinions that say they’re not operating in violation of any Federal law. It’s hard to prove that someone is operating illegally if you haven’t convicted or indicted anyone. How can they be considered illegal if they continue to operate without any legal repercussions?”
Not optimistic about HR 2267’s chances of becoming law before the end of the legislative session was Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan, who told Poker News Daily, “Frank’s bill has no companion bill in the Senate. All of these amendments were thrown in and it’s a bill that doesn’t have a chance of passing before the end of this Congress.”
Brennan also questioned whether the 14 amendments added to HR 2267 increased its chances of approval in the House: “On the face of it, it was a difficult bill made even more difficult by all of those amendments. The post-markup bill is something that anyone who is in the industry now should be concerned about. It’s so nakedly tilted away from current operators to establish a standard for individuals and companies as far as licensure.”
An amendment proposed by Ranking Member Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Michele Bachmann (R-MN) prohibits anyone who has “knowingly participated in, or should have known they were participating in, any illegal internet gambling activity” on or since the passage of the UIGEA in 2006 from receiving a license. Consequently, how the clause is enacted will play a major role in determining who is able to serve the U.S. market. Companies like Party Gaming, for example, have signed non-prosecution agreements with the U.S. Department of Justice.
Pappas added that the PPA has seen a spike in donations since the markup hearing. Read our .
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08 1st, 2010
Poker News Daily published an for a poker player to use against his opponents.
At the risk of misstating the author’s point, the crux of the argument is, “It’s within the rules and it tilts my opponents (which is +EV for me). So I do it.”
Here’s the executive summary of my response to those who consider slow-rolling just a +EV tactical play: “Are you out of your minds?”
I don’t know – perhaps you have your two 36” monitors so filled with table windows that you haven’t been following the reports from the (PPA). Or your TV is always tuned to “High Stakes Poker,” so you never watch CNN.
But check it out: since October of 2006, the online poker industry has been in a pitched battle for its very existence. Politician after district attorney after “protector of the family” has climbed up on his high horse and demanded that the cancer of online gambling be shut down.
And one of the deep social reasons for all this trouble: poker is viewed as an uncivilized pastime, pursued by uncivilized people. The game got its American start on riverboats and in the Old West; cheating and shady characters were part and parcel of its milieu.
But recently, with the advent of TV and internet poker itself, the American people have started to give poker a second look. And (praise your preferred deity, if you have one) budget shortfalls all over have politicians thinking that maybe they could use the tax revenue they’d derive from online poker. Even the American Gaming Association (AGA) – the largest gaming lobby organization – has decided to back online poker (which is a new twist).
But thanks to the “old” perception of poker, and the perception of some politicians who think they can leverage that, we have potential enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act () and rumors of even scarier legal activity in the Southern District of New York.
The entire world of poker is teetering on a knife edge. On one side, we’re cast back into the darkness. Online poker stays in its gray legal zone and the games continue to shrink because it’s harder to get money on and off of poker sites. The games are going to get tougher and tougher. Poker rooms in Las Vegas continue to close and poker TV shows go off the air.
But on the other side of that knife edge is legalization. It is an explosion of growth that will – wait for this – dwarf the Big Bang of 2003. You hear people say that the big online sites would love to maintain the status quo in online poker; they’re making plenty of money. Those people are dead wrong; the potential growth is beyond anybody’s wildest dreams.
And right now, every move we make, every time a Senator walks by the TV in his den and sees his teenage son watching the or , he’s going to add to his opinion of poker – one way or the other.
If that Senator sees ladies and gentlemen playing a fascinating game and treating others with respect, then perhaps he’ll think this is something he can support (or at least quietly ignore as it slips by on some budget bill). If it looks like a golf match or even an NFL game (where you can maim the quarterback, but you can’t stand and gloat over the fact that you did it), maybe we’ll gain a supporter.
If, however, he sees trash talking and berating of opponents, if he sees the typical Hellmuthian tantrums and Tony G insults, he may start to suspect that the Focus on Family view of poker is the accurate one. Slow-rolling is just another form of standing over the quarterback you just sacked and gloating about it.
Let me put it in chilling terms: the guy you are slow-rolling in your $2-$5 game at the Venetian may be a golf buddy with a U.S. Senator.
Now do the EV calculation of your slow-roll and get back to me.
Postscript: Even if it weren’t crystal clear to me that being a gentleman is ultimately good for poker everywhere, I still wouldn’t slow-roll people. My karma and good energy are too important to me. But that’s just me.
Lee Jones is the Card Room Manager of . He has worked in the poker industry for over six years, and been associated with professional poker for almost 20 years. He is the author of “Winning Low Limit Hold’em,” which has been in print for over 15 years.
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07 31st, 2010
Topics: HR 2267, statement from Alfonse D’Amato, /PartyGaming merger and Vegas Casinos headed to the auction block.
Coming up on the Daily Deal, we’ll continue the discussion about the house committee passing HR 2267, get a statement from the PPA’s Alfonse D’Amato, find out which two poker superpowers are merging, and find out which vegas casinos are headed for the auction block.
Hello, I’m Sean Gibson and welcome to the Daily Deal by Poker News Daily. We start once again with news out of Washington, as the victory celebration continues for poker. Thanks to the work of Barney Frank and the , progress was made with the committee passing of HR 2267. It might just be a first step in a long journey to get online poker legalized in the United States, but at this point many are very encouraged with the progress. The bill is now heading to the House of Representatives for a majority vote. Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA said,
“Congress has a choice — it can license and regulate it to provide government oversight and consumer protections, or our lawmakers can stick their heads in the sand, ignore it, and leave consumers to play on non-U.S. regulated websites in all 50 states. I’m glad the Financial Services Committee today overwhelmingly chose to act and protect Americans as well as preserve the fundamental freedoms of adults and the Internet.”
Big news out of Europe as a long rumored merger in the online gaming industry was revealed when Austrian based BWIN and Gibraltar based PartyGaming announced their merger. The pact is expected to be completed by the first quarter of two thousand eleven and will create the largest publically traded online gaming conglomerate in the industry. According to Gaming Intelligence, the two companies combined to earn six hundred and eight two million euros in 2009. The merger does have some roadblocks left to clear, one of which is approval of seventy five percent of each company’s stock holders. Stock prices of both companies saw sharp increases in value once the announcement was made.
News out of Vegas tells us after months of legal troubles, Station Casinos filed papers indicating that it has reached a settlement with a group to keep the company afloat and out of bankruptcy. Some of the properties include the Red Rock Resort and Boulder and Palace Station. Another eleven of Station’s properties are going to go up for auction next week.
Well that does it for today’s edition of The Daily deal and we thank you for tuning in. Be sure to follow us at twitter dot come slash poker news daily and come back to our site for the latest poker news and interviews. I’m sean Gibson wishing you a fantastic poker weekend!
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07 29th, 2010
The tireless work of Rep. Barney Frank and the finally made some progress Wednesday as HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, passed the House Financial Services Committee by a vote of 41-22. The result can be viewed as a small but important victory for the poker community, one that has been defeated over and over again on Capitol Hill over the past few years.
The bill, which could ultimately lead to the legality and regulation of online poker in the States, will now be sent to the House of Representatives for more amendments and a majority vote. Should the bill get the majority vote from the House of Representatives, it would then be passed along to the Senate for another majority vote, before being signed into law by the President.
Wednesday’s win was just the first of many in order to regulate online poker in the United States, but the PPA was very encouraged by the result.
“The fact is, online poker is not going away,” said Alfonse D’Amato, chairman of the PPA. “Congress has a choice — it can license and regulate it to provide government oversight and consumer protections, or our lawmakers can stick their heads in the sand, ignore it, and leave consumers to play on non-U.S. regulated websites in all 50 states. I’m glad the Financial Services Committee today overwhelmingly chose to act and protect Americans as well as preserve the fundamental freedoms of adults and the Internet.”
The committee spent hours Wednesday amending HR 2267 and several modifications were made to the bill. Among them include mandatory implementation of technologies to protect against underage gambling; high standards to prevent fraud, abuse and cheating to ensure fair games for customers; requirements for operators to set daily, weekly or monthly limits on deposits and losses to monitor and detect individuals with excessive gaming habits; and requirements to ensure that bettors are restricted from using credit cards to gamble on the Internet.
“We commend the lawmakers who helped make H.R. 2267 stronger through a variety of
consumer protection mandates,” said John Pappas, PPA executive director. “In particular, we thank Representatives John Campbell, Mary Jo Kilroy, and Melissa Bean for their thoughtful additions to the bill and their interest in preserving the rights of adult poker players in their districts.”
One area of concern lies within the first amendment discussed on Wednesday that restricts sites that have intentionally broken Internet gaming laws from getting a license to conduct business in the United States. This will likely affect larger online poker sites such as , Poker and the old , all of which allowed players from the U.S. to play on their site following the passage of the . The amendment, which was introduced by Congressman Brad Sherman, passed by a voice vote.
In a press release following the hearing, the PPA made the following statement regarding the amendment: “There is still much work to be done and areas of policy in this bill that must still be addressed. To be clear, despite the concerns of some of our members, nothing in the Committee-passed legislation precludes lawful Internet poker-only operators whom U.S. players know and trust today from the opportunity to operate under a regulated system. The PPA will work with House and Senate lawmakers to ensure that the final legislation produces the best regulated online gaming environment for the consumer.”
Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Capitol Hill.
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