Gambling News
Rick Perry Hates Gambling But Bets World Series
Texas Governor and Republican Presidential candidate Rick Perry, who has repeatedly said he is against all forms of gambling, has been telling what's known in Texas as a tall tale.
A tall tale--a polite way to say a lie--about gambling, no less.
Gambling911.com, as part of its continuing series on how the Presidential candidates stand on gambling issues, last month reported how Perry, during his tenure as governor of Texas, has opposed the expansion of gambling at every turn in the Lone Star State.
Clive Archer Has Left The Building
BetOnline, the fastest growing sportsbook in the US, today announced the departure of Clive Archer. During his tenure within the organization, Clive held various roles including Director of Business Development and Chief Executive Officer. The parting was by mutual agreement.
“Clive very successfully helped us re-position the organization for growth and brought many in the industry to the BetOnline table,” said a BetOnline spokesperson. “We wish him only the best with all future endeavors.”
Bipartisanship in the Congress It’s Happening With Online Poker Debate
For those of you looking for bipartisanship in Congress, look no further than the debate over legalization of online poker in the US.
Tuesday morning featured a hearing in the .S. House of Representatives’ Subcommittee for Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade to discuss the issue and listen to witness testimony. Legalized Internet poker is expected to bring billions of dollars to a troubled US economy and members from both sides of the aisle tend to agree.
Age Verification, Bots and Native American Sovereignty Discussed at Online Poker Hearing
Much of the discussion during a highly anticipated House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing on legalized Internet poker in the United States focused on underage gamble and how to prevent cheating online.
Parry Aftab, Board of Advisors Chairman for FairPlayUSA, and Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Florida) noted that tools were in place to help curb underage gambling though many on the panel admitted nothing is fool proof.
William Hill Shares Up: Claims Business Back to Normal
William Hill claimed operations were “back to normal” on Tuesday following a highly publicized walkout of its entire online staff based out of Tel Aviv, Israel, last week.
Following a drastic drop in the company’s share price and one analyst even issuing an advisory, Will Hill saw a slight increase of 0.26 percent at GBP2.285 valuing the company at GBP1.6 billion.
Its staff in Tel Aviv and two satellite offices in Manila and Bulgaria walked out following reports they would be relocated to the company’s Gibraltar headquarters.
Subcommittee Hearing for Legalized Internet Poker Live
As promised the live stream for Tuesday morning’s Subcommittee hearing to legalize Internet poker in the US is available here.
Among those testifying, former Republican New York Senator and Poker Players Alliance Chairman Alfonse D’Amato and Texas Republican Congressman Joe Barton, who has presented the bill to regulate and license online poker in the States.
Tel A-Heave Ho: Fish Feeder, Rabbi, Hairdresser on Books at William Hill Tel Aviv Office
The turmoil continues at William Hill following a mass exodus of employees in its Affiliates United Tel Aviv-based online support centre last week. The company revealed on Monday that it had canned three of its managers based out of Israel.
The support centre is 79 percent owned by Hill and 21 percent owned by its software provider, Playtech.
Live Streaming Video Expected for Internet Poker Hearing
For those Gambling911.com readers looking to watch the Tuesday October 25, 2011 subcommittee hearing on Internet poker legalization, the House Energy and Commerce Committee website was expected to have a live video streaming link up top at the start of the hearing 10:30 am EST.
Kahnawake: Positive Outcome Coming Regarding Absolute Poker?
The Kahnawake Gambling Commission, which licenses troubled online poker firm UB.com and its sister site Absolute Poker, has been in correspondence with affected players recently, suggesting a positive outcome is coming soon.
While Absolute Poker and UB.com have continued to pay players outside the US in small increments, those living in the States have been waiting for payment since April. That is when two executives of the company were indicted. Charges included money laundering and bank fraud. Absolute Poker/UB.com were forced to flee the US market as a result.
Full Tilt Poker Lays Off Remaining Staff
Disgraced online poker firm Full Tilt Poker has laid off its remaining staff of 180 employees in Dublin, Ireland. The company had its license officially revoked last month following a series of US indictments.
A handful of poker pros/shareholders in the company, including Howard Lederer and Chris Ferguson, are accused by the US Government of perpetrating an elaborate ponzi scheme.
US Customers of Full Tilt Poker have yet to be paid since April 15 while those worldwide have not received payouts since late June.
Mormon Church Hates Gambling: Mormon Politics Does Not
Two of the contenders for the Republican nomination for President of the United States are members of the Mormon religion: former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney and former Utah governor Jon Huntsman.
Other top American politicians are also Mormons, including Harry Reid, a Democrat who is a U.S. senator from Nevada and the Majority Leader in the U.S. Senate.
With Mormons in such positions of political power, Gambling911.com readers might be wondering just what is the Mormon position on gambling?
The short answer: they're against it.
PPA Head Alfonse D’Amato to Testify Before House Subcommittee Tuesday re: Online Poker
Former New York Senator and Poker Players Alliance Chairman Alfonse D’Amato is scheduled to testify on Tuesday (October 25, 2011) before the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade on the need to establish federal licensing and regulation of online poker. The hearing was announced last week and kicks off at 10:30 am EDT.
Texas Republican Congressman Joe Barton’s Online Poker Act of 2011 will be discussed during this hearing and witnesses will be brought forward.
Nevada Will Have Real Cash Online Poker Come January
Intrastate online poker for real money is anticipated this coming January in the state of Nevada. Should legislation pass at the federal level, Nevada would then permit those across state lines to play. They, the licensed casinos in Nevada, would become the hub for interstate online poker at that point.
A source close to the situation noted that there is some confusion related to Nevada’s passage of a measure that permits real cash online poker and that Gambling911.com is not exactly helping in this regard.
William Hill Execs Locked Out of Their Own Office: Implosion Within, Shares Fall
The riff between William Hill and its Tel Aviv-based online support and affiliate center, Affiliates United, continued through the weekend following a mass employee walkout last Sunday. Fewer than 20 employees reported back to work.
The Affiliates United employees were told by a former manager of the support center that they would be relocating to William Hill’s Gibraltar base.
Donald Trump Could be Trump Card for New Jersey’s Chances of Legal i-Gaming
Donald Trump’s announcement that he is looking to enter the online gambling fray last week has offered hope on the state front. New Jersey, which is home to a handful of Trump properties including the Taj Mahal, is one of the states looking to legalize Internet gambling as well as sports betting.
Lock Poker CEO Jennifer Larson Applauds Lock Pro Chris Moorman WSOPE Finish
It is the year of the number two making headlines with World Series of Poker bracelet record holder Phil Hellmuth finishing second in three of this year’s events. Now comes another big number two finish, Lock Poker pro Chris Moorman.
His second place finish at this past week’s World Series of Poker Europe earned him $1.1 million and some change. It was his second consecutive number two finish having walked away with $716,282 at the WSOP No Limit Hold’em Six Handed Championship over the summer.
Oklahoma Online Bookie Gets Four Years Behind Bars
An Oklahoma online bookmaker was sentenced to a four year prison sentence following a plea agreement that would require him to cooperate with prosecutors.
David Roy Tune, 62, pleaded guilty to 20 counts of violating anti-gambling laws and one count of conspiracy. Most of the wagers were placed online with a now defunct Costa Rica sportsbook.
It was revealed that Tune forwarded some of the money collected from losing bettors to a man in a man in Costa Rica beginning in 2008.
Sopranos Actor Arrested as Part of New York Sports Betting Sting
John Marinacci, 56, was one of the individuals caught up in a New York State sports betting sting alleged to have ties with the Gambino crime family. Marinacci appeared in two episodes of the popular HBO series “The Sopranos”. He has also appeared on another HBO series “Boardwalk Empire”.
Marinacci was charged this week with enterprise corruption for taking bets and collecting monies for "the Gambino Bookmaking Enterprise," court papers revealed.
The complaint alleges that the New York sports betting ring utilized an offshore wagering call center.
Tim Trushel Abruptly Resigns from his Own Website Sports Memo
Tim Trushel, the president and owner of the Sports Memo group announced his resignation on Tuesday in a shocking development in the sports advisory business. (see blog post here)
Popular APCW Video Account Suspended by YouTube.com
APCW’s slickly produced “Perspectives Weekly” online gambling industry videos may no longer be available on YouTube.com after the video uploading website apparently suspended their account on Thursday. J. Todd runs the APCW site and is widely considered one of the industry’s leading crusaders.
Clicking on the YouTube.com graphic on the APCW website, visitors were greeted with the following message:
Donald Trump to Enter Online Poker Fray
Real estate, entertainment and casino mogul Donald Trump has teamed up with hedge funds manager Marc Lasry in an effort to get a piece of the online poker industry pie once the activity becomes licensed and regulated in the United States.
From Bloomberg News:
Bugging Devices and GPS Tracking Used in Illegal Sports Betting Investigation
37 individuals were arrested on Tuesday in New York and charged with running two illegal sports betting and loan-sharking operations. Those arrested include alleged members of the Gambino crime family.
House Committee Hearing on Internet Poker Next Week has Many Excited
The House Energy and Commerce Manufacturing subpanel will hold a hearing Tuesday on Internet gambling.
“I am pleased that Chairman Bono-Mack is holding a hearing on the important issue of Internet gaming," said Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas in an interview with The Hill. The Congressman introduced a bill that would legalize online poker in the United States.
The Class Action Lawsuits Against Full Tilt Poker Keep Coming
Yet another class action lawsuit has been filed against defunct online poker company Full Tilt Poker.
The Merge Surge
PocketFives.com reports that Merge Gaming has enjoyed quite an uplift after opening to the North American market this past week.
Traffic grew by 15 percent, P5s noted.
PokerScout.com, the traffic monitoring website for online poker reported the following:
William Hill Promises Its Affiliates United Branch Staff Six Months Notice of Termination
The United Kingdom’s largest online bookmaker, William Hill, has promised its Tel Aviv-based online affiliate staff, Affiliates United (AffUtd), one month's extra pay and six months notice in the event their jobs are set to be terminated.
Poll Shows New Jersey Residents Would Overwhelmingly Approve Sports Betting
If the election were held today, an amendment to the New Jersey Constitution allowing gambling on sporting events in Atlantic City casinos and at the state's race tracks would easily win approval, according to a new Rutgers-Eagleton Poll released Wednesday.
Rutgers-Eagleton Poll results: NJ sports betting vote
William Hill Share Price in Tizzy Following Tel Aviv Uprising
William Hill’s share price was -4.1p at 224.7p Wednesday as executives from the company tried desperately to quash an uprising in its Tel Aviv Internet support centre.
The company issued a statement on Tuesday that several higher-ups at that office would receive disciplinary action for suggesting to employees they were either being relocated to the company’s Gibraltar office or that their jobs might ultimately be disposed of altogether. More than 200 of the Tel Aviv employees abandoned their jobs as a result of this news.
