Gambling News
Hallucinogenic Drugs Likely Led to Poker Pro’s Death
An autopsy has revealed that hallucinogenic drugs were found in the system of 29-year-old German professional poker player Johannes Strassmann.
Slovenian police confirmed that a body found in the Ljublijianica River last week was that of Strassmann. The poker pro had been visiting some fellow players. He went missing after a trip to the town of Ljubljana.
WSEX.com Founder Jay Cohen Assets Sought Ahead of Possible Lawsuit
Gambling911.com intrepid reporter Thomas Somach has learned that an Ohio man who plans to sue now defunct World Sports Exchange (WSEX.com) founder Jay Cohen for almost $70,000 owed plans to hire an investigative team to locate the ex-convict’s assets believed to be hidden around the world.
Cohen served nearly two years behind bars for his role in running World Sports Exchange. Last year, co-owner Steven Schillinger gave new meaning to the term “deadbeat” when he blew his brains out, at the time owing countless numbers of customers well over a million dollars.
Poker Player Paul Phua Among Those Charged in World Cup Betting Scheme
A high-stakes poker player, Paul Phua, was among the eight men charged this week with running an elaborate World Cup betting ring out of Las Vegas.
A criminal complaint detailed the scheme to take bets over WiFi and DSL lines they had casino employees install in their suites at Caesars Palace.
According to the Department of Justice press release:
Sands Sees Slower Than Expected Earnings: Shares Sent Reeling
Sands Las Vegas reported slower-than-expected revenue growth from its Macau operations resulting in second-quarter adjusted earnings that were $0.04 below the consensus of $0.89.
Sands traded recently at $73.02, down about one percent.
The casino company’s competitors shares were adversely affected as a result of the poor performance.
Wynn Resorts was down 1.4 percent Thursday. Wynn is expected to post second-quarter earnings in August of $1.97 per share on revenue of $1.44 billion.
Melco Crown Entertainment was also down 1.4 percent.
HPT Season X Debuts Nationwide
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA - New episodes begin airing around the globe this week for Heartland Poker Tour's milestone tenth season. Now available in over 110 million homes throughout the United States and millions more overseas, HPT is showing no signs of slowing down in Season X. With more stops than ever before, the tour will produce a record number of original episodes in 2014. At least 48 one-hour shows will air over the next 52 weeks. HPT televises more poker tournaments than any other tour in the world.
Romanian Princess Pleads in Cockfighting Case
(Associated Press) - Romanian princess Irina Walker pleaded guilty Wednesday to operating an illegal gambling business in connection with a cockfighting enterprise in rural Oregon.
Casino Boat Passengers Rescued After 16 Hour Ordeal
TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. — (Associated Press) - After 16 hours stuck at sea, passengers stranded on a casino boat that ran aground off Georgia’s coast were ferried to shore Wednesday aboard two Coast Guard cutters.
About 94 of The Escapade’s 96 passengers and 27 crew members arrived at the dock shortly after 4 p.m., nearly a full day after the boat left for the maiden voyage of its operator’s new Savannah service Tuesday night. A second cutter carrying 20 more people arrived shortly afterward. Four people were ferried ashore by helicopter.
Brand New Casino Boat Stuck Off Georgia Coast With 123 People On Board
A casino boat making its maiden voyage has gotten stuck off the coast of Savannah, Georgia with 123 people on board.
The Escapade was supposed to return to dock around 12:30 am local time but the ship instead ran aground off the north end of Tybee Island Wednesday.
US Attorney Charges 6 With Illegal Gambling, Money Laundering in Texas
TYLER, Texas — (Associated Press) - Authorities say six people from east Texas have been charged with illegal gambling, money laundering and drug trafficking.
U.S. attorney John Bales says police seized more than $30,000 in cash during the arrest earlier this week. Officers also took several firearms and methamphetamine.
Online Poker Comes to California Courtesy of Iipay Nation
Forget waiting around another 10 years for online poker to become legalized in the world’s 8th largest economy. One California Tribe is moving ahead, with or without legislation.
The Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel established Santa Ysabel Interactive and launched the I-gaming poker website Private Table at www.privatetable.com to offer Class II gaming to customers through Internet servers located on tribal lands, according to a press release issued by that Tribe.
The Isle of Man Is Becoming Cryptocurrency Hotspot
Crypto Next plc is an Isle of Man company that wants to bring digital currencies to grassroots level by providing turn-key packages that include a company, operating and trading accounts and white label currency exchange platform, instantly overcoming regulatory and technological barriers.
Crypto Next plc is the second cryptocurrency company to launch in the Isle of Man, where the Government has openly welcomed digital currency companies; a development which is attracting cryptocurrency based businesses since the announcement on the 10th June 2014.
Mark Newhouse Historic Two Consecutive November Nine Appearances
Talk about beating the odds. Mark Newhouse managed to outperform a field of 6,677 to make it into the 2014 World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table. That’s no small feat. But to have done this in back-to-back years?
That’s exactly what Newhouse has done.
He was among last year’s November Nine finalists, finishing in ninth place.
Thailand Nabs 5064 for Betting on World Cup
Note to self: If planning to place wagers on the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Thailand is probably not the best option.
Police in that Southeastern Asian nation announced the arrest of 5064 people for illegally gambling on this year’s World Cup. That is a sharp increase from four years ago, according to media reports. 3800 were arrested at that time.
Bwin to Make Additional Cuts of More Than $13.6 Million to Meet Targets
(Reuters) - Online gambling company Bwin.Party, under pressure from an activist shareholder to boost its performance, said an additional 10 million euros ($13.6 million) of cost cuts would help it to meet its targets for the year.
Bwin said last month it was looking at ways of boosting shareholder value but denied a report it was considering a break-up or sale of its business.
In a trading statement on Tuesday, bwin said sports betting had benefited from the soccer World Cup but described the performance of its poker and casino business as "soft".
Eight Accused of Illegal World Cup Betting in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS (Associated Press) — Eight people from Malaysia, China and Hong Kong were accused Monday of operating a temporary, illegal gambling ring from exclusive high-roller villas at a Las Vegas Strip resort that investigators said logged millions of dollars in bets on FIFA World Cup soccer games.
November Nine for 2014 World Series of Poker Determined
The 45th annual World Series of Poker (WSOP) $10,000 No-Limit Hold’em Championship is down to its final nine players. The so-called “November Nine” will meet November 10 to face off in the 2014 World Series of Poker Final.
Here is your November Nine (courtesy of WSOP.com):
Seat 1 - Billy Pappaconstantinou – 17,500,000
WSOP 2014 Main Event Drawing Down: Many Newbies Grace Scene
Just over a dozen players remained at this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event with the November Nine to be determined shortly.
Some of those playing are newbies who have yet to cash in a WSOP event.
Thomas Sarra, Jr., from Girard, OH is one such newbie, Nolan Dalla reports for the World Series of Poker website.
You’re Fired! 1000 Employees at Trump Plaza Get Pink Slips
(Reuters) - Layoff notices went out on Monday for roughly 1,000 employees of Atlantic City's Trump Plaza Casino Hotel, in anticipation of a Sept. 16 closure, the company said in a statement.
The pink slips came as the company that owns the casino, Trump Entertainment Resorts, has begun "reviewing alternatives for the property," the company statement said.
Americas Cardroom To Host $1 Million Guaranteed Tournament This December
Poker in America is officially back. Americas Cardroom today announced Winning Millions, a $1 million guaranteed poker tournament set to get underway on December 14th, 2014. The historic online poker tournament will feature the single biggest online poker prize pool US players have seen since April 2011.
Qualifiers for the $500+$40 buy-in tournament will be available soon.
Another One Bites the Dust: Trump Plaza Latest AC Casino to Close
They are falling like dominoes. Yet another Atlantic City has announced its intention to shut down. This time it’s the Trump Plaza.
Trump Entertainment Resorts told The Associated Press that no final decision has been made on the Boardwalk casino. But the company said it expects the casino to close its doors on Sept. 16, immediately following the busy summer season.
Industry observers had predicted that the seaside gambling resort could lose as much as one quarter of its casino properties by year’s end.
Where Will Dad Bet Next? Singapore Ad Follow Up Won’t Say
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore tried its best to save an own goal on Monday by updating an anti-gambling ad that starred a despairing boy named Andy telling friends his dad had bet his life savings on Germany winning the World Cup.
The National Council on Problem Gambling's commercial was lampooned around the world after Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 in the semi-finals, sparking jokes that the ad would encourage rather than deter gambling.
Las Vegas Sands Sued for $5 Billion: Accused of Misappropriating Funds
HONG KONG — (Reuters) A former Macau business partner of Las Vegas Sands Corp. accused the casino operator of misappropriating trade secrets and is suing the company for at least $5 billion in profits that it says are owed via their joint ownership of copyright related to a casino license bid.
Asian American, headed by Taiwanese businessman Marshall Hao, filed the complaint in U.S. District Court in Nevada on Wednesday. The case is in addition to two separate, ongoing legal actions in Macau over an alleged breach of contract.
Dan Smith Still Hanging In as Field Dwindles at WSOP Main Event
Two big name poker pros were sitting pretty at this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event Saturday evening: Brian Hastings and Dan Smith. By Sunday night, Hastings was ousted but Smith was still going strong with just over a dozen players remaining.
Few of the other names remaining were recognizable to those but the most hardcore of poker enthusiasts.
Atlantic City Making ‘Painful Shift’ Away From Gambling
(Associated Press) - Atlantic City's mayor says his city is in the midst of a painful transition from a gambling-centric resort to one where betting is only one of many things to do.
Mayor Don Guardian says he believes top elected officials still strongly support his city, and will give it the full five-year turnaround time that Gov. Chris Christie promised before considering expanding gambling to the northern New Jersey Meadowlands and elsewhere.
WSOP Main Event Notable Survivors After Day 3
When Day 3 began, there were 1,871 hopes entering the Rio. That number dwindled down to 746. Phil Ivey was the chip leader heading into the day. The ten-time bracelet winner’s tenure at the top did not last long though. It only took 30 minutes for Ivey to be knocked off his perch.
Heading into Day 4, Ivey was 72nd among chip holders.
Heading home during Day 3 were this year’s Poker Player Champion John Hennigan, Day 1 big stack Nick Divella, Antonio Esfandiari, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, Marvin Rettenmaier, and Matt Matros.
Ultimate Poker Leaving New Jersey Market?
It’s no secret that online poker in the state of New Jersey has underperformed.
Ultimate Poker, one of a handful of online gambling firms licensed by the New Jersey Gaming Commission, announced on Friday September 19, 2014 it would be leaving the New Jersey online gambling market after the Taj Mahal announced pending bankruptcy.
Robert Dellafav of OnlinePokerReport.com predicted the exit earlier this summer.
Moldea: ‘No Fewer Than 26 Past and Present NFL Team Owners had Ties to Mafia’
MediaBistro.com reveals that five eBooks have been selected as part of an ongoing series curated for Open Road Integrated Media by NYU Professor of Media Studies Mark Crispin Miller.
Among those titles, Dan E. Moldea’s “Interference”.
Gay or Nay: Atlantic City Embrace of LGBT Community Could Prove Lucrative
Atlantic City just got gayer thanks to that seaside gambling resort’s first openly gay Mayor Don Guardian, who recently declared one of the region's beaches to be "gay-friendly".
Phil Ivey On Top: Leads With Chip Counts at WSOP Main Event
One of poker’s greatest players of all time, Phil Ivey, continues to excel at this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event.
After Day 2, Ivey led with chip counts, 505,000.
From WSOP.com:
English Only at the Poker Tables Rule Passes
Starting now, poker players at South Dakota’s Deadwood Casino will be required to speak only English at the tables during the play of a hand.
“The reason we can is because gaming is a suspect activity,” Mike Shaw, the attorney for the state Gaming Commission, said. “It is not subject to the same protection that other activities are.”
The rule is one of a package of changes for Deadwood card games that received final clearance Tuesday from the Legislature’s rules review committee.
