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Here is the latest online poker news for August 11, 2011, everything in briefs.
*Merge Poker has begun accepting new US players after more than two months of waiting, beginning with the flagship Sportsbook.com brands, which include PlayersOnly.com. Others are expected to follow in the coming days. In an ironic twist, one of the Merge Poker skins calls itself NYC Poker, and while news of a re-entry into the US market might sound like a great plan for NYC Poker, Merge will still be blocking players from the state of New York and four others as well as the District of Columbia.
*In case you missed it, long time online gambling nemesis Arizona Republican Senator Jon Kyl has been selected to the House-Senate Joint Subcommittee on deficits. Kyl was a co-author of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and was the most instrumental force in getting the law passed. In other words he is directly responsible for several thousand poker players in the States losing their jobs and livelihood, many having to relocate.
*Mike Sexton has joined the FairPlayUSA advisory board. The new grassroots effort came under some flack for initially painting itself as an independent organization whereas FairPlayUSA is in actuality a funded instrument of Vegas casino giant Caesar’s Entertainment.
A statement from FairPlayUSA read:
Yesterday, poker champion Mike Sexton, known as the Ambassador of Poker for his work promoting the game across America and around the world, joined FairPlayUSA’s advisory board!
“Mike joins a diverse and influential list of advisory board members, including Internet safety expert Parry Aftab, former Secretary of Homeland Security and Governor of Pennsylvania Tom Ridge, and professional poker player Greg Raymer.”
Sexton acts as a color commentator for the World Poker Tour (WPT) and also acts as a spokesman for PartyPoker.
He had this to offer regarding the new position: “Americans should be able to play poker online in the privacy of their homes knowing that the games are safe and fair… FairPlayUSA is committed to ensuring a strict regulatory framework for online poker, and I am pleased to be part of its advisory board.”
*BetOnline.com has begun offering a unique new deposit method that allows customers to open accounts via Western Union and Moneygram online, saving a trip to the local outlet. The minimum deposit is $50 and the maximum is $2500 with a FREE CASH BONUS up to $900.
- Ace King, Gambling911.com
