Online Casino

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AGAIN THE VENUE FOR NEXT WSOP EUROPE
2008 spectacular will again be sponsored by Betfair

Poker players around the world will be pulling out their diaries this week following an announcement from Harrah’s that the 2008 World Series of Poker Europe will take place in London between September 19 and October 1, with Betfair again the sponsor.

As with the inaugural event, this year’s tournament will be hosted by London Clubs International and held at their St. James (Fifty), Leicester Square (The Casino at the Empire) and Marble Arch (Sportsman) locations.

“It was a clean sweep for the Europeans last year,” said World Series of Poker Commissioner Jeffrey Pollack. “There are many, many talented players in the European poker community and I think it caught some of the world’s best known poker players by surprise. It’s safe to say the pros haven’t forgotten about last year and the young guns should expect a tougher fight in 2008.”

The schedule for the 2008 WSOPE is currently being finalised and will be released upon completion.

“Last year produced a fantastic tournament which exceeded all expectations,” said David Yu, CEO, Betfair. “Online qualification for the 2008 event is already underway so we’re expecting an even better contest this time around.”

“We look forward to again serving as hosts for this prestigious event,” said Michael Silberling, COO, London Clubs International. “A first class tournament at our properties promises to bring out the best poker players in the world.”

WSOPE in London complements the WSOP held annually in Las Vegas. The inaugural 2007 event saw Norway’s Annette Obrestad best a field that included Doyle Brunson, Phil Hellmuth and Johnny Chan to win the largest amount ever for a female, £1 million – or U.S. $2 013 102.

MASS. ONLINE GAMBLING BAN SLAMMED AT RALLY
Harvard Law Professor Charles Nesson and iMEGA representatives criticise online gambling ban clause in Governor’s proposal

The Harvard university group Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society, the Poker Players Alliance and the iMEGA Internet freedom pressure group between them marshalled a protest rally this week outside the Massachusetts legislature’s offices where a debate on allowing land casinos in Massachusetts as proposed by Governor Deval Patrick was taking place.

But it wasn’t the land casinos that motivated the protest. Instead it was a clause tucked away in the proposal that would make online gambling in the state a banned pastime on pain of draconian penalties that was the focus for the rally….and no one was ‘fessing up to its drafting.

Harvard Law Professor and founder of the Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS) Charles Nesson criticised the proposed casino bill for making it a crime for individuals to play poker on the Internet when he addressed the crowd in front of the Massachusetts State House. He had earlier submitted written testimony prepared for the Legislature’s public hearing.

Nesson said, “Governor Patrick’s Casino bill would make it illegal for state residents to play poker online, with penalties ranging from hefty fines to jail time of up to two years. How crazy is that? Who wrote the bill’s strange provision to criminalize online games? The Governor’s people say it wasn’t him (even though it’s nominally his bill). The Las Vegas casino interests say it’s not them. Both questions should be put to the Governor…”

Nesson has been in contact with the Massachusetts Governor’s office about the drafting as well as the chairman of the board of the Las Vegas Sands Corp, which is thought to have a hand in the creation of the bill, trying to get answers on who inserted the provision making it illegal to play online poker.

“I don’t think filling our expensive jail cells with poker players is what Massachusetts voters had in mind when they elected Deval Patrick,” Nesson said in a press release.

At the hearing Joe Brennan Jr., Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association chairman, expressed his organisation’s opposition to the anti- Internet gambling provision in the bill. “It is ironic for a bill to legalize gambling in Massachusetts to outlaw and severely punish gambling online. It simply makes no sense,” Brennan said.

“How can an activity that is legal in 48 of the 50 states be a criminal act simply because it utilizes the Internet? If an American has the right to choose in the “real world,” shouldn’t they enjoy that very same right when they are online?”

“Like many of the government’s forays into cyberspace, these efforts are well intended but yield the considerable practical problems of unintended consequences,” Brennan said. “In this case, Americans’ right to privacy and freedom of expression are imperiled by overzealous lawmaking.”

RESCUE MISSION. CASINO REWARDS STEPS IN ON TUSK DEBACLE
Fellow Aussies to take over casinos, but not poker operations of liquidated group

Online casino players with accounts at Tusk Investment’s Casino Action group currently in the throes of liquidation can breath again – the Casino Rewards group has announced that it is to take over the online casino assets of the failed group. But the announcement warns that the acquisition does not include the widespread online poker assets of Casino Action.

All online casinos formerly operating under the Casino Action group such as Golden Reef, UK Casino Club, Nostalgia, iBig, Music Hall and Challenge, will soon fall under the Casino Rewards management, and ready for a grand re-opening on March 25, 2008.

Online casinos already in the well established and successful Casino Rewards group include: BlackjackBallroom.com GoldenTigerCasino.com, CaptainCooksCasino.com, Casino Kingdom, Casino Classic and LuckyEmperorCasino.com. The group is reviewed and monitored by eCOGRA.

All Casino Action player accounts in the acquired casinos will be safely transferred to the Casino Rewards network, with all account balances, withdrawals, and bonus credits available for immediate use.

“We are happy to welcome the new casinos into our network. We are working around the clock to integrate all of the casinos so the players have the best experience possible,” said a spokesman for the Australian group. “Every cent of their account balances and bonus money will be accounted for and migrated over. They will be able to log in to the casinos just as they had previously and can play safe in the knowledge that the CasinoRewards logo will be on these casinos ensuring the security, reliability, and professionalism for which we are known.”

The Casino Rewards team is working around the clock to finalise the migration. Unfortunately the online casinos will have to remain closed while the migration takes place but will be reopened on March 25, 2008. All players will receive a notification when they are able to play again.

Only the six casinos will migrate to Casino Rewards. Any poker rooms associated with Casino Action or any of its affiliates are not part of Casino Rewards and Casino Rewards has no knowledge whatsoever of the situation therein.

Whilst the fate of the poker rooms remains uncertain, the takeover of the online casinos in the failed Casino Action group will be welcomed by players and affiliates alike, as it assures their payouts. Casino Action’s troubles started some weeks ago when a review team from the player protection and standards body eCOGRA discovered departures from its standards serious enough to warrant the immediate and public suspension of its ‘Fair and Safe’ seals.

Confidentiality obligations prevented eCOGRA from revealing the nature of the non-compliances, however Tusk subsequently advised its software provider Microgaming that it intended to go into liquidation, causing the immediate suspension of its software license and closure.

Tusk Investments, the owners of the Casino Action group have been remarkably silent on the issue, and have not communicated directly with the player community or the public on the issue. It is understood that the appointment of liquidators has been finalised and awaits the approval of the Vanuatu jurisdiction.

TUSK LIQUIDATOR HARD AT WORK (Update)
Players will soon have information on where to lodge claims

The liquidators of the Tusk online casino group, which went broke earlier this year leaving its online casino and poker players in the dark (see previous InfoPowa reports) have been hard at work this week, reportedly brokering the sale of Tusk’s six online casinos to fellow Australian group Casino Rewards and assessing the extent of the loss on the poker sites belonging to Tusk, who’s future remains uncertain.

Microgaming, the software provider to Tusk prior to its liquidation, issued a further statement this week confirming that a Brisbane based liquidator appointed by Tusk Corporation has been ratified by the regulatory authorities in Vanuatu.

Microgaming has been in contact with the liquidator and has been informed that they are currently in the process of gathering all the relevant financial information from Tusk. The liquidator made it clear that this process may take some time, however, Microgaming has been led to believe that affected players will receive information on how to lodge their claims with the liquidator by the end of next week.

Microgaming appreciates that the slow process is causing continued frustration among the playing community, but unfortunately it is not in a position to influence the speed of the legal process. Microgaming will endeavour to keep players informed as more information is made available.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports suggest that the Kahnawake Gaming Commission has also pulled Tusk’s jurisdictional licenses.

SOLID Q4 AND FULL YEAR RESULTS FROM BWIN
Gross and net gaming revenues up on levels achieved before exiting US and Turkish markets.

The Vienna listed online gambling group Bwin turned in an impressive set of Q4 and full year 2007 results this week that illustrated that the group has put the US and Turkish bans on Internet gambling behind it.

Record gross gaming revenues were up 24.9 percent to Euro 102.3 million (Q4 2006: Euro 81.9 million) and sports betting gross gaming revenue soared 30.2 percent to Euro 59.5 million (Q4 2006: Euro 45.7 million) with a sports betting margin of 9.6 percent.

Poker revenue was also well up by 26.7 percent to Euro 21.8 million (Q4 2006: Euro 17.2 million) and record net gaming revenues were recorded – up 28.3 percent to Euro 89.4 million (Q4 2006: Euro 69.7 million)

The company reported that its European growth in members was a record for the industry, with 894 000 active and 234 000 new active real-money customers in fiscal 2007.

Full year numbers showed a similar success story, with gross gaming revenues of Euro 350.5 million: up 21.4 percent (FY 2006: Euro 288.6 million) and record sports betting gross gaming revenue: up 19.0 percent to Euro 191.9 million (FY 2006: Euro 161.2 million) with sports betting margins of 8.7 percent.

Full year Poker revenue rose 38.6 percent to Euro 82.3 million (FY 2006: Euro 59.4 million) and Net gaming revenues were 25.9 percent to Euro 309.7 million (FY 2006: Euro 246.0 million) Over the full year membership figures were 1,6 million active and 798 000 new active real-money customers.

SWEDE ACE IS PARTYPOKER CHAMP
Sole online qualifier wins all star Final Table

36-year-old Andreas Jörbeck is the winner of PartyPoker Late Night Poker 2008! The online qualifier from Stockholm overcome an otherwise all pro final table that featured serial televised tournament winner Ian Frazer, German bracelet holder and 2007 Premier League runner-up Eddy Scharf, Surinder ‘The Cobra’ Sunar, WPT and EPT champion Roland de Wolfe, 2008 Premier League winner Andy Black, Maria Demetriou and 2007 Late Night Poker Masters champion David Tighe in the grand final broadcast on Tuesday 18th on Channel 4 in the UK.

“To win an event as prestigious as Late Night Poker against Europe’s top professionals in my first live event is quite something,” said Jörbeck. “I’ve been playing online poker for around four years with relatively small stakes and never thought something like this would happen to me.”

Jörbeck beat Roland de Wolfe heads-up and was always the underdog throughout the final. De Wolfe looked the likely winner throughout only to run out of steam and go card dead towards the end. “Roland played really well throughout but I started to relax and adopt a more aggressive approach when we were three handed,” said Jörbeck. Heads-up the balance of power swung a number of times before Jörbeck landed the killer blow on the top pro. Jörbeck had A10 and de Wolfe K3. The flop came down AAK and the Swede’s set gave him victory. Roland was gracious in defeat: “I really, really fancied this but in the end it just wasn’t my day.”

First out in the final was respected British pro Maria Demetriou when her pocket queens ran into Andy Black’s pocket kings. Next to go was Ian Frazer, who found that holding A10 wasn’t enough to overcome Black’s AK after the K came on the flop. Black had created a table image where players were not sure if he was on a complete bluff and after calling the clock on himself Frazer went all-in, was called and then eliminated. Next to go was Eddy Scharf whose QJ looked good against Jörbeck’s 10 9 only for a 9 to come on the river. It was at this point that de Wolfe started to become dominant and he took out David Tighe’s A10 with his pocket queens. Surinder Sunar went out fourth but was ahead with his AQ against Roland’s A9 only to see the 9 come on the river. This left Jörbeck, de Wolfe and Black, with everybody expecting the two pros to prevail.

Next out, however, was Andy Black. Jörbeck’s set of jacks crippled the “Mad Monk’s” A2. The 2008 Premier League champion was all-in next hand with his big blind and was sent to the rail leaving de Wolfe and Jörbeck to battle it out.

Jörbeck, a business development manager in telecoms who has been married to wife Victoria for two years, is realistic about his ambitions going forward and doesn’t see himself as Sweden’s next poker superstar, despite winning such a prestigious tournament. “I am not a big player so have no huge plans on the horizon, poker is just a hobby. I will use some of my prize money on a bankroll but will invest the majority in stocks and shares. My strategy throughout the tournament was to sit back, keep out of trouble and loosen up and try and relax when we were shorthanded. If possible, I would get others to do the dirty work for me and get involved in lots of hands. I was so surprised to even get through my heat considering I was up against the likes of the Devilfish and Joe Beevers,” he said. Next up for Andreas is a trip on the PartyPoker Million VI in Europe in May, which he has qualified for online.

A PartyPoker spokesman said: “Andreas’ achievement is huge when you consider that every other player at that final table was an aggressive pro and that he was the only online qualifier who made the final. Credit must also go to Roland de Wolfe – finishing runner-up in Late Night Poker and the Premier League is very impressive.”

Prior to the final there was a semi-final that featured the runners-up from all seven heats vying for one place in the showpiece. The line-up featured the eventual winner of the heat Maria Demetriou, ‘Flying Dutchman’ Marcel Luske, WSOP bracelet holder Praz Bansi, Polish television presenter Agnieszka Rylik, Marc ‘Mr Cool’ Goodwin, France’s Pascal Perrault and former champion Simon Trumper. Amongst those who failed to make the final or semi-final included Dave “The Devilfish” Ulliott, man of the moment Julian Thew, WSOP Europe winner Annette Obrestad, Ram Vaswani, Padraig Parkinson, Barny Boatman, Joe Beevers, Donnacha O’Dea, Robert Williamson III, Jen Mason and Jon Kalmar.

Late Night Poker revolutionised people’s perception of poker when the tournament was first broadcast on Channel 4 in 1999 and was the first to use under the table cameras. The total prize pool for 2008 was $335,000 ($90,000 added by PartyPoker) with $125,000 going to the eventual winner. There were 49 players paying a $5000 buy-in including ten online qualifiers who won their seats in exclusive online tournaments on PartyPoker.

Coverage of the event was filmed by Presentable in Cardiff. Presentable also produced the coverage of the successful PartyPoker Poker Nations Cup event for Channel 4 which takes place again in April.

MAJOR ONLINE JACKPOT FOR FRENCH ONLINE GAMBLER
Euro 220 000 won on Internet slot

One lucky JackpotCity.com online casino player will celebrate the Easter Holidays in extra style this weekend after hitting the proverbial jackpot a few days ago!

The 36 year old Frenchman, Christophe R. boosted his bank balance by an impressive Euro 220 000 playing his favourite Belle Rock slot at the Carmen Media online casino. “I couldn’t believe my luck” said a jubilant Christophe. “I love all kinds of online slots and have been playing at Belle Rock Entertainment’s online casinos for about two years. I have never thought of myself as particularly lucky, and had to look twice to make sure it was real!”

A fishing and traveling enthusiast, Christophe will be using some of his winnings to buy a new car. “I’ll also be keeping some of my winnings so I can continue playing, because now I know that I can win again,” he said. When asked whether he has any tips for other online players, he simply said: “Be patient, but if the games do not pay out, play something else.”

ONLINE GAMBLING SITES BEING INVESTIGATED IN THAILAND
Department of Special Investigations intends to track down and close Internet gambling websites

The Bangkok Post reports that the Thai Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is gathering evidence to track down and close websites that offer online gambling.

Jarun Pakdithanakul, the Ministry of Justice permanent secretary, said that the ministry has received fresh information on gambling websites and that the DSI has found that such sites are connected to betting on soccer matches. If sufficient evidence is found, the DSI will work with Anti-Money Laundering Office to find and prosecute any Thai wrongdoers, he added.

Gambling on soccer matches has become increasingly popular among Thai teenagers. According to Jarun, one has to spend at least 3 000 baht to open an online account before they can gamble. He said DSI data shows that there are more than 10 000 subscribers in Thailand, and many of them are in Chiang Mai, Songkhla and Bangkok.

VEGAS CASINO TYCOON WINS BRIT LIBEL CASE
Adelson wins “substantial” damages in Daily Mail libel claim

The British media had another libel case to digest this week following the giant award of GBP 550 000 won by the parents of missing child Madeleine McCan, and a less high profile case brought against the Daily Mail by Las Vegas casino owner and gambling tycoon Sheldon Adelson.

Las Vegas Sands owner Sheldon Adelson has been awarded “very substantial” damages by a London High Court after the Daily Mail accused the casino billionaire of “cut-throat, ruthless and despicable business practices”. Adelson’s solicitors described the case as one of the “UK’s most expensive libel actions ever.”

Associated Press reports that Adelson will receive damages from a British newspaper for falsely linking him to a takeover of the world famous Manchester United soccer club. Adelson, chairman of casino group Las Vegas Sands Corp., fought a three-year battle against the Daily Mail, which he claimed defamed him and his company.

The newspaper alleged that Adelson held secret talks with Malcolm Glazer, an American who purchased Manchester United in 2005. Adelson said he never met with Glazer.

Adelson’s London-based law firm said in a statement that the newspaper will pay him an undisclosed amount in damages, along with his legal costs. The newspaper also will print an apology Thursday.

GOVERNOR PATRICK ADMITS CASINO BILL DEFEAT LIKELY
Blames “House leadership” for negativity regarding possible Massachusetts land casinos

Gov. Deval Patrick conceded after hearings in Boston this week that his plan to build three resort-style casinos in Massachusetts is heading for likely defeat in the Legislature, blaming “undue pressure from House leadership.”

But Patrick, in his second year as governor, indicated he isn’t giving up on the idea, saying he’s still looking for ways to make the bill stronger.

“I have no illusions about the plans in the House for this legislation,” he said Tuesday at a packed legislative hearing. “I’m simply asking that an open debate begin, rather than end, today.”

The hearing could determine the fate of Patrick’s bill for the current legislative session. Patrick says casinos would generate new jobs and revenue. Critics warn the proposal exaggerates the economic benefits and would bring increased crime and even worsen the foreclosure crisis if gambling addicts spend their mortgage payments on slot machines.

If the committee releases the bill with a recommendation that lawmakers reject it, it could come up for a vote as early as Thursday. House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has pressed lawmakers to kill the bill, saying casinos would “absolutely cause human damage on a grand scale.”

Patrick has said the casinos would create tens of thousands of construction jobs and 20 000 full-time permanent jobs and bring in $200 million in fees per license plus an estimated $400 million a year in new revenues.

“Casinos in Massachusetts will be neither a cure-all for all of our fiscal needs nor an end of civilization as we know it,” he said to an overflowing crowd of mostly casino supporters in Gardner Auditorium.

Earlier in the day, DiMasi told a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast he could not support the governor’s plan because it would ultimately harm residents. “We will absolutely and no question have increased bankruptcies, foreclosures, divorce, broken families, increased property crimes, domestic violence and on and on and on,” DiMasi said. “The cost of cleaning up the human devastation brought by casino gambling is too great.”

DiMasi said he has seen strong public opposition to Patrick’s plan, but those voices have not been heard as prominently as advocates.

“After six months of debate on this bill, I believe the evidence is not there, the case has not been made and time is running out,” DiMasi said. “Right now, my answer is no.”

A long list of supporters and opponents signed up with the state’s Joint Committee on Economic Development to testify during the public hearing, which began at 10 a.m. and stretched into the afternoon. They included clergy members, environmentalists, online poker players and dozens of union backers.

Committee co-chairman Rep. Daniel Bosley, one of the fiercest critics of casino gambling, warned that allowing three casinos could open up a Pandora’s Box of trouble. He pointed to the state Lottery – which began with a single daily number and grew into dozens of scratch tickets, Megabucks, Mega Millions and Keno – and said the state could quickly become just as addicted to casino money.

“The Lottery should be a cautionary tale,” said the North Adams Democrat. “We love the revenues, but we hate how we get them.”

Rep. Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown warned that the pull of the casinos could end up hurting some of the state’s traditional tourist attractions, particularly in her Cape Cod district. “It will be good for tourism around the resort casinos, but it will be bad for other parts of the state,” said Peake, who also owns a bed and breakfast.

Before the hearing, hundreds of casino supporters rallied on the Boston Common to urge lawmakers to support Patrick’s plan. Many of the union members at the rally wore hard hats and carried signs saying “Casinos equal 20,000 jobs for Massachusetts and I need one of them.”

Robert Haynes, Massachusetts president of the AFL-CIO union, urged his members to attend the hearing and push their state lawmakers to back Patrick’s proposal. “I want to know which legislator is going to deny you a job, who’s going to pay your mortgage when you can’t pay, who’s going to leave 20,000 workers in an unemployment line,” Haynes said.

MASS.STEALTH BAN HEADS FOR THE HOUSE (Update)
Economic Development committee votes against land casino proposal

In a 10 vs. 8 vote this week a key legislative committee in the Massachusetts legislature voted to recommend that lawmakers reject Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposal to build three resort-style casinos in Massachusetts, all but dooming the bill this session. The proposal contains a ‘stealth’ clause seeking to ban online gambling in the state, seen by many as a protectionist move to sweeten the deal for land operators.

Observers say that vote has set the stage for a predictable outcome, and that a subsequent debate and vote in the state’s House of Representatives will be a formality.

The Joint Committee on Economic Development rejection, which came after a four-hour delay and arm-twisting by House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, sets up a vote in the House of Representatives almost immediately. If the bill is defeated then, it cannot be brought back until next year. One committee member abstained from voting and another member proved pivotal to the outcome.

Rep. Richard Ross told The Associated Press he dropped his support for the bill after the owners of the Plainridge horse trotting track in his district said they would rather take a shot at the House passing a bill to install slot machines at the state’s four racetracks than seek to amend Patrick’s proposal to allow those machines as well as the casinos.

“I got a loud and clear message from my district … that they really wanted me to vote for the adverse report,” Ross said. “Really, until the eleventh hour, 59th minute, I was on the phone.”

Patrick’s bill proposed licensing three casinos spread across Massachusetts. It called for a licensing fee of at least $200 million each, and he projected it would generate $400 million in annual revenues and thousands of permanent jobs.

The committee vote followed a marathon public hearing Tuesday, where members of the committee heard from opponents and supporters, including Patrick, who all but conceded the bill was heading for likely defeat.

Patrick blamed the expected defeat in part on pressure from House leaders, including DiMasi.

MASS. HOUSE REJECTS CASINO PLAN (Update)
Six hour debate culminates in a defeat (for now) for the Governor

Already burdened with a ‘not recommended’ tag from the Massachusetts legislature’s Joint Committee on Economic Development, a bill proposing the introduction of three resort-style land casinos in the state was effectively rejected in a House of Representatives vote this week. The proposal, put forward by Governor Deval Patrick, included a clause seeking to ban Internet gambling.

After an impassioned six-hour debate, representatives voted 106-48 to send the bill to a study committee, effectively defeating the measure and ensuring it won’t come back up for debate until next year at the earliest, reports Associated Press.

House Speaker Sal DiMasi engineered a pivotal committee vote against the bill. After the vote, he said “big money special interests lost,” while the people of Massachusetts won.

Patrick predicted the casinos would have generated $400 million in annual tax revenue.

Robert Haynes, Massachusetts president of the AFL-CIO and a supporter of the bill, says he’s profoundly disappointed in the vote and in the process.

POKERSTARS BUDGETS FOR MASSIVE WSOP INVESTMENT
The biggest poker site on the Internet plans to sponsor a thousand seats

Pokerstars has earmarked a massive $12 500 000 for sponsorship of a thousand seats at the 2008 World Series of Poker, the company announced this week. For the next few months leading up to the big event, Pokerstars will be running a diversity of tournaments and qualifiers aimed at finding 1 000 top players who will each receive a sponsorship worth $12 500.

In addition to the variety of ways to obtain one of the sponsorships, regular PokerStars players will be offered an opportunity to trade in Frequent Player Points (FPPs) for seats. Step-based SNGs are also part of the satellite mix, with buy-ins as low as $2.

PokerStars is offering cash incentives to the those qualifiers who both qualify online and then perform well during the WSOP. Stars qualifiers who make the WSOP Main Event final table can win bonuses of from $100 000 to $1 000 000, the last figure the extra prize for winning the entire tourney. Stars also offers a cash-bonus program including payments of up to $50 000 for making a televised final table at the WSOP.

To date, PokerStars has put more more players into the WSOP Main Event than any other site. Over 3 600 Stars qualifiers have played in the Main Event since 2002.

The full Main Event prize package includes:

● $10,000 Main Event buy-in;
● $2,500 expense money;
● Eight nights’ complimentary hotel accommodations at the nearby Palms;
● Hotel suite upgrades for Supernova and Supernova Elite VIP members.

BIG PROGRESSIVE SLOT WINS AT CASINO TROPEZ
Online players from Germany and France clean up

Lucky winners, Ulrike H. from Germany and Angele L. from France, scooped major prizes on two of Playtech-powered Casino Tropez’s online progressive slot machines at the end of February and early March, making both very happy and boosting their bank balances!

UlrikeH played the progressive 5 line video slot, Diamond Valley on 25th February and won just over Euro 113 000. Six days later, AngeleL won a whopping Euro 464 000 on the popular 8 line progressive video slot, Gold Rally.

DEVILFISH DEAL WITH ENTRACTION
Recently listed online poker company to use two platforms

Devilfish Gaming, the online poker company recently listed on the London AIM market will be operating with two poker software platforms following an agreement with Entraction this week which augments an existing platform from Boss Media, owners of the International Poker Network. Entraction (formerly 24hPoker) has its own network.

CEO Devilfish Gaming, Paul Barnes says his company wanted to differentiate its poker website and operations and build additional player liquidity by using two networks. The company expects to launch its new (Entraction) poker room during the second quarter of 2008, which will bring with it additional software licensing with online casino suppliers WagerWorks and Net Entertainment and with bingo solutions provider NYX Interactive.

“These arrangements are in line with our stated strategy of offering multi-channel gaming products that our customers will be playing seamlessly,” Barnes said.

The deal with Entraction will also enable Devilfish Gaming to carry out marketing activities in its primary UK market as Malta is on the UK white list of jurisdictions form where operators can advertise into the UK.

Barnes added that he hoped to add a sportsbook offering in the near future and that the deals involving highly regulated and high quality suppliers such as WagerWorks and Boss Media would stand the company in good stead as it set out on its expansion strategy.

NEW ONLINE SLOT GAME RELEASED BY WAGERWORKS
Pirate theme for Captain Quid’s Treasure Quest

IGT’s online gambling software developing subsidiary Wagerworks has released a new slot branded Captain Quid’s Treasure Quest, a 5 reel 15 pay-line game with up to £50 000 achievable for lucky and successful online gamblers.

Available in multi-denomination and multi-currency, the new game is suitable for all legal online gambling jurisdictions.

Treasure Quest Bonus symbols on three or more reels, in any position, initiate the free spin bonus. Start with two free spins and a one bonus multiplier, plus five free picks on the treasure map. As the player uncovers treasure, more free spins and bonus multipliers can be earned.

To start the bonus, the player chooses any glowing “X” on the first island on the treasure map. An “X” may contain either a number of additional free spins or a multiplier boost value. It may also contain an extra pick or an advance arrow that takes the player to the next island on the map.

Players continue to pick until they run out of picks or reach the last island on the map. When no more picks remain, the map will reveal the remaining chests (which are not earned).

Earning the Treasure Quest Bonus with four or five Treasure Quest Bonus symbols increases the number of advance arrows and extra picks available.

MOVIE MOGULS CONCERNED ABOUT ANTIGUA’S WTO AWARD
Antigua’s legal eagle promises action soon on intellectual property advantages given to islanders by WTO

Is he bluffing and applying negotiating pressure, or is there a re al danger that Antigua will copy and sell millions of copyrighted movies, was the question movie moguls in the US were asking this week as lawyer Mark E. Mendel hinted that action on a World Trade Organisation award could be imminent.

The government of Antigua is likely to abrogate intellectual property treaties with the U.S. by the end of March 2008 and authorise wholesale copying of American movies, music and other “soft targets” if the Bush administration fails to respond to proposals for settling a trade dispute between the two countries, reports the publication Variety.com.

Apparently the Motion Picture Association of America has been closely following the case with some concern, fearing that the copying could be extensively damaging and that – worse – a dangerous precedent could be set for other small countries angry at U.S. trade policy.

Lawyer Mark Mendel, who represented the Antiguans in their long-running trade tussle with the USA over its discriminatory policies on Internet gambling, said this week: “It is not our preferred option to punish the MPAA or others for the U.S. government’s intransigence, but the U.S. has refused to negotiate fairly.”

Goods and materials that could be copied include “virtually everything from pharmaceuticals to music, anything with IP protection that can be duplicated, though we’ll go for softer targets first,” Mendel said.

Antigua has previously suggested it might retaliate as such – with approval from the World Trade Organisation – but has not indicated when. The WTO ruled last year that Antigua was entitled to $21 million in damages as a result of its trade dispute. But Antigua has not received WTO approval to procure its damages via reproducing and selling domestically U.S.-copyrighted goods and materials, a spokesman for the US Trade Representative pointed out in discounting Mendel’s statements.

“They continually engage in disinformation,” Mendel responded. “The reality is, yes, we have to go before WTO and request their authorization for IP sanctions against the U.S., but we can do that at any time and the WTO will agree. That is 100 percent guaranteed.”

Mendel acknowledged his client would like such entities as the MPAA, the recording industry and Microsoft – organisations that depend on IP protection – to pressure the Bush administration into negotiating a “preferred” settlement, which would allow Internet gambling between Antigua and the U.S.

But he insisted the threat was neither idle nor empty. “Perhaps the U.S. doesn’t think we’re serious,” Mendel said. “We are.”

The case dates back to 2003, when Antigua claimed that the U.S. unlawfully prevented Antigua’s online gambling operators from accessing American markets although the U.S. allowed domestic online bets for horse racing. Antigua claimed $3.4 billion in losses and took its grievance to the WTO, which agreed, but awarded only $21 million in damages.

Mendel said his client has been trying ever since to work out an agreement that would allow online gambling between the two countries, but instead the U.S. has responded by “…using every possible appeal, counterattack and side attack it could think of. We’ve been through five separate full-blown WTO proceedings on this and have won every step of the way.”

The most recent victory was in December, when the WTO ruled that Antigua could exact damages by ignoring IP agreements with the U.S. should a negotiated settlement fail.

Mendel said the U.S. promised then to respond to proposals for settling the dispute. “We have been waiting for three months already and there’s been nothing,” he said. “If the U.S. doesn’t come in with something by the end of March, my suggestion to the Antiguan government will be to forge ahead and impose IP sanctions.”

In a letter to the USTR about the potential effects of Antigua’s retaliation, sent prior to December’s ruling granting $21 million in damages, the MPAA wrote: “The proposed retaliation would be impossible to manage. The real and resulting economic harm would vastly exceed any amount the (WTO) might approve, even the grossly exaggerated amount ($3.4 billion) for which Antigua seeks approval, plus the economic harm would extend to other WTO members.

“MPAA believes it would be very difficult to insulate other WTO members from the effects of Antigua’s proposed retaliation,” the letter continued. “The unfortunate reality is that the failure to offer or enforce adequate protection of intellectual property rights in Antigua could foster abuses in other countries.”

SCOTS CREDIT CONTROLLER UNDER INVESTIGATION
Credit controller may have taken £1 million to fund online poker passion.
Newspapers in Scotland are reporting that a telecom company worker has been accused blowing £1million of his company’s cash playing Internet poker – allegedly at William Hill.

Chris Proudfoot (25) has apparently fled his parents’ home and is in hiding, but a friend disclosed to reporters that it was rumoured Proudfoot was playing high stakes poker and ended up in financial difficulties.

“The word is that he was playing high-stakes poker online and got himself in too deep,” the friend said. “It’s a shock to think that Chris has been gambling away his employers’ money. We never had him down as a gambling addict. He doesn’t go to the bookies in town and we’ve never known him to bet on anything.”

Proudfoot worked for several years as a finance and credit controller for Inverness telecom firm HIGHnet.

HIGHnet bosses asked Proudfoot to clear his desk five weeks ago and called in the fraud squad.

Detectives are expected to spend months poring over the company’s books and following the alleged trail of bets. It’s understood more than £1million could be missing but the exact figure won’t be known until the police have finished their investigation.

Proudfoot lived with his parents in Scorguie, Inverness. But he left home a couple of weeks ago and is lying low. His mother denied that her son had “done a runner” and said he was available if police wanted to speak to him.

A spokeswoman for HIGHnet confirmed: “We made a complaint to the police against Mr Proudfoot. We are co-operating with the police and Mr Proudfoot no longer works for the company. We cannot comment further as this is an ongoing investigation. There isn’t a final figure.”

A Northern Constabulary spokesman said: “Investigations are at an early stage.”

CRYPTOLOGIC AND WPT EXPAND ONLINE POKER ACTIVITIES
WPT to grow online casino with new languages, and contract to run to 2011
The businssness relationship between online gambling software provider Cryptologic and the American poker group World Poker Tournament Enterprises seems to be working well, with an announcement this week that the two companies are to extend their online activities.
WPT Enterprises Inc. is now to expand its Internet casino offering, adding Spanish and German language Internet poker rooms and extend its exclusive use of CryptoLogic software until at least mid-2011.
“In less than one year, CryptoLogic and World Poker Tour have teamed up to deliver an exceptional online experience for casino and poker players all over the world,” said Brian Hadfield, CryptoLogic’s recently appointed President and CEO.
CryptoLogic sees World Poker Tour as one of the world’s most promising gaming brands, with huge potential for growth in player volume and revenue as WPT markets and leverages its television properties in the fast-growing European market.
The addition of the Spanish- and German-language poker rooms should also add valuable liquidity and many new European players.
WPT Enterprises began using CryptoLogic’s software on its website in 2007, enabling players to enjoy both Internet poker action and a mini-casino of 13 top games.
In addition to adding multi-language poker capabilities and extending its agreement with WagerLogic Ltd., CryptoLogic’s wholly-owned software development subsidiary, WPT has exercised its option to upgrade to a full Internet casino with more than 200 games.
“Our partnership with Cryptologic — particularly their reputation, proven software and liquidity — has been a key element in delivering a superior World Poker Tour gaming experience for fans in the international space,” said Steve Lipscomb, CEO and founder of WPT Enterprises.
“Expanding and extending this relationship allows us to take the WorldPokerTour.com brand to a higher level.”

BAD NEWS FOR GROSVENOR CASINOS
Land gaming group loses £7 million court claim
Grosvenor Casinos has lost its court case against a high rolling Arab client who racked up £7 million in bounced cheques (see previous InfoPowa report)
The gambling group, which owns the Clermont Club, took the National Bank of Abu Dhabi to court to recover monies owed by high roller Ahmed al-Reyaysa, a regular on London’s gambling circuit who is said to have gambled £99 million in 18 months, The Times reports.
But this week the courts found that the bank was not liable for debts to Grosvenor Casinos.
Al-Reyaysa wrote two cheques for £3.07 million and £3.6 million from his NBAD account to buy betting chips at the Clermont Club, an exclusive casino in London’s Berkeley Square, between December 1999 and February 2000. He lost the money playing roulette and the cheques later bounced.
Grosvenor initially sued Al-Reyaysa himself and won a repayment order against him, but could not enforce it as he is now beyond the jurisdiction of British courts in the United Arab Emirates.
The casino then sued NBAD, claiming that it only cashed Al-Reyaysa’s cheque after an NBAD employee had told Grosvenor’s bank, NatWest, in a telephone call that it would honour the cheque. Grosvenor argued that NBAD had acted fraudulently and was therefore liable for the debt.
But a judge at the High Court in London this week dismissed Grosvenor’s claim, saying that the telephone conversation between NBAD and NatWest resulted in a “confusion or misunderstanding rather than dishonesty”.
In a written judgement, Mr Justice Flaux said: “It seems to me inherently improbable that [the NBAD employee] was lying . . . it is much more likely that he meant something slightly different from what [the NatWest employee] meant and understood.”
A second claim, that NBAD was liable for the debt under international banking standards, was also rejected. Grosvenor had argued that even though there was no written contract there was an implied obligation under banking regulations to honour the debt. The judge disagreed.
Jonathan Kelly of law firm Simmons & Simmons, acting for NBAD, said: “This is an important result for international banking practice. Grosvenor’s claim that a contract existed between NBAD and the casino would have left banks vulnerable to unintended contractual exposure to a range of third parties.”

NEW ZEALAND DOESN’T LIKE ONLINE GAMBLING – BUT INTERNET LOTTO IS OKBig changes in store for lottery industry
The New Zealand government is exhibiting similar double standards to countries like the United States when it comes to Internet gambling, it appears – although online gambling is banned, exceptions have been created for lotteries, and a major initiative is currently underway to take this form of gambling onto the Internet.
The move will be groundbreaking and will change the landscape of the lottery in the future, reports Reuters. Back in 2003, the TAB and NZ Lotteries were excluded from an online gambling ban. The exemption was aimed at allowing the groups to offer the lottery online to keep people from spending their money with offshore companies.
But retailers who sell lottery tickets are concerned, saying that the new online sales will almost certainly hurt retailers.
“Am I expecting it to hurt? Yes. Look at my location, every Tom, Dick, and Harry around me has got Internet access. Would you wait here in the queue or go on the Net and print one out?,” said a retail owner in Wellington.
The expected start time for the Internet sales is a few weeks. The guess is that the sale of the tickets on the Internet will eventually make the sales of lottery tickets in retail stores obsolete.

BLANDFORD MOVES AGAIN
Sportingbet founder invests in mobile gambling company
Look out for some significant expansion from UK mobile gambling technology company Mfuse – substantial sums of cash have been invested by leading online gambling industry personalities, topping up the company coffers.
Sportingbet founder Mark Blandford, who recently took an unsuccessful £6 million run at Parlay Entertainment through his PCI Acquisitions firm, has emerged as a significant investor in Mfuse following a company announcement that it was raising funds. Blandford is understood to have invested £1.55 million,with other and unidentified investors pumping in a further £2.55 million, and the original Mfuse investors Bestport Ventures putting up another £850 000.
Blandford will become a non-executive director at the firm.
The new funding is earmarked to provide working capital to help expansion of both product and geographic reach. Mfuse presently numbers several leading companies among its mobile gambling clientele, including Paddy Power, Ladbrokes and Stan James.
“I think it is an exciting company,” said Blandford. “There have obviously been some false starts in the mobile space, but I think the technology is there now.”
Marcus Wareham, chief executive at Mfuse, said it is “….time to scale up the business in order to cater for the inevitable increase in mobile phone activity”.

NETPLAYTV WANTS BINGOS.COM
Conditional acquisition of Bingos.com deal involves £6.25 million

UK gambling entrepreneur Martin Higginson’s fast moving NetPlayTV group has clinched another major deal, this one for Bingos.com in a conditional acquisition worth £6.25 million from Global Gaming Entertainment NV and Euro Gaming Ltd. A spokesperson for
Netplay said that it is placing 40 million shares at 15 pence each to fund the acquisition.

The deal could add access to a further millionbingo players for NetPlayTV, which owns Big Box Bingo and other interactuive television betting interests. The deal also involves the Spanish mobile entertainment company Zed.

AIM-listed NetPlay TV plc described Bingos.com as an established pan-European online bingo operator with over one million registered players. The business, which is based in Majorca, Spain currently operates in the UK, Spain, Italy and Poland.

In July 2007, NetPlay launched the world’s first truly interactive ‘live’ bingo television show, ‘BigBoxBingo’, currently shown each Tuesday on Sky Channel 847 at 6.30pm.

The landmark Bingos.com deal will further strengthen NetPlay’s position in the fast growing interactive bingo market, and more importantly its ability to offer a converged TV, Internet and Mobile platform for the bingo consumer.

In 2006, Bingos won ‘Best Online Bingo Operator of the Year’, was runner up to the same award in 2007 and won ‘Best Bingo Affiliate Programme’ in 2007. Players on the Bingos website are currently spending over £10 million a month with £9.6 million being paid out in prizes.

In addition to the bingo games, the Bingos.com business also brings with it a suite of 47 different online casino style games, including slots, table poker, keno and blackjack, which

NetPlay will now be able to offer its customers.
In the previous 12 months, Bingos generated earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of just over £1 million on gross bets of £145 million. In the same period, it paid over £138 million in prizes to its customers.

The acquisition will be effected by NetPlay TV plc buying the trade and assets of the Bingos business from current owners Global Gaming Entertainment N.V. and Euro Gaming Ltd, as well as the entire share capital of Quantum Factory S.L. for an aggregate of £6.25 million.

The consideration is being satisfied as to £6 million in cash to the Vendors and £250 000 in cash to Story Holdings Corp., of which Dominic Mansour is a director. This £250 000 cash payment will be invested in new ordinary shares in NetPlay at 16.5p per share. These shares will be subject to a hard lock-in of 12 months. The total book value of the net assets being acquired is £65 000.

The acquisition is being funded by way of a conditional equity placing of 40 million new ordinary shares at 15 pence each. Martin Higginson, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of NetPlay, has conditionally invested £1 987 500, taking his total interest to 25.64 percent of the enlarged share capital.

In addition, Zed Worldwide (Zed), the Spanish mobile entertainment company, has conditionally invested £1 987 500 giving them an interest in 11.2 percent. of the enlarged share capital. Further conditional investments have been made by Gartmore Investment Limited and Schroder Investment Management Limited of £1 425 000 and £600 000 respectively. After the issuing of the placing shares, Gartmore is expected to hold 8 percent., and Schroders 10.6 percent of the enlarged share capital.

Zed’s involvement is an important element, and will allow the two businesses to work closely together in the development of a European mobile gaming strategy. Zed is one of the largest mobile entertainment companies in the world, with global revenues of over $1billion per annum.

The acquisition and placing are conditional on the passing of resolutions to be proposed at a forthcoming Extraordinary General Meeting of NetPlay. A circular containing further details of the acquisition and the placing, and notice of the proposed Extraordinary General

Meeting, will be sent to shareholders shortly. Martin Higginson, the largest shareholder in the Company, together with all the Directors, have given their irrevocable undertakings in support of the transaction.

Higginson said: “The acquisition of the Bingos.com business considerably strengthens our position in the bingo market, both in the UK and across Europe. Adding over one million bingo players to our customer base is a major leap forward. We will now be able to drive these players to our TV bingo show as well as offer them tickets in our £10 million weekly SuperDraw. The potential synergies are huge.

“Dominic Mansour and his team have done a fantastic job in building one of the biggest online bingo businesses in Europe. Dominic will now be able to offer a ‘live’ TV Bingo experience, a weekly £10 million SuperDraw and mobile products which we believe take the business to the next level, allowing us to offer a truly converged bingo gaming solution.

“Unlike roulette, a fixed odds game, the game of bingo needs players and, the more players, the more exciting the game and the bigger the prizes. Adding one million registered users will, I’m sure, make for some very exciting shows!

“With this landmark acquisition, NetPlay is now starting to become a major player in the interactive gaming market. Furthermore, our roulette business continues to grow and will soon become part of our SuperCasino.com brand as we add more games to our offering.”

GERMAN COURT SETBACK FOR BWIN
Online gaming group loses interim ruling in German ban case

The Vienna listed online gambling giant Bwin appears to have lost the first round in its challenge against German Internet gambling bans, failing in its bid to have Germany’s Federal Court of Justice overturn a ruling barring it from offering sport bets and casino games in the country. Shares in the company fell by nearly eight percent on receipt of the news this week.

In September 2004, Westdeutsche Lotterie GmbH & Co sought a judgement against Bwin International Ltd. to prevent the company from organizing, brokering or advertising sports betting, casino and lottery games in Germany.

In February 2006 the Regional Court of Cologne ruled in favour of Westlotto at the first instance.

In September 2007, the Higher Regional Court of Cologne confirmed the judgement of the court of first instance, declaring it to be enforceable. Bwin lodged an appeal with the Federal Court of Justice against the judgement by the Higher Regional Court of Cologne.

Although the Federal Court of Justice is not expected to pass a final ruling on the merits for the next 12 to 18 months, Westlotto instituted enforcement proceedings against Bwin in November 2007.

Bwin filed a motion to the Federal Court of Justice requesting the court to suspend enforcement proceedings until the court has passed a final ruling on the merits.

However, in the latest decision served on 14 March 2008, the Federal Court of Justice rejected Bwin’s motion on procedural grounds. Until a final ruling by the Federal Court of Justice on the merits, Westlotto may now apply for further enforcement orders.

If Bwin eventually fails to win the appeal proceedings before the Federal Court of Justice, or if a political solution is not found in the interim, any penalties that may be imposed as a result of enforcement orders could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results and financial position, it disclosed this week.

On the other hand, should the Federal Court of Justice decide in favour of Bwin, the company says it reserves the right to claim for damages.
In view of the latest legal developments, Bwin and its legal advisors say they are confident that they will win the case against Westlotto.

The European Commission is also of the opinion that the current legal situation in Germany is incompatible with primary EU legislation, and has therefore instituted further infringement proceedings against Germany. And there are several preliminary rulings originating from German courts still pending judgement by the European Court of Justice.
Bwin e.K., which offers Bwin products on Bwin.de under a licence issued by the former German Democratic Republic, is not a party to these proceedings before the Federal Court of Justice.

ACADEMICS TAKE A STAND ON MASS. ONLINE GAMBLING PROPOSAL
Harvard law professor plans a rally this week

The Global Poker Strategic Thinking Society (GPSTS), the group formed at Harvard Law School to promote poker as an educational tool (see previous InfoPowa report), is co-sponsoring a rally Tuesday at the Statehouse in Boston with the Massachusetts chapter of the Poker Players Alliance to protest the proposed criminalisation of online poker in Governor Deval Patrick’s gaming bill.

The group plans to demand that Governor Patrick explain who wrote the provision of the casino bill outlawing poker, which a Harvard Law Professor called “crazy and nonsensical.”

“I don’t think filling our expensive jail cells with poker players is what Massachusetts voters had in mind when they elected Deval Patrick,” said Charles Nesson, the Harvard professor who founded the GPSTS.

Governor Patrick “owes the people of Massachusetts an explanation” as to how the anti-poker provision found its way into the bill, Nesson said. “We intend to keep pushing this until we get answers from the governor,” Nesson added.
A
public hearing on the highly controversial legislation, the Massachusetts Casino Expansion bill (H. 4307), which seeks to ban online gambling at the same time allowing the construction and operation of three massive land casinos, is scheduled for Tuesday after the 9:15 a.m. rally in front of the Statehouse.

Nesson plans to speak at the rally. If the bill passes, residents of Massachusetts who play online poker would face jail terms of up to two years and a maximum fine of $25 000.

Massachusetts would be the only state in the country to explicitly make the playing of online poker a crime, and the law would even apply to players in online poker games where no money was at stake.

“There is another downside to the anti-poker legislation. Outlawing online poker also advertises to the world that Massachusetts is a state that discriminates against the Internet and new technologies, which is exactly the opposite of what the state needs for its economic development,” Nesson added.

John Pappas, the executive director of the Poker Players Alliance, said that Massachusetts had become a bellwether state in terms of its policy toward online gaming.

“People around the world are watching to see how the Massachusetts legislature deals with this issue because its significance goes far beyond gaming,” said Pappas, whose organisation has over 900 000 members.

“We believe taking the extreme step of criminalizing online poker would be a strike against personal freedom, would tarnish the reputation of Massachusetts as a progressive state, and be opposed by millions of poker players around the country and world,” he added.

Nesson has had a series of sharp written and verbal exchanges with casino owners and government officials trying to determine the author of the anti- poker provision. Nesson said a spokesman for Governor Patrick informed him that the governor was unaware of the provision, while inquiries to the Governor’s press secretary have gone unanswered.

Said Nesson, “On top of the issue of creating bad law there is a good government question concerning how legislation actually gets written in this state. It should be a matter of concern to all Massachusetts citizens, regardless of their views about online games, how this narrow industry-backed provision found its way into the Governor’s casino bill.”

SWEDISH NEWSPAPERS WIN RESPITE FROM ADVERTISING PERSECUTION
Advertising prosecutions put on hold

Earlier this year the feisty editors of two leading Swedish newspapers – Aftonbladet and Expressen – went public with their concerns regarding law officials interfering in their right to carry advertising from online gambling companies, alledgedly in contravention of laws protecting government lottery monopolies.

In a joint impassioned public and criminal appeal against their convictions the editors outlined the problems and harrassment they had been experiencing and highlighted the incompatibility of Swedish laws with European Union trade pacts. Subsequently, the Swedish Court of Appeals was directed to examine the cases, and found that the Swedish lottery laws were possibly in contradiction with certain articles of the European Union pact.

The efforts of the editors paid off this week when Swedish media reported that the national Prosecution Authority has been made to halt prosecutions against Swedish media companies who accept advertising from Internet gambling services. The new court order was issued by UC Malmö.

The next step for Aftonbladet is an appeal of the massive fines it was assessed for accepting the online ads. Those fines, some SEK 150 000 (around $25 000) per advertisement, could aggregate to many tens of millions of dollars. Aftonbladet also accepts significant advertising from Svenska Spel, the Swedish state-run gambling monopoly.

FEDS INVESTIGATING FACEBOOK BETTING

A sequel to the Second Life community sites saga

Computerworld reports that the latest trend – toward community websites like Facebook – is on the FBI’s radar for possible online betting violations.

Apparently March Madness office pools on social networks have caught the attention of the FBI. “There could be a violation if there’s a payout and if the operators take a cut,” an FBI spokesman said.

In a statement, Facebook said that it “does not condone the use of the site for any unlawful purposes, and users must agree as part of the terms of use not to conduct illegal activity.”
The company declined further comment

CBSSports.com maneuvered earlier this year to make it easier for Facebook users to become involved in betting pools for the NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball Tournament, which gets under way this week.
In early February, CBSSports.com unveiled an application that allows Facebook users to fill out brackets for the tournament and compare their picks with those of their friends on the site.

The new CBSSports.com Tournament Brackets application provides Facebook users with access to tournament coverage from CBS Sports, CBSSports.com and NCAA.com, in addition to letting them fill out and manage brackets on Facebook. The site also includes links to the March Madness on Demand service for live streaming video coverage.

Promoting online gambling was “not our intent with the application,” LeslieAnne Wade, a senior vice president at CBS, said. “These are new issues that are going to require new thought processes and new answers. [CBS will] look at it.”

Sean Aune, a blogger, noted that while law enforcement agencies don’t generally target office pools, “bringing [pools] to a site such as Facebook is just a little too open and too easy to detect to ignore. It seems there are over 20 000 Facebook groups involved with some form of bracket betting, but not all are involved with cash gambling.”

But, Aune also noted, “with an estimated 48 percent of the population involved in some form of pool for March Madness, you can understand how even the authorities might have to endure some measure of illicit gambling on the Web – whether via social networks or otherwise.”

PPA APPOINTS REGIONAL DIRECTORS

Directors will keep players informed and engage state and federal officials in debate

To further leverage its nationwide reach, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a poker grassroots advocacy group, tapped 50 members to serve as PPA directors for their respective states this week.

The State Directors program is part of the organisation’s comprehensive strategy to become a player in both national and state-level policy debates.

“With close to one million members, the PPA is fortunate to have a dedicated and active membership base, but we need eyes and ears on the ground to help us,” said PPA Chairman Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato.

“With the state directors program, we will have a leader in each state who can update us on local news stories or legislation and who can quickly mobilize their fellow local PPA members to help carry the PPA banner in their home state. We are proud of the state directors we have named today and look forward to working with them.”

The 50 state directors, chosen from a pool of over 1000 applicants, are not only active PPA members, but are leaders in their communities who can advocate on behalf of the PPA.
State directors will be responsible for monitoring poker-related issues and events in their state and alerting the national PPA office to emerging trends or issues.

They will also be tasked with recruiting individuals to join the PPA, organizing groups of local PPA members to attend poker-related events or rallies, contact their elected officials and serve as a spokesperson for local media.

In the future, the PPA plans to help state directors set up state PPA committees to further strengthen the organization’s grassroots efforts.

The State Directors program is one component of the PPA’s aggressive campaign to boost member benefits, augment its grassroots efforts and position the organization and its members as a strong voice in national, state and local policy debates – especially as PPA nears the million member milestone.

Additionally, the PPA will be launching a political action committee (PAC), a voter registration campaign, a new website and new membership incentives later this spring.

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