Two years ago to the day, I first shared my thoughts on the "Barton Bill" - a bill that was introduced to the US House of Representative by Texas Republican Joe Barton. The Barton Bill aimed to legalize online poker at the federal level in the US. In case you didn't read my post on the subject from two years ago, to be overly simple and brief, I had concerns. My concerns were irrelevant - the Barton Bill Read More
If At First You Don't Succeed …
If at first you don't succeed, even if it costs you over ten million dollars and forces you to file a lawsuit, try try again! That's PokerStars' motto when it comes to trying to obtain a New Jersey online gaming license. In round one, PokerStars teamed up with Atlantic Club Casino and Hotel. Without rehashing the details that led to the deal's demise, I will at least touch on the high points. Atlantic agreed to Read More
Crowdsourcing genetic data
According to Rajaie Batniji's recent article, earlier this month, researchers and advocates from 40 countries formed a global alliance to enable the secure sharing of genomic and clinical data. The potential benefits of sharing this type of data are significant, however concerns are being raised that there also may be serious risks. On the plus side, using an open innovation approach could help scientists unravel Read More
Faire Attention, USA
Online poker in France is in trouble, and the reasons serve as a cautionary tale to US states considering legalizing Internet gambling. If we don't learn from the mistakes of our European freres and soeurs, we are doomed to repeat them. Revenues for licensed online poker operators in France fell by 14 percent in the first half of 2013. The two main factors cited as reasons for the drop are (1) heavy taxation, and Read More
Patents and Open Innovation
Patents and open innovation - friends or foes? IP lawyer and Penn State law professor Clark D. Asay writes that open innovation communities subscribe to the view that "patents stifle rather than promote innovation". Asay believes that "it has become conventional wisdom in open innovation circles that patents threaten their very way of life". On the other hand, a recent article from Intellectual Asset Magazine Read More
What Open Innovation Means and Why We Care
Henry Chesbrough, an author and professor who is widely credited with coining the term “Open Innovation”, believes that in a world of widely distributed knowledge, companies cannot afford to rely entirely on their own research, but should instead buy or license processes or inventions from other companies. In addition, internal inventions not being used in a firm's business should be taken outside the company (e.g. Read More
Gambling on the 2012 Ballot
All eyes are on the race for POTUS this year, and the world of gaming has it eyes on the eight state gambling initiatives on ballots this year. Two Arkansas Casino Amendments are on the November 6, 2012 ballot in the state of Arkansas as initiated constitutional amendments. One measure would have allowed 24-hour casinos in seven state counties. The proposal was introduced by Michael Wasserman, a Texas businessman who Read More
Clock running for US Online Poker Regulations
An October 2 article in the Seattle Times by Ken Ritter highlights the unlikely prospect of Congress passing internet gaming regulatory laws this year. A well known understanding in the gambling industry is the threats online wagering hosted by sites overseas pose to the casino industry in the United States. American Gaming Association chief, Frank Fahrenkopf, Jr. stated to reporters in Las Vegas that passing a Read More
How Facebook will Make Money
And lots of it. According to PC Magazine's John Dvorak, in the United Kingdom, Facebook is experimenting with legal gambling online by launching a real money online gambling app. In the United States, Facebook hasn't announced plans for any such gambling initiative, but I agree with Dvorak that someone is likely working on it now. Facebook has been somewhat of a disappointment from the perspective of investors, Read More
Is There Really Money to be Made in Gambling?
If you ask the Shakopee tribe, the answer would be a resounding "yes!" According to the New York Times, a generation ago, the Shakopee Mdewakanton tribe lived in a motley collection of beat-up trailer homes, melting snow for bath water when wells froze over because they lacked indoor plumbing. Three-quarters of tribal members received government food supplements. Today, the Shakopee Mdewakanton are believed to be Read More
