Lately a lot has been written about the regulated jurisdictions in the US (New Jersey, Delaware, Nevada) and the online gaming battle going on in Pennsylvania. Has everyone forgotten about California? For a while there, all signs pointed to California being one of the leaders in US online gaming legalization. Then the tribal interests and land based operators and lotteries and legislators all got involved and Read More
What's the "Ultimate" Las Vegas Casino?
What's the "Ultimate" Las Vegas Casino? For some of you Las Vegas veterans (or residents), names like Bellagio or Caesar's might immediately leap to mind. Some might say Wynn or Rio, or relative newcomers like Cosmopolitan or Aria. All are fine properties of course, but thanks to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, all eyes should be focused right now on Station Casinos. Station Casinos owns Ultimate Gaming, which, Read More
Meet the New Barton Bill, Same as the Old Barton Bill
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
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
Black Friday wasn’t about banning poker
April 15, 2011 is now commonly being referred to in the online gaming industry as "Black Friday" (not because of taxes being due, but because of the 11 individuals associated with three prominent Internet poker sites being charged with operating illegal gambling businesses in the US). The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) immediately sprung into action with an email campaign declaring that the U.S. Department of Justice Read More
What does "Five on Sixteen" mean?
"Five on Sixteen" is a paraphrase of a line from a Ray Charles song called "Blackjack". I sat there with two tens I thought I'd have some fun The dealer hit sixteen with a five Just enough to make twenty one Hey hey hey yeah yeah How unlucky can one man be? I find that to be a fitting metaphor for what happened on April 15, 2011 (now being called poker's "Black Friday") to the online gambling industry. Some of the Read More
