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In an attempt to reduce the friction in the legislative process, avid poker enthusiast Martin Shapiro, better known by his forum screen name PokerXanadu, has authored a document the he hopes is both friendly to players and can garner enough support from special interest groups to be passed into law.

At both the state and federal level in the US, legislators have had difficult time crafting online poker legislation that is acceptable to the wide array of stakeholders. To date only Delaware, New Jersey and Nevada have been able to enact laws regulating online poker though many more states, as well as federal lawmakers, have tried to do so in recent years.

Shapiro believes his document can serve as a guideline for lawmakers to understand the protections that are important to poker-playing consumers while at the same time creating a bill that is “passable in today’s political climate.”

“I undertook this venture because no one else was doing it,” Shapiro told pokerfuse. “Every bill that has been introduced to Congress to date has been an incomplete bill and which isn’t passable because it is partisan to a limited number of vested interests.”

“I thought it time to come out with a bill which covers every issue, preserves all the protections and rights of players and sufficiently meets the needs of all the major vested interests in a compromise with which they can support.”
Internet Wagering Citizens Protection Act

The bill, currently a work in progress, would legalize online poker but restrict other forms of online gambling.

The Act combines what Shapiro sees as the best of previously introduced legislation including provisions from current federally proposed bills by US Representatives King and Barton, and various other attempted legislative efforts.

Shapiro’s act is in depth and covers such topics as licensing, taxation of operators and consumers, enforcement measures, regulatory oversight, consumer protections, and updates to existing federal laws including the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), The Wire Act and the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA). Shapiro has even included his own version of a “bad actor clause.”

“I included a bad actors clause because I don’t think a bill would be able to pass the current Congress without one,” Shapiro said. However, he believes that “true bad actors” deserve no place in the newly regulated US market.

“I don’t think there is anyone so far that would be excluded [under the terms of his proposed legislation] except for a few who were convicted for offering sports wagering. In the future, this provision will protect us from true bad actors.”

Shapiro is soliciting feedback on his work from the poker community.

“My greatest hope is that someone with influence in DC will carry this bill forward.” Shapiro plans to present his work to Reps. King and Barton as well as US Senators from Nevada, Harry Reid and Dean Heller, both of whom have spoken out in favor of federal regulation of online poker.




Poker Player Drafts His Own Online Poker Legislation | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
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I love poker. While I'd rather play against humans, in person, there are no legal poker parlors or casinos nearby.

Playing with my friends once a month just isn't enough poker for me, so I do the next best thing and play poker with friends and strangers on my iPhone, iPad and even occasionally on my Mac. I have a dozen or more poker games for i-devices, but there are only three I can recommend. All are free with in-app purchases, but I have played all three for months without spending a penny.

Texas Poker by Kamagames, which I wrote about in 2011, is still one of my faves. It's nicely designed and lets me choose from a plethora of stakes and playing speeds. It's also the only game I've found with five-player sit-and-go tournaments, which I love because it only takes a few minutes to win (or lose) one.

The game has an unobtrusive and easy-to-use chat system (text only), and a large, friendly player community. Finally, it's also available on the Mac, which makes a nice alternative to playing on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch screen.

Jawfish Poker offers two unique variations of Texas Hold 'em that I haven't seen in other games.

The first is King of the Hill, an elimination battle that pays bonuses to the top three players every 60 seconds. I've never even come close to being king, but I keep trying nonetheless. The second variation is a Tournament unlike any other. You play heads-up against one player at a time with only two options: Go all-in or Fold. If you lose all your chips, you can rebuy during the first few minutes of the tourney. Place first or second, you win; place third or below, you lose. It's fast, fun and an interesting poker variant I've been playing a lot.

The third poker game I play regularly is Zynga Poker. Like Texas Poker, it offers traditional Texas Hold 'em games, plus sit-and-go and multi-table tournaments. My favorite variant is called Jump Poker, which lets you "jump" to a new table after you fold. This lets you see many more hands per hour than most games and is a lot of fun. What I don't like is that this game pesters you to buy things far more often and aggressively than the others.

While I'd rather play real poker with real people, these games are the next best thing.





You can bet on these online poker favorites - Houston Chronicle
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Another online poker bill is currently in the works, and this time by a poker enthusiast rather than a lawmaker. PokerFuse first shared the story of Martin Shapiro and his attempt to draft his own online poker bill.

Entitled the “Internet Wagering Citizens Protection Act”, the bill would be the latest one drafted to try and legalize the game at the federal level. The bill is an ongoing process that attempts to bring together what Shapiro sees as the best parts of prior poker bills introduced in the past.

The bill would require that qualified parties obtain licenses for all types of iGaming with the exception of skill gaming. Poker is the one skill game that is excluded from this exemption. Those wishing to offer poker must still apply for a license. In addition, lottery ticket sales, horse race wagering legalized under the Interstate horseracing Act, and intrastate i-gaming that has been legalized prior to 30 days before enactment of the bill.

State lotteries, live poker rooms with 75 or more licensed tables, state or tribal casinos with 500 or more slot machines will be eligible for licenses. Slot manufacturers and race tracks who meets certain requirements also qualify.

The bill does include a bad actor clause but with some interesting language. First a operator that “knowingly operated in violation of Federal or State law that demonstrates a disregard for complying with the laws are not eligible at the discretion of the regulatory body. Next, those parties that have received a felony conviction for violating gambling laws or those purchasing assets from those that violated laws are not eligible for five years after passage.

There is an interesting piece of language in the bill that could serve as a partial loophole for certain companies. In regards to the bad actor clause:

(😎 The ineligibility of an applicant or other person under subparagraph (A) shall terminate the later of 5 years after the enactment of this Act or 5 years
after the conviction of such applicant or person as described in paragraph (A)

Per this section, the clock on Full Tilt and PokerStars is already ticking. For sake of argument, let’s assume that this bill defies the odds and actually gets sponsored in Congress and miraculously gets passed either later this year or early next year. By that point, a year will have already been shaved off their wait time. This is ignoring the fact that neither company was actually “convicted” of anything and actually settled a civil matter.

Shapiro has a threat open on twoplustwo forums where he provides updates on the bill as well as cliffs on the entire bill. Those wanting more information without reading the whole bill can go there.



New Federal Online Poker Bill Being Drafted By Poker Player
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Last week the poker community learnt of the sad news that Italian poker pro Alessandro Bastianoni had commited suicide apparently after losing more than $600,000 playing in two poker events. The 48 year-old had travelled to South America to take part in various poker tournaments but the journey ended in tragedy when his body was discovered ten days after his death at a luxury apartment located in Miraflores in Peru.

Alessandro Bastianoni’s Colombian girlfriend, Yeinni Ospina, had reported last hearing from Bastianoni on July 6th when he had phoned her to tell her that he had lost a great deal of money, and as she explains he “had told me that he had lost a lot of money and you could see in his voice a deep sadness. I tried to cheer him up, but it was useless.”

Following their conversation and after not hearing from Alessandro Bastianoni for several days, Yeinni Ospina subsequently contacted the Italian Embassy in Lima and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (Dirincri), who then began to search for Bastianoni, eventually leading to the tragic discovery. Next to Alessandro Bastianoni’s body was found a bottle containing poison, a briefcase with $140,000 inside and a last request letter that he should be cremated.

According to Ospina, Alessandro Bastianoni had travelled to Lima on May 13th to participate in the Latin Series of Poker competition and the PokerStars of Lima event, with the Hendon Mob database also showing that he had cashed in at the Latin America Poker Tour VI Colombia National Poker Championship, Medellin on June 8th.

Looking at Bastianoni’s tournament buy-ins, though, which are very low, it is difficult to see how he could have lost $600,000 on two events, so maybe it may have been a private game where he had lost the money or perhaps playing some other game of chance. Further investigation of the tragic incident should verify the truth.




Poker Pro Commits Suicide After Losing $600k
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Though it sounds like at least one more online poker room is getting close to launch in the state of Nevada, the fact remains that Ultimate Poker is still the only legal, regulated poker site up and running in the Silver State. Amongst the many advantages of being the only player in the market is the simple notion that Ultimate Poker is seeing more hands dealt than it might otherwise with the existence of competition. The upshot of this is that in just three months of existence, Ultimate Poker is getting set to deal its 10 millionth hand.

To celebrate, the intrastate online poker room is rewarding its players with cash prizes. Similar to what PokerStars has done in the past with its billionth hand promotions, Ultimate Poker has earmarked 21 different milestone hands as the prize winners, starting with hand 9 million. After that, it’s every hundred thousandth hand through 9.9 million, then every ten thousandth hand through 9.99 million, then hands 9,999,999 and 10 million.

To qualify for the cash prizes, players must be dealt into one of the milestone hands, not simply be at the table (don’t sit out!). The winner of the hand will be awarded $500 and the rest of the players will get $50 each. The prizes will be doubled if the hand is dealt at a ring game table with stakes $1/$2 or higher or a tournament (including Sit-and-Go’s) with a buy-in of at least $20.

For the big 10 millionth hand, the winner will received $5,000 and the rest of the players will each get $500. As with the milestone hands, the prizes will be doubled in ring games with $1/$2 and up and tournaments with buy-ins of $20 or more.

Ultimate Poker launched at the end of April, becoming the first online poker site to go live under Nevada’s new regulatory environment. It got off to a bit of a bumpy start, as many potential customers were unable to play because of geolocation problems. Ultimate Poker uses players mobile phones to pinpoint their location within state borders, but some providers, notably Verizon, did not allow the site to do that at first. Things did get straightened out within a couple weeks.

Additionally, it was discovered the company iovation was providing identity verification services for Ultimate Poker. This caused an uproar in the poker community because the CEO of iovation, Greg Pierson, was one of the key conspirators in the UltimateBet (no relation to Ultimate Poker) cheating scandal. Ultimate Poker has since cut ties with iovation.

Serving only Nevada residents, the site is understandably small, currently ranking as the 33rd largest internet poker site or network, according to PokerScout-com. There are plans to roll out a new version of its software soon as well as a new loyalty program.



Ultimate Poker Celebrating 10 Millionth Hand
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Martin Shapiro, a poker enthusiast who posts in online poker forums under the moniker “PokerXanadu,” has proposed some poker laws, which he feels are player friendly and might capture enough interest to be brought into effect. Federal as well as state lawmakers are literally struggling to create satisfactory poker laws. So far, only New Jersey, Delaware, and Nevada have passed online poker laws although a number of state and federal legislators have attempted to do so, but without success.

Shapiro, who has written down his poker laws in the form of a document, believes that they can help lawmakers understand exactly how online poker players would like to be protected when they frame a poker bill that can be passed “in today’s political climate.”

Shapiro said: “I undertook this venture because no one else was doing it. Every bill that has been introduced to Congress to date has been an incomplete bill and which isn’t passable because it is partisan to a limited number of vested interests. I thought it time to come out with a bill which covers every issue, preserves all the protections and rights of players and sufficiently meets the needs of all the major vested interests in a compromise with which they can support.”

Shapiro’s bill, which is called the Internet Wagering Citizens Protection Act, is meant exclusively for the legalization of online poker. He has incorporated into his bill what he believes to be the best of existing poker laws, bills previously proposed by various lawmakers, and the current federal poker bills introduced by Barton and King.

Shapiro’s document embraces a wide range of issues such as taxation, licensing, regulatory oversight, consumer protection, enforcement measures, and updates to federal gambling laws such as the Wire Act of 1961, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, and the Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA).

Shapiro, who has also included a “bad actor clause” in his bill, said: “I included a bad actor clause because I don’t think a bill would be able to pass the current Congress without one.” However, Shapiro feels that “real bad actors” do not deserve a share in the regulated US online poker market.

Shapiro has urged the members of the poker community to read his document and supply feedback. He expressed hopes that “someone with influence in DC will carry this bill forward.” He also plans to present his document to representatives who support online poker legalization.



Poker Enthusiast Martin Shapiro Creates Online Poker Bill
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At long last, the first hand of legal online poker in the United States has been dealt.

Ultimate Poker opened its virtual doors on April 30, enabling those age 21 and over in Nevada the opportunity to play poker from their computers. The movement to legalize online poker has been long and difficult, but Ultimate Poker is the start of what poker players hope is the wave of the future. And there’s no more fitting place for the revolution to begin than Nevada.
Nevada’s Woes

Although Nevada has long been a popular tourist attraction for gamblers, the casino strip has fallen on hard times of late. Las Vegas casinos have seen a 30 percent dip in revenue in the past 10 years, according to USA Today, a slope that is likely to continue downward due to the tough economy and people choosing savings over vacations.

Now we watch to see if other states move to adopt online gaming. Los Angeles Times estimates that legal online poker nationwide could be worth as much as $10 billion each year. Nevada, in on the ground floor, would get a healthy cut from negotiating and consulting with the other states.
Black Friday

The historic first deal of April 30 is something that looked impossible two years ago, when the FBI initiated its crackdown on online poker sites. Black Friday, as it has become known colloquially, occurred on April 15, 2011, when the United States government seized the domains of PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. This crackdown destroyed 95 percent of the online poker market, leaving players with nowhere to go, CNBC reported.

Players couldn’t cash out once the government seized the assets of the aforementioned websites. For some players, it meant thousands of dollars, if not more, were tied in lengthy legal proceedings. The more immediate concern for most was that their main means of playing poker was gone. The only way to play online was to deal with an offshore betting company, which had varying levels of security, trust and competition.
Rebuilding Online Poker

It’s no secret why online poker was so popular in its heyday. The ease and convenience of playing online, without traveling to a casino, was a beacon for many. New players could learn quickly, and veterans could try new strategies and (hopefully) make money. Unfortunately, government legislation and the Black Friday raid put an end to most players’ fun.

The loophole which has allowed these websites to flourish is a law called the Wire Act of 1961. This law declared gambling illegal, but the only venue specified was sporting events. With this piece of jurisprudence in tow, Nevada led the push to pass an in-state online gambling law, with a view toward setting up the rest of the country on online poker. Part of Nevada’s rush was to beat New Jersey, the next most logical home of online gaming, to the punch in terms of setting up the infrastructure. Part of Nevada’s offering is software that restricts gamers to only those who are physically in the state, ensuring that outsiders are unable to take money out of the state.
Potential Drawbacks

While the legalization of online poker in Nevada is a major step forward, the risks are still high for players. The main risk is that of players getting in too deep, using money they shouldn’t be spending for their online poker playing. There is also the issue of online security, particularly when adding new funds to a poker account. Services like Life Lock may be necessary for those players who choose to play on public Wi-Fi connections.

As the big poker sites closed and some poker players moved to offshore sites, many wondered why the government wouldn’t just legalize online gambling, regulate the industry and tax it heavily. In theory, it would solve the problems of giving players a safe place to play as well as giving the government a cut. Nevada’s legislation is the first step towards that goal.




Shuffle up and Deal: Online Poker is Legal Again in Nevada | Article 3
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If you watched ESPN's coverage of the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific on Tuesday night, you were treated to two hours of Daniel Negreanu ruling the roost -- not just by winning his fifth bracelet in a dominating fashion but by being the single most entertaining player in the game.

In related news, he's also the most marketable player in poker. By far.

As the online poker market in the United States continues its glacial crawl toward returning, more than a few players are anxiously expecting to sign lucrative sponsorship deals with these new online poker companies. Having a résumé full of results is important, but that's just not going to be the most important factor as companies look to dole out big money.

Players need to have some real personality and a story to tell. They need to give the viewers and fans at home a reason to like them other than how well they calculate ICM or their cold four-bet percentage. Negreanu was the star of every hand at the WSOP APAC final table -- even ones he wasn't in. If you look at whom Ultimate Poker (the first legal real-money online poker site) signed, you see a guy oozing with personality and results in Antonio Esfandiari. It also added Jason Somerville, a Negreanu protégé who made a real effort over the past 18 months to market himself as a great poker player who is more than just VPIP and suited connectors.

The second poker boom that many people are predicting once federal legislation comes (or enough states work together on a compact to create real liquidity) is going to bring smarter money from smarter companies into the market. The days of online poker companies throwing money at players to wear a hat and a patch are most likely gone. These companies are going to need to show their superiors, in some cases a board of governors, that they've been fiscally responsible.

Beyond the online poker money lies the real gold: Corporate America. Beer companies, soft drinks, banks, energy drinks and auto companies could be looking to work with poker players in the same way they work with athletes in other sports (save the "poker isn't a sport" argument; it is in the eyes of marketers). They're absolutely going to be looking for people who transcend the sport and can help their product sell.

That's bad news for the guy at the table who doesn't talk, isn't willing to share a little of himself and doesn't engage with the audience. Without doubt, Negreanu is the blueprint. Some viewers love Daniel -- ask him about body parts he's autographed; it's a longer list than you'd expect -- and some viewers hate Daniel. The real key is that his fans and haters both tune in to watch him play, just like another guy who fits the mold in Phil Hellmuth. Negreanu moving the needle is what makes him the highest paid endorser in poker.

Poker pros who endorse poker sites are, by and large, paid bonuses for TV appearances. Unless they're at final tables of World Poker Tour events on the regular or making a deep run in the WSOP main event, they're out of luck. Once the market opens up again and shows similar to "High Stakes Poker," "Poker After Dark" and "The Big Game" come back, there will be other opportunities to make it on TV.

Here's the rub: They have to be invited first. How do they get invited? They have to offer the producers, and therefore the viewers at home, more.

Phil Galfond is a perfect example. When he made his HSP debut, it was only a quick appearance on one of the most popular poker shows around. Why? Producers found him too quiet and not active enough. It took some time for Galfond, who is the definition of a successful poker player, to get invited back, but when he did, he made the most of it. Prior to Black Friday, Galfond made a number of appearances on various shows.

As somebody who has probably watched hundreds of thousands of hands of poker, both live and on TV, I promise you that the game can be excruciatingly boring when nothing is happening. When the cards fall in the craziest of ways, the game is magical with plenty of drama and excitement. However, for the game to work on TV, and for the game to again be cool for the masses, players' personalities are going to have to shine.



New poker world realities - ESPN
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The nation's first online poker company has won final approval from Nevada regulators.

The Nevada Gaming Commission gave Ultimate Gaming its final OK Thursday, after monitoring the site for three months to ensure that minors and out-of-state players are being kept out.

The site has dealt more than 9 million online hands since it launched in late April.

CEO Tobin Prior praised the state's tough rules for online gambling companies in a statement Thursday.

Only three states— Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware— have legalized online gambling.
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The USA is full of contrasting laws that seem to keep everyone guessing what’s what. An issue that stems back to 2008 in the State of Kentucky when 140 online gambling domains were seized based on the state’s legal definition of the confiscated domains as “gambling devices” illegally offering services to residents has again surfaced.
The parent firms of online poker operator PokerStars have filed a motion to dismiss with prejudice the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s claim on the PokerStars-com domain name. Kentucky made a similar claim at the federal level following the US Department of Justice’s seizure of PokerStars-com domain on April 15, 2011.
The latter claim resulted in the federal government writing a cheque in exchange for the state dropping its claims on AbsolutePoker-com and UltimateBet-com. Kentucky announced its $6m remittance it announced its intent to pursue the claim against PokerStars-com.

Lawyers for Rational Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. and Rational Intellectual Holdings Ltd. contend that Kentucky has never provided the firms with notice that the PokerStars-com domain had been targeted, nor allowed them the opportunity to challenge the alleged seizure in any court.

The parent companies also challenge Kentucky’s very broad definition of “gambling devices.” Both firms note that the state’s own Court of Appeals rejected the inclusion of domains as gambling devices when the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association contested the 2008 domain seizures, an opinion that was not challenged when the state Supreme Court reviewed the case one year later.

Paying the State of Kentucky has released another firm Bwin.party digital entertainment from any possible sanctions after Bwin. party paid Kentucky $15 million for civil suit violations back in 2010. The governor of Kentucky Steve Beshear, said in praise of Bwin.party for, “making every effort to comply with the laws of the United States.” It may be a less than profitable move by PokerStars to fight Kentucky while pursuing a license to operate in New Jersey.


Online Gambling PokerStars To Fight Kentucky in Court
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Manne wrote: If you watched ESPN's coverage of the World Series of Poker Asia-Pacific on Tuesday night, you were treated to two hours of Daniel Negreanu ruling the roost -- not just by winning his fifth bracelet in a dominating fashion but by being the single most entertaining player in the game.

In related news, he's also the most marketable player in poker. By far.

As the online poker market in the United States continues its glacial crawl toward returning, more than a few players are anxiously expecting to sign lucrative sponsorship deals with these new online poker companies. Having a résumé full of results is important, but that's just not going to be the most important factor as companies look to dole out big money.

Players need to have some real personality and a story to tell. They need to give the viewers and fans at home a reason to like them other than how well they calculate ICM or their cold four-bet percentage. Negreanu was the star of every hand at the WSOP APAC final table -- even ones he wasn't in. If you look at whom Ultimate Poker (the first legal real-money online poker site) signed, you see a guy oozing with personality and results in Antonio Esfandiari. It also added Jason Somerville, a Negreanu protégé who made a real effort over the past 18 months to market himself as a great poker player who is more than just VPIP and suited connectors.

The second poker boom that many people are predicting once federal legislation comes (or enough states work together on a compact to create real liquidity) is going to bring smarter money from smarter companies into the market. The days of online poker companies throwing money at players to wear a hat and a patch are most likely gone. These companies are going to need to show their superiors, in some cases a board of governors, that they've been fiscally responsible.

Beyond the online poker money lies the real gold: Corporate America. Beer companies, soft drinks, banks, energy drinks and auto companies could be looking to work with poker players in the same way they work with athletes in other sports (save the "poker isn't a sport" argument; it is in the eyes of marketers). They're absolutely going to be looking for people who transcend the sport and can help their product sell.

That's bad news for the guy at the table who doesn't talk, isn't willing to share a little of himself and doesn't engage with the audience. Without doubt, Negreanu is the blueprint. Some viewers love Daniel -- ask him about body parts he's autographed; it's a longer list than you'd expect -- and some viewers hate Daniel. The real key is that his fans and haters both tune in to watch him play, just like another guy who fits the mold in Phil Hellmuth. Negreanu moving the needle is what makes him the highest paid endorser in poker.

Poker pros who endorse poker sites are, by and large, paid bonuses for TV appearances. Unless they're at final tables of World Poker Tour events on the regular or making a deep run in the WSOP main event, they're out of luck. Once the market opens up again and shows similar to "High Stakes Poker," "Poker After Dark" and "The Big Game" come back, there will be other opportunities to make it on TV.

Here's the rub: They have to be invited first. How do they get invited? They have to offer the producers, and therefore the viewers at home, more.

Phil Galfond is a perfect example. When he made his HSP debut, it was only a quick appearance on one of the most popular poker shows around. Why? Producers found him too quiet and not active enough. It took some time for Galfond, who is the definition of a successful poker player, to get invited back, but when he did, he made the most of it. Prior to Black Friday, Galfond made a number of appearances on various shows.

As somebody who has probably watched hundreds of thousands of hands of poker, both live and on TV, I promise you that the game can be excruciatingly boring when nothing is happening. When the cards fall in the craziest of ways, the game is magical with plenty of drama and excitement. However, for the game to work on TV, and for the game to again be cool for the masses, players' personalities are going to have to shine.



New poker world realities - ESPN
That Will Be Interesting
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The wild world of online poker that can see millions of dollars spent on the game has been under attack in the USA and some other jurisdictions on the planet. One of the most effective methods of controlling the online poker industry has been the control of the financial transactions. Most of the concern in America has been based on the taxes that the government hasn’t been collecting when the game is played.
Then came Bitcoin the virtual online money that has taken the internet by a storm came into online gambling’s focus. Bitcoins are becoming the choice of online poker players all over the world earning the nickname “Underground Poker Scene.”

The peer to peer virtual exchange currency has gained a following in the online poker world, Bitcoin enthusiast Steve White, said, “The magic of a deposit to a withdrawal like a cage in a live casino is basically what you have”, White continued, “This method is deposit within minutes and withdrawals within an hour or two, at most by the next day. Pretty sick to think that you can do that in our online poker world.”
There is no need for third party processors as Bitcoin acts as its own processor. “If done right, pokers sites that accept only Bitcoins allow for the player to manage the wallet rather than the poker room. The poker rooms don’t necessarily act as a bank and they can charge very little rake because they don’t have processing fees,” White continued, “The poker room offers the site to play on and the way for managing the bankroll is up to the player- they can deposit, play and withdraw in the same day holding their own rolls in a secure and encrypted manner.” The Bitcoin online poker community must look out for themselves and essentially “self-regulate” to keep out the scammers.



Virtual Currency Taking Hold in Online Poker Circles
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Earlier this month, SatoshiDice was sold in full for 126,315 Bitcoins (apprx. $11.5 million). Incredibly, the world’s biggest Bitcoin online gambling site with an income of above $50,000 per month, is also one of the easiest to use as gamblers simply send in their Bitcoins and pick a number they hope will be lower than the one on the dice rolled by ‘The Ghost of Satoshi.’

Now in a sign of changing times, Satoshi Poker, online poker’s newest venue to use the digital currency Bitcoin, has stepped up its marketing budget as it attempts to procure more player sign-ups. Satoshi Poker enables players from all over the world to sign up, deposit and withdraw easily using Bitcoin, and as the business proclaims on its site:

“[Satoshi Poker offers] truly anonymous poker games, without the known hassles at withdrawals as known by the current online poker elite..[while] your bankroll is safe against the piracy that some governments commit against their citizens, as we don’t know what country you are from.”

Another feature in its favour aside from Bitcoin deposits and withdrawals being processed within an hour, is the fact that Satoshi Poker offers the lowest rake in the industry at a mere 2%, while players can also expect rakeback of 20%.

Furthermore, whereas the online poker industry has come under attack from countries around the world, such as the US, which has used control of financial transactions to curb their activities, Bitcoins can be transferred through a smartphone or computer without the need for an intermediate financial institution. As Bitcoin enthusiast Steve White, explains:

“If done right, pokers sites that accept only Bitcoins allow for the player to manage the wallet rather than the poker room. The poker rooms don’t necessarily act as a bank and they can charge very little rake because they don’t have processing fees. The poker room offers the site to play on and the way for managing the bankroll is up to the player- they can deposit, play and withdraw in the same day holding their own rolls in a secure and encrypted manner.”

How far the use of Bitcoins will go in changing the face of online poker remains to be seen, but in the meantime there is no ignoring the fact the digital currency is continuing to grow in popularity. Satoshi Poker now joins Switch Poker, SealsWithClubs, and WinPoker as online poker rooms offering Bitcoin as a payment processing option.



Bitcoin Changing Face Of Online Poker?
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Gambling revenue for Indian tribes in the U.S. showed an increase in 2012, which may not be good news for online poker legislative efforts in several states.

A recent report released by the National Indian Gaming Commission reveals that revenue generated last year by land-based tribal gaming operations reached an all-time high of $27.9 billion. That statistic marks three straight years of growth for tribal concerns following a decline brought on by a slumping economy in 2008.

While an increase in gross gaming revenues would normally be a reason for rejoicing, those hoping to see online poker and gambling legislation spread throughout the United States may experience just the opposite. Several tribes are not yet sold on the benefits of expanding their operations to the Internet, believing that doing so would affect the existing revenue stream enjoyed from customers physically visiting their casinos.

Some tribal leaders are of the mind that things are going well currently and there is no need to try fixing something that is not broken. This certainly is not the belief of all tribal gaming interests, but there may be enough holdouts to prevent, or at least delay, efforts by certain state lawmakers to approve online poker and gambling legislation.

California is one such state where powerful tribal interests have considerable input in any proposed or future online poker legislation. The Golden State tribes contribute greatly to the state’s overall economy and past attempts at legislation have found some to be against Internet expansion.

The best way for those tribes opposed to online poker to be persuaded into changing their stance on the issue would be for tribal factions who are in favor of Internet gaming regulations to convince their tribal brethren that profits would actually increase. Most studies have shown that with regards to poker, live player traffic may spike upward following online regulations. Marketing efforts that allow online players to advance to live tournaments are a central component to this theme.



Tribal Gaming Revenue Increase May Hurt Online Poker Efforts
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Swedish poker pro Viktor “Isildur1” Blom played online cash games from early Sunday morning until early Monday, and ended up with combined earnings of about $1.4 million. Blom chose to skip the World Series of Poker this year, though for a time it was speculated that he would come for the $10,000 main-event. While the biggest names in poker were competing at WSOP, Blom stuck with online play and racked up $1.2 million in winnings.

Blom began Sunday morning by engaging with Ike “luvtheWNBA” Haxton in $500/$1000 No-Limit Hold’em. Haxton recently got the better of Blom but after two hours of play on Sunday, Blom emerged victorious with $150,000. Blom followed this performance with a $49,000 win at Triple Draw.

Now that he was warmed up, after a short break Blom spent about three and a half hours in several 3-4 handed ring games winning $240,000. Then he nailed an 80 minute session playing against Kyle “KPR16” Ray, Phil “Polarizing” Ivey, Gus Hansen, and Patrik “FinddaGrind” Antonius, where he came out on top with $423,000.

Not nearly satisfied with his day’s winnings, Blom took on German pro SanIker in $400/$800 and was up $73,000 after some back and forth play over the course of 40 minutes. The pair graduated to $500/$1000 caps, and Blom took control of the game and won an additional $212,000 from SanIker.

Already sitting on a comfortable seven-figure payday, Blom once again faced off with Haxton in a gruelling six-hour match of No-Limit Hold’em. Both players gained and lost significant advantages, but Blom pulled ahead and finished up $110,000.

At the same time as his marathon match with Haxton, Blom also kept up a game of FLO8 where he played for three and a half hours against KPR16 and samrostan. Blom seemed to be sinking to a $300,000 loss for the first half of the match, but managed to turn the tables and come out with $24,000. Blom rapped up his productive day with a $70,000 win playing heads-up against rival SallyWoo.
- See more at: Viktor Blom Wins $1.4 Million in One Day of Online Poker Games
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Unfortunately the gambling industry is full of wise guys who consider the industry fertile ground for scammers and thieves. The good players far outweigh the bad though and with the strong police efforts many of the crooks don’t get away with their crimes for very long.
Recent news about a few of these bad actors has surfaced regarding Japanese high stakes poker player Masaaki Kagawa who has been arrested on suspicion of running a malware scam. Masaaki Kagawa, is one of nine people to be arrested by the Chiba Prefectural Police, in Japan.

It has been suggested that Kagawa and his group distributed spam that included e-mails containing links to download Androis.Enesoluty. This web site contained a Trojan horse that stole information from Android mobile devices and send it to a remote server. It was thought the malware was used to collate around 37m e-mail addresses from around 810,000 address books. The e-mail addresses were used to direct people to a bogus online dating service called Sakura, which cost to be part of.

Kagawa was part of the Super High Roller Reload event in Monte Carlo back in 2012 that involved €98,500 No-Limit Hold’em. The 38 players in the game was divided into two distinct divisions, the whales and the professionals. Kagawa considered a whale, but it appears that Kagawa’s money came by less than ethical means. Press reports believe the gang had earned about $3.9m through the e mail scams.
The fifty year old poker player’s winnings spiked in 2012 with his total winnings coming in at $1,621,971. There were eight others involved in the internet scam including other people associated with Kagawa’s company Koei Planning.
The Japan Daily Press reported, “The mobile malware was just a step towards his real scheme, which was to send out spam about his dating site and get people to sign up over there and not really get any service,” Vikram Thakur, principal research manager at Symantec Security Response the company that discovered the malware program commented.


High Stakes Online Poker Player Kagawa Arrested in Japan
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When Nevada unveiled a trial run of legalized online poker this spring, it became the first and — so far — only state to allow the Internet version of the game since the federal government shut down a number of sites two years ago.

Ultimate Poker offers an opportunity for anyone in the state to join in a poker game while sitting in their living room, with no need to make the trek to a casino. While Nevada is unique in this respect to date, it could soon be joined by other states with their own online gaming halls.

Games hosted by overseas companies had widespread clientele across the United States, but the government seized their domains in 2011 and shut them down in a cyber raid known as “Black Friday,” resulting in thousands of players not being able to access the money they had put into them.

Online gambling in general has been considered illegal under the 1961 Wire Act that criminalizes betting on sporting events. However, in December 2011 the Justice Department issued an opinion that the Wire Act only applied to sports betting, which gave a green light to states to legalize other forms of online gaming as long as it was restricted to people within state limits.

That means the Nevada law applies to people in-state only. “Nevada has issued some licenses, but the applicable regulations prohibit non-residents from actually playing for real money,” says Lawrence G. Walters, managing partner of the Walters Law Group, who follows online gaming law. “All licensed poker software is required to have robust geo-location verification built in. So it is unlikely that a non-resident will be able to participate, unless they are a skilled hacker.”


Poker Pockets

Delaware is the only other state where online poker playing could technically be legal under current law, but current projections indicate that poker will not be included when they roll out live online gambling sites in September. Because the population of the state is so small, at under a million people, there are questions about the viability of an in-state only poker industry. Officials may wait until more states allow the game so they can partner together and increase the pool of potential players.

“Ultimately, states where legalization has occurred may form compacts so that they can share players with each other, resulting in ‘pockets’ of legal online poker throughout the U.S.,” Walters says.

New Jersey is hoping to join the online gambling party by November.

Someday, online poker that is open to all citizens could return to the United States, and there are a few related bills currently sitting in Congress, but it could take some time before anything actually happens on that front.

“My prediction is that legalization is unlikely in the current Congressional Session, given the tremendous gridlock in Washington, DC,” says Walters. “Congress can’t even seem to pass a simple Farm Bill, so something as controversial as online gambling legislation will be an uphill battle.”

Congress might surprise us, but absent movement on their part would-be gamblers will have to wait for their home states to take action on their own. “Federal legalization could occur by attaching a stealth bill to some omnibus piece of legislation,” Walters notes. “While anything is possible in the realm, it is more likely that the states will tackle the legalization issue – one at a time.”


Legal Online Poker Slowly Spreading State by State | Legal News | Lawyers-com
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For the first time in over 18 months, PokerStars.FR briefly overtook Winamax in cash game traffic and became the largest regulated online poker room in France.

According to traffic data provided by PokerScout, on July 18 PokerStars.FR boasted 1135 players, based on a 7-day moving average of concurrent cash game players, with Winamax at 1120. PokerStars maintained this lead until July 25. Today, there’s only 1% difference separating the two networks.

Winamax took the lead from Pokerstars back in January 2012. One year later, it boasted almost 50% more traffic than PokerStars and was dominating the market.

The last six months have seen the largest drop in Winamax’s traffic in recorded history, and it has reached its lowest point, down from a peak of 2285 to 1085 today.

Winamax is working to expand its reach from outside French borders by marketing to English-speaking players, though it has yet to see a positive effect from its efforts. PokerStars.FR also permits players outside of France to play on the site, though does not promote that fact.



PokerStars and Winamax Fight for First Place in France | Pokerfuse Online Poker News
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Poker is expected to make a much anticipated return to US television soon following an announcement that a new show called ‘Poker Night in America’ (PNIA) would be airing early next year.

The show is the brainchild of the Heartland Poker Tour co-founder Todd Anderson and WSOP Media Director Nolan Dalla, who are hoping to create a TV poker experience with the emphasise on fun, variety, and entertainment. The structure of ‘Poker Night in America’ will focus on
poker pros or celebrities playing at various tournaments across the country, but taking centre stage will be exploring interesting storylines and concentrating on the players themselves in the tournaments.

A big part of this approach relies on viewers developing a relationship with the characters covered as this will more likely keep them returning to watch each week.

“Right now, my priority is to create a television show like nothing that’s been done before,” explained Nolan Dalla. “This is the first hand of a new poker game. And I’m moving all in. I’m leaving the World Series of Poker Circuits after nine full seasons. However, I will continue to serve as Media Director for the World Series of Poker and WSOP Europe for what I hope will be many more years to come.”

The first PNIA television event covered will take place on August 10th at the Turning Stone Casino in New York, where the $1,650 buy-in annual Empire State Poker Classic is held. Todd Anderson is subsequently planning to film at least an additional four events this year. The Turning Stone Casino said it was also looking forward to working on the show, with Turning Stone Director of Poker Operations Jason DiBenedetto, commenting:

“Todd Anderson has an excellent reputation in the TV poker industry and we are excited to be working with him again. It’s also a great opportunity to go beyond the walls of our casino and promote our property to a TV audience.”



Poker Night in America TV Show To Debut In 2014
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Masaaki Kagawa, a high-stakes Japanese player, has been arrested after being suspect of running a scam involving malware. Kawaga and eight other players were arrested in Japan by the Chiba Prefectural Police. The group has been accused of distributing spam via emails that included links to download Androis Enesoluty.

This download included a Trojan horse virus that could and did steal data from Android devices, sending it over a remote server. The malware is thought to have collected about 37 million email addresses from the 810,000 contacts lists it detected on infected devices. The whole point of the scam was to reroute users to a fake online dating site, Sakura, at which you could then sign up for a fee.

Kagawa participated in a Super High Roller Reload tournament in 2012 in Monte Carlo, a €98,500 NLH event. The 38 registrants were separated into two divisions, the whales and the pros. Kagawa was put into the whale group because of his wealth, but unfortunately, now it seems he may have come by all that money immorally. Fifty-year-old Kagawa had amassed a total of $1.62+ million in online poker winnings by 2012.

The other eight players are associated with his company Koei Planning. Vikram Thakur, Symanatec Security Response principal research manager, who discovered the scandal commented to the Japan Daily Press, “The mobile malware was just a step towards his real scheme, which was to send out spam about his dating site and get people to sign up over there and not really get any service.”



Japanese Poker Player Caught in Spam Scandal
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