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I’m Fairly Confident We Can Get It Done


All eyes were on California, Pennsylvania, and to a lesser extent New York at the start of 2016.

Following the surprise introduction of an online gambling bill in mid-April, Michigan has waded right into the thick of the online gaming conversation. The state is moving quickly on the issue, and is now on everyone’s short list as the next state that could legalize online gambling.

Because Michigan has only recently emerged as an online gaming candidate, the situation has been difficult to evaluate.

Analysts and pundits are still trying to wrap their heads around where the bill, SB 889, currently stands, what obstacles – if any – it still faces, and what forces are for and against it.

In an interview with OnlinePokerReport-com on Monday, the sponsor of SB 889, Michigan State Senator Mike Kowall, shed light on some of these questions.

Even though the state’s three casinos were officially neutral towards SB 889 at the May 4 hearing, and the state’s gaming tribes have not gone on the record, the word around the campfire in Michigan is there is very little opposition to the bill.

Kowall noted that he has met with all the potential stakeholders over the past three years, and in my estimation, it seems doubtful he’d make such a serious push were the state’s commercial casinos and tribes against online gambling.

Kowall confirmed this, telling OPR that the only voices of opposition to the measure were the typical anti-gambling crowd, which he fully expected.

The senator offered his reasoning for putting forth the bill, noting the prospective revenue that could be used towards infrastructure and education, as well as the need to put consumer protections in place.

At the May 4 hearing, he pointed out that Michiganders are currently gambling at unregulated, offshore online sites, and that there is a need to make sure they’re protected.

“That genie is out of the bottle so let’s be realistic about it,” Kowall, a self-ascribed non-gambler, told OPR.

There may not be much resistance to the bill, but a lack of vocal opposition doesn’t mean obstacles don’t exist.

The good news is, unlike in California, where powerful contingents have taken hardliner positions on key issues, Michigan’s hurdles are few in number and seem manageable. Furthermore, no one with a vested interest in online gambling appears to be intractable.

The two issues that have been raised are:

Potential constitutional issues regarding tribal compacts.
The number of licenses that will be available in the state.

According to Kowall, they are already working on a draft to fix “some constitutional issues with the tribes and the tribal compacts.” This amendment should be added before the next hearing.

Another concern raised during the hearing on SB 889 held earlier this month was the limited number of licenses that would be made available. Here again, it seems this issue (if it even is an issue) is an easy fix.

“The number of licenses was just a stepping off point,” Kowall said. “We had to pick a number.”

He went on to say that they didn’t want to leave the number of licenses open-ended or limit it to one or two operators.

“We came up with the number by looking at which casinos would be more apt to buy into this,” the senator stated. Kowall said he was open to changing this down the road.

Facing little vocal opposition, and with only minor tweaks needed, the toughest opponent for Kowall’s online gambling bill appears to be time, and the lack of it on the legislative calendar.

The Michigan Senate and the House are expected to wrap up their legislative session by the end of June, but no firm date has been set at this point.

With only weeks left in the session, and some important legislation still being worked on, SB 889 will need to maneuver through both houses of the legislature with alacrity to get to Governor Rick Snyder’s desk before the session comes to a close.

Even with time being of the essence, Kowall is bullish on the bill’s chances.

“I’m fairly confident we can get it done,” Kowall told OPR. “There’s still time to get it out of the Senate and sent over to the House for consideration.”

Kowall indicated that another hearing for SB 889 is on tap in the near future, but likely won’t occur until the legislature finishes the budget.

“Nothing happens while we’re in the thralls of the budget,” Kowall noted, singling out the ongoing water crisis in Flint and the dilapidated state some of the state’s schools are in.

The major issues Michigan is tackling have complicated the budget process. “We found out there’s going to be a shortfall,” Kowall said, adding that this “solidifies my argument that we need to come up with some additional funding without raising taxes.”

Once the budget is done, another hearing on SB 889 should take place, during which Kowall expects the committee to vote on the bill and send it to the full senate for consideration. From there, he says it’s a matter of convincing senate leadership to bring it up for a vote on the senate floor.

If the senate passes SB 889, it would then head over to the house for consideration, where, according to Kowall, it would likely be taken up late in the session (if at all), due to the Michigan House of Representatives being up for reelection this year. The Michigan Senate is not up for reelection in 2016.

Still, Kowall is optimistic the bill will be considered in the house this year. “Once we get the questions answered with the constitutionality of it I think everything will be ok,” he indicated.



Kowall On Michigan Online Gambling Bill: "I'm Fairly Confident We Can Get It Done"

A Native American tribe announced Wednesday that it has launched part of its long-anticipated online casino.

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma said that the “first phase” of its platform, which includes peer-to-peer poker, bingo and pull-tabs, is now available to U.S. residents (except Oklahoma) and in international markets. The games are free-play, but the Iowa Tribe plans to eventually roll out a real-money site, which could come as soon as August.

The games come via PokerTribe-com

“The second phase will introduce more games and real-money play for international markets,” the tribe said in a press release. In other words, no U.S. players for real money.

Only three U.S. states—Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware—have approved intra-state online casino gambling for state-approved companies, though Nevada and Delaware have formed a partnership to pool online poker liquidity across state lines.

The tribe, which has around 800 members, has two brick-and-mortar casinos located within Oklahoma—the Cimarron Casino in Perkins and the Ioway Casino Resort in Chandler.

An arbitrator’s ruling in November said the poker site wouldn’t violate its gaming compact with Oklahoma, but the tribe needed a U.S. District Court Judge in Oklahoma City to certify the ruling.

The certification was successful, which finally gave the tribe the green light.

Online gaming software developer Universal Entertainment Group worked with the tribe for the poker site. The tribe added in the press release that “phase three” will allow for the online casino to be available on international flights and cruises. That could happen next year.

Two other tribes in Oklahoma—the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes—had planned to launch pokertribes-com, but those efforts ended in 2014 when the federal government objected. Universal Entertainment Group was also the tech partner for that venture.

Also in 2014, California’s Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel was eyeing a poker site before the state sued it. The Golden State is still working on a bill to allow tribes to run online poker businesses.

California is the nation’s no. 1 tribal gambling market with roughly $7.3 billion in gaming revenue. California and Oklahoma, the top two states, generated nearly 40 percent of $28.9 billion in gaming revenue at Indian gaming facilities in 2014.



Iowa Tribe Launches First Phase Of Online Poker Site

Online gaming revenues are once again on the rise in Spain, according to the Q1 2016 report recently published by Spanish gaming regulator Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ).

Total gross gaming revenues (GGR) in the regulated Spanish online marketplace increased by 32.15 percent from €77.42 million during the first quarter of 2015 to €102.32 million in the first quarter of this year. A smaller increase of 7.97 percent took place when compared to the €94.76 million in GGR recognized during the fourth quarter of last year.

As one might expect, total customer deposits increased in a similar ratio to that of GGR. The DGOJ reported €271.17 million in deposits during the first quarter of 2016, representing a sizable 39.98-percent growth from the €242.08 million deposited during the same period a year ago and a 12.02-percent increase from the fourth quarter of 2015.

Advertising expenditure increases appear to be the key catalyst for the market's growth. Spanish online gaming operators invested €32.71 million in advertising during the most recent quarter, or a 46.06-percent increase from the €22.39 million spent in the same period a year ago and a similar 40.53-percent increase from the €23.27 million spent during the last quarter of 2015.

While things appear rosy in general for Spanish-facing online gaming operators, the same can't be held true for those focusing on online poker. Spanish online poker GGR declined by 12.03 percent from €16.81 million in the first quarter of 2015 to €14.79 million in the first quarter of 2016.

However, the situation may be stabilizing, as a small growth of 1.59 percent took place when compared to the €14.56 million recorded during the fourth quarter of 2015.



Read more: Online Gaming Booming in Spain Despite Continued Struggles from Online Poker | PokerNews

I wish all Spanish poker players well and best of luck wherever they go.

That's the best think they can do!!

The Iowa Tribe of Oklahoma launched a play money online poker room this week, phase one of its ambition to become the only operator running a real-money online poker room for international market from inside the United States.

According to a press release from the tribe, the free-play pokertribe-com is available to US residents outside Oklahoma and international markets and features poker, bingo and pull-tabs. The tribe neglected to say when it expected its real-money offering to go live.

The tribe originally applied to the state’s Gaming Compliance Unit last September, stating its intention to launch an international online poker site and asking for a ruling. The state called in an arbiter to offer an opinion on whether such a venture would violate the tribe’s compact with the state.



Read more: www-cardschat-com/news/23129-23129

In March 2013, Treasure Island became the 21st gambling entity to be handed an online gaming licence to operate in the state of Nevada. Back then all of the talks was of an 888Poker powered online poker platform running in conjunction with Blake Sartini’s Golden Gaming. Things have changed somewhat.

Treasure Island are gearing up for the influx of players flocking to the World Series of Poker (WSOP) by launching their online poker product. 888Poker will be providing the muscle. Instead, the honour will be bestowed upon the Australian gaming company, Strategic Entertainment Pty Ltd.

Strategic Entertainment Pty Ltd is a leader in gaming solutions for B2B clients and land-based operators worldwide. Products include a multi-level tournament model known as the International Poker Open, a new form of poker known as Ozzie Poker, and a subscription model known as DownUnder Poker.

Treasure Island will start with a subscription-based online poker room. Players can choose to participate for free, Gold ($9.95 per month), or Platinum ($14.95). The deeper you dig into your pockets, the greater your prizes will be.

The new site will also feature Strategic’s patented Ozzie Poker.

Living It Loving It to Offer European Experience Throughout The Summer

Players competing in the Treasure Island online poker room will get the opportunity to qualify for live events held in the casinos brick and mortar poker room.

Throughout the summer, this place will belong to Living it Loving it (LILI) as they transform it into the destination of choice for the European poker player looking to head to Las Vegas to experience the World Series of Poker (WSOP).

LILI Managing Director, Neil Barrett, has teamed up with Dusk Till Dawn (DTD) owner Rob Yong, and Parisian poker prince Bruno Fitoussi, to promote the room to the European population.

“I will be waiting for you in Las Vegas on the strip at the Treasure Island European Poker Room.” Said Fitoussi.

“I can’t wait to go to Vegas with the rest of the DTD family this Summer and play at Treasure Island.” Said Rob Yong.

LILI will ensure every Euro 2016 game will be shown live in the Breeze Bar. There will be a dedicated VIP area for their poker cash game clients, and free drinks all round when your national side scores a goal.

The organisers will ensure players get to experience PLO5, Big O, Mixed Games, and Chinese Poker. There will also be a High Stakes area with four tables offering games of $50/100 and higher.




Treasure Island to Launch Online Poker Room : CalvinAyre-com

Two amendments to Pennsylvania’s gambling laws, both of which sought to legalize online poker, went to a vote on the floor of the state House of Representatives yesterday, and both were rejected. But in a surprising move immediately afterwards, both bills were unanimously voted for reconsideration, which means another hearing and vote will take place as soon as possible, maybe even before this week is up.

Confused? Well, a pervasive sense of puzzlement still reigns about exactly what went down on the floor of the House in Harrisburg on May 24, and it seems that the fight for legalized online poker may have been the victim of a case of mistaken identity. But more on that later.

While both amendments sought to legalize online poker and online casino gaming, the motion which poker fans were pinning their hopes on was Representative John Payne’s A7619, which was almost identical in language to the online poker bill he has been pushing for over a year. There had been concern among proponents of online poker that Payne’s Internet gambling bill would be tied to the contentious VGT legislation, which might derail the whole thing.

There was a sense of relief, then, when the two amendments were presented as two separate motions, a dynamic that would give the pure online gaming legislation a greater chance of passing.

But here’s where things got a little out of whack. Payne was listed on the docket, erroneously, as the author of both amendments, despite the fact that he only supported A7619 and voted against the VGT-friendly A7622.

It was clearly a mistake, as A7622’s author was Representative Mark Mustio, and as OPR’s Steve Ruddock noted, the resulting confusion meant that an unknown number of A7622 supporters voted against it by mistake, believing it to be Payne’s bill. It seems that these same House members, natural supporters of gambling expansion, then voted against Payne’s bill, in an effort to force the reconsideration.

The VGT amendment was defeated 66-122, and Payne’s amendment was quashed by the narrower margin of 81-107. Should the VGT amendment be defeated once again, minus authorship confusion, there is a possibility that Payne’s amendment will be passed by the House. Although as the figures above suggest, it will be close.

Either way, we are likely to find out very soon.




www-cardschat-com/news/pennsylvania-online-poker-gets-love-hate-like-its-donald-trump-23351

A much-delayed bill seeking to authorize and regulate online poker in New York State has gained new life following its approval by the state’s Senate Finance Committee, but still faces an uncertain future as legislative deadlines loom.

NY State Senator John Bonacic’s S5302 measure cleared the Finance Committee yesterday on a 20-8 move, thus moving on to a possible hearing before New York’s full State Senate. One committee member did not vote, and eight of the 20 “aye” votes were denoted as “aye with reservations,” a special designation at the committee level in New York’s legislature. Companion legislation in the New York State Assembly has not reached the same point to date.

The bill had languished in the Finance Committee since February, after it had cleared the NY Senate’s Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee on a clean 9-0 vote. Technicals from the bill, which was amended slightly before the most recent vote, include a $10 million licensing fee for operators and a 15% tax rate on earned revenue.

The larger problem, however, is that the online-poker measure remains mired behind the DFS [daily fantasy sports] legislative focus in the Empire State. The possible licensing of DFS sites in New York remains a relative hot-button topic in New York since last year’s highly publicized action brought against leading DFS sites DraftKings and FanDuel late last year. The two sites have since pulled back from New York state, which was one of their largest markets, but remain poised to return if New York itself gives the thumbs-up to DFS play.

Therefore, at least as far as “online” gambling is concerned, DFS continues to garner the most attention, and has the likeliest chance for approval, according to the state’s political watchers. Even at that, DFS’s chances are generally regarded as only about 50-50, with online poker a much longer shot, maybe only 10% or less.

The forgotten-stepchild fate of online poker, despite yesterday’s committee approval, has produced at least one odd sight: The Poker Players Alliance, long supportive of online-poker regulation in New York, has taken a stab of tying the poker bill’s fate to that of the likelier-to-pass DFS legislation.

In an interesting twist, the PPA has created a virtual handout targeting New Yorkers and their elected leaders, hoping to tie the two pastimes together. Stating that “a compromise that moves forward with iPoker and Daily Fantasy is a win-win,” the handout touches on a few generic pro-regulation bullet points that the PPA hopes online poker’s supporters will use as arguments:

Consumer protections will safeguard players and ensure fairness;
Prohibitions to stop minors and problem gamblers will be implemented;
Millions in new revenue will be generated and local jobs created;
New York can instantly become the biggest player in the [regulated US online poker] market.

The shift to attempt to align with New York’s pro-DFS interests changes from the organization’s earlier stance, which, to paraphrase, was along the lines of “Online poker was here before DFS, and it should be regulated first.”

The PPA, however, has not abandoned its efforts to generate support for Bonacic’s S5302 measure. In another update, the PPA has created a consumer action page wherein New Yorkers can contact their elected representatives, including both their local Assemblymen and the state’s Governor, Andrew Cuomo. Whether or not Bonacic’s online-poker legislation passes in this session, all expressions of positive consumer interest can only help the game’s future in the state.




New York State Online Poker Bill Clears Committee Vote -

John Bonacic’s bill to legalize poker in the state of New York (S 5302) passed through the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday, by a vote of 20-8. The bill seeks to tax and regulate online poker.

The bill now faces consideration from the State Senate.

To date, this is the furthest an online poker bill has progressed in the New York legislature, and its passing yesterday has garnered praise from the industry.

Online poker advocacy group, the Poker Players Alliance who welcomed the passing hopes that the New York legislature will move quickly on a decision:

“The New York legislature should move quickly to pass online poker legislation with strong consumer protections into law this year” said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA, yesterday.

“Numerous discussions and hearings in the Assembly and the Senate have provided convincing evidence that licensing and regulating Internet poker in the state is in the best interest of consumers, and would also generate significant revenue and jobs in New York.”

MGM Resorts, who owns casino properties across the US and in China, has also welcomed the progress of a bill.

“We applaud the Senate Finance Committee’s vote to create a safe, legal environment for online poker through legislation that will generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue for taxpayers, and create open and fair opportunities for all providers of online poker,” reads a statement issued Thursday.

“This legislation recognizes that millions of New Yorkers play online poker on unregulated and unprotected off-shore poker websites that operate with no oversight, fraud controls, or age restrictions,” the statement continued.

As positive as the passing of Bonacic’s bill may seem, it still may not make it to a Senate vote. A similar bill in the State Assembly introduced by J Gary Pretlow has yet to make much headway.

The bill seemingly with the most chance of success is Pretlow’s bill to regulate Daily Fantasy Sports—which the PPA worries will be given priority by lawmakers over online poker.

However, ever committed to make lawmakers see the importance of regulation for both industries (and that time is of the essence to protect consumers), the PPA will run ads on Politico New York “to remind state lawmakers that regulation of iPoker and DFS can, and should, happen this year.”

“The regulations of DFS and internet poker can happen simultaneously and there is no need to wait to adopt strict regulations and safeguards for both,” said Pappas. “Three other states are already successfully providing consumers with a safe and regulated place to play poker online and New York should act quickly to give their citizens this right.”




Legalized Online Poker One Step Closer in New York | Pokerfuse Online Poker News

A very much awaited news for the people of New York. They have been clamoring this for years. Passing this will be good for revenue collected by the government.

Now it is just do wait what happenings.

On Saturday evening, for the first time since 2010, 2000 World Series of Poker Main Event Champion and former Full Tilt Poker Director Chris Ferguson sat down to play at the WSOP.

The much maligned Ferguson had not been seen at a live poker event since the infamous "Black Friday," on April 15, 2011, when the U.S. Department of Justice shut down Full Tilt and other offshore online poker operators, later seeking to amend it's civil complaint against Full Tilt specifically, saying Ferguson and three other company directors were running a Ponzi scheme that paid out $444 million of players' money to themselves and other Full Tilt owners.

Ferguson denied the allegations through a lawyer, and the case was ultimately dismissed after one-time competitor PokerStars bought Full Tilt and negotiated a plan with the U.S. Department of Justice to pay back players.

Ferguson had stayed out of the public eye until Saturday, when he registered for, and played in, the 2016 WSOP's $10,000 Seven-Card Stud Championship.

It had been widely speculated that Fill Tilt Founder and Board Member Howard Lederer would turn up at the 2016 WSOP, after he issued a public statement apologizing to the poker community for his involvement in the scandal and failing to police the segregation of players funds on the site. However, Ferguson had not made any public comments on the matter to date.

When asked why he stayed away so long, if he felt the need to issue a similar apology to Lederer's, or if he had anything to say to the poker community and former Full Tilt players, Ferguson had one statement.

"I'm just here to play poker," Ferguson told PokerNews three times, refusing to comment further.

Several players in the $10,000 Stud Championship reacted with surprise at the fact he was in the field, but refused to make a public statement.

Six-time WSOP bracelet winner Layne Flack, who had played with Ferguson countless times before 2011 and was in the field Saturday, said it's not the time to judge Ferguson, and he has as much right to play as anyone.

"People realize they don't know the whole story and don't know what to say or what to think," he said. "We can't point fingers when, basically, we don't have all the facts. A lot of people are going to be confused about what to think, or how to act, and it's easy to talk about someone when they're not there. It's easy to point fingers, but when they're here, it's not so easy, especially without all the facts.

"Chris Ferguson has done a lot of great things for poker. He's a standup guy, and all the decisions made by Full Tilt Poker don't fall on him. I firmly believe he didn't take one dime from anybody. It's just not in his nature. It's more in his nature to give everything to everybody, than take anything from anybody, and that's a fact."




Maligned Champion Chris Ferguson Returns to the WSOP: "I'm Just Here To Play Poker" | PokerNews

He has won five World Series of Poker events. Nice to have him back. 😉

Revenue in the regulated Italian online poker market increased by 7.7% in May, placing tournament fees for the year to date 18.6% higher than last year.

According to the Agimeg website, operators in the country collected €6.1 million ($6.9 million) in entry fees last month.

This result helped push fees for the year-to-date, through to the end of May, up to €38.4 million, more than 18% higher than at the same point in 2015.

However, despite this growth, the country’s market did suffer in terms of cash games, which fell 9.6% to €5.9 million in May and are down 15.7% for the year-to-date.

Overall, the Italian market generated €34.7 million in online casino revenue in May, 30.3% more than last year and a result that pushes year-to-date revenue to €175 million, up 35.6% on the same point in 2015.



Related article: Italian online poker market continues to expand | iGaming Business

A bill that would legalise online poker in California is facing a series of proposed amendments as lawmakers in the US state continue to discuss its entrance into law.

Introduced by Assemblyman Adam Gray, AB 2863 is the closest that the state has come to legalising online poker for some time, with the bill in April having been passed by the California Assembly Governmental Organisation by a vote of 18-0.

However, the bill’s progress has now been delayed by the introduction of a number of new amendments, which cover tax rate issues, licence fees and the so-called ‘bad actor’ clause, the latter of which would block any operator that continued to accept online bets after December 2006 from US-based players from obtaining a licence in the state.

Should the latter amendment be approved, the bill would enable online operators such as PokerStars, which was amongst those to breach the 2006 cut-off date, to apply for a licence in the state.

Other proposed amendments include increasing the licence fee from $10 million (€8.8 million) to $12.5 million, as well as the tax rate operators a required to pay being dependent on the combined gross gaming revenue (GGR).

Should GGR exceed $350 million, the rate would be set at 15%, but this would be lowered to 12.5% should GGR come in between $250 and $350 million.

The rate for those with a GGR of between $150 and $250 million would be set at 10%, while any operator with a GGR of less than $150 million would be faced with a rate of 8.85%.

A final version of the bill is expected to be published later this month.







California online poker bill set for further changes | iGaming Business

Excellent!) Friends, someone plays in this casino?

It seems the state of Michigan is one step closer to online poker legalization. Yet another major hurdle was cleared yesterday when the Senate committee members approved SB 889 bill 8-1.

The next step is the bill to receive a Senate approval. For the time being, there is no information about an online casino bill, awaiting approval at the Michigan House. If approved, bill SB 889 would legalize only poker games via the Internet.

The legislative session concludes at the end of June, so it is difficult to handicap whether the bill would pass or not. Yet, the Michigan Senator Mike Kowall is the sponsor of the online casino bill which boosts the chances the matter to be resolved in a timely manner.

According to the clauses, the piece of legislation contains, operators willing to provide their services on the territory of the Wolverine state will be required to pay an application fee amounting to $100,000. The fee for an Internet gambling license is set at $5 million. The internet wagering services operators provide will be subject to a 10% tax.

The piece of legislation also enables only land-based casinos on the territory of Michigan to apply for an online gambling license. In addition, the online poker and casino legalization will bring about the necessity of establishment of Division of Internet Gaming in the Michigan Gaming Control Board to oversee the gambling activities taking place within the state borders.

Michigan residents have more than 20 tribal gambling facilities available as well as three commercial casinos in Detroit. They reached their peak in 2010-2012 when they collected record revenues. After that, a slight decline was noticed. Nevertheless, the accumulated revenue for 2015 was $1.37 billion.

The idea for online gambling legislation has been on the agenda for quite some time. The state has a long history related to gambling, though. The year 1933 saw the legalization of pari-mutuel horse racing. The increasing demand for gambling services in the 1980s led to the establishment of casino venues in Detroit. Back then, the lottery games were also allowed. Michigan legalized online lottery in 2014. If online casinos get the nod, Michigan would be the first state to legalize online gambling since 2013.

Online casinos legislation also remains a hot topic in Pennsylvania, California, and New York. Currently, there are three jurisdictions that have already implemented the iGaming options – Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey.




Michigan Online Poker Bill Heads to the Senate Floor

I want to learn how to play poker online. I would like to know who the best player in the world is? Someone tells me his name is Chris Moorman.

Where does he play?

Well, after today, he plays at 888Poker.

Sign me up.

I never understood why PokerStars didn’t sign Chris Moorman? I don’t think it was a monetary matter. If we opened his cupboard, we wouldn’t find skeletons. He does and says the right things. He has won more money playing online than anyone alive or dead.

Was it a toss up between him and Jake Cody?

Was there only one room for a young wizard from the UK?

Whatever the reason, PokerStars loss, has become 888Poker’s gain, after the second largest online poker room in the world announced that they have bagged the signature of one of the game’s true legends.

Alongside the $13m+ he has won playing online, he has also won the PocketFives Triple Crown a record 25 times. Won over $4m+ playing live tournaments. And is a World Poker Tour (WPT) Champions Club Member.

Why oh why did it take anyone this long to snap him up?

Something is going on at 888Poker. The handcuffs are off. Wrists are being rubbed. Jackie Glazier’s departure in the past week signifies a shift in personnel that has been as dramatic as it’s been exciting.

Jeff Gross was signed to wear a patch during the WSOP. He is one of the most popular players broadcasting on Twitch. He is every inch the professional. He knows the importance of the personal brand in the same way that Moorman has started to understand ever since he fell in love with his beloved.

Jeff Gross, Dominik Nitsche, Kara Scott, Sofia Lovgren, and Chris Moorman.

It’s a healthy spine.

Why wouldn’t people want to join them?

“Things like sponsoring the WSOP and the Super High Roller Bowl have shown they are committed to their growth of the brand and I can’t wait to see what they have coming up in the future.” Said Moorman.

The Super High Roller Bowl is the brainchild of Poker Central. 888Poker were the sponsors of the event. According to Moorman’s Twitter, he will be profiled on a future episode of the TV broadcasters hit Pokerography show.

The Global Poker League

Being drafted to represent the London Royals has also enhanced the saleability of Moorman. Sure, there are on set branding censorship issues, but if the Global Poker League (GPL) shoots off into the stratosphere then so will the brands connected to the players who light the jet fuel.

Moorman has so far played five six-max events in the GPL winning one, and racking up two-fourths, and two-fifths. A few days ago he lost against Scott Ball by two games to one on his debut in The Cube as part of the GPL Summer Series.

The Future

“888 is doing big things and really is working hard to expand their reach in poker,” says Moorman.

Once the WSOP and the GPL Summer Series is out of the way, Moorman will return to the UK to feature in an Autumn edition of 888Live in Aspers, Stratford. He will also increase his involvement in 888Poker where he plays under the pseudonym “WhatWudJSay”.

With the London Royals currently top of the Eurasia Conference, we can expect to see Moorman making a visit to TwitchCon to take part in the GPL Playoffs. Over 20,000 people attended the 2015 event on foot, and over 1.9 million people watched the action online. There will be more this year. And all of them will get to see Chris Moorman.

“Who is that guy?” They will ask.

“He’s Chris Moorman, the greatest online poker player in the history of the game.” They will reply.

“And where does he play?” They will ask.




The Best Online Poker Player in The World Signs For 888Poker : CalvinAyre-com

It may not be the official date on the calendar just yet, but summer is here. That means the World Series of Poker is here. Despite much of the focus being on Las Vegas, online poker players everywhere are still chasing big scores, including in New Jersey.

Many prize pools on regulated online poker rooms in the Garden State over the weekend failed to meet the posted guarantees with lots of players seemingly across the country chasing bracelets, but that only meant there was plenty of added value to those that cashed.

Josh "Shipitagain" Rosengarten nailed down the single biggest score by winning a cool $10,000 in the partypoker NJ/BorgataPoker-com $50,000 Guarantee. Just like his screen name suggests, he "shipped it again" after winning this tournament in March 2015 for $8,721.

Other players reaching the final table were Joseph "megolaman1ac" Liberta (2nd - $6,800), David "phatchoy" Cheng (4th - $4,100), Michael "JohnnyDrama" Haberman Jr (5th - $3,550), Anthony "Flawlessbink" Maio (7th - $2,550), and Yong "LuckySpewy" Kwon (9th - $1,550).

In addition to this final table finish, Maio, under the screenname "l0lflawless," was victorious in the WSOP NJ/888poker NJ $30,000 GTD Weekly Sunday to win the top prize of $8,250. Other notables on the final table included Ryan "Hag😴021" Hagerty (2nd - $4,800), Pierre "P_aire_146" Deissler (3rd - $2,730), Tommy "ShankU4Chips" Schenck (7th - $1,170), and Craig "Ruby_" Rubinstein (9th - $540).

Meanwhile, Keith Donovan once again had a great weekend by taking first place in the WSOP NJ/888poker NJ $10,000 GTD Weekly Sunday under the screen name "T1mB3y_B33F" $2,778, second place in the PokerStars NJ Sunday High Roller [6-Max] for $6,500 as part of a two-way deal with Michael "J3tBl@ckP0pe" Gagliano, and sixth in the PokerStars NJ Sunday Special for $2,250.

Speaking of the Sunday Special, two big winners came out on top with "NateTheGrape" and "supremetny" agreeing to a heads-up deal to collect $9,543 and $8,182, respectfuly.




New Jersey Online Poker Briefing: Donovan, Maio, and Rosengarten Win Big | PokerNews