 ITEM #1: OK, so maybe its true that I just like the title of this article Hooking Up in Las Vegas or maybe its because I am spending this week dealing with the awful internet service at Bellagio but I like that Las Vegas is a target for an area wide Wi-Fi service. It has got to bug you that after paying $200 for a room and $10 for twelve macadamia nuts that the hotel wants another $12 a day for unreliable internet service. And wouldn't you like your PDA to work even when you are blocked by a casino security grid. Well coming soon free Wi-Fi in Las Vegas.
ITEM #2: Have you run across any of those poker sites that are "Free and Legal" yet? Mostly they give away prizes and in some cases cash while you play poker amidst dozens of flashing ad banners. Well my nephew, who does not mind being bombarded by endless advertising and who does not play poker for money send me this most recent entry into the "Free Poker" market and his asked me a very interesting question: "How long do you think it will take these sites to add money games when the law changes?" Good question Jake!
Oh this new site: Kenny Roger's Gambler Poker Club. You simply must know when to fold 'em, the rest can be learned.
ITEM #3: If you are not deeply into computer tech, you might want to just browse this next one. You know how you see poker references in business and just about anywhere in "real" life. You know: "They negotiator had a real poker face" or "He knew when to fold a losing hand and took the lower offer." Well here a writer has tried to explain some of the technical aspects of CSS programming by referring to hands of poker. It actually makes a lot of sense even though I had nearly no idea what he was talking about: Analogy to poker for CSS
ITEMS #4, 5, 6, 7: I know I bug you all often about the UIGEA and contacting your representatives in Congress but someone wrote the other day and ask what exactly I thought would motiviate a member of the House or Senate to actually do something about the UIGEA. I believe the following text or some variation is the most effective way to getting the attention of your governmental officials.
"I don’t care what else you do to save the whales or reduce my taxes; I don't care if you get your picture taken with 50 girl scouts or buy forty boxes of cookies, if you do not speak out and act on legislation to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, come next election I don’t care if they run a dead horse against you, I am a single issue voter, repeal the law or lose my vote."
• Join the Poker Players Alliance
• Contact your Senators and Congressman
• Join World Poker Association
The latest Pokerati poll takes an unscientific look at the effects of bad poker legislation on human behavior. I thought a few PBvians might also find it interesting ... Feel free to discuss:
Since the enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, I
- Play about the same as before, just on different sites: 32% (48)
- Have not played any online poker at all: 16% (25)
- [Have engaged in destructive sexual behavior]*1: 13% (20)
- Play more now at illegal cardrooms1: 11% (17)
- Have said "fuck it" and now engage in illegal online sports betting as well: 10% (15)
- Play a little, but not nearly as much as before.: 8% (12)
- Still playing at Bodog who loves US players.1: 5% (8)
- Played more than usual to grind out the deposit bonus from moving all the money to a site still accepting US players1: 3% (4)
- Still playing at UltimateBet, as always1: 1% (2)
- Have switched to online horse racing / Lotto: 1% (1)
Started: November 10, 2006
Total Votes: 152
1 added by guest
* edited
One of my poker buddies admitted to breaking a few State laws while on an extended Thanksgiving road trip. He was referring, of course, to playing online poker in several U.S. states and territories where such behavior is considered the same as assault or grand theft auto.
FYI, the laws are not the same in all parts of the U.S. even with the pending implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act.
So travelers beware of playing in these States.
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana
Michigan
Nevada
New Jersey
New York
Oregon
South Dakota
Washington
Wisconsin
details
The poker players in the U.S. are complaining about some silly UIGEA regulations that maybe will have some effect on their "rights" to gamble. In Russia today the legislature (Duma) voted 440-0 to create four "gambling zones" in the entire country (Russia is the largest country by acreage on the planet). Part of the new law will require the over 500+ casinos in Moscow to closed up and move to the new "gambling zone", which is located in an "unpopulated area" some 50 miles from Moscow.
Good News for Russian Gamblers: There is a second reading of the law, which generally means a lot of changes to the provisions.
Bad News for Russian Gamblers: There are strict prohibitions in the law against online gaming but nothing about Port Security.
DALLAS--At least three poker rooms in Dallas got raided this evening. Don't know many details yet ... but for you Dallas players reading us, you won't find any action tomorrow at Jackie's, JB's, nor Ace-High.
Normally I would be covering this sorta thing in detail over at Pokerati ... where we've got a very Texas-centric readership ... and maybe would put up a small post here at PokerBlog to let you know about it. But it just so happens, as Dallas Police moved in on rooms in three separate parts of town, the Dallas-based web-site happens to have gone down.
More details about arrests, tickets, and machine guns TK. If not on Pokerati, then here, on PokerBlog.
Oh, also ... WSOP Media Guy / PokerStars expatriate Nolan Dalla happens to be in town, and I can't get in touch with him, as my email is not working either. If any PBvian happens to talk to him in the very near future, please pass on that I am sorry, but one of those great games I mentioned ... up, probably isn't going to make tomorrow, fyi.
A story in this morning's Des Moines Register (Iowa) has poker players and the PPA claiming their role in dethroning Jim Leach, the author of the UIGEA, from his 15 term incumbency in the Iowa legislature.
"Following the election the poker group commissioned an automated poll of 1,033 voters in the 2nd District, asking how the poker issue influenced their decisions.
Among those who knew about the law, 15 percent said it influenced them to support Loebsack. Another 10 percent said that it influenced them to support Leach.
Online poker advocates contend that was "enough to doom Leach in a race lost by just 5,711 votes."
Read this article in its entirety at The Des Moines Register's website.
My favorite items from an article on ESPN.com titled: What Happened to Sports?
"Our president signed a bill to outlaw Internet gambling, but I could drive to a gas station right now and buy $500 worth of scratch cards."
"One of the Monday Night Football announcers openly talks about (betting on) his fantasy football team on the air."
We clearly need legislation to ban sports on television and all 7-Elevens.
Former Baywatch star, Amateur porn star and general celebrity bimbo Pamela Anderson has shut down her online gaming website PamelaPoker.com, four months after it launched.
On her personal website, right next to her plan for peace in the middle east, the actress says she regrets her involvement in poker completely:
"Poker site should have been shut down last month.
"I have nothing to do with it anymore. Too many shady areas... I made a mistake getting involved in something I know nothing about for a quick buck! "Yuck. So unlike me. Glad it's over."
Days earlier Anderson moaned on her website there was too much red tape involved with the project, saying:
"Too bad my poker site fell apart - too many rules in USA. No fun."
And to think, all the things the Godfather Doyle did for her, I truly hope she doesn't own any horses.
For more enhanced coverage...
Remember to tell your congressperson in Washington D.C. that you voted for them because of their oppostition to the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act and that you expect them to do something to reverse its implementation.
This Congressional contact database if being updated today.
Need more motivation to stay involved, read this commentary from the Dark Side.
Yes you have to vote today!
But tomorrow you have to keep up the pressure, don't let newly elected and reelected officials think that poker players are ready to roll over and let online gaming die.
A dedicated group of players in Arizona have been making their voices heard--loud & clear. You can do the same:
"In just the last 10 days over a million people (hundreds of thousands in the state of Arizona alone) have been alerted to Jon Kyl's attempts to ban online poker and gambling while carving out a niche for horse racing (which has a major lobbying group behind it)."
Full Story
Since so many states now have early voting, it is not to soon to remind all poker players that the absolute best thing you can do to get Washington politicians to listen to your frustration and anger over the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act is to VOTE!
As they say in Chicago: Vote Early and Vote Often.
And should you live anywhere near Washington D.C. consider showing up for the demonstrations on Nov. 3-4. Information Here.
An interesting and fairly complete look at how the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act is being covered in the mainstream press. This from the Sunday L.A. Times under the sub-header:
"A bet's a bet, so why criminalize online gaming while keeping other kinds perfectly legal?"
Two quotes I found particularly interesting.
"If the distinction between gambling online and offline strikes you as hypocritical, you're not alone. In November 2004, the World Trade Organization ruled that the United States was in violation of international law by making it a crime for Americans to place bets with online bookies parked offshore. Its court ruled that, with legal gambling so prevalent in the U.S., laws barring gambling online with offshore casinos was protectionist and, therefore, a violation of international treaties."
and
"Because Congress hasn't moved to shut down other gambling opportunities in the U.S., attacks on Internet gambling amount to little more than favoring vice that enriches bookmakers at home."
Full Story
Thoughts from around the world on You Know What.
"America is supposed to be the land of the free. Well, it is to some degree, that is providing you are not one of the "free" who likes to gamble. As you are probably aware, gambling -- at least legally -- is banned in many of the US states. So for many Americans who don’t want to drive or fly several hundred miles to their nearest cardroom or casino, online gaming was a godsend. Well friends, God, or to be more precise a guy who seems to relish playing that role, has just rescinded that privilege."
Full Article
"Any random group of 535 nerds is smarter than the 535 members of the U.S. Congress and able to circumvent ANY regulation if there is enough profit incentive to do so. Well the U.S. Congress has just created such an incentive where there was none before. And once these various payment schemes start appearing, what’s to say some of them can’t be equally used to finance terrorism? Of course they can be used for that purpose."
Complete Article
"Yesterday, in a clear indication that, these days in the gaming business, you can't win for losing, the European Commission announced it is opening an inquiry into whether member nations are restricting access to their Internet gaming markets. Under EU law, it is actually illegal for a licensed business based in one nation not to conduct operations openly and fairly with other nations, even if that business is gambling."
Full Text
"While UIGEA is U.S. law, it may still face a challenge at the World Trade Organization (“WTO”). Lawyers are split. Craig Pouncey of Herbert Smith LLP said of UIGEA, “It is openly discriminatory and constitutes a clear violation of [U.S.] international obligations.” Jonathan M. Winer, of Alston & Bird LLP offered a more measured forecast: “To the extent that the legislation eliminates foreign competition for activities that remain lawful in the U.S., such as online betting on state-licensed horseracing, or state-licensed casino gambling that meets federal guidelines, there’s no doubt it raises WTO issues.” For those in the U.S. seeking to keep striking it rich from their home PC, Julian Harris of U.K.-based gambling law specialists Harris Hagan described initial reactions as “a case of unjustified panic,” as UIGEA “does not affect payments by cheque [or] overseas payment systems.”
More in this article from The American Constitution Society
Oh and if you have not done anything yet about the UIGEA then you need to take two minutes (thats two internet hands or one live hand) to watch a video on this site. Then do something!
Yet another online poker site has made its decision to withdraw from the U.S. market known. This time its Full Contact Poker, the Daniel Negreanu backed site. However, it appears that Full Contect Poker may be intending to re-launch with new software and continue to serve its U.S. clientele. It is clearly not in Negreanu's personality to just fold up and slink away.
Here is the email statement sent to all FCP U.S. players.
Attention U.S. players:
As you probably know by now, the Ongame Network (provider of FCP's poker software) was forced to make the difficult decision of restricting U.S. residents from playing real money games on their poker network. As a result Full Contact Poker has been working with Ongame and another network software provider to produce a solution for all of the FCP players to continue playing at our site with minimal interruption during a transitional phase over the next few weeks.
Prior to the launch of our new poker software solution, we must ask our U.S. players to follow some new rules outlined by Ongame.
CYBERSPACE--Human Nature is so predictable that sometimes I just have to question the notion of Free Will. First, the U.S. Government threatens to ban online poker. Most of the online sites "think" about what this might mean to their business. Most of the online sites "do" nothing. In the dark of night the U.S. Congress passes the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act and the online sites spring into action and begin once again to "do" nothing. Yes, there is a lot of talk but they still "do" nothing.
Well that's really unfair, what they "do" "do" is that the publically traded companies pull out of the U.S. market and several of the private companies say they still stay.
What most of the poker writers have suggested is that not "doing" anything in the face of the pending law should motivate the online companies to "do" something now and they should "do" it together. Lobbying both Congress and the electorate as the fall Congressional elections near would be a very good proactive business plan for the online poker sites.
They need to come together to defend their business model. Come together and collectively address the near death blow the U. S. Congress has dealt to your businesses. Instead and you could have predicted this, you know human nature..... Instead the online sites are now turning on each other as reported on PokerNews.com
"Paradise Poker is also expecting a loss among the 19% of their players that come from outside the United States due to competition from U. S. friendly sites such as Poker Stars and Full Tilt and what Andy McIver, chief executive of Paradise Poker's parent company SportingBet, calls:"
"Black Market Sites"
Great idea Mr. McIver, just when you all need each other to counter the reactionary and probably unconstitutional U.S. UIGEA, you decide to begin attacking who??? The only people on your side.
I swear the online poker sites have their business plan stored in a cigar box under the back porch on the back of a cocktail napkin.
In late 2005, some online sites began cutting back on the qualifier tournaments for the 2006 World Series of Poker. There were rumors as far back as November of 2005 that Harrah's would not be accepting third-party registrations for the 2006 WSOP. In fact, Harrah's now contents they have not taken third-party registrations for the last two Series (2005, 2006).
Now the brief blip last year in online qualifiers did not last long and, in fact, over 5,000 or the 8,773 entrants to the Main Event 2006 were online qualifiers. But why the panic back then and did that situation foreshadow the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act?
Here is an excerpt of an article I wrote for the MotherShip nearly a year ago.
"Let's say you are Harrah's, the owner of the WSOP, and let's say your attorneys and some representatives of the U.S. Federal government have a friendly conversation. And let's say that the governmental representations make the following argument: 'As a business operating in the USA, you seem to be running this big poker tournament each year and you seem to be taking a large number of entries from online businesses that several government agencies are interested in (IRS, Justice Department, Homeland Security, Commerce...). Now if online gaming is illegal and you accept payment from those sites then you might be construed to be promoting an illegal operation and since your gaming licenses do not allow the activities you are promoting'....... I think we all get the drift here."
"Now sure any online site can still play for a WSOP seat. In 2005, those 'seat packages' were averaging about $12,500 with airfare and hotel. But the sites like to pay the $10K directly to the WSOP because they want you to go to the event and wear their logos and hopefully win. But Harrah's is a whole lot bigger than poker and they are not going to jeopardize their operation just for more WSOP entries. So why not pay the money directly to the online qualifier? Well exactly how many qualifiers are going to Las Vegas in August, if the online site sends them the $12.5K directly? Twelve grand in hand or a one in 6,000 chance, you see the problem. So thanks to the business of government, expect a smaller field for the 2006 WSOP Main Event."
Well that all got worked out for the 2006 World Series but here we are thinking about the 2007 WSOP and we are nearly assured of "a smaller field for the 2007 Main Event".
The more things change, the more the stay the same.
The more legislatures we elect, the more legislating they will do.
In some good news---South Carolina has decided that busting home poker games, even pricey ones, is not really in the interest of the State or the citizens. The "South Carolina 18" have reached an out of court settled with an agreement for no further action by the State and apparently, they got their money back too!
Article
Apparently the great state of North Dakota has seen the writing on the walls of Congress and will be abandoning their campaign to make online gaming companies welcome in that state. The plan had been to create an enterprise zone similar to the legislative and tax cutouts that were done for credit card processing companies in South Dakota and several other states. But bucking the backroom boyz in D.C. apparently is more than the folks in North Dakota had bargained for.
According to North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, addressing the state’s supporters of the legalization of Internet poker, his legal opinion on the prospects of enacting the drafted legislation after a new federal anti-gambling measure became was:
“It’s time to fold ’em.”
Related Article.
I ran an unscientific poll last week over at Pokerati asking folks (mostly American poker geeks) what changes in the legal landscape mean to them. Click here for the complete results. The important parts ...
In the face of illegal online gambling, I plan to:
- Remove all money from my online poker accounts immediately.: 38% (49)
- Keep playing like usual, at least until my ISP stops me.: 38% (49)
- Do as much research as possible on potential back alleys and loopholes, then open one up in an attempt to criminally profit.: 6% (8)
- Move.: 4% (5)
- Play only at legal brick and mortar casinos.: 5% (7)
Total Votes: 129
Also found this old one, run back in June, kinda interesting ...
The first year we'll see a decline in the number of entries to the main event of the WSOP is:
- 2008-2010: 56% (15)
- none of the above: 11% (3)
- 2006: 7% (2)
- 2007: 4% (1)
- 2011-2020: 4% (1)
Total Votes: 27
Amid all the legalistic hubbub, a potentially serious situation may or may not have developed over at Ultimate Bet last week ... according to this surprisingly sober thread on StoxPoker, an army of Bots was unleashed on UB. Like more than 40 of them. And though there has been no official confirmation, the original poster's investigative work done with PokerTracker combined with human interaction seems as convincing of anything poker-conspiratorial I've ever read. Click above and judge for yourself.
One of the forum people asks:
Is it against any law to have bots playing? I sure hope so.. it seems like poker sites dont really care.. they gett there share anyway
... and this I think is one of the more interesting issues in play. Because as of now, no ... trying to file charges against Bots (or Bot-makers) seems akin to going to the police trying to get your money back on a crack deal gone awry. But it should be illegal (or at least worthy of legislative consideration). These are the kinds of poker laws that would be good for people. And when it comes to setting legal precedents for the internet in general, combating malicious software will likely be a more important issue in the future.
Link props: Haley (again!) at KAP
This is our response to the gambling ban.
By: Haley – October 14, 2006
As mentioned in a previous post, the most directly threating of the statutory clauses enacted in that fascist piece of legislation, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is the potential for the givernment to attempt to order ISPs to block certain sites that the government identifies as being involved in Internet gaming.
It can't work and it won't work. It doesn't matter whether the battle is fought on First Amendment grounds --- how dare the U.S. government attempt to block my access to sites that have value for legitimate writerly research and news --- or on the technical level. Such an approach shows a basic lack of understanding about how Internet technologies work.
 The main event of the Festa al Lago at Bellagio is set to begin on Monday, and I'll be heading out there to take in all the sights and sounds of what is likely to be one of the last mega-sized events of the World Poker Tour - at least for the foreseeable future. As Change100 noted the other day, the WPT has stopped accepting tournament registration through online poker sites. I'm guessing attendance will fall sharply after Fallsview - the last tournament where online satellite winners will be allowed - is finished.
Here's a rundown of the numbers over the years at a few of the upcoming WPT stops, as listed at the excellent Hendon Mob Poker Database.
Bellagio, Festa al Lago Main Event
2004 - 312 entries, $1,000,000 top prize
2005 - 420 players, $1,060,050 top prize
Foxwoods, World Poker Finals Main Event
2002 - 89 entries, $320,400 top prize
2003 - 313 entries, $1,089,200 top prize
2004 - 674 entries, $1,549,588 top prize
2005 - 783 entries, $2,167,500 top prize
Bellagio, Five Diamond World Poker Classic Main Event
2002 - 146 entries, $556,460 top prize
2003 - 314 entries, $1,101,908 top prize
2004 - 376 entries, $1,770,218 top prize
2005 - 555 entries, $2,078,185 top prize
Atlantis, Caribbean Poker Adventure Main Event
2004 - 221 entries, $455,780 top prize
2005 - 461 entries, $890,600 top prize
Gold Strike, World Poker Open Main Event
2003 - 160 entries, $589,175 top prize
2004 - 367 entries, $1,278,370 top prize
2005 - 512 entries, $1,491,444 top prize
2006 - 327 entries, $969,421 top prize
All of these events have experienced significant growth in each passing year of their existence, with the exception of the WPO in Tunica. Last year's attendance was down there, mostly thanks to Harrah's introducing the WSOP Circuit down the road at Grand Casino Tunica and cutting into the Gold Strike's business. How do you think these numbers will be affected by the change in WPT policy? Moreover, do you think we'll see attendance at Festa al Lago negatively impacted because of players' unhappiness with the WPT?
I make a firm promise that my next six posts will have nothing whatsoever to do the the Illegal Online Gambling Banking Dark of the Night Legislation Bill Law and/or the Loss of Freedom to Donk Off your Lunch Money Act.
But for those who have any illusions about the upcoming U.S. elections; here are some interesting poll numbers on the irrate American voters.
84% of potential voters feel the governement is "not listening to them or to their needs;"
82% think the current politicians should be "replaced by those more in touch with the American people;"
88% say the election next month is a good time to "send a message to Washington;"
78% feel their congressial representative is doing a "good job" and they will vote for him/her again;
83% of all Congressional districts are considered "safe" by one of the two major parties, which means that turnover in Washington is limited to 17% of those in power and then only if they molest a page.
Register for sure.
Vote for sure.
But vote NO! or NONE OF THE ABOVE!
We now return you to your regularly scheduled poker programming.
As Dan noted, Canadian police recently busted up four underground poker rooms in Ottawa. They've got a slightly different reason than US police might have for such busts - those underground games are actually cutting into government profits.
I'll be at Fallsview Resort Casino the week after next for the first-ever WPT stop in Canada, and while reading over a WPT-provided guide on media regulations I noticed the first two sentences read thusly:
In the province of Ontario, all casinos are owned by Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) and regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). Both OLG and the AGCO are entities of the Government of Ontario.
It really is a different world up there, eh?
(Read Wolves In Wolves' Clothing for some background here.)
Now that he's got a little free time after pulling shenanigans on Capitol Hill, Bill Frist has found the time to write back to me about online gambling. Or, as he feels the need to call it, illegal internet gambling. Here's the full text of his reply to me, dated September 22, 2006 and received today, October 13, 2006. Settle in, this might take a while.
Meanwhile, other online sites engage in big fat game of Hungry Hungry Hippo trying to scoop up Party players, which until today represented 40+ percent of the worldwide online poker market.
Mike Sexton explains Party's U.S. pullout as part of good-corporate-citizen strategy in an effort to set-up a taxably triumphant return ... while Daniel Negreanu respects the move but wonders if they'll ever get back the players left behind.
(I know a couple poker-room guys in Dallas who know the answer to that -- it's possible, but not easy.)
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