Hard times in Vegas: Casino operators downgraded
Playtech (iPoker) revenues up 75%
McGill Professor: Congressman's scare tactics in support of UIGEA misrepresented studies
US set to face tough questions over UIGEA
US/Antigua gambling dispute talks at impasse
World Poker Tour moving to Fox Sports Network
Belgium to open up online gambling market
Full Tilt Poker quietly acquires FullTilt.com domain
New bill to regulate online poker introduced
Online qualifier skips WSOP Day 3, cashes anyway
California online poker bill getting closer to Senate vote
Rumors swirl: Was WSOP champion and UltimateBet founder involved in cheating scandal?
Irish report: US ban presents opportunity to host online gambling sites
Record-setting WSOP confirms poker still growing
UB cheating scandal widens; 3 years and 30 screen names
PartyGaming: US-friendly competition, football hurt bottom line
Svenska Spel faces prospect of tough regulation
"Rizen" pulls out of UltimateBet endorsement deal
PokerStars announces WCOOP schedule with $30M in guarantees, $10M guaranteed final
New PartyGaming subsidiary PartyMarkets offers gambling on stock markets
After long battle, Harrah's gets control of WSOP.com domain -
WSOP.com
Annie Duke on UltimateBet cheating scandal: "A back door was designed into the software."
California online poker study bill inches forward
Bill to block UIGEA rules dies in committee
EU to raise stakes in online gambling feud with US
Absolute Poker bad beat jackpot hit just short of million dollar mark
Absolute Poker bad beat jackpot poised to break million dollar mark
60 Minutes interviews Sexton, Raymer, Seif in rumored "hatchet job" on online poker industry
Hellmuth to online players at WSOP: "Don't blink, kid."
They didn't blink: Online players dominate star-studded WSOP final table
Patrik Antonius throws down gauntlet to online high stakes players
Online gambling booming in Korea
E-wallet Citadel settles with US Justice Dept.
France nearer to open online gambling market
World Poker Tour homeless; GSN declines renewal
PartyGaming shares rise on US settlement rumor
Congressman's son goes nuts for online poker
UltimateBet: High-stakes 'superuser' cheating went undetected for almost 2 years; undisclosed amount stolen from players
Betsson to open Swedish retail shop in direct challenge to Svenska Spel monopoly
Ivey, Benyamine slug it out in high stakes HORSE
Sweden may break up Svenska Spel monopoly
House pro David Singer bests DeucesCracked pro whitelime to capture Full Tilt $25K Championship
Full Tilt doubles size of record-breaking $25K HU, but will it fill?
PokerStars opens live poker room in Macau
Network fracturing trend continues with PokerTime becoming semi-independent from Microgaming
South Africa set to legalize online gambling
PartyGaming appoints industry veteran Jim Ryan as CEO
Attorney loses battle against Washington ban, plans appeal
High stakes Omaha action heats up at Full Tilt with 22 pots of $100,000+ in a day
Poll: Should online poker be legalized?
PokerStars compensates players for e-check delays
Full Tilt Poker to host biggest buy-in tourney in online poker history
Action Poker, Digital Gaming Network among latest targets for patent enforcer 1st Technology
Dutch defy EU, clamp down on internet gambling
Ladbrokes, Svenska Spel gear up for legal battle
PartyGaming founders fall on UK's rich list, other gaming giants rise
Unknown problems delaying e-check withdrawals
Online poker dominates Bluff's Power 20
Sen. Kyl pushes for UIGEA regulations
Candidate Ron Paul discusses UIGEA and personal freedom
Kahnawake chief: Canada missed online gambling opportunity
Washington governor candidate criticizes online poker ban: "I never would have signed that bill."
Congressmen to feds: Don't bother with UIGEA regulations
Poker Players Alliance reaches one million members
Bodog founder Calvin Ayre announces retirement
Poker Players Alliance reaches one million members
Bodog founder Calvin Ayre announces retirement
Svenska Spel CEO resigns in apparent conflict over 'responsible gaming'
Former PokerStars manager and author Lee Jones named as CardRunners chief operating officer
Internet gambling firms set sights on South Africa
California online poker study bill moves forward
Legislation introduced to stop UIGEA regulations
New site PokerTrillion raises big stink, files lawsuit in split with Boss Media
Report: Popular web wallet ePassporte no longer an option at major poker sites
Gavin Griffin, Chad Brown join Team PokerStars
PokerScout's StarFinder now includes live tracking of Team PokerStars pros
Online poker booming in Germany
Pot Limit Omaha the game of choice for online high rollers
Microgaming to former Tusk players: File claims with liquidator
Holland Casino online poker room voted down in setback to CryptoLogic
Hearing on UIGEA underlines severe flaws
Students pay tuition with online poker winnings
Hearing on UIGEA rules slated for Wednesday
Dutch court denies Unibet appeal, EU action looms
PPA launches support network for players with legal trouble
Dutch court denies Unibet appeal, EU action looms
PPA launches support network for players with legal trouble
PokerStars hosts largest tournament in history
Literally :
How poker pro landed in wheelchair (warning: uncensored video)
Ex-Microgaming sites in liquidation, players may have to file claims to recover funds
Full Tilt Poker heeds player concerns, revises CardRunners deal
Proposed Mass. online gambling ban 'effectively killed' in close vote
Dozens protest Massachusetts online gambling ban
Sweden drops prosecution for online gambling ads
Full Tilt's rule-bending deal with CardRunners raises eyebrows
DoingPoker pulls bots from real money tables
UltimateBet investigates possible insider cheating
EU investigating UIGEA trade discrimination
Chip leader chucked at WSOP Circuit event in Atlantic City due to 'unruly behavior'
Congressman Barney Frank schedules early April hearing on flaws in UIGEA
Canada considers UIGEA-style legislation to protect horse-race betting monopoly
Devilfish Gaming goes public
Industry association iMEGA loses legal challenge to UIGEA, case dismissed
Everest takes over from PartyPoker as WSOP table sponsor, signs multi-year deal
Full Tilt pro Little fired for violating one player per account rule
PokerScout now features player-submitted reviews of the poker sites (March 4, 2008)
PokerScout.com, the leading provider of hard facts about online poker, now offers players
a chance to rate the poker sites and submit their own reviews. PokerScout visitors can also
read and vote on the reviews of other players.
To read the reviews for any site, simply click on that site on the PokerScout homepage.
Among the many other useful pieces of information about the site, you will now find a section for player-submitted reviews.
Have your own opinion to share? Visit our review submission page and let the world know about it!
Click here to see the most recent reviews submitted by our visitors.
Bad boy Bobby Bellande backs Bodog brand
Full Tilt Poker issues major software update loaded with new features (February 28, 2008)
Full Tilt Poker
released a major software update today with several new features designed to improve the playing experience.
Some of the highlights:
- A tournament dollars (T$) system is now in place. This has been a popular feature at PokerStars
for years. Satellite winners can now unregister from the target events and get T$ credited to
their accounts. T$ can be used to buy in to other tournaments.
- Players can now automatically reload to the desired amount at the end of every hand.
- Satellites end immediately when the top prize has been reached.
- There is a 12-hour self-exclusion option ("Don't let me play, I'm drunk, high, on tilt and/or off my meds.")
- Speed tables have improved options for sitting out and sitting back in.
- The time available to post blinds has been extended.
For more information, see the official news release.
Senators object to UIGEA regulations, urge clarification
EU commissioner: Half of Europe guilty of gambling protectionism
Report: Large number of Microgaming sites closing their doors immediately
EU targets Netherlands and Greece for gambling protectionism
Trouble at Tridx?
Bwin looking to acquire Sportingbet ... again
New prepaid MasterCard approved for European online gaming
Unibet set to go public
Shrugging off scandal, Betfair signs Imper1um
California lawmaker introduces online poker study bill
Full Tilt Poker downtime due to cyber-attacks?
PartyGaming and 888 post solid Q4 growth
Boss Media board approves takeover bid
DoingPoker using bots to fill up the tables?
Austria's state-run poker site off to running start (February 8, 2008)
The Austrian state-run poker site, win2day.at,
launched yesterday,
and is already proving the power of government approval and backing.
In just its second day of operation, the site reached approximately 500 simultaneous real money ring game players,
on par with the more established British site SkyPoker and the Gold Chip and Merge Gaming
networks. The Austrian poker site uses software
from Boss Media, and benefits from the experience of Boss's other state-run client, Svenska Spel.
The Swedish government-backed site has proven to be very popular, landing in the top ten in
PokerScout.com's traffic rankings. Svenska Spel has had the advantage of a virtual monopoly on Swedish online gaming, being the
only site that can legally advertise in Sweden. That advantage may soon disappear as the EU is
engaged in
legal action against Sweden and other European countries to end their gambling monopolies.
The Austrian poker site does not face the same concerns (or advantages) since it does
not receive monopoly protection. Austria also can't match Sweden's reputation for poker
enthusiasm. Nevertheless, win2day has made an impressive debut.
Whether it can rise to the level of Svenska Spel's success remains to be seen.
Webmasters can now feature a PokerScout traffic report on their web pages
Eating dog, smoking dope and playing poker
Report: Absolute Poker buys out skin VegasPoker247 in possible bid to reduce rakeback cannibalism
Devilfish Poker to go public
Costa Rica and Antigua renew legal attacks on US over online gambling
Boss Media receives takeover offer; shares jump
Betfair orders players to return profits from software glitch
Massive Internet outage leaves poker sites largely unaffected (January 31, 2008)
A
massive Internet disruption struck South Asia, the Middle East and North Africa today, crippling
high-tech industries in the region. The cause of the outage was said to be damage to
undersea cables.
Online poker site operators breathed a sigh of relief as traffic levels remained largely unaffected.
Far from losing players, several of the major sites were seen to have even higher traffic
than yesterday, according to PokerScout.com figures. On the other hand, the incident may also
indicate just how unsuccessful the European-
and American-focused poker sites have been to date in attracting players from the affected regions.
EU takes legal action against Germany and Sweden over online gambling protectionism
Credit card companies charge more for online gambling deposits
PartyPoker recaptures third place; Big 6 dominate online poker (January 30, 2008)
When it comes to online poker, the only constant is change. Former market leaders
have dropped into obscurity, and new sites have risen from nowhere to take leadership positions.
Lately, however, a sort of new world order has emerged in the PokerScout.com traffic rankings.
The top
six contenders, four poker sites and two networks, have formed a solid block at the top
of the charts. Combined, the Big 6 account for over 70% of all online poker traffic. All other
poker sites and networks combined, some 500
sites in all, have barely as many players as the world's number one poker site.
PokerStars sits atop the rankings, a position it has held since PartyPoker withdrew from the US
market in the wake of anti-gambling legislation. A distant second behind PokerStars is
Full Tilt Poker, another site open to Americans. Full Tilt battled with PartyPoker
throughout 2007 for second place, but in 2008 Full Tilt has pulled away and taken solid hold
of the number two spot, with almost 20% more traffic than PartyPoker.
After falling to 4th place briefly, PartyPoker
has solidified its third place position against the iPoker Network with a substantially higher average
player count. The contest may be closer than it appears, however, as iPoker often has higher
daily peak player counts. This may be the battle to watch in the near future.
Ongame Network sits comfortably in fifth place following
strong growth in late 2007.
Rounding out the Big 6 is
Everest Poker, which experienced phenomenal growth in 2006 and 2007.
While Everest has substantially fewer players than Ongame, the site now
boasts almost double the traffic of its nearest competitors and more than 5% market share, justifying its inclusion in the online poker pantheon.
Among the Big 6, only two poker sites are open to American
players. However, those two sites sit at the very top of the chart. With a combined market share of
over 35%, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker attract more players than the rest of the Big 6 combined.
PokerStars alone accounts for over 25% of all online poker traffic.
If history is any indicator, though, PokerStars and the rest of the Big 6 should not get too
comfortable with their positions. More change is always just around the corner.
Visit www.PokerScout.com For the latest online poker traffic rankings and news..
Play-money poker with real prizes wildly popular on Facebook
EU set to warn Germany over online gambling ban
French gambling law in question
William Hill denies takeover rumors
Dynamic Gaming Systems Network gets new owner, player balances may be honored
Finland may be next to get state-run poker site
Arrested Sportingbet chairman returns to company
WPT launches subscription-based poker site
Austrian state-owned poker site to launch soon
Antigua, US discuss online gambling settlement
PartyPoker slides into 4th place in traffic rankings (January 17, 2008)
PartyPoker continued its slide in the PokerScout traffic rankings yesterday, falling to fourth
place behind the fast-growing iPoker Network.
PartyPoker, once the reigning king of online poker, lost its crown to PokerStars
immediately after pulling out from the US market in the wake of anti-gambling legislation in 2006.
Since then, PokerStars has continued to gain market share, while US-friendly Full Tilt Poker has
firmly passed PartyPoker and settled into second place.
European-focused iPoker Network has been gaining steam ever since absorbing the smaller Tribeca and Tain networks
in early 2007. Whether the network can hang on to the third place spot remains to be seen, as it is
now virtually tied with PartyPoker in average real money player counts.
Neteller withdrawal deadline looms for US customers, $13 million still unclaimed
Report: Players profit from Betfair software glitch
Opinion: Kahnawake Gaming Commission sends wrong message with weak action against Absolute Poker (January 12, 2008)
On Friday, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission published its decision in the Absolute Poker cheating scandal.
(Read the Commission's decision here [pdf])
This was a chance for the KGC to prove the skeptics wrong and show that it is a strong,
independent body with the power and the will to impose harsh penalties to keep the gambling sites in line.
Unfortunately, the Commission's decision falls
well short of that goal.
Players hoping for tough action that would deter poker sites from cheating their own
players are sure to be disappointed. The Commission seems more concerned with assisting in AP's damage
control effort than exacting any real punishment.
The first remarkable thing about the decision is its timing. Releasing bad news late on a
Friday is a classic spin control technique
designed to blunt the impact of the news. Although the exact timing of the release
is unknown, it looks suspiciously as though the Commission were trying to help out AP by
burying its final report.
Since news of the scandal first broke, damage control has clearly been AP's top priority.
Details about what happened and who was responsible have been notably lacking.
According to rumor, Absolute was afraid to name AJ Green publicly as a perpetrator because
he threatened to air out AP's dirty laundry in public.
This threat of blackmail may be a serious concern for Absolute Poker, but it should have no effect on the KGC.
Nevertheless, the Commission also refuses to identify the perpetrators or even state how many people
were involved. In fact, the decision is remarkable for the fact that it discloses almost nothing
that wasn't previously released by AP's publicity machine.
Like Absolute Poker, the KGC camouflages the lack of information by releasing a
high level of detail on certain
points. The account IDs involved and the time frame over which the cheating took place are
specifically identified. This information was previouly released by AP in an effort to
demonstrate the limited scope of the cheating. The more relevant question
is, who was behind the accounts, and where are they now? This is a glaring omission from the report, and seems to serve
no one's interest except AP and the perpetrators.
Possibly the only new information in the report is the fact that AP deleted gaming
logs and records in an
attempt to cover up the scandal. This is shocking and disturbing news, which may cause some to
wonder whether AP management has really cleaned up its act, and whether the full
scope of the cheating has in fact been discovered.
But once again, details are scarce. The report fails to state whether those involved in the cover-up
are the same as the original perpetrators, or whether additional personnel were involved.
The Commission requires only that the cheaters be removed from management responsibility at AP.
It is possible that some of those involved in the cover-up are still active in AP management.
For that matter, the cheaters themselves may still be on the AP payroll in non-management positions,
since that is not precluded by the decision.
Lastly, the Commission imposes a $500,000 fine and requires AP to submit to random audits,
hardly more than a slap on the wrist for a company raking in an estimated
$2 million a week. No doubt
Absolute Poker will consider it money well spent for a clean bill of health.
Absolute Poker responds to KGC decision
Boss Media looks to double revenue by 2010
William Hill blames 'competitive market' for disappointing online revenue
PokerStars pro 'ElkY' wins 2008 PCA
Doyle Brunson, leadfoot
Report: Dynamic Gaming Systems closing doors, players may not be paid (January 9, 2008)
According to a report,
the Dynamic Gaming Systems network is shutting down. At least one of the network's 24 member
sites will reportedly switch to DobroSoft's Gold Chip Network, while others may close down
completely without refunding balances to players. The unconfirmed report comes on the heels of
previous rumors
of instability at the network.
A check of Jungle Poker shows that both the website
and the poker client are still in operation and there are real money games in
progress on the network. The coming days should
provide some indication as to the validity of the report. Further details will be published as
they become available.
Online poker breaking all records, more milestones in sight (January 8, 2008)
2007 was a record year for online poker, and 2008 is shaping up to be even better.
Traffic levels are at an all-time high, with four poker sites breaking their own records yesterday.
Here are some of the recent firsts, in real money ring game players as measured by PokerScout.com.
December 3, 2007 -- iPoker Network passes 9,000 player mark
December 7, 2007 -- Industry-wide average player count breaks 50,000
December 17, 2007 -- Industry-wide peak player count total passes 90,000. Ongame Network breaks 9,000 peak players.
December 27, 2007 -- PokerStars passes 20,000 player mark, highest ever for any online poker site
January 4, 2008 -- Industry-wide peak player count total breaks 95,000. Average player count exceeds 55,000. Ladbrokes reaches all-time high.
January 6, 2008 -- PokerStars sets new record with over 23,000 players
January 7, 2008 -- Industry-wide peak player total sets new record.
Ongame Network, Everest Poker, the International Poker Network and PKR set individual all-time highs.
Ongame Network passes 10,000 players for the first time, while Everest Poker sails past its previous record
of 6,530 players with a new high of 7,600 players.
This is an exciting time for online poker, and more milestones are on the horizon.
Keep checking PokerScout.com to see when these records are set:
100,000 industry-wide peak player total
100,000 simultaneous players industry-wide
25,000 peak players on PokerStars
10,000 peak players at all top 5 sites in same day
iPoker parent Playtech enjoys record revenues
Germany outlaws online gambling
Gaming companies will challenge German ban
Banned on land: JJProdigy not welcome at PokerStars Carribean Adventure
Online casinos flock to Alderney tax haven
PokerStars sets record with 20,386 players (December 28, 2007)
PokerStars set a new record for online poker traffic yesterday,
becoming the first poker site in history to reach 20,000 simultaneous real money
ring game players as measured by PokerScout.com. This achievement was made possible in large part by the Unlawful
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), ironically designed to curb online gambling in the US.
The law, enacted in 2006, instead drove out publicly traded competitors
and catapulted PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker to the top of the online poker world.
In the year since the law was passed, both of the privately held poker sites have doubled in size, but PokerStars retains a better than 2 to 1
advantage over its nearest competitor.
The previous market leader, PartyPoker, reached an all-time high of 16,960 players in 2006 before being
forced out of the US market by the UIGEA. PartyPoker saw its traffic cut in half and now sits in third place in the PokerScout rankings.
UPDATE: After breaking through the 20,000 player mark, PokerStars shattered its own record just three days later with a new high of 22,293 players.
Ivey crushes Jedlicka, $500,000 PLO win
PokerStars poised to pass 20,000 player mark, set new record for traffic (December 22, 2007)
PokerStars is poised to set a new record with 20,000 simultaneous real money ring game players.
Twice in the past seven days, PokerStars traffic as measured by PokerScout has topped out at over 19,900 players, already
a record in the history of online poker.
The previous market leader, PartyPoker, saw an all-time high of 16,960 players in 2006 before being
forced out of the US market by the passage of the UIGEA.
WTO issues ruling in Antigua case against US
Full Tilt testing eChecks deposit option
Turmoil at Dynamic Gaming Systems Network?
Microsoft, Google, Yahoo agree to pay fines for online gambing ads
16 Members of Congress petition against UIGEA regs -- "unlawful gambling" not defined
Bank panel wants clarification of UIGEA
State attorneys general express UIGEA support
European gaming companies sue US
Take Denmark to court for online gambling monopoly, urges gaming association
24hPoker parent changes name to avoid Swedish crackdown on online gambling
Turkey cracks down on online gamblers
US, European Union settle trade dispute over UIGEA
Ongame software update reveals strong growth
CardPlayer launches free beta test of its new subscription-based poker site
Close call, eh? Canada almost accidentally bans online gambling
European trend: Austria to get state-run poker site on Svenska Spel model
PartyGaming sees profits on track
Satellites anyone? 2008 WSOP schedule set
Online poker "hype" cooling off, says Paradise owner after disappointing results
When the house cheats, what can you do?
UK's Metro newspaper to start poker site on International Poker Network
Feeding frenzy continues for ownership of gaming firm Rank
Bluffed out: Vaughn 'terminated' as editor of Bluff Magazine
Mizzi thrives in scandal aftermath
Poker #1 search term for second straight year
PokerStars rolls out software for Mac
Mansion launches customizable tournaments
Vaughn and Mizzi on cheating scandal: We're sorry
Bluff Magazine editor: I cheated, and I lied about it
Phil Ivey rips nearly $500K from Patrik Antonius in online high-stakes showdown
UIGEA proponent Goodlatte takes money from horse racing lobby
The year's biggest cash game winners and losers on Full Tilt Poker
Unibet to acquire CarlosPoker and other brands
iPoker suspends site from network for marketing violations
New site offers discounts on major event buy-ins
Gus Hansen drops $250,000 in a day playing online pot limit omaha (December 1, 2007)
According to a report,
Gus Hansen lost over a quarter million dollars Thursday playing $200/$400 pot limit
omaha at Full Tilt Poker.
The "red" pro was not the only one to have a bad day. Well-known 2+2 poster "durrr" also lost over $50,000 in the game.
The winnings were distributed among multiple players. One lucky player benefited
by nearly $150,000, while two other players won over $75,000 each.
Hanukkah: a time to gamble
GoldenPalace parent fined $2 million; Challenge to Kahnawake's right to license gambling sites
Global Player going out of business
Cantor Gaming joins 24hNetwork
The ups and downs of a Full Tilt pro
Rumors of multi-account cheating in another major online tournament by well-known player
Unibet seeks $150 million fund for acquisitions
Multipoker owners hit with massive tax bill
Good news on the way? PartyGaming CEO cancels sale of shares
PokerStars signs tennis great Boris Becker
Bodog deals 1 billionth hand
FutureBet finally collapses (November 25, 2007)
Digital Gaming Network replaced by GOLD CHIP Network
The writing has bas been on the wall since this summer, but it appears to be official now.
FutureBet Gaming Systems is dead, at least as far as the online poker world is concerned.
According to many rumors
and reports, the
shadowy subnetwork of poker sites and online casinos has been cheating players for years by simply refusing
to process withdrawals. (How
FutureBet was able to stay in operation for so long.)
The FutureBet sites resided for years on the Ongame Network. In October of 2006,
Ongame announced that the Futurebet sites had been kicked off the network.
Many FutureBet sites then teamed up with Dobrosoft Ltd. and quickly resurfaced on the newly created Digital Gaming Network (DGN), where the
cashout woes continued.
Now it appears that all of the FutureBet poker sites have finally gone under, presumably taking player deposits with them to the grave,
despite the fact that the FutureBet website continues to operate. As of today,
all FutureBet and iGamingSoftware sites have been removed from our list of all poker sites.
(See the complete list of
over 60 sites removed today from DGN.)
The Digital Gaming Network has been restructured in the wake of the FutureBet collapse.
DobroSoft Ltd., the software provider for DGN,
recently announced the replacement of DGN with a new network, the GOLD CHIP Network.
As often happens in the world of privately held offshore poker sites, the details behind these maneuverings remain murky. Some believe that FutureBet, after leaving
Ongame, bought DobroSoft and created DGN to hide their ownership.
According to this theory, DobroSoft's original owners have now reacquired DGN's non-FutureBet poker room clients and software, and have regained control of the network.
In any case, it seems that players at existing (non-FutureBet) DGN sites may not notice a difference.
Traffic at DGN/GOLD CHIP Network remains largely unaffected, indicating that the FutureBet rooms had very little traffic even before their collapse.
Report: Some sites will show all players' hole cards for big tournament final tables
Nevada looks toward allowing online gambling within the state
For Swedes, online poker 10 times more addictive than other forms of gambling
MTV looking for online gamblers with dual lives
Political momentum shifting for online poker in America
Lawmakers and EU push for UIGEA rollback
Betfair appoints former Paradise exec as poker director
More protectionism: Norway moves to block all online gambling transactions
Sunday Majors: Rivals unaffected by Full Tilt's FTOPS $2 million blowout finale
Ladbrokes jumping on 3-D poker bandwagon
Orgy cancelled? Play poker instead
iPoker Network gives Maestro Poker the boot under new policy: "zero tolerance for rakeback"
Harrah's to open online poker room?
Congressional hearing dispels online poker myths
Everest Poker Expands Game Offering To Include Omaha (November 16, 2007)
The growth of Everest Poker has been nothing short of phenomenal, with ring game traffic more than tripling
over the last 18 months. Even more remarkable is the fact that Everest has achieved this tremendous growth while offering
the least game variety of any major poker site.
Throughout this period of expansion, Everest Poker has offered its players
only one game: Texas Hold'em.
Yesterday, Everest Poker doubled the number of games offered. Players on the European-focused
site can now enjoy one of the more popular games in Europe: Omaha, especially
pot limit Omaha.
Will this move somehow weaken the Everest mojo? Only time will tell, but the initial response has been enthusiastic, with over 500 real money Omaha players at peak times.
Justice Department Spokeswoman Admits Federal Law Does Not Prohibit Online Gambling
(November 15, 2007)
Yesterday's congressional hearing on Internet gambling regulation was full of interesting tidbits, including
a passing reference to PokerSiteScout.com by an opponent of online poker. Perhaps most interesting, though,
was a long overdue admission by a spokeswoman for the Department of Justice that federal law does not prohibit US citizens
from gambling online.
Catherine L. Hanaway, US Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, representing the US Department of Justice, had been following the
standard Justice Department script, stating repeatedly that all forms of Internet gambling are illegal under federal law.
Then, two hours and 35 minutes into the hearing, the following exchange occurred:
Rep. Robert C. Scott (D-Virginia): Ms. Hanaway, we’ve heard a lot about the prohibition against Internet gambling. Isn’t it true that Internet gambling in the federal code -- it is not illegal to gamble on the Internet, it is illegal to run a gambling operation?
Ms. Hanaway: It is illegal to engage in the business of taking bets or wagers.
Rep. Scott: But not illegal -- there is no prohibition against gambling on the Internet?
Ms. Hanaway: That’s correct.
This statement directly contradicts the Justice Department's own FBI website. "Don't Roll The Dice," the site warns
ominously. "It is illegal to gamble online in the United States. 'You can go to Vegas. You can go to Atlantic City. You can go to a racetrack.
You can go to those places and gamble legally. But don't do it online. It's against the law.' says Leslie Bryant, head of our Cyber Crime Fraud unit at FBI Headquarters."
Of course, knowledgeable poker players have long recognized these scare tactics for what they are: a bluff. By overstating the law, the FBI hopes to curb an activity it frowns upon. The truth finally emerged in yesterday's
hearing, and the millions of online poker enthusiasts can only hope that this signals a change in the Justice Department's policy of misrepresenting the law.
Svenska Spel expansion plans blocked
FullTilt.com domain for sale
Verdict expected this month in Antigua WTO case against US
Details emerge in Absolute Poker scandal
Boss Media takeover offer rejected
Oops! Lederer e-mail calling another poker player a "freak" allegedly leaked by Full Tilt staff
Neteller posts huge loss after settling with US
Poker Players Alliance to fight proposed online gaming ban in Massachusetts
Massachusetts governor: Throw online poker players in jail for two years (text of the bill)
Unibet CEO released on bail, cites French protectionism as reason for arrest
Svenska Spel monopoly to end?
Decision imminent in UIGEA court challenge
Ladbrokes, William Hill downgraded by Morgan Stanley; earnings likely to disappoint
Absolute Poker Players Unfazed By Cheating Scandal (November 5, 2007)
It's business as usual at Absolute Poker, despite recent admissions that a "high-ranking consultant"
used knowledge of players' hole cards to bilk customers out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The company initially denied that such cheating was even possible, then was forced to admit to the scandal.
(Rumors and leaks from inside the company, as reported on the 2+2 forums,
indicate that the "consultant" in question was actually the
company's second-in-command, A.J. Green, and that chief executive Scott Tom may have been involved at least in the
attempted cover-up.)
AP players were notified of the cheating in an e-mail in late October, but seem undeterred by the news.
Despite predictions for a massive decline in traffic, player counts have been hovering near previous levels.
Pacific parent company 888 gets Q3 boost from poker
Poker players lobby for online gaming
DoylesRoom returning to U.S.
Absolute Poker admits cheating by "high-ranking consultant"
Poker Stars WCOOP Main Event Winner Disqualified, Forfeits $1.2 million
UK Gambling Act legalizing online poker goes into effect
Hearing delayed in case against US anti-gambling legislation
SharkScope
banned from PokerStars under new player data policy
Absolute Poker Denies Allegations Of 'Superuser' Cheating (October 17, 2007)
Rumors and
allegations are swirling in the online poker community. The subject: 'superuser' accounts
at Absolute Poker. The players in question allegedly had access to other players' hole cards,
which is said to be the only possible explanation for some very unusual plays. Absolute Poker
issued a denial, saying that it had investigated and found no possibility of illicit access to
hole cards. Meanwhile,
an audit of Absolute Poker is reportedly in the works.
Bodog ignores lawsuit, loses domain names
PartyGaming CEO: Online poker industry is ripe for consolidation
World Poker Exchange begins offering non-PT/HUD tables
