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The final day of May was the first opportunity for Pennsylvania casinos to begin applying for sports betting licenses. The new era of legalized sports betting began earlier that month when the US Supreme Court on May 14 ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) unconstitutional.

By May 31, Pennsylvania state regulators adopted their first regulations of sports betting. The following day, the sports betting license application process opened up. Yet, just a few days into the state’s latest step toward entering the industry, casinos are apparently hesitant-at-best to get in on the action.

What is causing such hesitation?

On May 31, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) announced that “it has notified casino license holders that they can begin submission of petitions requesting approval to conduct sports wagering.”

Under the temporary regulations, casinos with licenses can conduct PA sports betting at any of the 12 casinos in the state (a 13th is on the way) as well as via sports betting apps. The regulations also allow wagering at off-track betting facilities in the state.

Yet this past weekend passed without any casinos leaping at the opportunity. Why?

Start with the $10 million, as that is the initial fee for casinos to receive approval to offer sports betting. Add in the hair-raising tax rate of 36 percent on sports betting revenue. If the rate stands, it will be the highest rate in any jurisdiction in the world.

“Pennsylvania is in a different bucket because of the tax rate,” Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill, told The Philadelphia Inquirer. “We can’t figure it out. Because of it, we haven’t spent the time or effort in Pennsylvania that we have in New Jersey. The tax rate is such a big challenge.”

Consider that New Jersey’s proposed tax rate is eight percent. Nevada, meanwhile, has a 5-percent state tax rate.

Said Asher:

“If you’re paying $10 million up front for the privilege of paying 41 percent (PA’s 36 percent plus the federal government’s 6-percent rate) in … taxes, plus the infrastructure costs, it’s difficult for me to see how you make money in Pennsylvania.”

PA wanted to be among the first

This was supposed to be the time casinos and sportsbooks would be champing at the bit to get in on the ground floor of sports betting. For some states, that is still the case. For example, Delaware rolled out its legalized wagering industry this week.

In New Jersey, UK bookmaker William Hill has announced partnerships with Monmouth Park racetrack and Atlantic City’s incoming Ocean Resort Casino. Resorts Casino Hotel teamed with daily fantasy sports giant DraftKings as its sportsbook.

The reasoning was sound for such quick deals. To be had is an estimated $150 billion in illegal sports wagers made annually across the country. Although an Oxford Economics report commissioned by the American Gaming Association estimates that all 50 states could only collect a combined $1.5 billion in taxes if using the 8 percent rate that New Jersey has proposed.)

In Pennsylvania, however, there does not seem to be as much urgency to land partners ahead of sports betting legislation.

The Keystone State was supposed to be one of the first to roll out regulated wagering. After all, the state in 2017 legalized sports betting as part of a comprehensive gaming expansion. Now, though, it seems Pennsylvania will be lucky to feature any sportsbooks. That is unless lawmakers’ attitudes change.

What can be done to spark interest?

Doug Harbach, spokesman for the PGCB, said the application process is open for 120 days. He noted that within the timeline are the starts of the college football (86th day) and NFL (98th) seasons. The PGCB is also open to comments from interested parties until June 15.

Yet some casinos are beginning to rethink what to do with sports wagering.

“We haven’t made a final determination on whether to pursue what is the highest rate on the planet for sports betting,” Hollywood Casino spokesman Eric Schippers told Penn Live.

Yes, Pennsylvania is in something of a budget crisis. Hence why the license fee and the tax rate are so steep. Lawmakers and industry experts are certain that casinos and sportsbooks will still want to operate within the state.

“I think they will all participate and would be shocked if they didn’t,” said Pennsylvania Rep. Robert Matzie. “In sports-crazy Pittsburgh and sports-crazy Philadelphia, you’re going to see it bring a lot more people into the casino, watching the big-screen TVs, and when they get those people in the door to bet they’ll also hopefully drop money at the tables or in the slots.”

“No matter how the economy’s going, whether it’s in recession or booming, the one business that never goes out of business is the casino,” he added.

Still, with neighboring states having lower tax rates and costs for casinos and sportsbooks to operate, how long does PA think it can stand by its requirements? For now, the one-time $10 million fee and the 36 percent tax rate is in place. Yet the PGCB said it will take its time to install the best regulations.

“We want to do this thing right,” said PGCB Commissioner Sean Logan, “and we are not going to rush through it.”

The post Extravagant Fees Turning PA Casinos Away From Sports Betting appeared first on Play Pennsylvania.

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With nominations now open for determining who will get in the Poker Hall of Fame this year, there’s one question on the tip of the poker world’s collective tongue: Which player, or players, will follow Phil Ivey and David ‘Devilfish’ Ulliott as this years inductees?

But is it a flawed question?

Sure, a first-ballot Hall of Famer widely considered the best player on the planet throughout poker’s boom years and a legend from across the pond who’s vivacious personality helped the game grow exponentially in the UK before he passed away from cancer in 2015 represent a hard act to follow. But that’s not the issue.

Nominations open online

Nominations are accepted online. Everyone from players, to media, and poker fans are encouraged to participate by submitting their nominee along with a brief explanation. The submissions get tabulated and the top 10 nominations are reviewed by the Poker Hall of Fame Governing Council before being publicly released.

Existing Poker Hall of Fame members and a blue-ribbon media panel then cast votes to determine the class of 2018. Traditionally, the Poker Hall of Fame elects one or two members every year. The Class of 2018 will ultimately be enshrined in a ceremony held alongside the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event in Las Vegas, Nevada later this summer.

It’s the same process that over the past few years has produced a series of worthy inductees. Players like Daniel Negreanu, Jennifer Harman, John Juanda, Todd Brunson, Carlos Mortensen, and of course, Ivey and Ulliott. So, there’s no real issue there.

The problem with the question of which player, or players, will follow Ivey and Ulliott into the Hall of fame this year, is that it might not be a player at all.

Poker Hall of Fame criteria

The main criteria to be considered when nominating someone for the Poker Hall of Fame hasn’t changed.

The player must have played against top competition. They must have played for high stakes and be a minimum of 40 years old. The player must have played consistently well, gaining the respect of his or her peers. They must have stood the test of time.

Or, for non-players, they must have contributed to the overall growth and success of the game, with indelible positive and lasting results.

In 2017, two non-players made the top 10 nominations list in what is essentially a builders category.

Tournament director Matt Savage and TV producer Mori Eskandani are likely favorites to do it again this year. A non-player hasn’t been inducted since 1980s WSOP tournament director and 2000s Bellagio poker room manager Jack McClelland was in 2014. Therefore, Savage and Eskandani could even be considered favorites to get in this time around.

Both undoubtedly have the credentials for it.

Savage and Eskandani

Savage is possibly the best-known non-player in the game. He’s worked as a tournament director all over the world. He is one of the founders of the Tournament Directors Association. In fact, Savage was the WSOP TD the year Chris Moneymaker won the Main Event and helped spark poker’s big boom.

He’s held the TD position at Bay 101 Casino in San Jose and the Commerce Casino in Los Angeles. Helping put both places on the poker map. Plus, Savage has been the Executive Tour Director of the World Poker Tour for the past few years. Helping usher the WPT into the new era of televised poker.

Eskandani is the man in charge of Poker Productions. That’s the production company behind some of the game’s best TV. Poker After Dark, High Stakes Poker, the National Heads-Up Championship, these were all Eskandani productions. Plus, he’s still at it today, producing the WSOP broadcast for ESPN.

It could be argued both have contributed more to poker’s growth than any non-player before them. Their work has certainly had indelible positive and lasting results.

True players for real

Players including David Chiu, Ted Forrest, Thor Hansen, Mike ‘The Mouth’ Matusow, Max Pescatori, and Huck Seed also made the ballot last year. It could be argued each is deserving of a spot in the Hall and will likely get there one day.

Fan favorite Matusow is a popular choice. He could certainly make the cut this year. Even if it could be argued he needs to do more to gain the respect of his peers. Or prove he’s stood the test of time.

But there’s a good chance a non-player will join him in the class of 2018. Savage and Eskandani have both helped make the game of poker what it is today. It just seems like an appropriate time for the Poker Hall of Fame to recognize that fact.

Lead image courtesy of World Poker Tour/Flickr

The post Ivey, Ulliott Prove Hard Act To Follow As Poker Hall of Fame Nominations Open appeared first on .

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