Sports Bettors Unhappy With Frank's Internet Gaming Bill

The sports betting community are not happy campers, especially when it comes to Barney Frank’s bill establishing a federal regulatory and enforcement framework for Internet gambling operators. While online poker players will be pleased as punch to see this bill become law, the sports betting community will not.

From their perspective, too many restrictions are written into the bill. Nelson Lardner, writing in MajorWagfer.com, said:

The various opt-out options delineated within the proposed bill essentially doom its legitimate prospects as a game-plan outline. Under its auspices, each individual major sports entity would be given a window of opportunity to withhold its on-field/court product from government-approved gaming usage. Given their consistent pronouncements across the years, it's impossible to conceive that the NFL, the major leagues, or the NCAA football and basketball operations would permit their contests to be formally and officially employed as wagering mediums.

Lardner argues for a US version of the British model, based on betting shops and market pressure to assure that competitive odds offered to the wagering public.
Given the NFL’s hypocritical stance — they go out of their way to distain betting on sports while knowing much of their bread and butter support comes from wagering on the Super Bowl and weekly games — I don’t see legalized online betting for pro football, pro basketball, and probably hockey and baseball on the horizon at all.

Even Monday Night Football, which for decades has been the NFL’s prime offering, is frequently driven by wagering. The only reason fans stay tuned to the second half of blowout games is to see who covers and who does not, and whether their bet on the over-under won them some money.

The NFL knows this, yet rails against betting on their sport. It’s time for them to grow up, get real, and start over.

Kudos to Carlos

Congratulations to Carlos Mortensen who takes the $25,000 buy-in, Fifth Annual Five-Star World Poker Classic, World Poker Tour Championship held at the Bellagio, and wins $3,970,415. Mortensen is now the only person to win both the WSOP Main Event and the WPT World Championship.

Why Did the UK's Remote Gaming Association Refuse to Support Barney Frank?

A report in e-Gaming Review claims that the Remote Gaming Association (RGA), the organization that represents the majority of online operators in the UK, declined to support Congressman Barney Frank’s legislation that would regulate online gaming in the US.

According to RGA head honcho Clive Hawkswood, there's “… a mix of reasons. Some companies have never been involved in the US. Others meanwhile have left the US alone and are concentrating elsewhere. Some are worried about what their share price reaction would be.”

Hawkswood went on to suggest an undercurrent of thought that any regulation likely to be enacted here in the States would effectively be in favor of US casino operators.

Those rumors have circulated here as well, with many believing that once online gaming is legalized, taxed, and regulated in the USA, the laws will be written to give an edge to major American casino brands who would then partner with, or acquire current online gaming and poker providers to gain access to their technology, marketing and backroom expertise.

This kind of speculation, in my opinion, is a long look down a foggy road, and there just isn’t enough clarity at the moment to provide a definitive view of what seems to be a plethora of alternative futures.

Poker Players Alliance Supports Rep. Frank's Legislation

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) announced its support of Congressman Barney Frank's introduction of Internet gambling legislation.

"Congressman Frank's bill is a common sense approach to Internet gambling," said Senator Alfonse D'Amato, PPA Chairman of the Board. "Licensing and regulation will allow us to sort out the most responsible sites -- those who are good corporate citizens -- from those engaged in unscrupulous activities and practices. This legislation creates common sense public policy that establishes real safeguards, protecting minors and problem gamblers while allowing the majority of adults to enjoy poker and other games online."

Frank's bill defines a set of criteria by which banks and financial institutions will be allowed to process funds to and from Internet gambling sites that meet strict licensing and regulations. Such criteria would include requirements that sites operate state of the art age verification software, programs to help problem gamblers, and other controls to detect and stop money laundering activities.

"Americans have played poker throughout history. Playing poker on the Internet is simply an example of an American tradition evolving into the 21st century," continued D'Amato.

"The age verification technology that exists today to keep kids off of poker sites was non-existent years ago. The time is now to license and regulate operators and allow U.S. poker sites to compete with off-shore ones. The Internet poker genie is out of the bottle; you cannot put it back. The United Kingdom successfully regulates Internet gambling and with this bill we can too."

Last October, Congress approved and the President signed the Safe Ports Act, legislation that included the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. As a result of the plan, banks and credit card companies are required to monitor all financial transactions of its customers and block payments to online gambling sites. In addition, Internet Service Providers (ISPs) are forced to deny access to gaming sites all together. While outlawing Internet poker, the legislation exempts other forms of online gambling such as horse racing, fantasy sports, and state lotteries.

Michael Bolcerek, President of the PPA adds, "As opposed to driving the entertainment activities of millions of Americans underground, which the ban unintentionally does, Chairman Frank's legislation will add greater visibility to this area and better address social and financial concerns."

Rep. Barney Frank Introduces New Online Gaming Legislation

Representative Barney Frank (D-MA) today introduced his hotly awaited bill to regulate internet gaming in the United States. What follows below is a summary of the bill, along with a link to the entire bill.

SUMMARY
The Internet Gambling Regulation & Enforcement Act would establish a federal regulatory and enforcement framework under which Internet gambling operators could obtain licenses authorizing them to accept bets and wagers from individuals in the U.S., on the condition that they maintain effective protections against underage gambling, compulsive gambling, money laundering and fraud, and enforce prohibitions or restrictions on types of gambling prohibited by states, Indian Tribes, and sporting leagues.

LICENSING
This bill would provide the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) with the exclusive authority to establish regulations and license Internet gambling operators. License applicants would be:
1. Subject to review of their financial condition and corporate structure, business experience and criminal background checks, and agree to be subject to U.S. jurisdiction
2. Prohibited from accepting any type of bet or wager that is initiated or terminated in a state or tribal land that prohibits that type of Internet gambling, or any sports league that opted out of authorizing online gambling activities.

ENFORCEMENT
This bill would provide the Director of FinCEN the authority to revoke or terminate the license of any operator who fails to comply with the bill’s provisions. Violators could be fined or imprisoned for up to five years, or both.

SAFEGUARDS AND PROTECTIONS
Any Internet gambling operator receiving a license would be required to have the appropriate safeguards in place to:
Ensure an individual placing a bet or wager is 18 years of age or older
Ensure an individual placing a bet or wager is physically located in a jurisdiction that permits Internet gambling at the time a bet or wager is placed.
Combat fraud and money laundering as prescribed by regulations issued by the Director or designee
Combat compulsive Internet gambling

FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Investment banks, financial institutions and payment processors that provide services to Internet gambling operators licensed under the Act would be protected from liability for such services.

STATES AND INDIAN TRIBES
Individual states and Indian tribes would have the option to prohibit or impose limits in whole or in part on Internet gambling within their borders.

SPORTING LEAGUES
Sporting leagues would have the option of prohibiting Internet gambling on sporting events or contests on league activities.

Here is a link to the full bill that Rep. Frank introduced today:
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/21frank_004_xml_(2).pdf

Repeal Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act

Dear Members of Congress,

As an American, I am outraged to learn that Congress has passed legislation that will severely restrict my ability to have certain freedoms in my own home.

Unfair passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is clearly designed to restrict the freedoms of voters who sent you to office to represent them, and prevent us from making mature decisions about how we spend our leisure time and money.

I am further outraged to learn that the bill was added at a late hour to the Safe Port Security Bill without the ability of debate and only 15 minutes prior to a vote on a must pass bill.It is improper for Congress to declare itself the overseer of American Morals and to enact legislation that dictates ideology instead of common sense.

The United States, in so enacting this law, has willfully violated World Trade Organization rules and the WTO has ruled against the United States on this issue, in favor of the country of Antigua. Now the European Union is considering similar action as this is seen globally as protectionism.

I urge you to use your considerable power and influence to ensure that this unfair legislation is repealed post haste, and our right to freedom is preserved.

I understand and agree that by signing this petition, I am in favor of the repeal of the UIGEA


Go here and sign this petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/306149419?ltl=1177341828

WPT's gaming site moves to CryptoLogic

Software developer CryptoLogic and WPT Enterprises Inc. (WPTE), announced a three-year contract to bring the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) gaming site — for the international market only; not the USA — to the CryptoLogic gaming network. The agreement, entered into with CryptoLogic’s wholly-owned subsidiary, WagerLogic Limited, will provide CryptoLogic’s poker software with a unique WPT look and feel to WorldPokerTour.com customers. The new WPT poker room is set to launch in June 2007.

“Liquidity is a big deal in this business,” said Steven Lipscomb, WPTE’s CEO. “This deal ensures that starting with day one of our online gaming re-launch there will be a plethora of cash games and tournament offerings available for our customers on a stable and proven platform. We will launch with a look and feel unique to World Poker Tour and will work with WagerLogic to incorporate additional WPT features that will begin to redefine and distinguish our product and customer experience.”

None of WagerLogic’s licensees serve US-based players.

Another delay in the "Neteller Two" case

Do the Feds Have a Case?

I’m thinking they’re still trying to cut a deal. Otherwise why would there be yet another delay in the case of Steve Lawrence and John Lefevbre (pictured left), the Neteller founders who were detained in the United States a few months ago with great pomp, circumstance, press releases, and film-at-eleven, by the Department of Justice.

The hearing was moved from April 16 to May 16. When hearings are postponed, the most likely scenarios are that the prosecution’s case is falling apart, or that they are playing a version of “Let’s Make A Deal,” in which both sides save face, and the government usually earns some pay-off money as the arrestees purchase a get out of jail card for $10 or $20 million or so, along with a promise never to misbehave again.

The Outcome is Likely to be a Face-Saving Deal

The hearing was initially set for March, then moved to April, and now to May. The longer the delays in this case, the better the chance that the only outcome will be some righteous, self-serving rhetoric by DoJ when they finally drop charges against the Neteller Two.

Lawrence and Lefebvre Have Never Been Charged With a Crime

It’s worth noting that Lawrence and Lefebvre have never been officially charged in the money-laundering case the DoJ claims to have against them, which doesn’t auger well for the quality of the case they claim they have.

Neteller Still Working on Plan to Repay Customers

While all that’s going on, Neteller itself is still working out a plan by which poker players who have money caught up in the Neteller pipeline, or funds sitting in accounts at Neteller with no current way to repatriate it, will be able to get their hands on their money.

Is the reaction to UIGEA reaching a tipping point?

“I think a lot of members of Congress voted for that (ban) without having given it a lot of attention,” Congressman Barney Frank (pictured right) said last week, adding, “And I think that there is growing opposition to it.”

Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, plans to introduce legislation “probably next week, maybe the week after” against the Internet gambling ban. “I think,” Frank said, “that this may be a case where, after the fact of having voted for it, people don't like it and they reconsider.”

Several meetings were held this past week in Washington DC by opponents of the U.S. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to decide how to challenge it.

A meeting last Thursday involved the House Financial Services Committee and online gambling lobbyists, while another meeting that same day involved discussions by major online gaming sites about how best to encourage player and gaming industry support for Congressman Barney Frank's efforts to repeal UIGEA.

Frank said he plans to introduce legislation to repeal UIGEA next week or the week after. In an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal (LVRJ) last week, Frank said that resistance to UIGEA is continuing to grow. On April 13 I reported in an earlier blog post that Frank said, “I think a reconsideration among my colleagues is beginning. I want to get it undone. I plan to file legislation."

Frank also stated that he would not move forward with the bill until other lawmakers are on board. "The first thing is to plant the banner out there and see how many people rally around it.”

The recent spate of meetings in Washington DC certainly seems to constitute a rally around the anti-UIGEA flag, just as Frank hoped.

While Frank’s efforts are designed to rescue online gaming, Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV) plan to introduce legislation that calls for a year-long study of Internet gambling by the National Academy of Sciences. This approach is supported by the American Gaming Association, which represents the major brick-and-mortar casinos in the United States.

Frank indicated he might support the Berkley-Porter bill, but added, "I want to go beyond the study."

The Poker Players Alliance, chaired by former Sen. Alfonse D'Amato (R-NY), intends to seek legislation to exempt online poker from UIGEA.

"In a number of areas, I am a libertarian," Frank told the LVRJ. "I think that John Stuart Mill's 'On Liberty' is a great statement, and I was just rereading it. I believe that people should be allowed to read and gamble and ride motorcycles and do a lot of things that other people might not want to let them do."

The goals of Frank, and those of the American Gaming Association and the Poker Player’s Alliance are not identical. The PPA represents online poker. Frank is working on behalf of his libertarian vision of individual rights. The AGA supports a study that will underpin efforts to legalize online poker in the Untied States. This legislation would pave the way for major, well-known Nevada casinos to get into the online gaming business in a big way — either with or without the current group of online casinos now operating offshore due to current US law.

While all parties have an interest in overturning UIGEA and creating a regulated climate for online gaming in the United States, their paths begin to diverge once that particular Rubicon has been crossed. Then it becomes a land rush of sorts, with all the major entities trying to stake out their position as the leading luminary in a more translucent, braver, and brighter online world than you might imagine given the current state of affairs right now.

ESPN Announces 2007 WSOP Lineup

ESPN plans to expand its coverage of the Main Event and the $50,000 buy-in HORSE mixed-game tournament at the 2007 World Series of Poker.

Although the final schedule is subject to change, ESPN plans to televise 16 hours of coverage of the WSOP Main Event, as well as 10 one-hour programs covering other bracelet events. The $50,000 HORSE Championship will receive six hours of airtime and the format of the final table will include all five games of HORSE.

11 Bracelet Events To Air; Main Event, HORSE Coverage Expanded

· June 1, Event No. 1: Mixed Hold’em World Championship, $5,000 buy-in.

· June 2, Event No. 3: No-Limit Hold’em, $1,500 buy-in.

· June 3, Event No. 4: Pot-Limit Hold’em, $1,500 buy-in.

OR

· June 4, Event No. 7: Pot-Limit Omaha, $5,000 buy-in.

· June 5, Event No. 8: No-Limit Hold’em, $1,000 buy-in with re-buys.

· June 8, Event No. 13: Pot-Limit Hold’em, $5,000 buy-in.

· June 17, Event No. 28: No-Limit Hold’em, $3,000 buy-in.

· June 18, Event No. 30: No-Limit Hold’em Six-Handed, $2,500 buy-in.

· June 19, Event No. 31: No-Limit Hold’em Heads Up, $5,000 buy-in.

OR

· June 20, Event No. 33: Pot-Limit Omaha with Re-buys, $1,500 buy-in.

· June 24, Event No. 39: HORSE World Championship, $50,000 buy-in.

· July 1, Event No. 50: Pot-Limit Omaha World Championship, $10,000 buy-in.

· July 6, Event No. 55: No-Limit Hold’em Main Event, $10,000 buy-in.

Air times for the ESPN coverage will be released in the coming months.The 2007 World Series of Poker begins June 1 at the Rio® All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. More information on the tournament is available at www.worldseriesofpoker.com .

Working with the World Poker Association

I was elected to the Board of Trustees of the World Poker Association and attended my first, and the organization’s initial board meeting yesterday.

The World Poker Association is positioning itself to function in much the same way as the PGA does for the world of golf, by uniting everyone in the world of poker, and giving each member one voice and one vote on all issues pertaining to the industry’s future.

The WPA was founded by Jesse Jones, who contributed $100,000 of his own money to get the organization off the ground. The WPA mission statement is “To assure the integrity of tournament poker by establishing fair and consistent standards and thereby increase the opportunities of individuals and organizational members worldwide. “

The WPA’s current focus is on a number of issues critical to poker, including:

Codes of ethics and codes of conduct
Uniform tournament rules and rankings
Uniform tournament standards
Relationships with media
Incorporation of international associates
Governmental and regional affairs
Charitable contributions

By becoming the standard bearing governing body of tournament poker, the WPA will increase poker’s legitimacy.

If you are interested in becoming a member, you can register online at http://www.wpapoker.org/. You can contribute $1,000 and become a Founding Member, or $50 annually to become a voting member. Non-voting memberships are available for $10 annually.

The initial 9-member board includes Annie Van Bebber, Chris Bigler, Wendeen Eolis, Jesse Jones, Mary Jones, Warren Karp, Marcel Luske, Harry Thomas, and me.

I’ll post more about the World Poker Association in the future. But for now I’d like to remind you that the organization is planning to have a big presence at the upcoming World Series of Poker. If you’re planning to be at the WSOP, stop by and say hello. And while you’re there, take out your checkbook and become a member.

Drew, Doyle, and Wasicka

Drew Barrymore’s poker film, Lucky You, set for May 4 release
Lucky You, the Drew Barrymore (pictured left) movie that was supposed to be released a year ago — I still have some souvenir chips advertising the Barrymore film that were distributed as the 2006 WSOP — looks like it will finally make it to theaters this spring. The official release date is now set for May 4, 2007. But be forewarned, this is the tenth or eleventh release date for the film so far.

The movie is directed by Curtis Hanson, who directed LA Confidential and Eight Mile, and was penned by Oscar-winning screenwriter Eric Roth, who wrote Forrest Gump. Lucky You features cameos by Jack Binion, Doyle Brunson, Johnny Chan, Hoyt Corkins, Eli Elezra, Antonio Esfandiari, Sam Farha, Chris Ferguson, Ted Forrest, Phil Hellmuth, Chau Giang, Barry Greenstein, Jennifer Harman, Dan Harrington, John Juanda, Jason Lester, Erick Lindgren, Minh Ly, Mike Matusow, Daniel Negreanu, Erik Seidel, Huck Seed, Mimi Tran, Cyndy Violette Robert Williamson III.

Doyle’s Room joins Microgaming network
Microgaming announced that online poker site Doyle’s Room will join its growing poker network.

A spokesperson for Doyle's Room commented on the company joining Microgaming's network, "We are delighted to be joining the Microgaming network. We reviewed many software providers in our search for a better gaming experience for our players and Microgaming met all of our requirements in terms of liquidity, tournaments and player features."

Paul Wasicka signs representation agreement with Poker Royalty
Paul “Kwickfish” Wasicka announced that he reached a representation agreement with Poker Royalty. The agency will represent Wasicka exclusively, and announced that Wasicka will represent Full Tilt Poker in the 2007 WPT Championship and in this year’s World Series of Poker. Wasicka will also represent Full Tilt Poker on his website, http://www.kwickfish.com.

When the shoe is on the other foot

$3 billion in trade piracy is big business

China pirates copyright material such as movies, information technology, pharmaceuticals, software, consumer and industrial products, and books, and the US doesn’t like it very much. Losses to Chinese piracy are approximately $3 billion annually, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. The US is contemplating filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization against China.

Will the US complain to the World Trade Organization?

The US will be on shaky ground if they do file a complaint with the Geneva based trade referees because of their refusal to comply with the WTO in the case brought and won by tiny Antigua. While the US doesn’t want Antigua to have access to online gaming activity from the US, they should realize that China is much more important. Follow the money; that gets congressional attention.

And are we on shaky ground if we do?

The Antigua issue continues to rise on congressional radar. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (pictured left), the ranking Republican member of the House Congressional Committee on Foreign Affairs, wrote to the US Trade Representative http://www.antiguawto.com/LettertoUSTR.pdf asking about plans to resolve the issues of a favorable ruling for Antigua.

Rep. Ros-Lehtinen noted, "…our failure to resolve this dispute may harm our credibility as we seek to press countries like China regarding their violations on a range of issues, including intellectual property protection, subsidies, and currency manipulation." She then stated, "In the event the United States fails to reach a satisfactory resolution of the Antigua dispute, it could provide China with an argument to ignore a WTO decision favorable to the United States."
Congressman Barney Frank will introduce a bill in the next two weeks to end the online gaming ban in the United States.

Rally 'round the flag.....

“I think a reconsideration among my colleagues is beginning. I want to get it undone. I plan to file legislation," Frank said, although he also stated that he would not move forward with the bill until other lawmakers are on board. "The first thing is to plant the banner out there and see how many people rally around it.”

Who's afraid of the big, bad wolf?

Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, two sites owned by Absolute Entertainment that continue to allow US based real-money players, recently changed their marketing plans. Pros such as Antonio Esfandiari will no longer promote the site.

According to reports I’ve seen, the sites believe that these players could be targets for the Department of Justice and that their business relationships with the sites could be viewed as "aiding and abetting" Internet gambling.

However, Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke will remain with Ultimate Bet and continue to promote the brand.

While that seems inconsistent to me, I have no other information available to that might help me unify what appears to be two different positions.

There’s always the bigger picture too. If the Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet pros are potential targets for the DOJ, what about all the pros who represent Full Tilt Poker. They’ve almost cornered the market on tournament players who represent them. Is there some chance that the DOJ will arrest the entire lot of them in one fell swoop?

I’ve got to believe the Full Tilters have thought long and hard about this and reached the decision that they are safe. I sure hope so. I hope we all are.

Atlanta poker busts were exercises in stupidity

Now that a judge was arrested during the second gambling bust in suburban Atlanta in as many days, it shows just how really silly the entire operation was.

Fifty-two people were rounded up Tuesday night at the Poker Palace in Jonesboro and charged with misdemeanor gambling. The owners are charged with keeping a place of gambling and possession of gambling equipment, both felonies.

The arrests concluded a month long investigation by the Clayton County Sheriff's Office vice unit. I don’t have a clue about how Georgia law enforcement thinks, but it couldn’t have been too tough to tell that a poker game was going on. A sign out front said, “Poker Palace.” But it took the cops two years to get their act together, which is surprising because the club was literally down the street from the sheriff's office.

Did it really take them two years to open their eyes?

The sheriff claimed to be infuriated when asked how the casino could operate so close to law enforcement. All that comes to my mind is that classic line from Casablanca, when the police chief, played by Claude rains says, “I’m shocked, shocked to see that gambling is going on here.” As he finishes the sentence, a croupier comes running up, hands him a rack of chips, and say, “Your winnings, sir.”

What an incredible waste of law enforcement manpower this all is. The club was operating for two years right down the street from the sheriff’s office with neither complaint nor incident. They catered to a wide variety of customers — judges included — who were there to play poker, and weren’t a threat to anyone.

You can blame the sheriff for a bit of bumbling stupidity. You can also blame Georgia's anachronistic laws. At least Georgia law enforcement didn’t behave like the cops in Dallas did a few months. There were a couple of really ugly arrests there, with fully armed swat teams busting card games and knocking down doors as though they were about to capture a team of terrorists in the final stages of manufacturing a briefcase sized nuke.

Busting poker players is really a tragic waste of taxpayer dollars and it doesn’t take much creativity at all to think of a raft of other ways that law enforcement units could have been better deployed.

This raid followed a similar raid by one day, when Roswell police arrested 27 poker players Monday.

I guess Atlanta area poker players will have to lay low for awhile, or perhaps they'll all get together and book a discount tour to Tunica sometime soon.

Stepping on toes: Bellagio World Cup and WSOP dates overlap

A schedule for the Bellagio’s World Cup III just arrived today, and it looks like it’s designed to provide plenty of competition for the World Series of Poker. The WSOP runs from June 1 through July 17, and overlaps the World Cup on both ends.

By the time the World Cup begins on June 11, eighteen WSOP events will be complete. Yes, that right, 18 WSOP events will be concluded between June 1 and June 10. Check out the WSOP schedule at http://www.worldseriesofpoker.com/events/eventinfo.sps?eventid=43306 and you’ll see they’ve scheduled two events for most days.

The World Cup gets underway at the Bellagio on June 11 — all the events are hold’em — and there’s one event each day through July 7. July 8 and 9 feature two super satellites per day — one at 1:00 PM and the other at 10:00 PM — with as many seats as possible awarded for the 4-day, $10,000 + $300 buy-in, Bellagio Cup III. The World Cup begins on July 10 and runs through July 13.

In other words, there’s a 30 day overlap between WSOP events and Bellagio World Cup III events, giving players all the choices they could possibly hope for. In fact, if you get knocked out quickly enough, you can play a WSOP event at noon, find your way to the Bellagio for a 1:00 PM start, and if you’re KO’d there too, you can make it back to the WSOP for the 5:00 PM event that same afternoon.

If things really go to hell in a hand basket, you can get back to the Bellagio for one of their nightly, 8:00 PM $1,080 buy-in tournaments.

With super satellites set for July 8 and 9, and the World Cup beginning on July 10, players who are eliminated early from the championship event at the Rio can find their way back to the Bellagio for another chance to book a big win.

The Dark Side of Fame: Threatening phone calls force Joe Hachem to move

An Australian newspaper reported that former WSOP winner Joe Hachem has been forced to move his family to a new house in a different section of Melbourne after repeated telephone calls and letters threatened Hachem and his family.

"We've just bought a house recently, more for security reasons because my address was public knowledge." said Hachem. "You get a few phone calls, you get a letter in the mail and you think, 'You know what, I don't need this'."

"I didn't expect it," Hachem said. "I just thought I'd be world champion, get a nice endorsement and go back to my normal life. Bullshit, there's nothing normal about my life these days."

Russia liberates poker as US tries to send it to the gulag

Russia's President Putin recently signed a bill to eventually ban gaming in Russia outside of those casinos located in four special gaming zones. The decision by Russian Sports Minister Slava Fetisov to define poker as a sport will permit poker to be played in outside of the gaming zones without running headlong into their new gambling laws.

Dmitry Lesnoy, President of the new public Russian Sport Poker Federation said, "It is so pleasant that with the general background of persecution from the government towards gambling, the state still revealed wisdom and agreed with a factor, that poker can not belong to the category of gambling. It is a sport!"

This is a unique perspective. We see Russia as a country that liberates and regulates poker, while the USA is working hard to eradicate the online version of the game. Is there something wrong with this picture?

Antigua vs the USA; what's next?

Last week the World Trade Organization (WTO) ruled that the unilateral prohibition imposed by the US on offshore Internet gambling is illegal.

In a case brought by the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda against the United States, the WTO’s appeals panel judgment said that the United States "had an opportunity to remove the ambiguity between legal betting on horse racing across state borders and strictures and prohibitions on other types of gambling but instead, rather than take that opportunity, the US enacted legislation that confirmed that the ambiguity at the heart of this dispute remains.”The big question is what will happen next. The usual kind of sanctions imposed in these situations will not be meaningful because Antigua, with a population of less than 80,000 is too small to have an impact on the United States.

But the WTO has a provision for just such contingencies, designed to prevent big bullies from simply ignoring their trade disputes adjudicated before the WTO.

Antigua can ask that sanctions be imposed on the US. The most likely and most damaging would be authorization by the WTO to withdraw overseas protection for US trademarks and copyrights. Called “cross-retaliation,” the United States would feel its impact because it would be tantamount to approval by the WTO of Antigua inviting all the world’s software pirates to set up shop on their warm, sun-drenched shores.

This is something Microsoft and dozens of other multinational software firms would not like at all, and would quickly make their views known to the United States.

Moreover, other nations with a legal and regulated online gaming presence, such as the UK, might stand behind Antigua and lend them support in their efforts.

No one wants to see an escalation to cross retaliation, and it’s impossible to tell if this dispute will play out in this manner, but Antigua, while small, is not without a few big sticks to wave at the United States.

I’m not going to venture a guess, but I’m hoping that a change of administrations here in the US in 2008 will result in movement toward accommodating the rulings of the WTO, before this issue escalates completely out of control.

My favorite TV poker show, High Stakes Poker, to begin taping Season Four next month

I was overjoyed to hear the news that my favorite TV poker show, High Stakes Poker (HSP), will tape its fourth season in Las Vegas next month. I’m not alone in liking this show. Everyone I talk to seems to be captivated by watching a real cash game where millions of dollars are on the table and in play.

Rich Cronin, President and CEO of the Game Show Network (GSN) announced yesterday that High Stakes Poker continues to grow and is GSN's top rated program for the key demographic, adults between the ages of 18-34. "We are very pleased with the success of High Stakes Poker and the tremendous buzz it has generated," said Cronin. "It is far and away the most talked about poker show. We plan on making HSP 4 the richest season yet with players bringing up to a million dollars of their own money to play in the biggest cash game on TV."

Season four of HSP will be taped next month at the South Point Hotel, Casino and Spa in Las Vegas and will air in the fall. The final episode of the third season will be aired Monday, April 9 at 9 PM ET, with reruns beginning the following Monday, April 16 at 9 PM.

If you haven’t watched this show, it’s worth watching just to listen in on some of the banter between players. The fact that they are playing for millions in real money — not tournament chips — is pretty compelling too.

Hypocrisy

A small note buried inside the business section of today's newspaper said, "The Bush administration on Monday accused 63 trading partners, including China and the European Union, of erecting unfair barriers to American exports." The report goes on to say that the administration is considering filing a case against China before the World Trade organization.

File a complaint at the WTO? Say what? Isn't that what Antigua did? And they won. And their victory was upheld on appeal?

So why doesn't the United States honor its WTO agreements with Antigua so that they can pursue cases against the European Union and China with their skirts clean?

I don't know. I'm just a poker player who has always played the game by the rules, and played on the up-and-up. Those policy makers in Washington play by a different set of rules. They're politicians.

Something Stinks! Could it be the timing of BetOnSports founder Stephen Kaplan's arrest?

Last Friday, US Attorney Catherine Hanaway (pictured right) had BetOnSports founder Stephen Kaplan arrested in the Dominican Republic and charged in a 22-count criminal case as the company's top official. Hanaway's spokeswoman Jan Diltz said a hearing on Kaplan's detention will be held on April 4th.

Is Kaplan's arrest a ploy to deflect attention away from the United States' defeat at the World Trade Organization?

The timing of Kaplan’s arrest makes him look more like a pawn in a chess game than a fugitive from justice. Hanaway’s announcement of Kaplan’s arrest appears timed to deflect attention away from the World Trade Organization’s announcement that the US failed to change its ban on Internet betting to comply with the WTO ruling that US legislation unfairly targets offshore casinos.

Antigua contended that barring US residents from betting at offshore casinos harmed their efforts at economic diversification and that US trade commitments were violated by restrictions on Internet gambling.

Thirty-two licensed online casinos in Antigua employ 1,000 people and produce yearly revenue of $130 million. Seven years ago, prior to what Antiguan authorities contend are unfair US actions, casino annual income in Antigua was nearly $1 billion.

Why now?
Catherine Hanaway presumably could have popped Kaplan anytime. He could have been arrested when Former BetOnSports PLC Chief Executive Officer David Carruthers was busted some months back. So why now? The timing looks anything but coincidental.

Could this arrest be just a trap designed to be sprung once the US received the predictably unfavorable ruling from the WTO? Done that way, the impact of the WTO’s decision is minimized and attention is deflected away from Antigua’s victory and onto Stephen Kaplan’s arrest instead. The perp walk is always good for footage on the eleven o’clock news, even when it’s sound over substance, and even when nothing further will come of it.

Isn't this overkill?

The prosecution is being conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; and is a joint investigation by Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Does this sound like overkill to you? These resources ought to be spent tracking terrorists and criminal enterprises whose actions threaten people’s lives and security, instead of squandering resources prosecuting actions based on how people spend their discretionary income.

The 1961 Wire Act shouldn't frighten poker players one bit

If all of this was designed and orchestrated as a pot shot to be taken at the online poker community, remember this: These arrests were made under the 1961 Wire Act, a law that to my knowledge has never been successfully used against poker players. While the Department of Justice is fond of telling anyone within shouting distance that the Wire Act does cover poker as well as sports betting, courts don’t see it that way, and when it comes down to arresting people, neither do the actions of DOJ.

World Poker Association board of directors announced

April 2, 2007 -- The World Poker Association (WPA) announced today the formation of its board of trustees. In an election that took place February 25 to March 10, nine members were selected to serve terms from one to three years.

I'm one of the nine, and happy to serve on this organization's first Board of Directors.

The initial board members include:

Annie Van Bebber - Annie is a recognized entrepreneur and authority on New Media and the Internet. She is currently Founder and CEO of Fundraisers.com and has been dedicated to a variety of social causes for 35 years raising millions of dollars for charity. Van Bebber is well-known for creating brand building strategies, as well as masterminding award-winning websites and properties. Ms. Van Bebber was a founding partner of Attitude Network, where she led its HappyPuppy.com video games site to highly-acclaimed, record-Internet-success and a partner in the award-winning StarChefs.com. She was formerly Chairman of the Board of the Computer Game Developers Association and on the International Board of Delta Nu Alpha Transportation Fraternity.

Chris Bigler - Chris has 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and management consultant. He has wide experience in the online poker industry. He is an original partner in Pokerpages.com. He was a senior consultant to management of a major online poker network. Chris is also an accomplished professional poker player.

Wendeen Eolis - Wendeen is CEO of EOLIS International Group, a legal management and attorney search consultancy. She is a former First Assistant/Senior Advisor to Governor George E. Pataki (NY) and former special advisor to New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani. Wendeen's wide range of extracurricular activities includes various civic directorships, community projects, speaking engagements, and writing assignments.

Jesse Jones - Jesse founded the World Poker Association on November 7, 2005 and launched the WPA website in March 2006. He has been a professional poker player for twenty years who has concentrated the last fifteen years on major poker tournaments around the globe. Married for 19 years he has been a financial planner and a commercial real estate investor; retired in 2005. He is a three time throat cancer survivor. He splits his time between homes in Las Vegas and Honolulu when not playing in major tournaments. His goal is to have the WPA become the PGA of poker.

Mary Jones - Mary's 25 year career as an accomplished business woman prepared her for the challenges of tournament poker. This was dramatically exhibited in her suspenseful win as the 2006 WSOP Ladies No Limit Hold'em Champion. Her previous business positions include General Manager-Sales, EMBARQ; Director of Strategy & Planning, AT&T; International Sales Director, AT&T; and Director of Sales & Marketing, Ernst & Young. She also has considerable experience working with various non-profit organizations.

Warren Karp - As a tournament director he began his career at Larry Flint's Hustler Casino in 2002. and ran the largest ever buy-in 7-card Stud event. From there he moved to Binion's Horseshoe where he was part of the team that ran the 2003 & 2004 WSOP. During that year he joined the International Poker Federation, as its official TD. The goal then and now is to unify worldwide rules and the mission statement includes well run, well staffed, fun & fair events. The European Poker Tour (EPT) asked him to run two of the events in Copenhagen and Deauville, France. In 2005 as he was appointed tournament director for the World Poker Showdown, with locations like St. Maarten, Costa Rica, The Bahamas, and Caribbean Cruises. He is a professional poker player.

Lou Krieger - Lou Krieger, who has been playing poker since childhood, is currently the editor of Poker Player Newspaper and has written more than 400 columns about poker strategy for a variety of magazines. Casino Journal Magazine, the industry bible, in 2000 named Krieger one of the most influential gaming writers of the past 100 years -- an honor accorded to only five poker authors. More than 20 years as a management consultant Lou Krieger worked for one of the largest consulting firms in the world, and subsequently founded and later sold his own successful consulting practice which provided him with a variety of tools to provide responsive leadership and direction.

Marcel Luske - Known as the "Flying Dutchman," this European poker giant is easily recognized thanks to his swank table image. Internationally known as one of the more wily and stylish players to come out of Europe, Marcel has a history of success at worldwide events with victories in Holland, Spain, Finland, and Austria. Marcel was the European Player of the Year in 2001. Truly an intercontinental champion, Marcel continues to be a worthy representative of the game.

Harry Thomas - Harry is self employed as a real estate developer. He has been playing tournament poker for over twenty years with 50 cashes and over $700,000 in lifetime earnings including a WSOP bracelet. Harry won the 16th Annual WSOP Seven Card Stud Limit Championship in 1985.

The WPA was incorporated on November 7th, 2005 in Las Vegas, Nevada as a nonprofit association. The mission of the WPA is to assure the integrity of tournament poker by establishing fair and consistent rules and procedures and thereby increase the opportunities of individual and organizational members worldwide. The board will have its first meeting April 16th in Las Vegas Nevada.