11.18.2008 05:27 PM Peak Group Malta, the parent company of Sun Poker, has announced that its online poker site will be moving to Playtech’s ever-expanding iPoker Network in the middle of December. Should they choose to, players will be able to remain on the CryptoLogic Network until January 31st, 2009. Players will have new accounts opened for them on the iPoker Network and will need to download the software in order to play. It will be necessary for players to transfer their balances over, but that can be accomplished directly within their accounts on Cryptologic.
MPPs will not be transferable to iPoker, but Sun Poker will be hosting special promotions after the move which will be based on the number MPP’s a player has accumulated on the Cryptologic network.
In 2007, iPoker integrated the Tribeca Poker into a network that now includes online poker rooms such as Expekt Poker, Titan Poker and VC Poker.
11.17.2008 03:17 PM Players trying to access T6 Poker last week were greeted with an unexpected notice on the online poker website that read:
Dear Players,
We have an important announcement to make. We will be changing network and will be offline for a short time period until we reopen on the new network. It was a hard decision, but by doing this we will have more players, which is important for you.
Please notice that all funds will be transfered and we are looking forward to see you at the tables again. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. Meanwhile we are proud to announce that we are launching our new bingo and casino stay tuned for further information.
Best Regards
T6poker
T6 Poker is owned by Torben Hübertz, a 31-year-old Danish entrepreneur who was funding T6 through multi-level marketing scheme in which individuals investing would collectively share 63 percent of profits generated by rake.
It is not known at this point whether or not T6 will return, however, other sites such as Tropical Poker, used a similar ruse in order to allow the owners sufficient time to make a clean getaway, taking player's funds with them.
11.16.2008 12:05 PM The Court of Appeals of Kentucky has granted a motion to stay a forfeiture hearing for 141 Internet domain names. Kentucky Gov. Stephen Beshear had sought the seizure of the domain names, most related to Internet gambling, in order to protect the state’s own gambling industry from competition by online gambling sites.
The Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA), an Internet trade association in Washington, DC, asked the appeals court to stay the forfeiture hearing ordered by district court Judge Thomas Wingate scheduled for Dec. 3rd, until the appeals court had an opportunity to consider iMEGA’s petition to have the lower court seizure ruling overturned. A hearing to consider that petition has been scheduled for Dec. 12th in Louisville.
“This matter has generated concerns across the online world about abuse of governmental power,” said Joe Brennan Jr., iMEGA’s chairman. “Kentucky is opening the door for any government - state and local, foreign and domestic - to use what amounts to blackmail to achieve its ends. If this precedent is allowed to stand, it’s not hard to imagine a government like China utilizing this kind of seizure power to prevent free media, like the New York Times, from reaching their citizens.”
11.14.2008 12:41 PM Several parties involved in the Kentucky domain name seizure case filed briefs yesterday in the Kentucky Court of Appeals, in opposition to the Franklin County Circuit Court’s October 16 ruling. The Court of Appeals is scheduled to review the case on Monday, November 17. Among those who filed briefs are the Kentucky office of the ACLU, Network Solutions, Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Democracy and Technology and the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).
The addition of the ACLU, along with some of the world’s most influential Internet freedom public interest groups, to the list of those in opposition to Kentucky’s action is further evidence of the far-reaching and potentially damaging implications this action could bring. The PPA filed its brief because they believe the court made a gross error in judgment when it ruled that the “essence” of the game of poker was chance. While the State offered no evidence to prove that chance is the essence of the game of poker, those representing the online poker industry and its players provided substantial evidence to the court showing poker to be a game of skill.
This evidence was apparently ignored by the court and the court failed to conduct an evidentiary hearing—a fundamental principle of legal due process. The judge simply ruled on the point of fact, without the state offering any facts contrary to the substantial evidence submitted by PPA. The issue of whether poker is a game of skill, and thus legal in Kentucky, has support in case law and in science.
In summary, the PPA believes that the Franklin County Circuit Court is proceeding quickly toward an incorrect decision that will be costly to the citizens of Kentucky and poker players across the country. The PPA has submitted this brief in support of the request that the Kentucky Court of Appeals prohibit the Franklin Circuit Court from further proceedings that will create irreparable harm to residents of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
11.13.2008 02:27 PM Due to recent events in the Commonwealth of Kentucky Cake Poker will no longer be accepting players from the state of Kentucky. There are no issues or restrictions regarding any other US states.
11.12.2008 02:16 PM There has been some confusion regarding Microgaming and its availability to US residents. As of yesterday, Microgaming will no longer be accepting new signups from the United States. Players with existing accounts will not be affected unless they are residents of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Kentucky.
Additionally, some Microgaming sites are also locking out players who reside in states neighboring banned locations such as Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri. Players in these states need to contact support and provide proof of identification in the form of a Utility Bill or other identification documenting their residency. The respective players will then be able to continue gaming with us as usual.
11.11.2008 03:25 PM Spoiler alert: If you want to wait to see the broadcast to find out who wins. Stop reading now.
This year’s WSOP began with 6,844 players in early July and was suspended after a week-and-half when the field was reduced to the Final Table number of players, branded the November Nine. What is not known at this point is whether or not the wait boosted the ratings for ESPN as was hoped. The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. (EST) with a preview show and the Final Table play begins at 9 p.m.
Peter Eastgate, 22, from Denmark became the youngest WSOP Main Event champion in history by beating Russia’s Ivan Demidov, 27. Eastgate won $9.1 million and Demidov took away $5.8 million. The previous youngest Main Event champion was Phil Hellmuth, who won the tournament 1989 when he was 24. The third-place finisher was the oldest player at the final table and the last remaining US resident in contention, Dennis Phillips, a 53-year-old account manager for a trucking company based in St. Louis. His take was $4.5 million.
11.10.2008 06:28 PM Just one week after a historic election, Poker Players Alliance (PPA) is pitted in a fight to keep anti-Internet poker regulations from being enacted and we NEED YOUR HELP!
The current Administration is hastily finalizing a number of “midnight rules” before they leave office and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) is on the list. Just like UIGEA was snuck into legislation in the dark of night in 2006, our opponents are again trying an 11th hour sneak job. We need you to help us expose and stop this reckless rulemaking.
Please call the U.S. Federal Reserve and tell them not to approve the UIGEA regulations — Board of Governors, 202-974-7008 or Public Affairs, 202-452-2955.
Tell them:
- The federal agencies responsible for our nation’s economy should not be focused on Internet poker regulations.
- Finalization of the UIGEA rules will add additional burdens on our already crippled financial systems.
- Internet poker is a game of skill and form of recreation for millions of Americans; it should be exempted from the UIGEA.
- Please do not finalize the UIGEA regulations until their impact on our banking systems and average Americans has been fully studied.
Your call will make a huge difference and will add the public’s voice to these last minute policy decisions our government is poised to make. We can’t stand idly by while they make decisions that will impact our right to play America’s card game. PLEASE CALL TODAY!
11.07.2008 12:53 PM
Players have reported they cannot login to Microgaming sites even though they are not residents of the banned US states. One problem is that the player’s Internet service may be hosted in one of banned states. If this is the case, players should contact the site’s support staff to fix this problem.
Another difficulty may be due to the following notice issued by a Microgaming licensed online poker site:
In order to ensure that we don’t run into anymore problems and due to Microgaming constraints we will be blocking all players from the surrounding states of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee and Missouri until we are supplied with a proof of identification in the form of a Utility Bill and an Identification Document. The respective players will then be able to continue gaming with us as usual.
There is also a strong possibility that as of Monday, Microgaming will no longer accept new US registrations.