Poker News

Andreas Oscarsson Murder May Be the Result of Extortion Attempt

A 44 year-old man linked to the Swedish version of the Hells Angels accused of “aggravated extortion” may be involved in the murder of PokerListings.com founder Andreas Oscarsson, according to several Swedish news outlets.

In August, Oscarsson was found dead in his Swedish home after taking a trip to the European country with his son. According to Poker.se, “Oscarsson was one of those people who was scheduled to testify in a trial in Stockholm a few weeks.” Purportedly, the Hells Angels member became involved after parties may have attempted to extract $2 million from Oscarsson.

In 2003, Oscarsson sold PokerListings.com to a Swedish company and when that group tried to sell, it found that its value was less following the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States in 2006. Then, extortion allegedly occurred, whereby individuals who may or may not have been associated with the company attempted to recoup some of the lost revenue at the expense of Oscarsson. Stefan Bengtsson was the head of the company that purchased the popular poker information site, but denied any involvement in Oscarsson’s death. He told the Swedish media outlet Aftonbladet, "I do not comment on the investigation, but obviously we had nothing to do with blackmail."

In addition, Aftonbladet reported that no one associated with Bengtsson’s company was suspected of being involved with the murder of Oscarsson four months ago. The Swedish news outlet added, “Police suspect now that Andreas Oscarsson's testimony may have been a motive for his murder. But no one has yet been arrested.” The 44 year-old was allegedly going to split any money drawn from Oscarsson; the shareholders would receive the remaining portion of the funds.

Prior to Oscarsson’s murder, another man with the same name was killed in the Swedish town. In addition, according to SpelaCasino.se, “It is also alleged that Oscar's economic adviser was attacked, shot and wounded in the leg, a crime for which two men subsequently were arrested. The accused man also threatened Adviser via both telephone and SMS, many times.” The UIGEA, attached to the SAFE Port Act, an unrelated port security measure, drove many sites with publicly traded parent companies out of the market, including PartyPoker (owned by Party Gaming), Pacific Poker (owned by 888), and Paradise Poker (owned by Sportingbet).

According to an article published on Poker News Daily last month, the value of Bengtsson’s share of PokerListings.com fell from 50 million Swedish Kronor to 36 million, a slide of nearly 30%. It’s been believed that Oscarsson’s murder was a contract killing, a theory that has been supported by the recent developments in the case. Oscarsson was murdered overnight while his son slept nearby. It wasn’t clear whether or not his son was awake at the time of his father’s death and police had initially questioned the youngster. A father asleep nearby did also not awaken when the murder occurred. Gas was suspected, although it was not clear if it was used to subdue Oscarsson's father and son.

PokerListings.com currently has reporters dispatched to the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, which kicks off on Monday from the Bellagio in Las Vegas. PokerListings.com staff will then head to the PokerStars Caribbean Adventure in January, followed by the WPT Southern Poker Championship. Stay tuned for the latest on the Andreas Oscarsson murder investigation right here on Poker News Daily.

Bodog Founder Calvin Ayre Featured in National Post

On Saturday, the National Post ran an article entitled “Calvin Ayre online gaming tycoon,” a profile of the founder of the popular online poker room, casino, and sports book Bodog. Ayre donned a Bodog Fight shirt for the interview’s image.

Diane Francis was tasked with interviewing Ayre in Antigua and the news outlet described the internet mogul as “semi-retired.” The article begins with Francis asking Ayre about the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), approved by better than a 3:1 edge in the House of Representatives before being attached to the SAFE Port Act at the urging of then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). When asked if Canadian authorities had pursued Ayre in any capacity related to the 2006 law, he told the Post, "No. I haven't lived in Canada for ten years or been in the Canadian tax system. The legal system did not allow me to do this in Canada. Now I like living in the tropics.”

Ayre revealed that he owns the rights to the domain name Bodog.com and licenses the rights to the network to affiliates located around the globe. In the United States, for example, Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, a Canadian outfit, owns the rights to market the brand. After recently releasing “Survivor: China” castaway Jean-Robert Bellande, Bodog’s stable of poker pros currently stands at three: Evelyn Ng, Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo, and David Williams.

The Post then inquired about Bodog’s revenue figures. Ayre explained, "My current deals aren't revenue based and are all different structures which I don't talk about. Forbes audited our books and based the number on the same multiple that the British public companies were trading at, or more than $1.5 billion. In 2006, Bodog made US $320 million in revenues and 25% profit." After the UIGEA was passed into law, online poker sites with publicly traded parent companies like PartyPoker and Pacific Poker exited the market, leaving sites like Bodog, PokerStars, and Full Tilt Poker to pick up the slack.

On the current legality of online poker in the United States, Ayre told the Post, “Poker is not illegal to bet online in the U.S. because it's considered a skilled game. It's a gray area, but there are lots of American companies with poker sites.” This year, Bodog forged its own poker network and will purportedly begin accepting non-Bodog domains into its ranks next year. Jonas Odman, Vice President of the Bodog Network, told Poker News Daily that a “unique solution” to rakeback will help differentiate the family of sites from others in the industry.

In September, Ayre served as the keynote speaker at the Budapest Affiliate Conference. He told event organizers at the time, “I’m very flattered to have been asked to be this year’s keynote speaker in Budapest. The iGaming space is the birthplace of the Bodog brand, and it remains one of the must dynamic and fascinating sectors in the entertainment space.” In addition to Morris Mohawk, Bodog’s licensees include Bodog Europe and Bodog Asia. The former recently opened its doors to Canadian online poker players.

According to PokerScout.com, which keeps tabs on online poker room traffic, Bodog is the 15th largest site or network worldwide with a seven-day running average of 860 real money ring game players. During its peak hours, around 1,500 cash game players call the site home. Its traffic is comparable with that found on PKR and every Sunday, the site hosts its $100,000 Guaranteed, a $162 buy-in event that kicks off at 4:00pm ET. The tournament regularly sees a $20,000 to $30,000 overlay, with $29,000 kicked in by the site last week.

Read the entire Calvin Ayre interview with the National Post.

WSOP Champ Joe Cada Heads to Capitol Hill

Tuesday will mark a busy day in the life of 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event Champion Joe Cada. The youngest winner of the $10,000 buy-in tournament ever, Cada will travel to Capitol Hill flanked by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA).

The PPA has seen its own string of victories as of late, including achieving a six-month delay of the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). Now, the 1.2 million member strong lobbying organization will bring the current face of the game to Capitol Hill. Cada told Poker News Daily in an exclusive interview, “I’m meeting with Congressmen for the PPA. I’m still trying to get used to all of this.” PPA officials will accompany Cada around Capitol Hill and the youngster, who is now 22 years-old, will join the Sports Junkies radio show at 10:15am ET on WJFK.

Cada will visit with several lawmakers in pre-planned meetings, including Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (D-CA), who, according to the PPA, plays poker herself and is a friend of UB.com pro Annie Duke. Cada will also spend time with Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), who hails from the Main Event winner’s home state. He’ll be brought to the members’ dining room on Capitol Hill for lunch, where Cada will be introduced to those in attendance.

After lunch, Cada will meet with Congresswoman Candice Miller (R-MI), who represents Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. According to Cada’s agent, Miller will introduce him to entire House of Representatives on the chamber’s floor in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. He’ll then head to the offices of another Republican, Joe Barton (R-TX), the Ranking Member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce and a poker player. Finally, Cada will meet with members of the Nevada delegation in Washington, D.C. and the PPA will escort the $8.5 million winner around town before he heads for the airport.

On Cada’s itinerary, PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “We know that these members are interested in poker. They’re poker players themselves. This is to tell the story of the World Champion, the youngest winner in Main Event history.” Cada warmed up for the whirlwind of meetings by playing in Pappas’ home game on Monday night, a $40 rebuy tournament that saw him fade J-Q multiple times. About 10 players could be found at the game last night.

Local media and press on Capitol Hill were expected to join Cada during the day. He recently flew cross-country from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. after filming the “PokerStars.net Million Dollar Challenge.” Cada was one of the poker pros scheduled to appear on the show, but did not play against a PokerStars qualifier. Cada told Poker News Daily, “It was good, but I didn’t get to play at all because the qualifiers couldn’t get past the celebrities. I was supposed to play after that. I got to meet a few celebrities like Joanna Krupa and a lot more.”

The PPA saw several members of the WSOP Main Event final table don patches for the tournament’s conclusion, which aired on ESPN in mid-November. On the organization’s fight for the rights of poker players in both the online and offline versions of the game, Cada explained, “I’m all for what they’re doing. I haven’t had too much contact with them, but hopefully that can change very soon. It would be good to meet a bunch of Congressmen and speak with the PPA a lot more. It’s something I hope I can help with.”

In addition to his forthcoming appearances on Capitol Hill, Cada has made waves throughout mainstream media, including guest spots on the “Late Show with David Letterman” and the ESPN news franchise “SportsCenter.” He’s also become a hometown hero of sorts in Michigan, covered by nearly every local news outlet.

House Financial Services Committee: Key Issues

FBI Issues Online Poker Findings; PPA Responds

Online poker players tuned into last week’s House Financial Services Committee on internet gambling can recall a letter cited by Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) that claimed online poker games could be compromised.

The memo, dated November 13th and written by FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Shawn Henry, addresses six questions put forth by Bachus regarding the current state of affairs in the online poker world. The report states, “The technology exists to manipulate online poker games in that it would only take two or three players working in unison to defeat the other players who are not part of the team.” Henry’s analysis speculates as to whether online poker sites would spend the time and money needed to combat these tag team maneuvers: “It really comes down to a cost analysis for the vendor. How much money will I make or lose by detecting cheating and implementing safeguards?”

The letter from Henry then addresses money laundering possibilities in private online poker tournaments before Bachus asked if “qualified personnel” existed to regulate the game should it be legalized. Henry responded, “FBI investigative resources are focused on our highest priorities, that being counterterrirosm, counterintelligence, and cyber threats to critical infrastructure.” No mention of online poker or internet gambling is given in Henry’s response to this question.

Henry questions the age and location verification mechanisms that online poker sites currently have in place. Henry responds, “For age verification, the possession of a credit card is usually the only validation these sites require. Credit card numbers are easily compromised and can be bought by the hundreds on several ‘underground’ websites.” On the question of location verification, Henry asserts, “While geolocation can be accurate when used to determine the physical country of residence, it becomes exponentially less accurate when determining the city or zip code.”

Also discussed in the letter from the FBI Cyber Division official are bots, programs against the Terms of Service of most major sites. In addition, Bachus asks whether U.S. law enforcement officials have had any conversations with their counterparts overseas where internet gambling is regulated about “potential vulnerabilities.” Henry emphatically claims, “The FBI has not engaged in this discussion with our foreign partners.” On casino bot programs manipulating online games, Henry admits, “While casino software could very easily be employed to manipulate games, the FBI has no data in this area.”

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) was quick to point out the pitfalls of Henry’s letter. Its Executive Director, John Pappas, charged, “Every concern the letter raises is better addressed by licensing and regulation than by prohibition. The letter misconstrues much about the current state of online poker, but it does so in a way that clearly makes the case for why federal oversight is necessary. Licensing and regulation is the most protective measure we can take to ensure the online community can be properly monitored while maintaining our internet freedom.”

The PPA added that Congressman Peter King (R-NY), the current Ranking Member and former Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, conveyed that money laundering and terrorism financing were not taking place through internet gambling. The PPA explains that online poker sites use credit databases to address age and location and that the Department of Justice has never found evidence that organized crime benefited from internet gambling. In total, the lobbying group notes, “In defense of Mr. Henry’s letter, it is intended to address the status quo, not the internet poker landscape under HR 2267.”

Age verification was one of the many issues discussed at last week’s hearing, which focused on HR 2267. The bill, proposed by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) crafts a complete licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States.

Internet Gambling Expert Reacts to UIGEA Regulations Delay

Over Thanksgiving, mandatory compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was postponed six months to June 1st, 2010. Poker News Daily sat down with internet gambling expert Nelson Rose to get his take.

Poker News Daily: What were your thoughts on the postponement of mandatory financial services industry compliance with the regulations of the UIGEA?

Rose: When powerful Congressmen like Barney Frank (D-MA) and Harry Reid (D-NV) tell administrative agencies to do something, they’re going to pay a lot more attention to it than when out of power members of Congress like Jon Kyl (R-AZ) weigh in. They also know that the UIGEA is a piece of garbage that was dropped on their heads. That happens to administrators: Congress passes something undoable and makes agencies figure it out.

PND: Talk about some of the pressures put on the Federal Reserve and Treasury to make this decision.

Rose: It was the Federal Reserve and Treasury, but they made a big point of saying that they consulted the Department of Justice, which they were required to do. That means that the Attorney General of the United States signed off on this.

Under President George W. Bush, we had some right-wing religious fanatics who were anti-gambling in charge, but we also had the Department of Justice that understood there were higher priorities. They knew they didn’t have a lot of good law on their side, so they were running a war of intimidation. Now, we have a sane Department of Justice led by people who understand priorities and that internet gambling isn’t a big deal compared with all of the other criminal problems in the world. Yet, there are still offices that have gone further than they did during the Bush administration by seizing the money of online poker players.

PND: Do you foresee sensible internet gambling legislation being passed in the next six months?

Rose: I think that this is the start of the process. The Democrats won’t do what Bill Frist (R-TN) did and try to ram this through when no one is looking by attaching it to a must-pass bill. They’ll have hearings, but unfortunately for everyone who is interested in it, it’s still a very low priority.

PND: What would have happened if the December 1st UIGEA compliance deadline stood?

Rose: I think nothing would have happened. I’ve talked to some banks and payment processors. They’re taking it very seriously, but they understand that the UIGEA rules specifically say don’t look at individual transactions, so they’re not going to do that. They’re concerned with setting up new accounts and no one is setting up illegal gambling operations in the United States.

PND: Give us your thoughts on overblocking, which crept up when legal online lottery transactions in North Dakota and New Hampshire were being denied.

Rose: The regulations make it clear not to look at individual transactions, but there are a lot of operators involved in things like horse racing, skill games, and free entry games that they would not do business with if they didn’t have legal opinions like the ones I’ve been writing. That’s the reason I think the regulations are actually helpful: they create a safe harbor that the banks can use to say that they’re in compliance with the UIGEA because they’ve sought out legal opinions.

Poker Industry Reacts to House Financial Services Committee Hearing

On Thursday, the House Financial Services Committee, Chaired by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), hosted a hearing on two internet gambling bills. Twenty-four hours later, the online poker industry has had a chance to respond.

In one portion of Thursday’s hearing, Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) referenced a letter he received from the FBI noting that the integrity of online poker games could be compromised. On the letter sent by Shawn Henry, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) retorted, “The PPA takes issue with certain representations made by Mr. Henry, but believes that the larger point is the more important one: Mr. Henry’s letter makes a compelling case for licensing and regulation of internet poker as proposed in HR 2267.” Bachus is the Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee and a staunch opponent of internet gambling interests.

Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) spokesperson Michael Waxman gave Poker News Daily his two cents on the 90-minute long hearing that took place on Thursday morning in one of Congress’ most powerful committees: “The hearing and witness testimony clearly portrayed why Congress should scrap an unrealistic attempt to ban internet gambling and regulate the burgeoning underground marketplace since it is the only effective way to protect consumers.” Witnesses covered the gamut, ranging from the banking industry to problem gambling interests.

Early on in the proceedings, Bachus questioned Frank as to why no representatives from the U.S. Treasury or Federal Reserve were present at the hearing. Frank responded that he had not received any such request. However, the Committee’s Chairman later recanted his statement after producing an e-mail dated 40 hours before the hearing began from Bachus’ staff calling for the Treasury or Fed to be present. The awkward exchange ultimately led to agreement that an additional hearing should take place featuring members of the two government organizations, setting up more debate on the internet gambling issue in 2010. The Treasury and Fed granted a six-month delay in compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

On the proceedings, Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily, “It’s good to see that the ball is rolling again. The trick is going to be if things are sustained beyond the hearing. The industry has this pace of getting a public hearing every six months, but there seems to be little follow-up. Seeing that the minority wanted to hear from the Treasury and Fed, it may be the opposition who keeps the ball rolling.” No hearing has been scheduled, although PPA Executive Director John Pappas expected swift movement to mark up HR 2267.

Bachus’ generalizations about millions of young Americans becoming addicted to online gaming if legalization were to occur rubbed many in the industry the wrong way. On some of the claims made by the high-ranking Alabama Congressman, PocketFives.com poster “RI Tony” commented, “This Bachus guy is a classic example of why I hate politicians. There would be no way to change this guy’s mind. He’s simple minded and arrogant, thinking he can legislate morality. Oh yeah, and like I’m going to play poker on my Blackberry as I’m driving or waiting in line at the supermarket as he suggested people would. Idiot.” Online sites like Cake Poker already offer a mobile client.

Bachus asserted, “If Congress repeals the law, online casinos will proliferate. In the next five years, I feel that if [we] are successful in creating a federal right to gamble on the internet, we will create a generation of millions of Americans who from their youth will be addicted to internet gambling and, therefore, life-long problem gamblers.” Frank labeled Bachus’ comments “hyperbole” and “based on no factual basis whatsoever.”

In June of 2008 during a separate committee hearing, Bachus relayed a study from McGill University claiming that one-third of college students who gambled on the internet attempted suicide. In fact, no such study had ever taken place. A representative for the university quipped, “I am confident the Congressman doesn’t read research – he could not misinterpret this.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest from Capitol Hill.

UIGEA Hearing Held

Over the 90-minute hearing, Frank delivered his case for legalizing and regulating the poker industry while Republican Rep. Spencer Bachus opposed the idea of changing the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that was passed in 2006.

Frank once again championed the two bills he introduced earlier this year, which would legalize and regulate the online gambling industry and delay the compliance date for UIGEA by one year.

The meeting was mostly informational and a number of witnesses took the floor including representatives from the Problem Gambling Council, the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, the Wired Safety Group, the Independent Community Bankers of America and Youbet.com.

The majority of the witnesses appeared to support Frank's proposed legislation and the idea of legalizing and regulating the online gaming world.

Speaking in opposition, Bachus revealed a letter from the FBI, claiming it suggested there were several ways to cheat at online poker and legalizing it would be opening up a pandora's box of corruption.

After the meeting concluded, the Poker Player’s Alliance said Bachus' argument sounded more like one to legalize and regulate online gaming than anything else.

“Every concern the letter raises is better addressed by licensing and regulation than by prohibition,” said John Pappas, executive director of the PPA. “The letter misconstrues much about the current state of online poker, but it does so in a way that clearly makes the case for why federal oversight is necessary.”

Although the hearing was adjourned without a vote, it does appear there will be more discussion on the topic as Committee Chariman Frank finished saying, “We will be returning to the subject next year.”

Poker2Nite Recaps UIGEA Compliance Delay

The six-month delay in compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was featured on Wednesday night’s episode of the UB-sponsored poker news show Poker2Nite.

The series, hosted by PokerRoad’s Joe Sebok and Scott Huff, opened with a discussion of the reprieve until June 1st, with the former explaining, “I don’t think we should start lying to ourselves and telling ourselves that all of the sites are going to start popping up. All this did is maintain the status quo.” Huff added, “The only way this was going to occur was if the message was being heard by more and more people.” Horse racing interests, members of Congress, and banking associations joined forces with the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) to petition U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke for a delay, which was granted last week.

A trip to a poker home game in Los Angeles revealed that few people understood what the PPA or UIGEA were. The segment served as a lead-in to an appearance via Skype by PPA Executive Director John Pappas, who told Huff and Sebok, “It gives us six months to work with Congress to try to clarify the law so it won’t affect people who want to play poker in the internet… What we’ve done is put the onus back on Congress. We’ll be pushing Congress to move quickly.” He ardently told Poker2Nite viewers who question the legality of online poker, “There is no Federal law that says playing online poker is illegal.”

Dana Workman’s “Weekly Misdeal” came with a sponsorship from Bluff Magazine this week. Her satirical news segment focused on the arrests of 75 to 85 year-old women in Cypress for playing poker as well as a new Irishman signing with PokerStars. She also took a shot at California State Senator Margarita Prentice, who is considering proposing a new video keno bill after serving as a major proponent of a law that made playing online poker in the Northwest state a Class C felony. Finally, Workman recapped the ESPN: The Magazine Body Issue featuring four nude poker players, including UB.com’s Phil Hellmuth.

A new segment called “All in Blind” featured six topics sealed in white envelopes. Both Sebok and Huff had no idea what they were and the duo selected three to discuss. Up for debate first was whether 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event runner-up Darvin Moon’s appearance on ESPN’s Monday Night Football or the 16-0 New England Patriots team was better. Huff chose Moon because “he actually got something,” while Sebok selected the Pats because “they got a little bit of history.” The Patriots lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

The second topic discussed on the Poker2Nite “All in Blind” segment was innerpsy’s short-lived online poker record of 40,088 hands played in a 24-hour period. Finally, Huff and Sebok debated whether they preferred James McManus’ poker history tale “Cowboys Full” or Doyle Brunson’s new autobiography “The Godfather of Poker.” Huff resoundingly selected McManus: “The New York Times says it’s good, so it’s good enough for me.” Contrastingly, Sebok emphatically chose Brunson, the figurehead for the poker industry..

Finally, the Poker2Nite Dictionary came to life. The show’s hosts discussed the meaning of “stacks ‘em off,” which translates to “to bust someone, or knock them out,” and “button,” which originally used to be called the “buck.” Huff claimed that phrases like “Pass the buck” President Harry Truman’s “The buck stops here” originated in poker.

Poker2Nite’s air time varies by market, but according to UB.com, the series begins at 11:00pm ET each Wednesday. When Poker News Daily caught the show, it was scheduled for 1:00am ET. Repeats are available on Fox Sports Net on Thursdays at 4:00pm ET and Fridays at 11:00am ET and 6:00pm ET.

Visit UB.com for more information and to view online clips.

Internet Gambling Discussed in House Financial Services Committee

On Thursday morning, the subject of internet gambling took center stage in an informative hearing in the House Financial Services Committee, Chaired by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). Seven witnesses participated.

The hearing began with Frank candidly stating, “It is nice to be able to think legislatively about other things besides the financial crisis, which has consumed this Committee since September of 2008.” It was over one year ago, just before the world’s economy crumbled, that internet gambling was last discussed in the Committee. Frank added, “There are a whole range of things on the internet that we would not like underage people to use. The notion that because some people abuse something, you prevent everyone from doing it is as great of a threat to the individual as any cause I have ever seen.” He went on to cite smoking, video games, and dieting as activities that people abuse.

The Committee’s Ranking Member, Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL), summed up many of the opposing arguments for legislation like HR 2266 and HR 2267. The former delays compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by one year, while the latter establishes a comprehensive framework for licensing and regulating the industry in the United States. Bachus asserted, “I believe that internet gambling is, has been, and will continue to be a substantial threat to our youth. Any economic benefits from taxing internet gambling would be more than offset by the harm it causes young people.” He then sourced a New York Times Letter to the Editor from a mother lamenting her son’s turn to internet gambling.

Bachus expressed remorse that the regulations of the UIGEA had not been fully implemented, citing last week’s six-month delay of their compliance: “These regulations should have been finalized and implemented more than two years ago. The House voted by an overwhelming number to stop illegal internet gambling. Chairman [Frank], it’s time for you, the Treasury, and the Fed to stop delaying the will of the great majority of this Congress and the American people.

Bachus noted that the Treasury and Federal Reserve, who granted the six-month compliance reprieve, should have been a part of Thursday’s witness panel. The Alabama Congressman quoted a letter from the FBI he received in November stating, “The FBI warns that technology exists to manipulate online poker games. The FBI rejects claims from vendors that they can validate age and location.” Frank retorted that he had not received a request from Bachus for the Treasury or Federal Reserve to be present, but later recanted his statement, referencing an e-mail from the Ranking Member’s staff late Tuesday afternoon. Both agreed that the Federal Reserve and Treasury should testify at a future hearing.

Seven witnesses each spoke for about five minutes, offering different viewpoints on the issue. Robert Martin, Tribal Chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, noted that tribes were not consulted in the extension of the UIGEA deadline and “By following the law, we are now facing unfair competition because of these bills. Allow the regulatory scheme [currently in place] to protect what we have built.”

Parry Aftab, Executive Director of Wired Safety, candidly explained, “It’s ironic that I am sitting here today saying that the only way to protect consumers is by legalizing it. If we don’t legalize it, we can’t regulate it.” She referenced a study by Professor Malcolm Sparrow from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, who explained, “Legalization with regulation would provide U.S. authorities the power to grant or deny licenses.” He added that HR 2267 is an “adequate framework” in which to operate.

Keith Whyte, Executive Director for the National Council on Problem Gambling, remarked, “While participation in internet gambling by U.S. residents appeared to decline after the passage of the UIEGA, we did not see a decrease in indicators of gambling problems, such as help line calls.” A chart submitted by Whyte showed that help line calls instead gradually increased every year since 2006, when the UIGEA was approved.

Jim Dowling from the Dowling Advisory Group lent his insight into fraud, money laundering, and terrorism, while Mike Brodsky, Executive Chairman of YouBet.com, discussed the presumably legal online horse racing market. The legality of online horse racing was discussed at length, with Frank noting that the Department of Justice said it was against the law in 2006. Brodsky added that 88% of online horse racing wagers are transmitted across state lines electronically, which Frank also questioned the legality of.

Also speaking was Samuel Vallandingham, Chief Information Officer and Vice President for The First State Bank in West Virginia. Interestingly, Vallandingham was the only financial services industry representative present and explained, “The added burden [of enforcing the UIGEA] would drain our resources… The law doesn’t define unlawful internet gambling. As a result, the burden rests solely on financial institutions.”

After 90 minutes, the hearing adjourned, with Frank noting that the Committee would take up the issue again in 2010. No markup vote on HR 2266 or HR 2267 was scheduled.

Internet Gambling to be Discussed in House Financial Services Committee

On Thursday, internet gambling will take center stage in the House Financial Services Committee. A hearing to be held at 10:00am ET in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building will discuss two bills that could change the landscape of the industry in the United States.

Although an official list of witnesses has not yet been announced at press time, Poker News Daily can confirm that National Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Keith Whyte will speak during the proceedings. Whyte told us that he received his formal invitation Wednesday morning and is looking forward to discussing the issue in front of the Committee tomorrow. A press release distributed by the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) on Wednesday added, “Top experts are expected to describe how existing systems and technologies have proven successful in blocking minors from gambling online, combating compulsive gambling, and protecting consumers against money laundering, fraud, and identity theft.”

SSIGI spokesperson Michael Waxman commented that his organization is looking forward to a well-rounded discussion that could lead to one of two internet gambling bills being marked up and passed: “This hearing will provide further evidence on the ability to effectively regulate internet gambling and require licensed operators to utilize already-proven technologies to protect consumers. It’s expected this hearing will answer any outstanding questions and pave the way for a vote in the committee on Chairman Frank’s legislation.” Thursday’s hearing marks the first major discussion of internet gambling in the House Financial Services Committee in over a year and is expected to last around two hours.

At issue will be HR 2266 and HR 2267, both introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). The former, dubbed the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act, delays mandatory compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by one year. Despite compliance being delayed by six months last week, a Committee spokesperson told Poker News Daily that HR 2266 would still be discussed on Thursday. The bill claims 53 co-sponsors.

Also to be discussed is HR 2267, Frank’s Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The measure, which was introduced on the same day in May as HR 2266, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for internet gambling companies to accept real money wagers from U.S. customers. It boasts 63 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle and is Frank’s latest attempt to undo the effects of the UIGEA, which was passed into law in 2006.

Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that markup of HR 2266 or HR 2267 could be scheduled within one week of the hearing, although it would be contingent on the Committee’s calendar. Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have been focusing their efforts on a faltering economy and major health care reform, the latter of which could come with a $1 trillion price tag. A study by the Joint Committee on Taxation revealed that up to $42 billion over a 10-year period could be reaped by taxing the internet gambling industry at a rate of 2% of deposits pursuant to Congressman Jim McDermott’s (D-WA) HR 2268.

Waxman put the hearing in perspective: “Coupled with last week’s decision by the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve to delay UIGEA implementation, this hearing further builds the case for Congress to rewrite U.S. gambling laws. It’s simply common sense to override the UIGEA, a poorly conceived law that is doomed to fail, and replace it with a framework that regulates a thriving underground marketplace to protect consumers and collect billions in otherwise lost revenue.” Despite the UIGEA, traffic on the USA-facing site Full Tilt Poker, according to a recent report released by PokerScout.com, is up 127% year over year.

We’ll have a complete recap of the hearing right here on Poker News Daily.

National Council on Problem Gambling Head Discusses Internet Research

Given that compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has been delayed six months to June 1st, 2010, research on the effects of online gaming may now take center stage as lawmakers craft sensible legislation. At the helm of the National Council on Problem Gambling is Keith Whyte, who sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss the internet side of problem gambling research.

In June, Congressmen Jim Moran (D-VA), Lee Terry (R-NE), and Frank Wolf (R-VA) introduced HR 2906, the Comprehensive Problem Gambling Act. The bill boasts 26 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle and allocates $71 million over five years for problem gambling awareness, research, and treatment. Its language was incorporated into Senator Robert Menendez’s (D-NJ) S 1597, the Internet Poker and Game of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act.

Poker News Daily: Thank you for joining us. Talk a little bit about the differences between live and online problem gambling research.

Whyte: A lot of the research we have is not online and there may be some significant differences between online and live players. When we think about online players, one of the ways I try to break it down is to look at the risk factors for gambling problems: high speed of play, social isolation, use of credit cards, higher limits, and easy access. Those can all be found in the online arena. All of the studies have found that internet gambling users tend to be younger and male. Also cited is that online gamblers are not necessarily losing a lot of money; they are just on there 14 hours a day to the detriment of their work and family life. Problem gambling is not just about the money.

PND: Online gamblers have access to a wide variety of options like poker, blackjack, sports, and casino carnival games. Does that increase, decrease, or not affect the propensity for problem gambling to occur?

Whyte: It’s a pretty robust finding that the more types of things you gamble on, the more likely you are to have a gambling problem. The fact that online gamblers tend to play more types of games means that they are more likely to develop a gambling problem.

PND: Is an online problem gambling study in the works?

Whyte: As we work on Capitol Hill, there are a lot of people asking questions about the online environment. One of the reasons we haven’t done the research is funding and resources. As an advocacy organization for programs that assist problem gamblers, a lot of our focus is on prevention and treatment. For example, we’re still trying to build a safety net for problem gamblers at the state level. We are keen on trying to understand this better and I’d like to see the National Council in a position to support that research.

PND: Have any online poker or internet gambling sites come to you looking for research or offering assistance?

Whyte: bwin has collaborated with Harvard University. Other examples have included the involvement of eCOGRA, but it’s nothing that we’ve done directly.

PND: Will regulation of the industry through a bill like Congressman Barney Frank’s (D-MA) HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, deter problem gambling?

Whyte: That’s one of the concerns we have at the state level right now. We have no confirmation that regulated gambling is more responsible; it’s how that regulation is done. We’ve had problems with state governments not collecting and releasing information, which makes it much more difficult for us to act.

Inside the Treasury and Federal Reserve UIGEA Regulations Delay

Last week, the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve announced that mandatory compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) had been delayed until June 1st, 2010. Let’s take a look at the agencies’ reasoning.

The seven-page document issued by the Treasury and Federal Reserve on Wednesday begins with an overview of the UIGEA and states that the two government agencies consulted with the U.S. Department of Justice prior to delaying the compliance date. The final regulations of the UIGEA were published on January 19th as so-called “midnight rules” by the outgoing Bush administration. One day later, sitting President Barack Obama assumed office.

The document gives a brief timeline of events since then, noting that on September 18th, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and American Greyhound Track Owners Association submitted a joint letter calling for compliance with the UIGEA regulations to be delayed by one year to December 1st, 2010. The two agencies explained, “Petitioners assert that many small regulated entities do not have the resources necessary to develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures by the December 1, 2009 compliance date and cite the possibility of confusion regarding the term unlawful internet gambling.” The latter three-word phrase was not defined in the UIGEA, which instead deferred to a muddled slate of state, federal, and tribal laws.

In October and November, members of Congress led by Barney Frank (D-MA) also asked for a delay, as did several organizations, including the American Bankers Association, Wells Fargo, the Credit Union National Association, and the National Association of Federal Credit Unions. On November 9th, other lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), whose home state serves as the epicenter for brick-and-mortar gambling in the United States, authored a letter purportedly expressing “an intent to consider legislation that would allow problematic aspects of the Act to be addressed.”

Meanwhile, Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) weighed in, calling the reasons for a delay “speculative” in a November 3rd plea to the Treasury and Federal Reserve. Many of the groups clamoring for an extension feared overblocking, which could result in the denial of legal online wagering. In New Hampshire and North Dakota, credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard disallowed online lottery transactions, which received a carve out from the UIGEA. In Kentucky, horse racing outfits feared that internet bets on the sport would come to a screeching halt. Several weeks ago, Churchill Downs Incorporated purchased YouBet, further complicating the matter.

In the end, the two government entities asserted, “Neither petitioners nor commenters supporting the petition have provided the Agencies with sufficient data or documentation to justify a twelve-month extension of the compliance date. The Agencies believe that a six-month extension is sufficient for regulated entities to address issues related to the definition of unlawful internet gambling.” The agencies added that documentation provided by merchants to banks and other financial institutions should be sufficient to comply with the UIGEA.

The Treasury and Federal Reserve ultimately settled on using the Administrative Procedure Act to serve the delay on the grounds that the existing UIGEA rules are “impracticable, unnecessary, or contrary to the public interest.” Other pieces of law addressed were Executive Order 12866, the Regulatory Flexibility Act, and the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act. The document added, “The Agencies also believe that regulated entities need to be informed as soon as possible of the extension and its length in order to plan and adjust their implementation process accordingly.”

On Thursday, the House Financial Services Committee will discuss HR 2266 and HR 2267. No markup will occur during the informational hearing, which will be held in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building at 10:00am ET. HR 2267 establishes a comprehensive framework for regulating the internet gambling industry in the United States and, if passed, may mark the beginning of explicitly legal online poker in the North American country.

Are Poker Players a Good Fit for the Business World?

Perhaps focusing on a subject that many in the poker community would view as obvious, many news outlets have recently begun to discuss the skills of top poker players not only on the tables, but also in the business and financial worlds. They have also analyzed the pros of regulated internet gaming, reflecting that the added revenue could reduce strain on the budgets of state and federal governments.

One of the members of the 2009 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event November Nine, Steven Begleiter, was a guest last week on Bloomberg Financial News. The sixth place finisher in the WSOP Main Event, who had a previous career on Wall Street as an employee at the now-defunct Bear Stearns stock firm, entertained questions from Bloomberg news hosts Mark Crumpton and Lori Rothman and stated that there were many players he met during his run who were qualified to work in the business field.

“I got to meet a lot of people in their 20s who were very good card players that, were we still at Bear Stearns, I would have tried to get them to come join the firm,” Begleiter opined. He especially pointed out that the overall skills of his coach, former World Poker Tour (WPT) Player of the Year Jonathan “FieryJustice” Little, would have made him an excellent businessman: “People like him would do very well here on Wall Street.”

In a November 25th article in the Newark Star Ledger, the discussion of poker players in the business world was discussed. In an interesting point, it was brought out that a number of hedge fund companies and brokerage houses were looking to the younger players in the poker world to be potential analysts. In the article, former poker pro Aaron Brown, who now works on Wall Street as a risk manager at AQR Capital Management, said, “Someone who has made a successful living as a poker player for a few years would more likely be a good trader than someone who hasn’t. They know to push when they have the edge and they know how not to bust, and that’s a tough combination to find.”

Meanwhile, another cable business program, CNBC’s “Closing Bell,” discussed what the world of poker could do for the country’s financial state. During a discussion last week on the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), two analysts, Andrew Parmentire of Height Analytics and David Katz, an Oppenheimer gaming analyst, agreed that the online poker world, if regulated and taxed by the government, would be a boon to the business world. The duo focused on tax benefits, stating that the extra revenue could be put towards several problematic issues and increase activity in the markets.

These thoughts are well-known by many in the poker community due to the number of players who have come from the business side and been successful in the world of poker. One of the top female players in the world, Kathy Liebert, graduated from college with a business and finance degree and worked with Dun & Bradstreet before embarking on a highly successful poker career. Phil Hellmuth and Howard Lederer are a couple of players who have been able to parlay their business acumen beyond poker.

Perhaps the success of not only the “Old Guard” of the poker world, but also its “Young Guns” is best explained by Brandon Adams, who teaches behavioral finance at Harvard University’s Department of Economics. In the article in the Ledger, Adams explains, “They’ve essentially been the survivors in the system, a very difficult system where 95 percent of people lose money. Anyone smart enough and disciplined enough to survive that system is probably going to do very well in the trading world.”

Poker Industry Reacts to UIGEA Regulations Delay

Twenty-four hours after it was revealed that mandatory financial services industry compliance with the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) would be delayed by six months, the poker industry has had a chance to react.

The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) was one of several organizations that successfully petitioned U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to push back conformity with the UIGEA rules until June 1st, 2010. The 1.2 million member strong lobbying organization’s Chairman, Alfonse D’Amato, commented in a press release distributed on Friday, “We are thankful to our co-petitioners, the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association, and for the dozens of members of Congress who voiced their support for this petition through letters to Secretary Geithner and Chairman Bernanke. The PPA looks forward to working with regulators and legislators to pass legislation that protects consumers and the great game of poker.” News of the extension originally broke on Wednesday.

The two horse racing outfits co-authored a letter with the PPA to Geithner and Bernanke outlining the potential for overblocking by financial institutions, which could have led to legal online wagers being denied by companies like Visa and MasterCard. According to the PPA, the possibility of an extension beyond the current six-month time frame exists. Ideally, Congress would formulate proper internet gambling legislation before June 1st.

To that end, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) spokesperson Michael Waxman commented, “This decision is the latest evidence that momentum is building for a shift in policy and a rewrite of U.S. internet gambling laws to provide for regulation and taxation instead of prohibition. Over the next six months, Congress should act to create a framework that regulates internet gambling to protect consumers and collect billions in much-needed revenue for critical federal and state government programs.”

Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA), whose House Financial Services Committee will host a hearing on two internet gambling bills next Thursday, gave his two cents on the UIGEA compliance date being postponed: “The Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors deserve a great deal of credit for suspending these midnight regulations promulgated by the Bush administration which would curtail the freedom of Americans to use the internet as they choose and which would pose unrealistic burdens on the entire financial community. This will give us a chance to act in an unhurried manner on my legislation to undo this regulatory excess by the Bush administration and to undo this ill-advised law.”

On the PocketFives.com online poker forum, Rich “TheEngineer” Muny, who serves as the Kentucky State Director for the PPA, broke the news early on Black Friday. While many online poker players were out hunting for deep holiday discounts, PocketFives.com member “mordan” was on the message boards candidly responding, “Everyone in the poker community just won a 30/70 with this development. Although this doesn’t guarantee regulation in the future, our odds have significantly increased with the U.S. Treasury recognizing problems with this bill.”

The future of the legality of games like online poker remains up in the air. In the PPA forum on TwoPlusTwo, poster “Distajo” questioned, “Was the delay granted more for the clarity of the UIGEA rules? Thus, being more beneficial for banks? Like don’t fund poker accounts, but allow horseracing wagers?” Past attempts to clarify the UIGEA have mandated that “laundry lists” of legal activities be created. If a bill like Frank’s HR 2267 is passed, much of the industry seems likely to be legalized and regulated in the United States.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest UIGEA headlines.

UIGEA delayed six months

A joint press release from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Federal Reserve Board announced Friday that the date for implementing regulations in the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has been delayed by six months, from Dec. 1 to June 1, 2010.

The regulations were to force financial institutions in the U.S. to stop processing any transactions related to Internet gambling.

However, the delay will now give the U.S. House Financial Services Committee the chance to hold hearings on two bills designed to regulate and tax online gambling and futher delay UIGEA enforcement.

Those hearings are schedule for Dec. 3.

Committee Chairman Barney Frank applauded Friday's announcement.

"This will give us a chance to act in an unhurried manner on my legislation to undo this regulatory excess by the Bush administration and to undo this ill-advised law," he said.

A poker advocacy group lobbying to legalize online poker in the United States, the Poker Players Alliance believes the delay is also the first step towards legal and regulated online poker in America.

"This is a great victory for poker, but an even greater victory for advocates of good and fair public policy," said PPA Chairman Alfonse D'Amato.

"These additional months are critical to provide legislators time to clarify UIGEA and pass legislation to licence and regulate poker early next year."

Poker Players Alliance Thrilled With UIGEA Extension

UIGEA Regulations Officially Delayed Six Months

Online poker players in the United States have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season. On Friday, CNBC and the Associated Press confirmed that U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke had granted requests to delay the mandatory compliance date of the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) by six months to June 1st, 2010.

Word of a potential delay first broke on Wednesday from Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Executive Director Joe Brennan. However, no official comment had been handed down from Geithner, Bernanke, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), or the office of Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA). Around 12:15pm ET on Friday, cable station CNBC ran a segment touting the successful six-month delay and an Associated Press article had hit cyberspace 15 minutes earlier.

The six-month delay will take the internet gambling industry to June 1st, 2010. In the interim, the theory goes that sensible legislation governing the industry in the United States will be passed. Frank introduced HR 2267 back in May. The bill, which has attracted 63 co-sponsors, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for online gaming outfits to solicit U.S. customers.

An Associated Press article sourced both the Treasury and Federal Reserve as saying that the UIGEA’s regulations would indeed be pushed off until mid-2010. The news service explained, “The delayed rules would curb online gambling by prohibiting financial institutions from accepting payments from credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers to settle online wagers. The financial industry complained that the new rules would be difficult to enforce because they did not offer a clear definition of what constitutes internet gambling.” Since the UIGEA was approved in 2006, a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruling stated that the legality of internet gambling may depend on state law, similar to the way that the brick-and-mortar version is governed.

Next Thursday, December 3rd, the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing discussing the merits of HR 2266 and HR 2267. The former bill delays mandatory industry compliance with the UIGEA regulations by one year to December 1st, 2010. Its relevance given Friday’s confirmation that the regulations would be pushed back six months is up in the air. The hearing kicks off at 10:00am ET in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Witnesses for the informational hearing have not yet been announced and the proceedings can be followed via a live webcast accessible from the Committee’s website.

Potential overblocking by credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard led the PPA, two horse racing organizations, and members of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation to petition Geithner and Bernanke, urging that the regulations of the UIGEA be shuttled back to December 1st of next year. PPA Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily, “Many believe what you’ll see is overblocking of legitimate transactions. It’s not a good thing for players. It won’t just affect poker; it’ll affect horse racing, lotteries, and other online entities.”

Around 1:00pm ET, the PPA confirmed the news. The organization’s Chairman, Alfonse D’Amato, commented in a press release, “The PPA is extremely pleased with the decision by the Federal Reserve and Treasury to grant the six month extension. This is a great victory for poker, but an even greater victory for advocates of good and fair public policy.”

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest news and events from Capitol Hill.

Andreas Oscarsson Murder Case May Be UIGEA Related

A report from Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet reveals some new details surrounding the tragic death of PokerListings.com founder Andreas Oscarsson.  The story, published last week, suggests that Oscarsson’s August murder could be connected to a business deal involving the popular poker website that was adversely affected by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

Oscarsson was shot six times while he was sleeping in his home in Trollhättan, Sweden on August 3rd and the initial investigation by police led them to believe that the murder could be a contract killing.  Police believed a silencer was used on the gun that shot Oscarsson and the report in Aftonbladet suggests that Oscarsson’s father and his two-year old son might have been drugged or gassed by the culprits to ensure that they did not wake up when the shots were fired.

Since the August killing, new details are emerging in the case, including how a man suspected of killing Oscarsson may be tied to his victim.  The police suspect a 44-year old unidentified man is the culprit in the case.  Oscarsson was scheduled to testify against him in court on racketeering charges, but was killed before he could take the stand.  The Aftonbladet report says the suspect worked with Swedish businessman Stefan Bengtsson, who previously invested in PokerListings.  Bengtsson is one of the major shareholders in H & M Hennes & Mauritz, or more commonly known as H & M, the popular Swedish clothing company.

The story reported that one of Bengtsson’s companies invested in the site in 2003 and later wanted to sell its stake in the company for 50 million Swedish Kronor (roughly $7.1 million).  Before the sale could be completed, the UIGEA was passed and the overall value of PokerListings.com dropped substantially.  Bengtsson’s stake in the site was worth only 36 million Kronor after the Act passed and the murder suspect was allegedly harassing Oscarsson about paying up the difference, which amounts to $2 million.  Supposedly, the suspect even arrived at Oscarsson’s door demanding money and also set up a meeting with PokerListings.com representatives and Thomas Moller, the former president of the Swedish Hells Angels motorcycle gang.  The suspect claimed to be working on Bengtsson’s behalf

Though the suspect is believed to be an employee of Bengtsson, the business mogul is currently not a suspect in the case, but he has spoken with police regarding the incident.  A recent letter drafted by Bengtsson also renounced any claims he or his company had with PokerListings.  Moller has not been indicted for any crimes related to the murder either.  The 44 year-old man has not been arrested in relation to Oscarsson’s murder, but will stand trial in the extortion charges this week.

Shortly before Oscarsson was murdered, a younger man by the name of Andreas Oscarsson was murdered in the same town.  The police believe it to be a case of mistaken identity and the killing supports their theory that the murder of the elder Oscarsson was a contract hit.  One of Oscarsson’s business associates was also shot and wounded around the same time when he stepped out of his front door to retrieve the paper.

The tabloid Aftonbladet is not the only publication reporting these new details surrounding Oscarsson’s murder.  The website for Sweden’s public broadcasting system, Sveringes Radio, also reported on the story, suggesting that blackmail and Oscarsson’s pending testimony appeared to be the primary motivations behind the killing.

UIGEA regulations postponed by six months

UIGEA Delayed

UIGEA hearing scheduled Dec. 3

According to the House Financial Services Committee website, a full committee hearing on two bills designed to regulate and tax online gambling in the US and delay UIGEA enforcement will be held Dec. 3.

House Financial Services Committee chairman Barney Frank, a longtime proponent of legalized online poker, unveiled both bills this past May.

HR 2266 is designed to delay UIGEA compliance until December 2010 while HR 2267 seeks to render the act moot by establishing a federal regulatory and enforcement framework to license Internet gambling operators, including online poker sites, in the United States.

The hearing will be held Dec. 3 at 10 a.m. ET in the Committee's Rayburn House Office Building and interested members of the public can watch a live webcast through the Committee's website.

In the meantime, UIGEA regulations come into effect next Tuesday Dec. 1 forcing financial institutions in the U.S. to stop processing any transactions related to online gambling.

Report: UIGEA Regulations Postponed Six Months

The regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) have been delayed six months from December 1st, according to Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan.

Neither U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner nor Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke had made any official comment regarding a six-month delay at press time. The two government officials received petitions to stay the UIGEA’s regulations by one year in letters filed by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the American Greyhound Track Operators Association, and members of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation. Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) asked the two officials to uphold the original December 1st industry compliance deadline in a dissenting opinion.

The news comes one week ahead of a hearing in the House Financial Services Committee regarding two internet gambling bills introduced by Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) in May that would alter the landscape of the industry in the United States. The first, HR 2266, would have postponed the regulations of the UIGEA by one year to December 1st, 2010. Its viability given today’s news of a likely six-month postponement is up in the air. The measure had attracted 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle.

HR 2267, claiming 63 co-sponsors, creates a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. It marks Frank’s latest attempt to undo the UIGEA, which was passed in 2006 after being attached to an unrelated port security measure at the prompting of then-Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN). In the Senate, the SAFE Port Act was passed by unanimous consent.

On the hearing next week, which will be held at 10:00am ET in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building on Thursday, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative spokesperson Michael Waxman told Poker News Daily, “Chairman Frank is clearly indicating his commitment to switch the government’s position on Internet gambling, replacing attempts to prohibit the activity with a regulatory framework where consumers are protected. Chairman Frank’s commitment is further reinforced by scheduling this hearing and taking up this issue on the heals of the push for financial industry reform, which has been the committee’s exclusive focus the last six months.”

The six-month window will take the internet gambling industry to June 1st, right before election season in the United States in 2010. While issues like health care and a sagging economy have taken center stage since late 2008, internet gambling may finally see its day in the sun. Brennan explained his thoughts on the breaking news: “It’s encouraging that you’ve had this stay on the compliance, but it’s unfortunate that it took this long. We should all hope that in the next six months, a bill that already has 63 co-sponsors can be heard.”

To be clear, no official comment from the Treasury or Federal Reserve was available at the time of writing. With December 1st occurring next Tuesday, a stay likely had to be granted today or Monday, November 30th given the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States. Word breaking on Black Friday was also a possibility.

Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest on this developing story.

No Markup Planned for December 3rd Internet Gambling Hearing

On Tuesday night, it was revealed that a hearing will occur next Thursday, December 3rd in the House Financial Services Committee. Taking center stage are two bills related to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that no markup will occur at the hearing, which will be purely informational in nature: “It’s just an informational hearing. I don’t think the witnesses have been set yet and we’ve been in touch with the Committee about that. The PPA has been building the groundwork for this hearing for some time now. We look forward to it.” A representative from the House Financial Services Committee confirmed that no markup will occur. The hearing will take place in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building at 10:00am ET.

Depending upon the outcome of the internet gambling hearing next Thursday, either HR 2266 or HR 2267 could be scheduled for markup, potentially within a week. Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced both bills back in May. HR 2266 delays mandatory financial services industry compliance with the regulations of the UIGEA by one year to December 1st, 2010. It has attracted 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle and is dubbed the Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act. As it stands now, the financial services industry must fall into line with the UIGEA by Tuesday, December 1st.

When asked if the December 1st compliance date passing makes HR 2266 moot, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (SSIGI) spokesperson Michael Waxman told Poker News Daily, “It could be unless Frank decides that the financial services sector needs a reprieve. Many companies have already expressed concern that the implementation of the law will be burdensome. I believe we’ll hear back from them again as they are forced to abide by the rules.”

HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for the internet gambling industry in the United States. It boasts 63 co-sponsors and, when coupled with a tax bill introduced by Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), could bring in as much as $42 billion over a 10-year period, according to a study by the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Many in the industry have pondered the status of the internet gambling and online poker industries in the United States after December 1st. Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan told Poker News Daily, “Poker players are going to have to get used to the kind of speed of deposit and withdrawal that online sports betters have had to get used to. To my knowledge, all of the top sports books have moved their processing offshore. I don’t expect there to be the wealth of electronic transfer methods and you’re probably going to see an increased use of checks drawn on international banks.”

One possible outcome in the post-December 1st internet gambling industry is overblocking by credit card companies like Visa and MasterCard. The 12-letter term began popping up earlier this year, when legal online lottery purchases in North Dakota and New Hampshire were denied. In essence, credit card companies could disallow any transaction that appears to look remotely like internet gambling in an effort to comply with the 2006 law. Overblocking also led several members of the Kentucky Congressional delegation to petition U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner seeking the delay of UIGEA regulation enforcement. The group fears that legal online wagering on horseracing could come to a screeching halt as a result.

The PPA, National Thoroughbred Racing Association, and the American Greyhound Track Operators Association issued a letter to Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke seeking delay of the UIGEA’s regulations. As of the time of writing, the request had not yet been acted on.

Stay tuned for the latest from Capitol Hill right here on Poker News Daily.

UIGEA Hearing Scheduled for December 3rd in Financial Services Committee

In breaking news from the House Financial Services Committee, a hearing to discuss two pieces of legislation related to the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will be held on Thursday, December 3rd at 10:00am ET.

Interested online poker players can check out the hearing via a webcast found on the official website of the Committee. The hearing, which will be held in Room 2128 of the Rayburn House Office Building, will cover two pieces of legislation introduced by Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA), HR 2266 (Reasonable Prudence in Regulation Act) and HR 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. The longtime Massachusetts Congressman introduced the measures on the same day in May.

On December 1st, two days prior to the hearing, the financial services industry in the United States must come into full compliance with the regulations of the UIGEA, which were officially approved as midnight rules by the outgoing Bush administration back in January. Several days ago, Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas told Poker News Daily that he expected a hearing to come soon: “Chairman Frank has told us that he intends to have a hearing and mark up HR 2267 as soon as he’s done with financial regulation reform bills. We think it might be in January, but there’s a good chance we could have a hearing in December. It depends on the Congressional schedule.”

Christmas has come early for the PPA, which has lobbied on several fronts for HR 2266 and HR 2267 to be marked up. It is unclear at the time of writing as to whether any markup will occur, as the proceedings next Thursday appear to be purely informational in nature. HR 2266 delays the regulations of the UIGEA by one year to December 1st, 2010. As it stands now, the industry has merely a week to brace for their effects on payment processors. HR 2266 has 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle, including Steve Cohen (D-TN), Jim McDermott (D-WA), Ron Paul (R-TX), and Robert Wexler (D-FL).

Frank’s other bill, HR 2267, has 63 co-sponsors and creates a full licensing and regulatory framework for internet gambling and online poker outfits to solicit real money customers from the United States. A companion bill introduced by McDermott in May, HR 2268, taxes online gaming operators 2% of deposits. Although several estimates have been made as to how much revenue internet gambling could bring to the United States Government, the most recent study, which came from the Joint Committee on Taxation, pinned the figure at $42 billion over a ten-year period.

Witnesses for the December 3rd hearing and their prepared testimony were not given on the House Financial Services Committee website at the time of writing. Next Thursday will mark the first major movement on the internet gambling front in the Financial Services Committee since September of 2008, when Frank’s HR 6870 was approved by a 30-19 margin. The bill sought to clarify what activities were permissible under the UIGEA. It was not acted on during the 110th Congress and therefore was declared dead entering 2009.

A total of 41 Democrats and 29 Republicans make up the Financial Services Committee. The latter are headed by Spencer Bachus (R-AL), who, along with Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) recently authored a letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke urging that the regulations of the UIGEA be enforced on December 1st as scheduled. Recently, members of the Kentucky House delegation implored Geithner and company to delay UIGEA regulation enforcement due to overblocking by credit card companies, potentially stunting legal online horseracing wagers.

We’ll have more information on the December 3rd hearing as it unfolds right here on Poker News Daily.

Poland Limits Gambling, Poker to Brick and Mortar Casinos

Poland’s Senate approved a measure limiting gambling to casinos, stunting access to poker and other games outside of a structured establishment. The bill cleared the Senate by a 48 to 3 margin, with 30 lawmakers not voting.

The Krakow Post noted that the new crackdown on gambling outside of licensed casinos may also spell trouble for internet gambling and online poker: “The legislation also affects Internet gambling, which will no longer be allowed under Polish law. However, the enforcement of this aspect of the bill will inevitably prove much more difficult than even the removal of thousands of slot machines.” Around 50,000 slot machines, which can be found in places like bars and restaurants around the country, will be removed as a result of the new law.

Polish President Lech Kaczynski must still apply his John Hancock to the piece of legislation in order for it to become official. The Post quoted Poland’s Prime Minister as saying that he expects Kaczynski to sign by the end of the month. In addition to ridding the European country of 50,000 slot machines and potentially slowing the growth of internet gambling, the bill passed by Polish lawmakers also sets a legal gambling age of 18.

The Agence France Presse, or AFP news service, shed some light into this month’s vote: “The decision by parliament comes nearly a month and a half after [Prime Minister] Tusk was forced to sack several key ministers and political allies over allegations of influence peddling within his cabinet regarding the gambling legislation.” World Bulletin explained what a portion of the funds raised will be used for: “Tusk has said the restrictions will prevent young people from becoming addicted to gambling. The government will funnel tax revenues raised under the bill into foundations promoting physical education and culture.”

No general election is scheduled in Poland until 2011 and the scandal in question involved casino owners. The new bill also increases the tax rate on casinos, helping raise additional money for Poland’s government. On the TwoPlusTwo forums, a translated article that originally appeared on Bankier.pl revealed that the tax rate on tournament poker would also increase as part of the new measure, although this component was not reported by the AFP or World Bulletin. TwoPlusTwo poster “novahunterpa” commented, “Looks like every country is either trying to ban online poker and gambling or restrict it to state monopolies.”

One month ago, Poland saw the invasion of the PokerStars-sponsored European Poker Tour (EPT), which made its annual stop in Warsaw. The 25,000 PLN buy-in event was held at the Casinos Poland Hyatt Regency and French businessman Christophe Benzimra emerged victorious from the 203 player field. The online poker site claimed that EPT Warsaw was one of the largest poker tournaments ever held in Poland. No indication has been given as to whether the new law will affect the EPT’s Season 7 Warsaw stop.

Among those keeping a watchful eye on the situation in the European country was Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) Chairman Joe Brennan, who told Poker News Daily, “The genie is out of the bottle when it comes to online gambling. Whether it’s restricting it for consumer protection or guaranteeing the franchise for Poland’s brick and mortar casinos, the fact is that the Polish people have already voted with their feet, their wallets, and their computers by seeking out online gambling. Poland is going to have a hard time putting the genie back in the bottle, as would any country.”

Notable poker personalities hailing from Poland include Poker Hall of Fame member Henry Orenstein, a WSOP bracelet winner who also invented the hole card camera. Orenstein was born in Hrubieszów and currently lives in the United States. Michael Gracz was born in Warsaw and, like Orenstein, now calls the USA home.

Six Kentucky Congressmen Support Pushing UIGEA Deadline Back One Year

Poker News in Brief: Nov. 16-22, 2009

The 21-year-old generated some major mainstream press coverage this week by appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman and CNN's American Morning.

There was plenty of news that didn't involve Cada, however, and as part of our ongoing Poker News in Brief Feature we're going to break some of it down for you today.

This week we'll look at another man winning a ladies event, the end of Fair Poker, more support for an online poker bill, an upgrade for Cake Poker and more.

Man wins Ladies Championship at Lake Tahoe

Greg Sessler became the latest man to enter and win a female poker tournament last week.

Sessler won the Ladies Championship at the World Series of Poker Circuit stop in Lake Tahoe by outlasting all 95 players that entered the tournament. Of that total, four were men.

Although organizers encourage only women to play, Harrah's cannot exclude any player based on gender. After winning the tournament Sessler defended his decision to play.

"Me playing in this tournament really had nothing to do with trying to take advantage of the ladies or thinking it was a softer field," he said.

"If Jennifer Harman would have come and played in the ladies event, she would have been much tougher competition than me. I came here because I only had one day and I really like the structures and the payout."

Back in September Abraham Korotki entered a ladies event at the 2009 Borgata Poker Open and went on to win it. Former baseball star Jose Canseco also famously entered a women's tournament a few years ago.

More support for Frank's pro-online poker bill

The U.S. bill that would both legalize and regulate online poker has another co-sponsor.

Rep. Anthony D. Weiner of New York's 9th district signed on board this week as the 63rd co-sponsor of the legislation.

Rep. Barney Frank originally introduced the bill last spring but it has yet to be heard before committee.

Frank's bill would essentially repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act that was passed in 2006 and put a regulatory system in place for the online gambling industry.

Unfair outcome for Fair Poker

Lesser-known online poker room Fair Poker disappeared this week, but its players found a new home at Noble Poker.

Both sites were members of the iPoker network and were merged into one site earlier in the week. Fair Poker players had their account balances and the iPoints they had earned transferred to Noble Poker.

iPoker remains one of the busiest online poker networks in the world with Titan Poker, ChiliPoker, Bet365, CD Poker, William Hill, Mansion Poker and numerous others all under the iPoker banner.

The 2009 BC Poker Championships, starring Liz Lieu, will be televised.

HeadsUp Entertainment to televise BC Poker Championships

HeadsUp Entertainment, operators of the Canadian Poker Tour and Canadian Poker Player Magazine, will help televise coverage of the 2009 BC Poker Championships in Vancouver.

"We are very pleased to be part of Canada's premier poker tournament," said HeadsUp President Kelly B. Kellner. "We consider it a privilege to be able to cover the event through both our magazine and on television."

HeadsUp Entertainment made a deal with The Score Television Network, which is the exclusive broadcast partner of the Canadian Poker Tour, to show highlights from the tournament.

The 2009 BC Poker Championships began this week with 606 runners. The event received the attention of some big name poker players including Tiffany Michelle, Liz Lieu, Maria Ho, Greg "FBT" Mueller, Gavin Smith and Brad Booth.

Last year Canadian poker super-star Daniel Negreanu outlasted 689 players to win the 2008 BCPC for $300,708.

Cake Poker adds players, synchronized breaks

Cake Poker had a busy week adding synchronized breaks to its software and taking players from Third Bullet Poker.

Third Bullet was already a member of the Cake Network and the company's executives made the decision to merge the player base onto Cake Poker for better technical support and customer service.

Meanwhile, Cake's synchronized breaks will let multi-table tournament players take a break no matter how many tables they are running. The breaks will occur at 55 minutes past the hour, every hour.

The breaks do not affect Sit 'n' Go tournaments with less than 30 players.

The feature is quickly becoming an industry standard as Absolute Poker and UltimateBet recently added synchronized breaks as well.

Spencer Bachus, Jon Kyl Issue Letter to Timothy Geithner, Ben Bernanke

Recently, two high-powered, longtime opponents of internet gambling issued a letter to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke and U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner calling for the compliance date of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) regulations (December 1st) to be enforced.

The date is now 10 days away and approaching rapidly. Last month, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) teamed up with the National Thoroughbred Racing Association and American Greyhound Track Operators Association to issue a letter to the same two government officials. Following the letter by the PPA was one authored by 19 Congressmen belonging to the House Financial Services Committee, of which Barney Frank (D-MA) is the Chair.

Congressman Spencer Bachus (R-AL) and Senator Jon Kyl (R-AZ) explained in their own letter, “We strongly oppose this request and believe there is no justification for delaying the compliance deadline of the UIGEA regulations.”

The letter, dated earlier this month, outlines the passage of the UIGEA and the approval of its regulations, which went into effect on January 19th as so-called “midnight rules” by the outgoing Bush administration. The Republican duo notes, “If the Final Rule represented an ‘unreasonable burden on regulators and the financial services industry,’ as certain other Members have claimed, then the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve could have reconsidered the regulations.” The letter adds that the Truth in Lending Act, whose regulations were issued in August, accommodated the UIGEA.

All told, Kyl and Bachus, staunch opponents of internet gambling, give their stance on the letter writing campaign by the PPA and Financial Services Committee members: “This is a blatant attempt to circumvent the democratic process by influencing the Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve to take action that cannot possibly be enacted by Congress.” On Capitol Hill, the United States legislative body is in the midst of a debate about massive health care expansion.

Two bills, both introduced by Frank, have the potential to change the landscape of the internet gambling industry in the United States as December approaches. The first, HR 2267, establishes a full licensing and regulatory framework for the online gaming outfits in the United States. The measure received its 63rd co-sponsor last week after its introduction in May. The second piece of legislation, HR 2266, delays mandatory compliance with UIGEA regulations by one year to December 1st, 2010. HR 2266 is up to 53 co-sponsors on both sides of the aisle. The House Financial Services Committee has scheduled neither HR 2266 nor HR 2267 for markup.

The letter from the two lawmakers concludes, “Simply delaying the compliance date serves no interest except that of the internet gambling enterprises that have long evaded American gambling laws and will continue to do so until effective enforcement is in place.” Kyl is a third term Senator from Arizona and the current Senate Minority Whip. His counterpart in the Western state is also a Republican, former Presidential candidate John McCain. Bachus was elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and is the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Committee, which includes 30 Republicans and 42 Democrats.

Neither Geithner nor Bernanke has responded to any of the three letters as of the time of writing. John Pappas, Executive Director of the PPA, told Poker News Daily that a January markup of HR 2267 is a possibility, although no timetable has been set in stone. Blocking of legal online gambling transactions led the two horse racing organizations to become involved. Similarly, in North Dakota and New Hampshire, major credit card companies denied legal online lottery purchases due to “overblocking.”

The effect that the December 1st deadline will have on the industry is not yet known. Stay tuned to Poker News Daily for the latest poker legislation headlines.

Jack McClelland on the State of Poker Tournaments

One of poker’s top tournament directors is the Bellagio’s Jack McClelland, master of ceremonies for some of the game’s top events. Gearing up for the World Poker Tour’s (WPT) Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker Classic, McClelland sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss the state of the poker tournament world.

Poker News Daily: Thanks for joining us. Tell us how you’re getting ready for the upcoming Five Diamond World Poker Classic.

McClelland: The Five Diamond starts the day after Thanksgiving. We’ve been doing it for nine years now, so we have it down. We close down the Fontana Lounge and fill it up with poker tables. I’m expecting around 300 players for the first tournament and somewhere between 300 and 500 for the Main Event.

PND: Talk about how the ongoing recession has affected poker at the Bellagio.

McClelland: It’s just like the rest of the world. The people that were playing $200/$400 are now playing $80/$160. The people playing $10/$20 are now playing $5/$10. No one wants to admit that they had anything bad happen, so they just play lower, which is especially tough on the Bellagio-style tournaments because ours have been geared more towards the high-end player. This is the player who is going to make a bigger buy-in and also go out and spend $100 or $200 on a nice dinner. We’ve had to reduce our buy-ins and things like that to get more foot traffic, but we’ve also had to keep the big stuff to preserve our credibility.

It’s difficult because of the economy and because of the internet law change in 2006. Now, if one of the big sites wants to send us $3 million and 200 players, we send it back and say thanks, but we can’t accept it. The internet has been driving the tournament players towards Europe, China, and the Middle East. We’re at a severe disadvantage.

PND: What noticeable effects have you seen of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)?

McClelland: It was passed at the end of 2006. We didn’t see an immediate drop-off and, for a year or so, everything was okay. Television still picks up the big tournaments and people still want to win the big ones. What the UIGEA did was take away from the preliminary events. For example, we’re giving away a $6,000 Rolex to the winners of some of our events. You can buy in for $500, win your share of the prize money, and also take home a $6,000 Rolex. That’s very enticing. It’s a combination of the current economy and the uncertainty of the future of the economy. If people have money, they’ll be more careful with it.

PND: Talk about an average day in the life of Jack McClelland.

McClelland: We go to the office and I have a tournament every day. We have meetings with different departments and people come up with new ideas for marketing and we have to sort through everything. We do a lot of stuff internationally with our property, so we make trips and advise them on how to do things. Las Vegas is very competitive and, with the current economy, the Bellagio is at a disadvantage because we cater to the higher buy-ins and the bigger players.

PND: How did you get started directing tournaments?

McClelland: In the early 1980s, I was playing 200 to 300 small buy-in tournaments a year. I was always complaining about how the tournaments are so badly run. My wife said, “If you’re such a genius, you should run them.” It worked out because I love the competition and the challenge of how to run an event. I’ve always been willing to adapt and my rules are more flowing than set in stone.

I have a wonderful staff. I hand-picked and hand-trained all of them. They worship the quicksand I walk on. They’re just a great group and I’m very proud of them. During the Bellagio Cup this year, I caught pneumonia. I maybe did 10 minutes of work on the television show and couldn’t make it. During the event, they just took the ball and ran with it. At most places, if your guy goes down, you’re going to have some rocky spots. In our case, our staff picked up the ball, ran with it, and scored a touchdown.

PND: What do you foresee as the future of poker tournaments?

McClelland: I believe that poker tournaments will be with us as long as we have the television exposure. If we lose television, it’s just going to revert back. The main thing that’s hurting the American poker industry is the internet law. In other countries around the world, you can play online, but not here. As much as our country needs the money, to pass up billions of dollars in revenue is criminal. If they change the law, I don’t know that we’ll get back up to 10,000 entries into a $10,000 buy-in event, but we’ll get our market share back. If they don’t change it, we’re just eroding.