Poker Legislation News
The internet gambling industry didn't have to wait long to find out the next step in the case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names. Poker News Daily has obtained the Notice of Appeal filed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The matter may now head to the State Supreme Court. Read more »
The beginning of this year has brought a plethora of good news for poker players overall. The decision of a Pennsylvania court that poker is a game of skill has reopened the doors to the question of whether poker is gambling. Read more »
It was inauguration day in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Millions descended in celebration of the newly-elected President. In Kentucky, the online gaming world rejoiced, as the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names was blocked by a three judge Court of Appeals panel. Read more »
The UIGEA, approved as part of George Bush's so-called "midnight drop," comes into effect today and is meant to be implemented by financial entities no later than December 1st unless it is repealed before that. The American Banking Association dreads the extra burden this will place on the already stressed American banking system. Read more »
In Friday's confirmation hearing of Eric Holder, the nominee for Attorney General of the United States, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, a proponent of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), asked the candidate about his stance on internet gambling in the United States. Read more »
In a ruling handed down by Pennsylvania Judge Thomas A. James Jr. in Columbia County on Friday, it was ruled that Texas Hold'em is a game of skill and therefore not gambling under state law. The ruling sets an "excellent bar" for future poker litigation, according to Poker Players Alliance (PPA) Executive Director John Pappas. Read more »
This week, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the main lobbying group for the online poker industry, distributed an important e-mail to its membership. The message urged its 1.2 million members to tell incoming President-elect Barack Obama that legalization and regulation of online poker are of the utmost importance. Read more »
On Monday, January 19th, the regulations of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) will be enacted. The new rules were part of last-minute "midnight rule-making" by the outgoing Bush Administration. Recently, Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the Midnight Rule Act to prohibit controversial agendas from being pushed through in the future. Read more »
In November, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA) filed its response brief in a legal challenge to declare the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) unconstitutional. On Thursday, the organization announced that it had been contacted by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals about its availability in April. Read more »
The outlying islands of Taiwan will now be open to legal land-based gambling, according to Bloomberg. However, its mainland will remain inaccessible to companies such as MGM Grand and the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Previously, gambling anywhere in Taiwan was not permitted. Read more »
According to the Salt Lake Tribune newspaper, Utah State Representative Sheryl Allen (R-Bountiful) is seeking to introduce House Resolution 1, which asserts that the decision whether or not to adopt gambling should belong solely to the states. While Utah has managed to stunt land-based forms of gambling, Allen told the Tribune, "Computers made it much easier to gamble." Read more »
In Kentucky, a case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names has the potential to set a precedent hundreds of miles east as well as around the world. The way that the State of New York may handle disputes with online retailer Amazon as well as iTunes distributor Apple could hinge on the outcome of the case in the Bluegrass State. Read more »
In his latest blog posted on DoylesRoom.com, the online poker room's namesake lashed out at Party Gaming Co-Founder Anurag Dikshit, who recently struck a $300 million agreement with the United States Federal Government, admitting breaking the law in the process. Read more »
Last week saw Party Gaming Co-Founder Anurag Dikshit admit wrongdoing under the Wire Act of 1961. He agreed to pay $300 million to United States Federal authorities in the process, $100 million of which has already been turned over. A review of the filing against Dikshit reveals that online poker was specifically named in the case. Read more »
There have been several major organizations that have filed briefs in the ongoing legal battle in Kentucky, each looking to impart its unique viewpoints on the court. Among them is the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU, which submitted a 15 page brief outlining its opinion of the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names. Read more »
On Tuesday, PartyGaming founder Anurag Dikshit pled guilty to violating the Wire Act of 1961 in the Southern District Court of New York. Judge Jed Rakoff scheduled sentencing for December 16th, 2010, according to Bloomberg News. Dikshit posted a $50 million bond and will fork over $300 million in three installments to the United States Government. Read more »
Anurag Dikshit, the Co-Founder of PartyGaming, the parent company of popular online poker room PartyPoker, will fork over $300 million to U.S. authorities and plead guilty to a charge "relating to illegal web betting," according to a report published on the Financial Times website late Monday night. Read more »
Friday marked the resumption of the case involving the seizure and possible forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names by the Commonwealth of Kentucky. It pits the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet in the state against some of the most popular online poker, online casino, and online Bingo websites. Read more »
In 2006, the UIGEA was passed into law in the United States. The law, while vague, ran several high-profile online poker rooms out of the market. Recently, Norway has followed suit, enacting its own version of the UIGEA. Clive Hawkswood, the Chief Executive of the Remote Gambling Association, explains the Norwegian law. Read more »
It's been nearly two months since Judge Thomas Wingate issued an order upholding the seizure and possible forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domain names in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Court of Appeals in Louisville will take center stage on Friday, when the parties involved argue in front of a three judge panel. Read more »
Readers of three popular news periodicals will notice an ad this week dubbed "It's time for some straight talk." The campaign, which was sponsored by the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the major lobbying group for the online poker industry, calls on Congressmen in Washington, D.C. to pass legislation regulating the online poker industry. Read more »
Last week, CBS News program "60 Minutes" ran a feature story outlining the cheating scandals that erupted on online poker rooms Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker. Jim Waters, Director of Communications for the Bluegrass Institute, sat down with Poker News Daily to discuss the episode. Read more »
On Sunday, CBS News program "60 Minutes" aired a feature story outlining the online poker scandals that occurred on Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet. Keeping a watchful eye on the show was Republican Congressman Spencer Bachus, who hails from Alabama and is a staunch opponent of internet gambling. Read more »
Recently, Chicago Tribune sports columnist Steve Rosenbloom participated in a panel discussion in his newspaper. The question asked to four Tribune writers was, "What would you like an Obama presidency to mean for Chicago?" Rosenbloom's response was a repeal of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which was unceremoniously passed in late 2006. Read more »
CBS News program "60 Minutes," which aired on Sunday night, claimed on multiple occasions that online poker was illegal in the United States. Near the top of the show, correspondent Steve Kroft narrated, "We should tell you that this $18 billion industry is illegal in the U.S." However, is that really the case? Read more »
