Online Poker 60 Minutes News Story
The topics for this Sunday’s edition of the CBS news program “60 Minutes” were revealed on Thursday and noticeably absent from the list was a feature on online poker. CBS News cameras have been scouring the poker community for information on the Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker scandals as well as the recent developments in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, where Governor Steve Beshear has tried to thwart internet gambling by forcing the forfeiture of domain names. The feature had been rumored to air this Sunday, October 26th.
More details as they come to hand.
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Poker pro urges casino smoking ban, by Liz Benston - Las Vegas Sun - 21st October 2008
A career poker player who pushed for smoking bans in poker rooms and tournaments is now leading a fight to prohibit smoking on casino floors across Nevada.
Tom McEvoy is the public face for a new grass-roots group, Gamblers Against Secondhand Smoke, which is pushing for a ban in the last bastion for smokers.
A Las Vegas man who has spent 30 years playing poker for a living, McEvoy isn’t exactly a mainstream celebrity. But if smoking is banned in Nevada casinos, as some advocates say is inevitable, he may become the gaming equivalent of the Marlboro man who campaigned against cigarettes.
He isn’t a paid advocate but a Stetson-wearing gambler who has hosted poker tournaments and written poker books. He’s on a first-name basis with casino executives. And he is prepared, he says, to fight a culture war with an inherently conservative industry so afraid of change it is willing to risk the health of its patrons and employees.
“I love Las Vegas. I love gaming. I’m not anti-casino. I’m anti-smoking in the casino,” he said. “This is actually going to help the industry in the long run.”
At first, McEvoy was upset about having to quit poker games because of allergic reactions to smoke. His outrage grew, he says, after the deaths of poker friends, including a nonsmoker, from smoke-related illnesses.
McEvoy is outspoken where health groups are careful. He is passionate where groups such as the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association and the Southern Nevada Health District are politically correct.
These groups supported a partial smoking ban in 2006 that exempted casino floors, which was viewed as a first step toward a complete ban.
Health groups have been quiet about such efforts. Though workers have advocated casino bans in other states, notably in Atlantic City casinos, employees have been silent here for fear of losing their jobs.
After the rapid spread of smoking bans in poker rooms, McEvoy set his sights on casino floors.
Gamblers Against Secondhand Smoke is the brainchild of Stephanie Steinberg, a gambler who was instrumental in getting smoking banned in Colorado casinos in January and who pushed for the ban in Atlantic City casinos.
Steinberg, who drafted McEvoy, isn’t a professional lobbyist or advocate either.
Her efforts began several years ago after conversations with casino workers in Colorado who said they didn’t want to work around smoke but were afraid to speak up. She founded Smoke-Free Gaming of Colorado, a coalition of casino workers and residents.
In 1999, McEvoy pushed for the first major smoke-free poker tournament in Las Vegas. He was also involved in an effort to ban smoking at the World Series of Poker, which went smoke-free in 2004. (McEnvoy won the World Series’ main event in 1983.)
Casinos have resisted smoking bans on the ground that they would lose business from gamblers who smoke. But the battleground goes beyond economics. The notion that gambling, drinking and smoking go hand-in-hand, and Nevada’s libertarian, live-and-let-live culture combined with Las Vegas’ escapist image appear to be tough obstacles.
“Casinos are afraid to offend the minority,” McEvoy said. “That’s being shortsighted. They’re on the wrong side of this issue and they know it.”
Attendance at the World Series of Poker and other tournaments has increased, in part because of the smoking bans, poker experts say.
“Tom was ultimately proven right,” said Nolan Dalla, media director of the World Series of Poker.
Dalla, a nonsmoker, was one of many gaming insiders who thought business would suffer if players were forced to walk outside for a smoke. So he and hundreds of tournament employees and players endured what observers dubbed “the World Series of Poker sickness” — the coughing, sneezing and weakened immune system that occurred after spending weeks in smoke-filled rooms.
Players — even smokers — complained by writing letters and confronting management.
Casino executives have a standard response to a total smoking ban: They already accommodate smokers and nonsmokers with smoke-free hotel rooms and other areas, such as banks of slot machines and individual tables.
“The industry says don’t mess with success, especially during these economic down times,” Dalla said. “Do we want to implement something that could drive away a certain percentage of business?”
Smoking is more of a problem in enclosed poker rooms, Dallas said, and smoke tends to dissipate better on the larger, high-ceilinged casino floor.
McEvoy said that’s not true for dealers and bartenders who breathe smoky air for hours on end. So, Gamblers Against Secondhand Smoke is spreading its smoking ban message primarily among casino workers — the people most affected by secondhand smoke.
The group has already enlisted the support of several casino dealers on the Strip, including Mario Ragazzo.
“The vast majority of gamblers don’t smoke, and those who do aren’t necessarily our best customers,” Ragazzo said. “But all casinos know is the status quo. Unless you put pressure on people, they’re not going to change.”
(Credit: Las Vegas Sun)
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A career poker player who pushed for smoking bans in poker rooms and tournaments is now leading a fight to prohibit smoking on casino floors across Nevada.
Tom McEvoy is the public face for a new grass-roots group, Gamblers Against Secondhand Smoke, which is pushing for a ban in the last bastion for smokers.
A Las Vegas man who has spent 30 years playing poker for a living, McEvoy isn’t exactly a mainstream celebrity. But if smoking is banned in Nevada casinos, as some advocates say is inevitable, he may become the gaming equivalent of the Marlboro man who campaigned against cigarettes.
He isn’t a paid advocate but a Stetson-wearing gambler who has hosted poker tournaments and written poker books. He’s on a first-name basis with casino executives. And he is prepared, he says, to fight a culture war with an inherently conservative industry so afraid of change it is willing to risk the health of its patrons and employees.
“I love Las Vegas. I love gaming. I’m not anti-casino. I’m anti-smoking in the casino,” he said. “This is actually going to help the industry in the long run.”
At first, McEvoy was upset about having to quit poker games because of allergic reactions to smoke. His outrage grew, he says, after the deaths of poker friends, including a nonsmoker, from smoke-related illnesses.
McEvoy is outspoken where health groups are careful. He is passionate where groups such as the American Cancer Society, the American Lung Association, the American Heart Association and the Southern Nevada Health District are politically correct.
These groups supported a partial smoking ban in 2006 that exempted casino floors, which was viewed as a first step toward a complete ban.
Health groups have been quiet about such efforts. Though workers have advocated casino bans in other states, notably in Atlantic City casinos, employees have been silent here for fear of losing their jobs.
After the rapid spread of smoking bans in poker rooms, McEvoy set his sights on casino floors.
Gamblers Against Secondhand Smoke is the brainchild of Stephanie Steinberg, a gambler who was instrumental in getting smoking banned in Colorado casinos in January and who pushed for the ban in Atlantic City casinos.
Steinberg, who drafted McEvoy, isn’t a professional lobbyist or advocate either.
Her efforts began several years ago after conversations with casino workers in Colorado who said they didn’t want to work around smoke but were afraid to speak up. She founded Smoke-Free Gaming of Colorado, a coalition of casino workers and residents.
In 1999, McEvoy pushed for the first major smoke-free poker tournament in Las Vegas. He was also involved in an effort to ban smoking at the World Series of Poker, which went smoke-free in 2004. (McEnvoy won the World Series’ main event in 1983.)
Casinos have resisted smoking bans on the ground that they would lose business from gamblers who smoke. But the battleground goes beyond economics. The notion that gambling, drinking and smoking go hand-in-hand, and Nevada’s libertarian, live-and-let-live culture combined with Las Vegas’ escapist image appear to be tough obstacles.
“Casinos are afraid to offend the minority,” McEvoy said. “That’s being shortsighted. They’re on the wrong side of this issue and they know it.”
Attendance at the World Series of Poker and other tournaments has increased, in part because of the smoking bans, poker experts say.
“Tom was ultimately proven right,” said Nolan Dalla, media director of the World Series of Poker.
Dalla, a nonsmoker, was one of many gaming insiders who thought business would suffer if players were forced to walk outside for a smoke. So he and hundreds of tournament employees and players endured what observers dubbed “the World Series of Poker sickness” — the coughing, sneezing and weakened immune system that occurred after spending weeks in smoke-filled rooms.
Players — even smokers — complained by writing letters and confronting management.
Casino executives have a standard response to a total smoking ban: They already accommodate smokers and nonsmokers with smoke-free hotel rooms and other areas, such as banks of slot machines and individual tables.
“The industry says don’t mess with success, especially during these economic down times,” Dalla said. “Do we want to implement something that could drive away a certain percentage of business?”
Smoking is more of a problem in enclosed poker rooms, Dallas said, and smoke tends to dissipate better on the larger, high-ceilinged casino floor.
McEvoy said that’s not true for dealers and bartenders who breathe smoky air for hours on end. So, Gamblers Against Secondhand Smoke is spreading its smoking ban message primarily among casino workers — the people most affected by secondhand smoke.
The group has already enlisted the support of several casino dealers on the Strip, including Mario Ragazzo.
“The vast majority of gamblers don’t smoke, and those who do aren’t necessarily our best customers,” Ragazzo said. “But all casinos know is the status quo. Unless you put pressure on people, they’re not going to change.”
(Credit: Las Vegas Sun)
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CBS "60 Minutes" Segment On Online Poker Cheating Scandals To Air Soon!
In addition to the buzz around the seizure of 141 internet gambling domains by the Governor of Kentucky, an upcoming story by CBS’ “60 Minutes” has also been the center of discussion at the CAP Euro Barcelona event. Poker News Daily has learned that the story by “60 Minutes” should air on Sunday, October 26th, just days before the general elections in the United States. The program will likely cover the user scandals at Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, which have made headlines across the poker world in recent months.
The story by the longstanding news magazine will focus on the scandals that have rocked Ultimate Bet and may include the POTRIPPER issues at its sister site, Absolute Poker. In addition, the rumor around the industry is that “60 Minutes” is teaming up with a major newspaper for the story, which may be just weeks from airing. In its last update on the NioNio scandal that rocked the online poker site, Ultimate Bet listed additional user names that were involved: Crackcorn55, WhakMe, GrabBag123, gravitation, Bgroup, H_Curtis, Twenty 1, WacoManiac, Broke_In_L_A, ShaqTack, BlueBerry101, HolyMucker, 55WasHere, Xnomas, dannyboy55, Indy05, and SlimPikins2.
The cheating on Ultimate Bet began back in 2005, one year before its current ownership group, Tokwiro, purchased the site. Also in June, Ultimate Bet was scheduled to begin the refund process for players who were affected by the abuse. The transgressions surrounded the exploitation of an auditing tool which enabled its users to view the hole cards of every player at an online poker table.
In May, Ultimate Bet’s parent company released a statement that included the following: “We would like to thank our customers for their patience, loyalty, and support, as well as for their understanding that we are doing everything we can to correct this situation. The staff and management of Ultimate Bet are fully committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our players and we want to assure customers of our unwavering resolve to monitor site security with every resource at our disposal.”
Since then, one of the accounts in question was linked to a Las Vegas owned home of Russ Hamilton, one of the former owners of the site. However, no admission has been given publicly by Hamilton. Over the summer, Team PokerStars Pro member Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok traveled to Hamilton’s residence. Greenstein came away from the interview feeling as if, by the time the truth was known, Hamilton would not be one of those indicted.
A $75 million claim filed against a software manufacturer was the subject of an article by MSNBC with the title “Poker site cheating plot a high-stakes whodunit.” The article, which was published last week, seemed to trump any momentum “60 Minutes” would have had, although the television station’s program is likely to be more visible.
The latest move in the Ultimate Bet investigation was the Kahnawake Gaming Commission naming Frank Catania, a former gaming regulator in the state of New Jersey, to lead a formal inquiry into the matter. His website, CataniaConsulting.com, states that he “serves as one of three independent directors of eCOGRA. He served as the first president of the International Masters of Gaming Law, a non-profit association dedicated to the education and advancement of gaming law, vice chair and chair, respectively, of the International Association of Gaming Regulators and past chairman of the Forum of American Casino Regulators.”
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In addition to the buzz around the seizure of 141 internet gambling domains by the Governor of Kentucky, an upcoming story by CBS’ “60 Minutes” has also been the center of discussion at the CAP Euro Barcelona event. Poker News Daily has learned that the story by “60 Minutes” should air on Sunday, October 26th, just days before the general elections in the United States. The program will likely cover the user scandals at Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker, which have made headlines across the poker world in recent months.
The story by the longstanding news magazine will focus on the scandals that have rocked Ultimate Bet and may include the POTRIPPER issues at its sister site, Absolute Poker. In addition, the rumor around the industry is that “60 Minutes” is teaming up with a major newspaper for the story, which may be just weeks from airing. In its last update on the NioNio scandal that rocked the online poker site, Ultimate Bet listed additional user names that were involved: Crackcorn55, WhakMe, GrabBag123, gravitation, Bgroup, H_Curtis, Twenty 1, WacoManiac, Broke_In_L_A, ShaqTack, BlueBerry101, HolyMucker, 55WasHere, Xnomas, dannyboy55, Indy05, and SlimPikins2.
The cheating on Ultimate Bet began back in 2005, one year before its current ownership group, Tokwiro, purchased the site. Also in June, Ultimate Bet was scheduled to begin the refund process for players who were affected by the abuse. The transgressions surrounded the exploitation of an auditing tool which enabled its users to view the hole cards of every player at an online poker table.
In May, Ultimate Bet’s parent company released a statement that included the following: “We would like to thank our customers for their patience, loyalty, and support, as well as for their understanding that we are doing everything we can to correct this situation. The staff and management of Ultimate Bet are fully committed to providing a safe and secure environment for our players and we want to assure customers of our unwavering resolve to monitor site security with every resource at our disposal.”
Since then, one of the accounts in question was linked to a Las Vegas owned home of Russ Hamilton, one of the former owners of the site. However, no admission has been given publicly by Hamilton. Over the summer, Team PokerStars Pro member Barry Greenstein and Joe Sebok traveled to Hamilton’s residence. Greenstein came away from the interview feeling as if, by the time the truth was known, Hamilton would not be one of those indicted.
A $75 million claim filed against a software manufacturer was the subject of an article by MSNBC with the title “Poker site cheating plot a high-stakes whodunit.” The article, which was published last week, seemed to trump any momentum “60 Minutes” would have had, although the television station’s program is likely to be more visible.
The latest move in the Ultimate Bet investigation was the Kahnawake Gaming Commission naming Frank Catania, a former gaming regulator in the state of New Jersey, to lead a formal inquiry into the matter. His website, CataniaConsulting.com, states that he “serves as one of three independent directors of eCOGRA. He served as the first president of the International Masters of Gaming Law, a non-profit association dedicated to the education and advancement of gaming law, vice chair and chair, respectively, of the International Association of Gaming Regulators and past chairman of the Forum of American Casino Regulators.”
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Tuesday, October 21, 2008
World Poker Tour Enterprises Ends Relationship With Cryptologic
World Poker Tour Enterprises, the owner of the eponymous landmark poker tour since its inception seven years ago, announced on Friday that they will be terminating their relationship with Cryptologic, who had run their online poker room for slightly over a year.
WPTE filed a notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 17th where details of the end of the relationship were offered. In the notice, WPTE announced that they had informed Cryptologic Incorporated and WagerLogic Limited - with whom WPTE had been working for just over a year - that they were terminating their contract and that the room would temporarily shut down on or around November 14th. At this time, WPTE is retaining rights to come back online at a future date but those options have yet to be fully detailed out.
The contract termination will cost WPTE a significant sum of money. The three year contract signed with Cryptologic in 2007 for operation of the poker room was for $750,000 with WPTE picking up any costs not covered by the room’s operation, according to previous SEC filings. Add into the equation the remainder of the contract, which will have to be picked up as well by WPTE, and the total costs for closing the room will potentially be around $2 million, if not significantly higher.
Sources at the WPT were not at liberty to confirm if the site will reopen in another network or independently.
The actual site that the WPTE was using for its online poker operation, WPTonline.com, seemed to have problems from the start. After spending several months trying to develop their own software and program in 2006, WPTE decided to abandon that effort and signed on with Cryptologic. Further adding into the difficulties for the site was the fact that it could not accept American players, as the gray area that is online gaming in the United States could have put WPTE in tremendous jeopardy if American action was accepted.
2008 overall hasn’t been kind to WPTE or any of its operations. Since last year, many of the tournaments on the schedule have seen declines in their numbers and the current seventh season of the WPT has actually seen a reduction in the number of tournaments for the first time in its history. This year has also seen WPTE move its tournament broadcasts for the third time, after its long relationship with the Travel Channel and its year long dalliance with GSN, formerly the Game Show Network. The current season, the WPT’s seventh, will be seen on Fox Sports Network in what appears to be a “time buy” situation.
WPTE’s stock has taken a tumble as well. Since it reached its apex at over $27 a share following the rumored buyout by a consortium headed by Doyle Brunson in 2005, the stock has fallen tremendously. Two months ago, NASDAQ sent a delisting notification to WPTE after its shares fell below a dollar and gave then 180 days to return above that $1 level for a ten consecutive day period. As of this writing, WPTE’s stock has continued to drop and sits at $0.46.
WPTE currently has no debts, and its assets total over $11 million, but the organization has only ever had one money making quarter. In that quarter, WPTE turned a profit due to the sale of stock in the electronic poker table company PokerTek in early 2006.
The move by WPTE seems to have no effect on the continuation of its other online poker site, Club WPT. This site, which is membership based and is accessible to American players as well as the world, looks to be the linchpin that WPTE will move on with in the online poker world, as it also is the basis of its latest broadcast efforts on the Fox Sports Network.
WPTE still has their popular Club WPT site as well as their current television deal with Fox Sports Network to stay viable in the poker world. With the temporary shutdown of wptonline.com, however, things could take a turn for the worse. Overall, it would be unfortunate to lose any part of the organization that has been a part of the resurgence of poker in the 21st century.
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World Poker Tour Enterprises, the owner of the eponymous landmark poker tour since its inception seven years ago, announced on Friday that they will be terminating their relationship with Cryptologic, who had run their online poker room for slightly over a year.
WPTE filed a notice with the Securities and Exchange Commission on October 17th where details of the end of the relationship were offered. In the notice, WPTE announced that they had informed Cryptologic Incorporated and WagerLogic Limited - with whom WPTE had been working for just over a year - that they were terminating their contract and that the room would temporarily shut down on or around November 14th. At this time, WPTE is retaining rights to come back online at a future date but those options have yet to be fully detailed out.
The contract termination will cost WPTE a significant sum of money. The three year contract signed with Cryptologic in 2007 for operation of the poker room was for $750,000 with WPTE picking up any costs not covered by the room’s operation, according to previous SEC filings. Add into the equation the remainder of the contract, which will have to be picked up as well by WPTE, and the total costs for closing the room will potentially be around $2 million, if not significantly higher.
Sources at the WPT were not at liberty to confirm if the site will reopen in another network or independently.
The actual site that the WPTE was using for its online poker operation, WPTonline.com, seemed to have problems from the start. After spending several months trying to develop their own software and program in 2006, WPTE decided to abandon that effort and signed on with Cryptologic. Further adding into the difficulties for the site was the fact that it could not accept American players, as the gray area that is online gaming in the United States could have put WPTE in tremendous jeopardy if American action was accepted.
2008 overall hasn’t been kind to WPTE or any of its operations. Since last year, many of the tournaments on the schedule have seen declines in their numbers and the current seventh season of the WPT has actually seen a reduction in the number of tournaments for the first time in its history. This year has also seen WPTE move its tournament broadcasts for the third time, after its long relationship with the Travel Channel and its year long dalliance with GSN, formerly the Game Show Network. The current season, the WPT’s seventh, will be seen on Fox Sports Network in what appears to be a “time buy” situation.
WPTE’s stock has taken a tumble as well. Since it reached its apex at over $27 a share following the rumored buyout by a consortium headed by Doyle Brunson in 2005, the stock has fallen tremendously. Two months ago, NASDAQ sent a delisting notification to WPTE after its shares fell below a dollar and gave then 180 days to return above that $1 level for a ten consecutive day period. As of this writing, WPTE’s stock has continued to drop and sits at $0.46.
WPTE currently has no debts, and its assets total over $11 million, but the organization has only ever had one money making quarter. In that quarter, WPTE turned a profit due to the sale of stock in the electronic poker table company PokerTek in early 2006.
The move by WPTE seems to have no effect on the continuation of its other online poker site, Club WPT. This site, which is membership based and is accessible to American players as well as the world, looks to be the linchpin that WPTE will move on with in the online poker world, as it also is the basis of its latest broadcast efforts on the Fox Sports Network.
WPTE still has their popular Club WPT site as well as their current television deal with Fox Sports Network to stay viable in the poker world. With the temporary shutdown of wptonline.com, however, things could take a turn for the worse. Overall, it would be unfortunate to lose any part of the organization that has been a part of the resurgence of poker in the 21st century.
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Monday, October 20, 2008
Internet Gambling Ruling - 19th October 2008
Last week in a monumental ruling, Kentucky District Judge Thomas Wingate refused to dismiss a case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domains. They include the websites of the largest online poker rooms in the industry that cater to U.S. customers, including Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet, Cake Poker, and PokerStars. Late last week, Governor Steve Beshear, who initiated the seizure, issued his response to the ruling.
Beshear, in part to protect Kentucky’s horse racing industry and state lottery, ordered the 141 domain names in question to be seized. His actions have incited consternation from around the industry, including from industry groups like the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), and Interactive Gaming Council (IGC). In addition, groups like the Bluegrass Institute have become involved in the issue because of the violations of freedom involved.
Nevertheless, Beshear was elated at the news that Judge Wingate had sided with him on the case. He commented in a press release available on Kentucky.gov, “I am very pleased with Judge Wingate’s ruling. The court validated our concern that there is illegal and unregulated Internet gambling in Kentucky. He has given these parties 30 days to effectively block any access to this illegal activity within the commonwealth of Kentucky or they may be forced to forfeit those domain names to the commonwealth.”
Judge Wingate’s ruling states that if internet gambling sites take action to block users in Kentucky from accessing the site using geo-targeting technologies, then they “shall be relieved from the effects of the Seizure Order and from any further proceedings in the instant civil forfeiture action.” The final forfeiture hearing is scheduled for Monday, November 21st at 10:00am ET.
Beshear reveals his reasons behind his order for seizure: “No one has been willing to step up and do anything about illegal Internet gambling until now. We must protect our people, especially our children, from this illegal and unregulated activity while also protecting our legal and regulated forms of gaming in Kentucky.” Beshear ran on a platform of expanding land-based casino gambling in the State.
Rich Muny, who is the State Director in Kentucky for the PPA, commented, “Judge Wingate’s order is a huge disappointment to the thousands of Kentuckians who play Internet poker. In essence, Governor Beshear and Judge Wingate are denying law-abiding citizens this form of recreation simply because it is enjoyed on the Internet. This is Internet censorship by judicial fiat, plain and simple.”
It’s a case that will set a significant precedent one way or the other. Due to the ruling last week, appeals are expected, although when they will be filed is currently unknown. The case has attracted worldwide attention, including from the Bluegrass Institute, a local organization aimed at preserving the freedoms set forth in the Constitution, and the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The latter national organization is led by Grover Norquist, who has been active on Capitol Hill for the last 20 years. The ATR, according to its website, believes “in a system in which taxes are simpler, fairer, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government’s power to control one’s life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized.” The limitation of government is one of the primary reasons that the ATR is involved. The organization has also worked with the PPA on a national level, trying to push through pro-internet gambling legislation.
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Last week in a monumental ruling, Kentucky District Judge Thomas Wingate refused to dismiss a case involving the seizure and potential forfeiture of 141 internet gambling domains. They include the websites of the largest online poker rooms in the industry that cater to U.S. customers, including Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet, Cake Poker, and PokerStars. Late last week, Governor Steve Beshear, who initiated the seizure, issued his response to the ruling.
Beshear, in part to protect Kentucky’s horse racing industry and state lottery, ordered the 141 domain names in question to be seized. His actions have incited consternation from around the industry, including from industry groups like the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), and Interactive Gaming Council (IGC). In addition, groups like the Bluegrass Institute have become involved in the issue because of the violations of freedom involved.
Nevertheless, Beshear was elated at the news that Judge Wingate had sided with him on the case. He commented in a press release available on Kentucky.gov, “I am very pleased with Judge Wingate’s ruling. The court validated our concern that there is illegal and unregulated Internet gambling in Kentucky. He has given these parties 30 days to effectively block any access to this illegal activity within the commonwealth of Kentucky or they may be forced to forfeit those domain names to the commonwealth.”
Judge Wingate’s ruling states that if internet gambling sites take action to block users in Kentucky from accessing the site using geo-targeting technologies, then they “shall be relieved from the effects of the Seizure Order and from any further proceedings in the instant civil forfeiture action.” The final forfeiture hearing is scheduled for Monday, November 21st at 10:00am ET.
Beshear reveals his reasons behind his order for seizure: “No one has been willing to step up and do anything about illegal Internet gambling until now. We must protect our people, especially our children, from this illegal and unregulated activity while also protecting our legal and regulated forms of gaming in Kentucky.” Beshear ran on a platform of expanding land-based casino gambling in the State.
Rich Muny, who is the State Director in Kentucky for the PPA, commented, “Judge Wingate’s order is a huge disappointment to the thousands of Kentuckians who play Internet poker. In essence, Governor Beshear and Judge Wingate are denying law-abiding citizens this form of recreation simply because it is enjoyed on the Internet. This is Internet censorship by judicial fiat, plain and simple.”
It’s a case that will set a significant precedent one way or the other. Due to the ruling last week, appeals are expected, although when they will be filed is currently unknown. The case has attracted worldwide attention, including from the Bluegrass Institute, a local organization aimed at preserving the freedoms set forth in the Constitution, and the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). The latter national organization is led by Grover Norquist, who has been active on Capitol Hill for the last 20 years. The ATR, according to its website, believes “in a system in which taxes are simpler, fairer, flatter, more visible, and lower than they are today. The government’s power to control one’s life derives from its power to tax. We believe that power should be minimized.” The limitation of government is one of the primary reasons that the ATR is involved. The organization has also worked with the PPA on a national level, trying to push through pro-internet gambling legislation.
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Push to teach students the odds of pokies, horse racing, by Melanie Christiansen - The Courier-Mail - 20th October 2008
Students would be taught the odds of gambling on the pokies or the horses in the school curriculum, under a proposal from the hotel industry.
The industry wants gambling education added to the national school curriculum.
Responding to concerns about problem gamblers, the Australian Hotels Association has written to a Senate committee suggesting there is a "genuine need" to teach factual information on all forms of gambling in classrooms.
"It is an unfortunate reality that many young people do not understand the odds when gambling, and overestimate their chance of success," the AHA submission said.
"At present, schools throughout Australia teach students about safe sex, the dangers of smoking and drugs and the responsible consumption of alcohol.
"To adequately prepare students for life after school, gambling education needs to be included in the national school curriculum."
The proposal follows a furore two months ago, when a Brisbane school teacher was accused of leading his students astray after taking them to a racecourse to help improve their maths skills.
While teenagers from Mt St Michael's College in Ashgrove spent an afternoon studying form guides, their teacher, Jim Dooley, placed some bets.
Queensland Teachers' Union president Steve Ryan said although most schools did not go to the extent of taking students to races, their maths courses already covered the concepts of probability and chance in data.
He said there was no need to add extra lessons on gambling into an already busy school program.
"Every time there is an issue in our society, it should not be expected that schools can solve it by including it in their curriculum," he said.
(Credit: The Courier-Mail)
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Students would be taught the odds of gambling on the pokies or the horses in the school curriculum, under a proposal from the hotel industry.
The industry wants gambling education added to the national school curriculum.
Responding to concerns about problem gamblers, the Australian Hotels Association has written to a Senate committee suggesting there is a "genuine need" to teach factual information on all forms of gambling in classrooms.
"It is an unfortunate reality that many young people do not understand the odds when gambling, and overestimate their chance of success," the AHA submission said.
"At present, schools throughout Australia teach students about safe sex, the dangers of smoking and drugs and the responsible consumption of alcohol.
"To adequately prepare students for life after school, gambling education needs to be included in the national school curriculum."
The proposal follows a furore two months ago, when a Brisbane school teacher was accused of leading his students astray after taking them to a racecourse to help improve their maths skills.
While teenagers from Mt St Michael's College in Ashgrove spent an afternoon studying form guides, their teacher, Jim Dooley, placed some bets.
Queensland Teachers' Union president Steve Ryan said although most schools did not go to the extent of taking students to races, their maths courses already covered the concepts of probability and chance in data.
He said there was no need to add extra lessons on gambling into an already busy school program.
"Every time there is an issue in our society, it should not be expected that schools can solve it by including it in their curriculum," he said.
(Credit: The Courier-Mail)
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Sunday, October 19, 2008
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