Main Headlines
Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board: Online Gaming “Can be Effectively Regulated”
Lawmakers begin to get up to speed as they consider regulating online gambling in the Keystone State.
- Kevin O’Toole, executive director of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board testified that after an extensive review of online gambling, the activity “can be effectively regulated” in the state.
- Though he did not address any specifics O’Toole did emphasize that regulations in the state should ensure that licensed operators and their vendors should be “free from inappropriate association.”
- Representatives from Thrive Gaming estimated that Pennsylvania could expect 300,000 players that generate $130 per month in revenue on average leading to $450 million in gross gaming revenue once the market matures.
- Unfortunately the lawmakers in attendance for the hearing seem to be less knowledgeable on the topic of online gambling than their California counterparts.
iPoker Continues in Belgium as Ladbrokes.BE Launches
Playtech’s Belgian pull out will not affect Ladbrokes’ new compliant iPoker site.
- Although Playtech has pulled out of Belgium, players in the country will still be able to access iPoker through Ladbrokes.be which has just launched.
- On April 28, Ladbrokes.BE launched, fully licensed by the Belgian Gaming Commission, as part of a partnership with the Middelkerke Casino-Kursaal NV (Mikas), one of nine land based casinos with a BGC license.
EPN Defends Bans on Winning Players
Only a handful of players have been affected, but the network is unrepentant.
- Accusations that poker rooms on the Equity Poker Network (EPN) are banning winning players have met with an unusual and robust response.
- Calvinayre.com reports a reply that the EPN is not “the universal panacea for all poker players and operators who wish to offer poker, but it is intended to appeal to a large subset of the poker community.”
- The EPN has been set up as a cooperative network, so any network room that introduces highly “aggressive” or professional players may be advised that these players are not helpful to the network’s player ecology.
PokerLoco Switches from Ongame to MPN
LatAm-focused poker room finds a new home.
- PokerLoco was founded in 2005, and has been on the Ongame network since at least 2007.
- The website is available in English, Spanish, Swedish and Brazilian and European Portuguese.
- “We believe the MPN offers the very best online poker experience in the market and so joining the network was an easy decision to make.”
Picks from F5 Poker:
PokerScout Hangs The “Help Wanted” Sign
Online poker traffic site looking for a couple new hires. If you are looking to get into the glamorous, elegant world of poker media then perhaps this can help you get your foot in the door. Online poker traffic tracking site PokerScout is in need of a few people to join their ranks so check it out and maybe if you have the skills, you can help them out.
The Poker World’s All-Time Two-Timers
After Victoria Coren Mitchell became the first player to win two EPT Main Events, Pokerstrategy decided to compile some of the best “poker doubles” in modern poker history. Of course, Vicky is on the list but check out which other players have done something so significant, not once but twice, to make this top 5 list.
EPT Monte Carlo Main Event Day 5 Live Stream
It’s the penultimate day of the Main Event.
World Series of Poker 2014 $25k Fantasy Draft Sets Date
High rollers play in nosebleed fantasy poker league. With Super High Rollers being all the rage and poker players putting up $10k, $25k and even $100k – on the regular – for tournaments, the massive price tag associated with the premiere WSOP fantasy league for poker’s elite cool kids has, maybe, lost a little of its shine. The fun of it on the other hand, has only grown in recent years. Now the date is set for the 2014 $25k Fantasy Draft to take place.
WSOP 2014 – Go Grind On Marvin Rettenmaier’s Dime
WPT Champ is looking for a few good men and women. Looking to attend the 2014 WSOP? Looking to play high volume? Do you have a past history of success online? If you answered yes to these questions then let us introduce you to 2-time World Poker Tour Champion “Mad” Marvin Rettenmaier (like you need an intro…) – a man looking for a few good men (or women).
Poker Game Of Thrones – Book 2: Critical Hits
If poker pros populated Westeros. If you missed Part 1 of Poker Game of Thrones – go check it out now.
Exclusive Articles on pokerfuse PRO:
PokerAtlas Launches Customer Support Forum on Two Plus Two
Jon Friedberg’s informational site—the only affiliate business licensed in both Nevada and New Jersey—starts a large advertising push. US-facing online poker portal PokerAtlas has launched a customer support forum on the popular poker community site Two Plus Two.
EU Court of Justice Makes it Harder to Justify Restrictive Gambling Legislation
Operators exempt from penalties for ignoring disproportionate or unjustified national legislation. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has issued a ruling regarding Austrian gambling laws that will make it more difficult for member states to justify gambling legislation that restricts competition from operators licensed in other EU countries.
Svenska Spel Feels the Effects of Ending Bonuses
Cash game traffic and revenues have fallen since the introduction of “responsible gaming measures.” Six months after ending bonuses and promotions which encourage play, Svenska Spel has reported that operating profits have fallen by more than 6%.
The Deal
Promotional highlights of the week, including partypoker NJ, PokerStars France, William Hill, PokerStrategy, and PokerTracker. PokerStrategy, William Hill Offer WSOP Packages
Poker Podcasts and Training Vids:
Podcast: May 1st, 2014 – MTT Strategy with Jamie Kerstetter The Tournament Poker Edge Podcast
On this episode of the Tournament Poker Edge Podcast, Jamie Kerstetter joins us to talk about her start in poker, online poker in New Jersey and we discuss a few hands from the TPE forums in our strategy segment.
Podcast: Deep Stack Charity Classic Ante Up! Pokercast
Scott reports back from his participation in our favorite charity poker event, plus PokerStars is back in the news.
Training Video: Sunday Saver Series: iPoker Hand History Review with Chris Moon Tournament Poker Edge
Chris Moon is back with another Sunday Saver. This time he has a review of his deep run in the iPoker Sunday major. Chris goes deep into hand analysis in this four part series.
Training Video: Search and Destroy 2: Facing Preflop Raises Deuces Cracked
In part 2 of 4, Josh and Christopher continue with preflop defaults. This time, they look at the fundamentals behind facing a raise, both in terms of 3-betting and in calling raises.
