PartyPoker stole the headlines this week with its planned attempt to implement some of the highest rake caps known to online poker. But no one likes a party pooper, and after a successful protest, they backed down on the rake cap changes.
We also heard a small peep out of FTP for the first time since the AGCC hearing, although there wasn’t much to report. There’s promises of more meaty statements to come in the following days.
Meanwhile, bizarreness surrounds Lock Poker once again this week, as pokerfuse today exclusively reported how the gambling authority of Malta has disassociated itself with the troubled poker room despite recently awarding Merge Gaming with a operating license. I’m sure there’ll be more to come on that this week.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. What didn’t we have space for this week? Read on:
- Bodog is planning to release a new version of their poker software by the end of the year, according to Inside Poker Business.
- PokerStars and payment processor PaySafeCard sign on as sponsors to London’s poker festival, “Poker In The Park,” joining perennial primary sponsor Bodog.
- Microgaming skin “unibet” rolls out a new update to the client, which includes the controversial “autofold” feature, allowing players to define hands to automatically fold preflop. The system even comes with predefined ranges ready to go. The “feature” is expected to roll out on other skins soon. Pokerfuse will be covering this – along with the collective community face-palm – pronto.
- Little-known iPoker-skin, Genting Poker, is the first on the network to roll out the new “Home Games” feature. Similar to that of the PokerStars success, the system allows players to invite family and friends to their own private cash games and tournaments.
- The amount of deposits from players thought to go uncollected from their bank accounts by Full Tilt is now estimated to be more than double the original guess of $60m.
- An attorney representing Full Tilt and most of its sponsored pros announces there will be upcoming announcements (no, really this time!), but he also answers a few questions from the 2+2 community. Unfortunately, none of it tells players with outstanding balances when or if they will be getting paid.
- NJ state senator Ray Lesniak, reintroduces his intrastate online gambling bill with the only major change being the prohibition of cyber-cafes, but that was a major sticking point when Governor Christie vetoed the bill the last time around.
- Nevada Gaming Control Board publishes a draft of its regulatory framework for online gaming but it won’t mean a thing unless intrastate online gaming is blessed by federal lawmakers or unless they green-light online gaming on the federal level.
Want more? You’ll be wanting to following the pokerfuse twitter feed.
