Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, the Chief Sponsor of House Bill 108, is not taking any chances when it comes to allowing any sort of gambling in Utah, whether that be online or within the state itself.

Sandstrom presented his bill for the second day in a row to the House Law Enforcement committee on Wednesday to ensure that Internet gambling will not be allowed in Utah. This bill is a referendum on the DOJ’s decision and some in the U.S. Congress such as Senate Leader Harry Reid to proliferate online gambling.  The bill prohibits online gambling in Utah in response to proposed legislation in the U.S. Congress to legalize online gambling unless states proactively opt out.

If the federal government allows Internet gaming nationwide Sandstrom fears Utah without a ban already in place, could be in danger of casinos opening on Indian reservations. “If we don’t opt out of this, then the Indian Regulatory Gaming Act will instantly kick in and we will see Indian casinos coming into the state of Utah,” he said.

Sandstrom, argued his bill, which would require Internet service providers in Utah to block online gambling websites, is worth any cost that might come to the state.

“There is a lot more at risk to the state than the potential cost,” Sandstrom told the committee. “To me I think it really, quite frankly, doesn’t matter, ’cause it will cost the state tens of millions of dollars if they do not go with this.”

Sandstrom had to remove a requirement that Internet service providers that provide service in Utah must block access to gambling websites before the committee would vote on the bill. He explained the connection between Internet gambling and Indian casinos is a proposal before Congress that would allow online gambling.

Sandstrom had support from many members of the committee for the intent of his bill, but the committee felt it was important to get the full information on the bill prior to passing it on to the House floor.

“We need to have this information prior to voting on this bill,” Rep. Patrice Arent, D-Salt Lake City, said.

Sandstrom is hoping that the committee will reconsider on House Bill 108 later this week.

Reported by Maggie B.

In Fall of 2011 Groupe Bernard Tapie had reached an agreement (DoJ places $80m price tag on FTP’s assets) in principle with the US Department of Justice that would allow GBT’s acquisition of Full Tilt Poker to go forward. However recently it looks as though Phil Ivey and up to a dozen more Full Tilt poker professionals are holding up the sale of the company to the Bernard Tapie Groupe, according to Behnam Dayanim, the French company’s lawyer.

“GBT doesn’t want to acquire assets which will need to be litigated over later. In total, the sum owed to the company is between $10 and $20 million. Several of the players who owe money and have not yet expressed a willingness to pay their debts include Phil Ivey, Layne Flack, David Benyamine, and Erick Lindgren. Barry Greenstein, Mike Matusow, and others owe a smaller but still significant amount. If the money doesn’t come in, it creates a serious obstacle to completion of the deal. This isn’t the only issue with the takeover, and the deal won’t end on any one issue; but this is a substantial item.”

Greenstein said that he did not “believe my debt has any impact on the sale to the Tapie group, as they have alleged.” Greenstein, along with several other players, have stated that they will wait for the US Department of Justice to set up a fund to pay back US players what they are owed by Full Tilt Poker before they put one more cent back into Full Tilt Poker.

Gaming Intelligence was informed by Dayanim that GBT has no desire “to litigate a whole bunch of individual cases against professionals post-acquisition so we are trying to negotiate but we have not been making a lot of progress. The forfeiture would extinguish any US claims to the assets but they do not necessarily extinguish creditor claims in other countries.” Dayanim also claimed the due diligence had revealed that FTP’s financial position is “worse than we had anticipated … The company has greater liabilities — excluding player liabilities — than we had hoped.”

Dayanim declined further comments but did suggest that the deal between GBT/DoJ was unraveling. “If we don’t complete the deal, then the rest of the world players won’t be compensated nor made whole because we won’t be there to do it, and the government would have less money than it otherwise would to pay the US players to the extent that it plans to do so.” Dayanim said GBT will be faced with “a go or no-go decision” once its due diligence is complete.

Reported by Maggie B.

Betfair has relaunced it’s iPad app with a list of new and improved user updates that customers are giving the thumbs up too!

The new relaunch features that also allow you to:
- Place back and lay bets on any market in the Betfair exchange.
- Check the profit and loss (P&L) on the markets where you have matched bets.
- Check your active bets, update and cancel bets that haven’t been matched.
- Check basic account details and manage deposits and withdrawals.
- Read betting tips and insight including exclusive columns from Betfair’s Ambassadors: Lee Dixon, Paul Nicholls, Michael Vaughan, and Will Greenwood.

According to Betfair this app is ‘the first of a string of new mobile releases’ and features an intuitive landing page with ‘easy access to the most popular events along with live scores’.

“This app is a game-changer for our customers, offering them a seamless betting experience that replicates the fixed web while making use of the unique features available on iPad,” said Raj Vemulapalli, Mobile Engineering Vice-President and Mobile Technologies Head for Betfair.

“Mobile is the coming force in the betting industry and the shift from online to mobile is in many ways more exciting than the shift from offline to online.” “Not only are people moving over from website to mobile, but there is incremental value from that,” according to head of product Anil Bhagchandani. “Customers who were purely website and who then start using mobile almost always stay longer, bet more and have a higher ARPU.”

“Mobile is increasingly important to Betfair’s bottom line and product launches such as this are now key strategic milestones,” said Tony McAlister, Chief Technology Officer for Betfair.

“In addition, the fact that this app was developed in just two months out in San Francisco shows that our decision to launch a US technology office in Silicon Valley is already paying off. I hope this is the first of many US developed products that will extend our lead in the online betting space.”

What’s New in Version 2.0

- A What’s Hot section listing the most popular events and a dedicated section for Horse Racing.
- Live scores for football and tennis matches.
- New market view which allows quick access to related markets and also the ability to place more than one bet at a time on a market.
- News section containing betting news and tips from Betfair’s Ambassadors Lee Dixon, Paul Nicholls, Michael Vaughan, and Will Greenwood.
- Improved My Account functionality – now you can deposit and withdraw funds without having to leave the market you’re on.

Reported by Maggie B.

FREE $27 Promo at Slotland…Introducing Double Luck Slots!
Runtime: February 8 – 12, 2012

Terms & Conditions:

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What players need to do: Log in or register at Slotland and click on the Double Luck game.

About Double Luck
Double Luck is an easy-to-play slot machine with 5 reels and 9 paylines and bets ranging from 5¢ to $1 per pay line with a gamble feature allowing you to double your wins up to 32x. If you hit a “Coin” symbol you may try to multiply your winnings up to 32 times! Just pick the Star or Dollar symbol to gamble with your winnings or press the Collect button to quit the bonus game and collect your winnings. Please note that this slot machine is not connected to the Slotland progressive Jackpot.

About Slotland

Launched in 1998, Slotland has established itself as a unique and trusted brand among players. To ensure a strong position on the market Slotland ensures that it remains compatible will all platforms and continuously comes out with new games and features that keep your players coming back. With all the games being developed in house, your players are sure to find one-of-a-kind games!

Reported by Maggie B.

According to State Co-Chair Pat Neal, former State Senator and former Chair of the Board of the Christian Coalition of Florida, “Mitt Romney is pro-life and is a true conservative on issues of family and faith.”

But the republican presidential hopeful has also taken a stance against online gambling; which in the opinion’s of many online gambling blogs and websites makes him just another representative bent over with his head stuck in the sand.

When asked if he is a supporter of legalizing the activity, Romney responded in a recent interview, “No, no I’m not. Gaming has a social effect on a lot of people. I don’t want to increase access to gaming. I feel that we have plenty of access to gaming right now through the various casinos and establishments that exist.”

Donald Trumps recent endorsement of Romney leaves me scratching my head when recently in comments made to Forbes, Trump said, “This has to happen (legalizing online gambling) because many other countries are doing it and like usual the U.S. is just missing out,”  “It seems inevitable, but with this country you never know if it’s inevitable.”

Unlike Ron Paul, who’s stated unequivocally that, “online gambling should be legalized as it’s not the government’s place to tell Americans how to live their lives or spend their money.” Paul was also co-sponsor of Barney Frank’s bill to amend the UIGEA to allow for online gambling in the U.S.

Hopefully the former Massachusetts Governors plan to “rebuild the foundations of the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation” works since he doesn’t “support legalizing online gaming because he’s against the social costs and people’s addictive gambling habits.”

Reported by Maggie B.

Once again Platinum Play is proving why it is one of our top approved online casinos here at Casino Scam Report. CSR recently reported about Platinum Play’s biggest jackpot winner, now just a few weeks later they have once again paid out big time to some more lucky winners!

George K. won €278,518 on Caribbean Draw Poker Gold Series, this fabulous new draw poker game is a five-card draw poker variant with one standard 52-card deck in which you compete against the house dealer. Looks like this time the house had to pay up as George C. proved his skills worthy of winning a fantastic prize.

Susan C., our second fortunate player has won £1,965,956.46 playing the progressive slot game Lord of the Rings. Lord of the Rings powered by Microgaming is a 243 Way Video Slot boasts Cinematic SpinsTM, which provide both an entertaining as well as rewarding gaming experience just ask Susan C. I’m sure she would be happy to gush over the big winnings she is taking home.

About Platinum Play

Platinum Play Online Casino has become one of the world’s most entertaining and most trusted online casinos, offering its players some truly sophisticated gaming action. Founded in early 2004, Platinum Play Online Casino was created with the aim of offering a reputable online casino environment where players can enjoy themselves in a safe and secure setting in the privacy of their own homes.

Reported by Maggie B.

Fertitta Interactive announced that it submitted an application to the Nevada Gaming Control Board to expand its gaming licenses to include online poker in Nevada, they are one of many on the list of companies that have filed applications with the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Jointly owned by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, Fertitta Interactive, are also owners of the popular Station Casinos as well as the Ultimate Fighting Championship brand.

In October 2011, Fertitta Interactive purchased online gaming provider CyberArts Licensing LLC, which specializes in online poker. The acquisition of CyberArts came on the heels of a strategic partnership with Full Tilt Poker that had fallen through after Black Friday.

In a recent statement Fertita Interactive said, “We support the regulation of online poker” “Our industry leading software has a track record of complying with the strictest regulations in jurisdictions around the world. Nevada has always been the leader in gaming regulation and we’re pleased to file our application here. In conclusion, Fertitta said his company’s goal was to provide poker players with the “best online experience” in a safe and well-regulated environment.”

Reported by Maggie B.

Microgaming announced the launch of the state of the art ‘Diamond Edition’ of its existing Live Dealer games with RoyalVegas.eu as one of the first to go live with the new facility.

Microgaming stats that the Diamond Edition will offer gamers ‘a new and improved casino experience’ via the use of ‘redefined graphics that give the player a heightened sense of being in a casino while providing more statistics than ever before to aid their chances of winning big money’.

With innovation and the integration of the HD video streaming offered by the Live Dealer games facility, where players can place bets in “real-time”, the new Diamond Edition also comes complete with multi-player roulette due to ‘a surge’ in the number of gamers enjoying its multi-player offerings.

“The Diamond Edition was partly conceived because of the trend we have noticed towards playing multi-player games and we were keen to ensure that players have even greater opportunity to take advantage of this function, this time through roulette,” read a statement from Microgaming.

“Already, 16 Microgaming customers are using the Live Games product after just one year in the market, meaning that our first-rate technology and comprehensive live experience is being used by thousands of gamers worldwide.”

Microgaming’s existing Live Dealer service offers stand-alone multi-window games along with a multi-language facility for the localisation of casinos and sees cards shuffled and dealt in real-time.

“We are excited to launch Microgaming’s new multi-player Roulette, which gives our players a unique and social gaming experience,” read a statement from RoyalVegas.eu.

“The bet on table functionality is innovative and we know that the Live Dealer Diamond Edition will be a huge hit with our players.”

Reported by Maggie B.

It’s an exciting time to play tournament poker with bet365’s amazing $50,000 Freeroll Frenzy.

There’s $50,000 on offer in cash and guaranteed tournament prize-pools which is sure to set your pulse racing. You can qualify for three $10,000 guaranteed tournaments through Heads-up Qualifiers, direct buy-ins or, best of all, 360 freerolls, meaning you could even book a spot at the table for free!

The three $10,000 guaranteed events run on 13th February, 24th February and 6th March and you have 10 days before each tournament in which to qualify.

But that’s not all, because bet365 is increasing the amount of merit points you can earn in the process, with 20 merit points, up from 15, for every $1 you pay in tournament fees. So this is also a great chance to boost your merit points at an increased rate.

With big money poker events, a whole host of ways to qualify and increased merit points, bet365’s $50,000 Freeroll Frenzy is the poker event of the year so far and one you won’t want to miss!

Login or visit bet365 today because qualifiers for the first event on Feb. 13th starts today!

Reported by Maggie B.

Owners of Full Tilt Poker agreed to the final terms of their forfeiture agreement with the US Department of Justice (DoJ) on Tuesday January 24th. The shutdown date, April 15, 2011, came to be known in the online gambling world as “Black Friday.” With this new deal, Groupe Bernard Tapie can now purchase the $80m buy from the DoJ.

US District Judge Leonard B. Sand on Monday dismissed a civil Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) suit alleging that Full Tilt Poker and 10 individual defendants conspired to defraud company account holders of US$150m by freezing their accounts, U.S. District Judge Leonard B. Sand said in his ruling yesterday rejecting the players’ racketeering claims as “too attenuated” to proceed.

“It remains unclear whether the direct cause of the plaintiffs’ injuries was the decision by the U.S. Attorney’s office to temporarily shut down the Full Tilt poker website and seize the company’s assets,” Sand said, “or was instead as plaintiffs’ conversion allegations suggest, the subsequent decision by one or more of the defendants to halt player withdrawals.”

The suit, which targets nine companies, 16 individuals and a number of defendants over the alleged scheme, stems from the federal government’s probe into and subsequent criminal and civil suits over the gambling site’s activities. The government’s case focused on allegations of bank and wire fraud and money laundering at Full Tilt, PokerStars and Absolute Poker.

The case is Segal v. Bitar, 11-cv-4521, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Reported by Maggie B.