News in Brief: Barney Frank, Tobey Maguire, Facebook Make NoiseCheck out the headlines from the week of Nov. 28 |
|
Not everyone has the time to stay on top of all of the news that breaks daily in the poker world, but that doesn’t mean you have to be out of the loop entirely.
Here Card Player brings to you the news from the week of Nov. 28.
Rep. Barney Frank to Retire, Says He Won’t Become a Lobbyist
Internet gaming supporter Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) announced at a Monday press conference that he will not seek re-election in 2012.
He cited numerous reasons for planning to retire, including redistricting and a desire to pursue other projects before his career is over.
Frank, who has sponsored Internet gaming legislation and recently testified on behalf of the issue at a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing, said he will not become a lobbyist.
Tobey Maguire to Pay $80,000 in Poker Lawsuit
People Magazine reported on Monday that actor Tobey Maguire has settled a lawsuit that was seeking to claim $311,000 he won in a high-stakes Hollywood home game.
Maguire will pay $80,000 to the former clients of Brad Ruderman, a man currently serving time in a Texas jail after being convicted of wire fraud and investment adviser fraud. Ruderman served as the CEO of Ruderman Capital Partners, which was later revealed to be a Ponzi scheme by FBI investigators.
Ruderman allegedly lost about $25 million of investor money in the home games.
Reportedly, as part of the settlement, Maguire maintains that he committed no wrongdoing and he didn’t know that the money he won came from illicit financial activities.
PokerStars Sponsors German Football Stadium
PokerStars has won the naming rights for Stadion an der Lohmühle, Lübeck, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
The stadium is home to VfB Lübeck soccer club and has a capacity for 17,849 spectators and will officially be called PokerStars.de – Stadion an der Lohmühle.
PokerStars has long been a supporter of Schleswig-Holstein’s progressive moves to regulate and licence online gaming, including online poker, in the state.
In September this year Schleswig-Holstein legalised online poker.
Bodog Introduces New Anonymous Poker Tables
In February, Card Player reported that Bodog would begin an effort to block data mining software from their site in order to appeal to the more casual online poker player. On Wednesday, the site announced the introduction of anonymous poker tables.
The new feature blocks the use of HUDs (Heads Up Displays) and doesn’t allow data-mining sites to collect statistics on the site’s players.
Facebook is in talks with several online gambling operators with a view to “open[ing] its platform to real-money gambling in the UK," according to eGaming Review.
The social media company is reportedly in talks with Israeli online poker and casino operator 888.com, which declined to comment.
Iowa Publishes Intrastate Internet Poker Report
On Thursday gaming regulators in Iowa published a report on the potential regulatory framework for intrastate Internet poker. According to the Des Moines Register, the findings will pave the way for 2012 discussions on the issue.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission studied the industry at the request of the state legislature, which considered an online poker proposal in 2011 but wanted more information. Efforts for legislation also failed in 2010.
Five Gaming Companies Apply to Participate in a Nevada Online Poker System
Five gaming entities have already applied for a license to do business in a Nevada-based Internet poker system that would offer the game to residents.
888 Holdings, International Game Technology, Bally Technologies and Cantor Gaming have submitted paper work to regulators, according to public records Card Player received from the Nevada Gaming Control Board. South Point Poker has applied to be licensed, but has not turned in a formal application yet, according to a source at the Control Board.
Hearing Held for John Campos, Chad Elie in Internet Poker Case
Two of the men named in April’s sweeping indictments against the major online poker sites appeared in federal court on Thursday for a preliminary hearing, according to Forbes.
According to allegations, John Campos, a former vice-chairman of SunFirst Bank, processed the illegal Internet gambling transactions at the request of Las Vegas businessman Chad Elie.
Forbes reported that in the hearing federal judge Lewis Kaplan was cold to arguments levied by the attorneys for the defendants.
Copyright © 2001-2024
CardPlayer.com. All rights reserved.
