Sep 28, 2015 | Article
Over the past one decade, Brazil has been going through a very serious budget crisis. Every other year, budget deficits have been a thorn in the flesh that has only served to hurt the economy of the country as a whole. Due to these developments, the government of Brazil is now considering a way out of this mess. Among the many options that the government has been considering in recent years, passing gaming legislation with regards to poker has been an outstanding option.
Brazil’s budget crisis might just be the perfect catalyst to a bill that aims to pass and legalize online gaming in the country. It is in the interest of balancing the national budget that the government has been considering the possibility of passing legislation for online gaming regulation in order to aid the country out of this mess. Brazil’s budget that was recently presented by President Dilma Rousseff includes a major $17 billion in terms of spending cuts. With these issues, there is no denying that the budget of the country requires some serious balancing work.
According to one poker industry pro called Jocelyn Wood, the president of Brazil just recently conducted a high level meeting with senior ministers and a range of other leaders in her political coalition with a view of gauging the amount of support that the new legislation might enjoy for it to be passed in the house. The legislation is solely aimed at taxing and regulating the online gaming arena in order to make sure that there are no major imbalances in the national budget in the near future.
These latest developments represent a perfect turnaround from the most recent events whereby the country has been plunged into turmoil mainly by unsustainable budget. In August, the country not only outlawed the playing of online poker in public but the president also came up with a bill that will aim to allow for regulated online sport wagering in the country. This again is an aspect that the members of parliament and senate need to look into in this regard.
Presumably, the idea of whether or not the country ought to pass this online gaming legislation in the country has been a very controversial issue. Those who are supporting the regulation like one Senator Ciro Nogueira pointed out clearly that the prohibition of online poker might not be as effective as many might be made to think. There is a considerable amount of revenue that the country can get from this gaming industry and therefore regulating, rather than eliminating will be the right decision to make.
In that same regard, Senator Noguiera introduced a bill in the month of July 2014 which was proposing that there be taxation of all kinds of gambling. The idea behind this was that it could assist the government in instances of financial crisis. Research shows that if this gaming industry is regulated, it might bring to the country new revenues in excess of R$15 billion per annum.
Additionally, Senator Noguiera also pointed out that there is no prohibitive approach to gambling that was being championed through the said bill. Again, no one will give up playing poker even if it is regulated or forbidden. It is therefore prudent to only make sure that the industry remains regulated so that it can compete fairly with the other major industries in the country.
It is important to note that the current anti-gambling legislation did not in any manner stop gambling in the country. Moreover, the clandestine market, as many people here love to call it is known to move in excess of R$18 billion every other year. Whereas there are many championing for the passing of the online gaming sector in the country, there is also a considerable number, especially in the religious sector that are morally against the whole idea of online gaming and regulating poker altogether.
Sep 23, 2015 | Article
Well, DTD? Those not so familiar with the poker series may not have an idea what DTD is – it stands for Dusk to Dawn. And that is not only because there are games going on at night, but that is actually the name of the venue. DTD is an old poker club that also serves as a casino. It was actually the first of its kind from those based in Midland to be legalized in the UK. Its volume of activities can, in fact, give online poker a run for its money. This October, world class poker players from the UK, neighbouring Ireland and even further away, meet at DTD to test their edge.
What Makes DTD Suitable For a Poker Function of World Standards?
First of all, not only are many poker players familiar with the venue, the casino also engages professionals. As such, it is a place that is credible and a place where anyone will be comfortable making a bet. Besides, the question of UK state laws does not arise as the place has been in operation for decades. It is also reassuring to note that the competition was successfully held at the same place last year.
As to the question of capacity, though it cannot be equated by the capacity that online gambling sites offer, when it comes to brick and mortar casinos, this venue is competitive. Its sitting capacity is 450 poker players at one go and comfortably occupying 45 tables.
How Long Is The Competition?
Anyone interested in poker should be ready to enjoy a whole sixteen days during which 19 events in total will take place. The entire period of poker and fun will begin on Saturday, the 24th of October and carry on up to the last day, which is scheduled to be Sunday, the 8th of November 2015.
And as for entrants, the guaranteed pool of winnings is mouth watering, being to the tune of £2.5 million! With this kind of money, the tournament cannot but attract the cream in the game of poker.
What goes on at DTD when this popular casino is not hosting World Class tournaments?
There is actually a wide range of betting activities taking place at DTD on ordinary days. It is a place where even people used to online gambling can come and feel at home as the charges cater for even players of low stakes.
Although there is room for VIP gambling where players access the cash room only by invite, many patrons have a wide range of stakes to choose from, including some worth a pound, five pounds, ten pounds and so on. In short, gaming at DTD is not just for the affluent. There is room for all cadres of players. The games here also come in varieties. There is Hold’em, for example, Omaha, Black Jack and even the Dealer’s Choice. This club also gives patrons opportunity to partake in electronic gaming the way they would online gambling, something that is convenient for activities at the casino. Gaming at the slot machines and roulette also keep patrons busy and entertained.
How is the Poker Law in the UK?
For starters, casinos have no problem conducting business as they are easily licensed by the country’s Gambling Commission. And when it comes to online poker, UK state laws are not restrictive even in the amounts a person can spend. Then there are the ordinary folk who would like to play poker in their local pub. Such pubs can offer gaming facilities but only after acquiring specific licenses for that purpose. The regulation for gaming in such places puts a limit as to how much a person can spend on poker and a ceiling to the prize.
Sep 23, 2015 | News
Borgata Poker Open is one of the tournaments within the World Poker Tour (WPT) this year. It is being hosted in the state of New Jersey, a state where poker and other betting games are played in a very conducive environment. WPT, a series that is well within the US poker laws comes on the heels of the just completed World Series of Poker.
Many poker enthusiasts expect Borgata Poker Open to book a place in the poker record books this year. The World Poker Tournament held in Atlanta last year attracted entries to the tune of 2215 – of course that including those for the Borgata Winter Poker Open. And the preceding two years were even better as far as the number of entries was concerned. Borgata is a hotel casino that also has a spa and so poker lovers can enjoy some holidaying even as they enjoy the world class poker competition. The icing on the cake is that there is room for many people to spend their time enjoying online gambling from the same venue at The Borgata.
How does the hotel benefit from hosting the WPT?
For starters, all eyes are on the state of New Jersey for the days of the tournament and have been for the days just preceding it. Many poker fans want to spend a lot of their time at the hotel during the tournament, something that is a clear financial boost to all business aspects of The Borgata. After all, the New Jersey state laws do not prohibit visitors from other states from doing any betting or even engaging in online gambling right from New Jersey.
Of course, business is not just positively impacted at the hotel but also in surrounding areas of New Jersey. US poker laws do not generally interfere with the local laws in matters of gambling, and as long as the New Jersey state laws continue to be friendly to the poker fraternity, WPT at The Borgata is likely to continue attracting throngs of poker fans. According to Poker News, The Borgata has contributed $3.5 million to the tournament to reciprocate the generosity of the poker fraternity. To have an idea what the impact of that figure is to the tournament, all you need to do is equate that to 1,000 tournament entries, which is what it would have taken to consolidate this massive amount of money. The hotel’s operations’ Vice President, Joe Lupo, has expressed his jubilation at having The Borgata host the WPT another time.
The Line Up of the WPT Series in 2015
Gladly, US poker laws are lenient enough to accommodate a poker tournament of this magnitude, and whoever comes to play in the tournament in New Jersey is bound to experience the freedom of online gambling; online poker; and other betting games allowed by the state laws of New Jersey.
Already four tournaments in the WPT series have taken place since it began in May this year and six more are yet to take place, ending this December. The tournaments that have already taken place include The Canadian Spring Championship (WPT); WPT Amsterdam; WPT Choctaw; and Legends of Poker (WPT); while, of course, Borgata Poker Open is ongoing right now. Those that are yet to take place include WPT Maryland Live; Emperor’s Palace Poker; Bestbet Fall Series (WPT); WPT Montreal; WPT Prague; and Five Diamond Classic (WPT). And at the end of the World Poker Tour, the popularity of poker, both the online poker and that played physically within brick and mortar, will have soared to a new level.
Sep 22, 2015 | US States
As at now, 2015, the position of state laws that regulate online gambling or any other form of gambling in Arkansas is somewhat confusing. However, there are state laws which, through the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), have prohibited banks from making any transactions that have anything to do with gambling payments or proceeds.
The History of Gambling In Arkansas
Online poker and other forms of gambling may not be explicitly allowed in the state of Arkansas today, but during the time of the settlers, gambling was the order of the day. In fact, when the US civil war ended, gambling became all the more entrenched into the Arkansas society so that nobody raised the question of gambling illegality. Hot Springs, one of Arkansas’ cities, was at some point the gambling hotbed. And there was disorder too as two affluent families, the Flynns and the Dolans, fought for domination. Apparently, there were no gambling state laws to speak about those days, and those who ran casinos exercised their muscle the best way they knew how.
Frank Flynn was the guy who, for many years, dominated the gambling arena with his gambling houses without the inhibitions of state laws. However, when an ex-army major, Alexander Dolan brought in competition in 1884, all hell broke loose. Instead of the show being confined to the betting tables, the dirty part of it extended beyond the gambling arena and even involved different law enforcement departments fighting on opposite sides in support of the different families. There were no US poker laws or any other state laws that could be invoked to bring the Flynn/Dolan rivalry to an end. So the gambling related feud only came to a natural halt when Dolan was murdered.
So did the feud catalyze the enactment of stringent gambling state laws?
Incidentally, there is no sign that state laws were put in place to avoid future catastrophes. Nevertheless, gambling continued unabated with Hot Springs becoming the most dominant gambling centre within the US. But come 1967 and any poker that residents may have enjoyed came to an end plus all other gambling activities. The many casinos that existed were burnt down together with their equipment from the instigation of the Republican Governor of the time. No gambling venue was left in operation.
What is the position of gambling in Arkansas today?
Today, there are state laws that say something about betting and other gambling activities within the state of Arkansas. However, the reality is that these laws have confusing clauses that leave gambling enthusiasts using their discretion to choose the gaming activities to partake in as they hope that the law does not prove to be against them. As for availability of gaming venues, the ones of brick and mortar are only two. But you can find websites for online gambling in excess of two.
At a glance, someone reading the statute in Arkansas will find anything to do with betting for money or property outright outlawed – until you read the exceptions. The state laws lift restrictions for social betting as well as private betting, the assumption being that no profit is to be earned by the host. Charitable bingo is also excused just as are raffle games; and even pari-mutuel betting. That portrays a rather conservative state government.
However, gamblers still log onto the web and play online poker even if it means playing on sites that are hosted in other states. The bright side is that there are no conspicuous cases of people being fined or incarcerated for engaging in online gambling within the state of Arkansas.
Sep 22, 2015 | US States
The legality of online poker has been unclear in Alabama over the years, and even today, nobody can really tell where the state laws stand with it. For one, nobody will drag you to prison even if you play online poker as long as you do not speak of real money in the game. Again, the code should not give any indication that what you were doing is anything to do with online gambling. Seems like the case of an uncaught thief, so to speak. What is explicitly illegal, however, is the case of a company or an individual offering real money to anyone for a gambling activity. Generally speaking, outright gambling, whether it is within a brick and mortar environment or it is online gambling is outlawed in the state of Alabama – at least on paper.
So, where do online poker players stand with the state laws?
The true position is that no poker player has ever been charged in a court of law in Alabama for engaging in online poker. So although poker falls under gambling related activities and it is illegal to pay for gambling, online poker continues to be played in Alabama without the authorities seeming to be perturbed.
Any idea about the history of gambling in Alabama…?
The Alabama state laws have undergone ups and downs in the past century. They have been made and unmade; passed, repealed and overturned; until nobody is sure any more what the next set of legislators is going to do about regulation of gambling within the state.
After the civil war, for instance, the state of Alabama was fast in legalizing various versions of gambling. That included lotteries. In those days, unlike today when online gambling is the in-thing, competitive gambling amongst different states was the order of the day. However, soon a whimsical decision was made which made a good number of gambling activities, including the lottery, illegal, simply because the state of Alabama happened to have been on a losing streak. Come 1901 and the whole gambling business and any other game of chance were criminalized.
And the roller coaster ride continued. Within the 1930s, gambling was again legalized in Phoenix, one of the cities in Alabama, just so that the city could charge a fee for every gambling license issued and raise revenues to run the city that had gone bankrupt. Unfortunately, as the state laws loosened up, incidence of organized crime seemed to rise; and for the many years that state laws continued to allow gambling, crime became the order of the day. Not surprisingly, the gambling freedom came to an end when a relatively more conservative Attorney General (AG) took office in 1954. But with the organized criminal rings well established, the Attorney General did not last long – he was, sadly, assassinated.
Following the death of the AG, the city mayor, who obviously valued the revenues the city was gaining from gambling, overturned the state laws against gambling and poker and other gambling activities resumed without ruffling any feathers. With this kind of history, it is understandable why in Alabama the topic of gambling is sensitive in a kind of sour way; the reason gambling takes place but is not enthusiastically discussed.
What is the position of gambling state laws in Alabama today?
There seems to be a glimmer of hope for gamblers in Alabama as sometime this year the relevant committee passed a bill proposing legalizing of casinos on race tracks and also proposing the launch of a state lottery. The gambling fraternity is actually hopeful that the senate will pass the bill as well and the state laws will from then on continue to give way to gambling.
