No clarity to be found after the DOJ's motion to dismiss the Wire Act suit brought by IGT; only more questions about the possible future of interstate online poker.
With possible implications across the online gambling landscape in the US, the November 2021 lawsuit filed by IGT is just the latest move in a long saga prompted by conflicting opinions from the DOJ under different administrations. It was hoped that the Biden administration might make a definitive move to finally clarify the scope of the Act — specifically, whether it was restricted to just online sports betting or all forms of online gambling, including online poker — but the motion to dismiss leaves more questions and a new set of mixed opinions.
While some industry legal experts called the motion “an unmistakable wink and nod” to the gaming industry, others weren’t so sure. Some suggested it was more of a spring-cleaning kind of move by the DOJ, trying to clear a case off its plate with limited effort, and that the motion had nothing to do with an interpretation of the Wire Act.
It’s been a long and complicated case already, but the DOJ’s latest move just seems to add to that confusion even further. Experts disagree on the implications of the motion, and IGT is left without any clarification on its future legal risk.
With the name GGMasters Overlay Edition, GGPoker is pushing the added money hard, making sure players know there will be a lot of extra value in this game.
Mark March 20, 2022 on your poker calendar — GGPoker wants to give away some free money. In celebration of two years of running its flagship Sunday series, the operator is hosting a special anniversary edition of GGMasters with ten times the usual guarantee.
For just $150, players will be competing for a $5 million guaranteed prize pool. Under normal circumstances, that might be a reachable target, but this special game has one added clause — it’s a pure freezeout game.
There are three flights to get into the final day, which runs on March 21, but players can only enter the game once. The old-school “one and done” format makes a $5 million guarantee virtually impossible to hit, and GG seems aware of this fact as well and just went right ahead and named the game “the Overlay edition”.
GGMasters Overlay Edition: Key Numbers and Facts
Runs on March 20
Buy-in of $150
Freezeout — No re-entry. No re-buy.
$5 million guarantee
Would need over 36,000 players to cover
Three starting flights — for Asia, Europe, and the Americas — but players can only enter once
Day 2 runs on March 21
published
1 year, 2 months ago •
by Lyle •
permalink
On April 4, ring-fenced legal online poker & iGaming is set to go live in Canada's biggest province. PokerStars eyes opening shop in the closed Ontario Market.
As of April 4, all legal, regulated poker clients in Ontario will need to be licensed by iGaming Ontario (iGO) and one of the requirements will be a ring-fenced player pool of Ontario residents only. While it seems likely that players will still be able to access many existing grey-market alternatives, operators who want a piece of the regulated pie in Ontario will need to play by the rules.
PokerStars has a huge presence in Canada already and it seems to be signaling its intentions to get into the game in Ontario. Details are still sparse, but pokerfuse reports that the global poker giant is working with Ontario regulators to find an “attractive offering” for players.
This indicates that PokerStars is willing to work within the forthcoming ring-fenced regulated market. The fact that the new market will be restricted to the provincial borders is actually not as bad as it might sound. With almost 16 million people, Ontario is actually larger than any of the three closed systems in which PokerStars currently operates in the US.
There are many changes coming for Ontarians who gamble online, and Ontario online poker players are no exception. While a ring-fenced solution may not be ideal from the players’ perspective, at least they can rest a little easier knowing that the regulators have their backs and that one of the most popular clients in Canada is working to find a way to keep PokerStars Ontario on its virtual felt.
published
1 year, 2 months ago •
by Lyle •
permalink
After a week of bounty action on BetMGM USA, the final weekend of the series is playing out with more than $300k in guarantees still waiting.
There have already been 15 events in the BetMGM Poker USA Bounty Blitz series, but there’s a big weekend yet to come. There is still nearly $400,000 in guarantees on offer this weekend, including the $50,000 guaranteed Purple Chip Bounty with $1,000 buy-in and $500 bounties in all three states ($75,000 guaranteed in New Jersey).
There are eight other events remaining on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday with prices of $35, $50, and $100. There are two turbos and one hyper-turbo in the mix, while the rest of the games are regular speed. Additionally, there are three satellites through the weekend on Saturday and Sunday to get into the big $1,000 Purple Chip Bounty game on Sunday.
It doesn’t matter if you play in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, or Michigan, if you like PKO games, BetMGM is the place to be this weekend. The Bounty Blitz is in full swing now, but there’s still a lot of bounties left to take, and prize money to be won.
published
1 year, 2 months ago •
by Lyle •
permalink
One of the most stable ambassador teams in the online poker game got a shakeup this weekend when Ian Simpson announced he was leaving Unibet Poker.
The beginning of a new year is always the time to look for movement among the ambassador teams, but it may have been something of a surprise when Ian Simpson announced he was leaving Unibet Poker after five years as an ambassador for the site.
Simpson made the announcement on Feb 26 through his social media channels, but he’s hardly the first big name to move on from the brand they represented. Other recent moves included Isaac Haxton and Jeff Gross leaving partypoker, and Sofia Lovgren exiting the 888poker stage. And after a year with ACR, Vanessa Kade also chose to move on earlier this year.
What makes this announcement more memorable, perhaps, is that the Unibet Poker team has been relatively stable. Simpson is just completing his fifth year with the brand, and his former compatriots Dara O’Kearney and David Lappin have been with Unibet been even longer.
While it’s not really a surprise to see poker ambassadors leave a brand at the beginning of a new year, Simpson’s departure from Unibet comes as a surprise from one of the longest-running established teams in the business.
WSOP 2023 Coverage Kicks Off in One Week at PokerGO
Sign up for your PokerGO account today using our exclusive bonus code and receive 15% discount on the annual subscription.
Follow the 2023 WSOP Action With Daniel ‘KidPoker’ Negreanu
Daniel Negreanu’s legendary vlog is back for the 2023 WSOP so make sure to subscribe for daily updates from one of the world’s best players!
PokerStars Explores Parallels Between Poker & F1 in a New YouTube Series
The four-part series is a product of cooperation between PokerStars and the Oracle Red Bull Racing team.
Less Than A Week Until The WSOP 2023 Action Begins
Preparations are well underway to welcome poker players to the ultimate poker showdown, the 2023 WSOP.
Lex Veldhuis Going Once Again for a SCOOP Title at PokerStars
Lex Veldhuis has had an amazing SCOOP so far, but the PokerStars ambassador is still looking to close the deal.
PokerStars Unveils the Full 2023 UKIPT Schedule
The 2023 UKIPT by PokerStars will feature seven stops and will culminate with a £1,000,000 GTD event at Dusk Till Dawn
Meet The WSOP 2023 Thrill Team!
WSOP’s free-to-play social poker app celebrates its 10th anniversary with a star-studded Thrill Team
Who to Follow on Social Media During WSOP 2023?
Discover the best Twitter accounts to follow during the 2023 WSOP for your daily source of news, views, and, of course, gossip!
Team PokerStars Share Their Thoughts on the 2023 SCOOP
Find out what plans PokerStars Team Pro members have for the SCOOP, what tournaments they’re hoping to win, and much more.
Win WSOP 2023 Main Event Packages Online at WSOP.com
WSOP is running several promotions across its US sites, giving players a chance to win a WSOP 2023 Main Even seat and travel to Vegas this summer.
Ready, Set, Go: PokerStars SCOOP Kicks Off This Sunday
The 2023 SCOOP kicks off this Sunday on PokerStars, with seven events featuring three orbits each to get the ball rolling.
Join PokerStars Ontario MTT Action This Weekend: $200k+ up for Grabs
The weekend action at PokerStars Ontario is open to all, with buy-ins starting as low as $10 and going all the way up to $500.
2023 WSOP to Feature a Variety of Live Mega Satellites
Live satellites will be available for the entire duration of the WSOP 2023, offering entries to different bracelet events.
Budget Your Way to PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo Event
Learn how you can travel to PokerStars EPT Monte Carlo on a budget and enjoy the luxury experience without breaking the bank.
Get Involved With Free Maple Leafs All-In Shootouts at PokerStars Ontario
Tournaments take place at PokerStars Ontario after the playoff games, featuring a prize pool of $1000 or $2500, depending on the match result.
Anniversary Sunday Storm Winner Banks Over $26,000 at PokerStars
The tournament easily broke its $700,000 guarantee, showing once again that PokerStars is the master of running huge-field MTTs.
Weekend Action Ahead With PokerStars Ontario ONSCOOP Afterparty
PokerStars Ontario is offering $180k in guarantees across 26 events taking place this weekend.
Daniel Negreanu Unveils His Preparation Routine Ahead of the 2023 WSOP
KidPoker will devote the next few weeks to preparing his body and mind for the 2023 World Series of Poker grind.
Don’t Miss Out: WSOP 2023 Registration Starts in 2 Days
Avoid long queues! Online registration allows players to sign up for events and pay in advance, saving heaps of time in Vegas.
Reserve Your Seat in the PokerStars Anniversary Sunday Storm
The 12th anniversary edition of the iconic PokerStars tournament will feature a $700k guarantee and you could win a seat for as little as $0.55.