Pokerfuse Law and Regulation

Dutch Regulatory Board Receives 28 License Applications for Country's New Remote Gambling Act

Anuj Arora — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 11:52:54 +0000

After multiple delays, the Remote Gambling Act finally came into effect on April 1, with the go-live date for the Dutch gaming market set for October 1.

The Dutch gaming regulatory board Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) has stated that it has received 28 applications from gambling operators.

The announcement comes just days after the Dutch Remote Gambling Act was officially introduced in the country, more than two years after the Senate approved the bill.

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Casino Player Awarded £1.7 million in Court Case

Dom Clementson — Wed, 21 Apr 2021 15:17:49 +0000

Betfred has been ordered to pay Andy Green after three years of legal wrangling.

In January 2018, Betfred customer Andy Green hit the jackpot. Or at least he thought he did. A six-hour session of blackjack ended with him winning £1,722,923.54 ($2.3m). Little did he know that it would take over three years to get his money.

Mr Green had been playing a game called Frankie Dettori’s Magic Seven Blackjack—an app provided by software giant, Playtech. He bagged his win at the game’s maximum odds of 7777-1. Only after several days of celebration was he informed that Betfred would not be paying out.

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The Wire Act and Online Poker: Where We Are and Where We're Going

Nick Jones — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 13:23:59 +0000

Hopefully, the two-year saga will be over soon, permitting the PokerStars USA, partypoker US and WSOP/888 networks to expand into PA and MI.

A mandate issued by the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in March 2021 is hopefully the beginning of the end of a two-year failed effort by the Trump-era Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) to reinterpret the Wire Act so that it applies to more than just sports betting.

The formal mandate filed this month was another procedural step in the long-running saga. It formalized a previous judgement to dismiss the Department of Justice’s appeal. It also set the clock ticking—giving the losing party 90 days to file a petition for the US Supreme Court to take up the case.

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No, The Wire Act Case is Not Over--But the Clock is Ticking

Michael Gentile — Fri, 19 Mar 2021 21:51:39 +0000

This week saw another procedural step, while the opportunity to appeal at the Supreme Court still technically available.

Contrary to reports that a recent filing in the Wire Act case is an indication that the case is “officially over,” the mandate from the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit is merely a procedural step.

The court ordered mandate issued on March 15 formalizes the January 20, 2021 judgement handed down by the court and dismisses the case without prejudice.

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Illinois Considers Online Poker and Casino Games

Michael Gentile — Tue, 02 Mar 2021 10:28:41 +0000

If approved, online poker would be on a fast track in the Land of Lincoln.

Illinois state representative Bob Rita introduced a bill in February that seeks to legalize online poker and online casino games in the state.

HB 3142, which would create the Internet Gaming Act, received its first reading on February 19 (the day after it was originally filed) and was quickly referred to the Rules Committee.

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Pennsylvania Online Poker Revenue Starts 2021 Flat, Online Casino and Sports Post Record Highs

Michael Gentile — Wed, 24 Feb 2021 17:37:07 +0000

Prospects for the second year of legal regulated online poker in PA are looking up.

Online poker in Pennsylvania generated $2.7 million in revenue in the first month of 2021, according to figures released last week by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.

The revenue generated, which came from the sole operator in the state, PokerStars PA, is only negligibly lower than the total PokerStars reported in December 2020. In fact, online poker revenue totaled approximately $2.7 million in three of the last six months with the other three months at approximately $2.4 million.

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BetMGM Leads All Michigan Internet Gaming Operators in the Largest Online Gaming Launch in US History

Michael Gentile — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 13:19:47 +0000

Within the first week, nine online casinos, 10 online sportsbooks and one online poker room launched in the Wolverine State.

Online gaming in Michigan got off to a strong start late last month as operators in the state racked up $29.4 million in revenue from online poker and casino games in the final 10 days of January, according to figures released last week by the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

Online sportsbooks added an additional $13.3 million to bring the total of all revenue generated from internet gaming in the state to $42.7 million.

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Exclusive: BetMGM to Launch Online Poker in Michigan Later This Month

Michael Gentile — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 22:40:17 +0000

PokerStars MI will soon have a competitor: A second online poker room has been cleared to launch in Michigan, with BetMGM MI expecting to launch poker in under 3 weeks.

Roar Digital, the US online gaming and online sports betting company representing the interests of MGM Resorts International and partypoker parent company Entain, has announced that it will be launching online poker in Michigan this month.

Under the BetMGM brand, the company launched online casino games and online sports betting in Michigan on January 22 of this year. Its license to offer online gaming in the state also includes online poker.

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Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board Approves GGPoker's Parent Company for Interactive Gaming Manufacturer License

Anuj Arora — Thu, 11 Feb 2021 15:05:23 +0000

Path forward in the US unclear for the online poker network, but it is a milestone for NSUS seeking to increase its footprint in regulated markets.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) in its recent board meeting approved NSUS Group, the parent company of GGPoker, for an Interactive Gaming Manufacturer license.

The license allows the NSUS Group to bring its software technology necessary for running interactive gaming—online poker and casino games—to a regulated online gaming site.

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Breaking: GGPoker Poised for Pennsylvania Online Poker Approval

Michael Gentile — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 17:33:45 +0000

The race to become the second online poker room in the Keystone State potentially has another runner, as the PA Gaming Control Board is expected to approve GGPoker parent company NSUS Group for an online gaming manufacturer license.

On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board is expected to approve the application of NSUS Group, Inc., the parent company of GGPoker, for an Interactive Gaming Manufacturer License.

This license would allow NSUS to offer online poker and online casino games in Pennsylvania, which includes slots and table games like blackjack and roulette. However, the company would also have to have an agreement in place with a certificate holder (one of the land-based casinos in the state or one of the approved Qualified Gaming Entities) before it could launch online poker in Pennsylvania.

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Dutch Tax Authorities to Refund Taxes to PokerStars.EU Players

Anuj Arora — Tue, 09 Feb 2021 13:07:12 +0000

As per Dutch Attorney Pepijn Le Heux, who represents over one hundred players, the reimbursement of taxes could reach millions of Euros.

In the latest development set to bring relief to the Dutch poker community, hundreds of PokerStars players who paid gambling taxes over the past nine years are going to be reimbursed by the tax authorities.

First exclusively reported on Dutch news site CasinoNieuws.nl, the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (Belastingdienst) has offered a settlement agreement with players ending the years-long dispute.

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Pennsylvania Online Poker Revenue Generates Five Month High in December

Anuj Arora — Mon, 01 Feb 2021 15:40:20 +0000

In its first full calendar year, Pennsylvania recorded the second highest revenue total in the history of US regulated online poker.

The latest figures published by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reveal that the Pennsylvania online poker market held steady over the course of December.

PokerStars PA, which still constitutes the lone operator in the Keystone State, brought in $2.72 million in rake and tournament fees for the month, which is the highest in five months.

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