Whether or not it was a huge bluff that PokerStars was buying out what was left of Full Tilt Poker (FTP) remains to be seen. There was massive excitement surrounding this topic just before the World Series Of Poker took place, but now the fuss seems to have died down. Popular opinion has it that the PokerStars/FTP Deal was only pie in the sky, and nothing much more. But of course, just as the possibility of the deal was conjecture, so, too is this opinion; but stranger things have been known to happen.

Discussions do however appear to have faded into the background. Rumour had it that PokerStars had been working with the U. S. DoJ to see if they could realize what Group Bernard Tapie could not. According to certain poker professionals who are in-the-know – these talks have ‘fizzled out’ – were "only hope and nothing more."(Matt Glantz).

Obviously it is wishful thinking for the online poker community to want this matter to be resolved. Any deal that any poker company might make with the US DoJ would have a vested interest for former poker players at FTP. It is no secret that the website was grossly mismanaged, and that millions of dollars worth of player funds were not been paid back to its members. The chances that these members will ever get their money back are indeed incredibly slim, despite the fact that there are half a dozen class action lawsuits still pending against FTP. We know that this deal would have brought some hope to FTP former-members, but there are huge problems involved for any online gambling or other company to attempt to rescue FTP from the morass.

First off we know that FTP’s Ray Bitar has faced the charges for Black Friday indictments, and plead not guilty; but PokerStars founder – Isai Scheinberg has not faced up to any charges, and does not intend to plead. This would probably be a pre-requisite for any DoJ deal, and PokerStars wants to avoid any leadership prosecutions. The Department of Justice (DoJ) is unlikely to decide not to pursue their criminal case against both Scheinberg and executive Paul Tate.

Even more telling with regards any discussion deal is the fact that there is no Federal landscape for online poker in the USA – so there is no ‘nationwide’ environment for PokerStars to get back into. Currently state-by-state individual changing of online poker laws is taking place, but the wheels of power are turning slowly, and there is not a great deal of incentive for PokerStars (a massive online poker offering in Europe) to offer ’íntrastate’ online gambling to the USA. Although to get a foot in the door; the efforts may be worthwhile. But then again, it would be smart business for big USA brands such as Caesars to keep this brand out of the USA, and Caesars as well as other big gambling brands have a lot of political influence.

Online Gambling’s Legislative Change Sparks Fear In The Mind Of A Nation As Internet Gaming Set To Spread Across The US By End Of 2012.

As 2012 began and people discussed the significance of the Chinese year of the dragon commencing, the USA was faced with the likelihood that for them, 2012 would become the year of the gambler. As the US Justice Department changed its stance on the 1961 Federal Wire Act, a change in legislation which meant that US states would now legally be allowed to run and operate their own independent online gaming sites which would include the sale of lottery tickets via the internet.

This change in legislation has seen the online gaming revenue soar to new heights in a short period of time, so far as it has been found to amass a minimum $12 billion dollar more than the previously accumulated $62.5 billion gained from state lottery ticket sales.

Yet, while US states’ celebrate the money they’ll soon be bathing in, from having their lotteries and casinos join the 21st century and go viral, those who remain firm supporters of the 1961 Federal Wire Act shake their heads in disgust as they are forced to contemplate what the repeal of such law means to their fellow citizens.
It was a growing concern amongst those opposed to repealing the 1961 act that allowing states to make their lotteries and casinos readily available online to all US citizens was the equivalent of the government legalising crack cocaine for drug addicts.

This notion brought about by the repeals opposition has been backed most fervently by gambling experts who have claimed that the growing expansion of online gambling across the USA should be of great concern to the nation as around 3% of the entire population of the USA is at a greater risk of developing a serious gambling addiction as a result of its legalisation.

Nevertheless, government officials have rebuked all claims that changing their stance on the 1961 Federal Wire Act law has made online gambling legal in anyway shape or form. They have held the opinion that online gambling is and has always been the responsibility of the individual state and that it is up to that local governing body to regulate and oversee any online gambling operation being conducted within their borders. The repeal of the 1961 act was not in any way to make gambling legal within the United States, but to give local government the opportunities to augment their economy by opening up an interstate gambling establishment if they so wish.

Additionally, the Department of Justice has continuously reiterated that their decision to repeal the 1961 Federal Wire Act is not final, as they lack the authority necessary that The United States’ Supreme Court has to repeal and quash a legislative act permanently. As such, any decision that the Department of Justice makes which the US Supreme Court finds to be against the best interest of the US and its citizens may be repealed at anytime.

In 2010 UK gaming site woke up and rejoiced as news broke out that the four year ban which had been imposed upon US online gamblers was soon to be lifted as per the government’s reviews of its 2006 legislations and its prohibition of online real money betting.

As the 2006 legislation was enforce in September of 2006 across the USA, the UK’s multibillion pound gambling industry came close to collapse at the overnight loss of one of its largest online clients.

And, with the economy well on its downward spiral already, the last thing the British economy system needed was another attack on its annual revenue income.
Yet the loss of the US players to such profitable and reliable UK gaming sites like 888 Limited and Party Gaming meant that their shares saw a drastic drop of between 26% and 54% for each site respectively which equated to an overall loss of £4billion in stock shares.

And whilst the UK tried and failed to make the best of a bad situation by exploring wider gaming opportunities further afield than the scope of the US, nothing has been able to come close to the amount of revenue that US patronage produced which has in turn meant the inability of the gaming industry to recover fully from the revenue deficit the loss of the US backing cost.
However with the repeal on the mind of many a US governing body, a new hope was instilled amongst a struggling yet slowly re-growing online gaming industry as that age old controversial discussion on whether or not online gambling should be made legal was once again sparked off.

Nevertheless whilst UK and US Online Gambling supporters remained hopeful that the band would soon be lifted, expert predicted a drastic stall in repeal proceeding as midterm elections swept the nation and seats changed hands.

Yet when the stall experts predicted finally did came it was a surprised that its consequence was not that of any governmental election taking place, but rather that of the US states realising that the same legislations they had been abiding by and upholding since the 1961 Federal Wire Act could actually be used to help their own internal state economy without having to seek legal online gambling in overseas places like the UK.

Once again, the UK along with the rest of Europe were left to weigh the pros and cons of the US government lifting the ban on online gambling in the USA and realising the possible negative implications that lifting such a ban would have on their economy if US casinos and gaming halls chose to exploit this new freedom and establish themselves as rival gaming providers for US players within the actual US.

Two years on from the initial discussion to quash the 2006 prohibition of online gambling legislation in the US back in 2010, and still no decision has as yet come to fruition as the online gambling US drought continues.

Changes implemented to reflect current ownership

Following the management buyout of eCOGRA earlier in the year, it has been decided to restructure and streamline the Board to reflect the Company’s current ownership.

As a result of the restructuring Non-Executive Directors Michael Hirst OBE, Bill Galston OBE and Frank Catania will be leaving the Board as of the 31st December 2011.

The new Board will be comprised of Chief Executive Officer Andrew Beveridge and Tex Rees, who have been part of the organisation’s management team since 2003.

Andrew Beveridge said, “I am very grateful to Michael, Bill and Frank for their enormous contribution in helping to establish eCOGRA as a pre-eminent independent remote gambling standards body and testing agency and steering the Company to its new found status.

“I look forward to the next chapter of our growth as we set out to use our exceptional and unrivalled experience in providing services to jurisdictions, whilst maintaining our unique eCOGRA seal assuring player protection on approved sites”.

eCOGRA eGAPs Revised to Meet Common Regulatory Trends

New requirements meet nine key European criteria for operators

The independent player protection and standards body eCOGRA has published a revised version of its widely respected Generally Accepted Practices (eGAPs) at www.ecogra.com/egap in a move that positions the organisation’s accredited operators at the forefront of European regulatory development.

The eGAPs provide a professional framework for safe, fair, efficient and responsible business activity and provide guidance for the 153 tier one online gambling sites accredited by the London-based organisation.

Andrew Beveridge, the chief executive of eCOGRA, says that the revisions have been undertaken mainly to ensure that eCOGRA’s requirements encompass the CEN Responsible Remote Gambling Measures, but that the eGAPs are also a comprehensive and valuable guide that will meet the appropriate requirements of most regulatory authorities.

"The regulatory landscape now evolving in Europe has seen a growing number of nations opting for a competitive but strictly regulated online gambling market, and decisions are likely to be increasingly informed by the required measures of the CEN Workshop Agreement which were framed earlier this year," Beveridge explains.

"By aligning our eGAPs with these recommendations, which cover nine key areas of activity, we not only provide a relevant and current roadmap to our accredited sites, but offer an expert framework useful to other operators committed to meeting requirements that are largely common to most regulatory initiatives," he added.

"Operators who have achieved eCOGRA seal status should comply with the latest developments for CEN Responsible Remote Gambling Measures."

CEN is the European Committee for Standardisation, one of three European Standardisation Organisations officially recognised by the European Union (http://www.cen.eu/). CEN inter alia draws up voluntary technical specifications, such as a CEN workshop agreement, to help facilitate a single market for European industry and consumers across its members in 31 European countries.

The 9 areas covered by the CEN Workshop Measures are:

• 1. The protection of vulnerable customers
• 2. The prevention of underage gambling
• 3. Combating fraud
• 4. Protection of privacy
• 5. Fair gaming
• 6. Accurate customer payments
• 7. Responsible marketing
• 8. Customer satisfaction
• 9. Safe operating environment

Some 134 detailed requirements under these headings are included in the recommendations and have been enshrined in the revised eCOGRA document.

The recommendations were developed through consensus across a wide range of remote gambling stakeholders – from experts on problem gambling and players to industry representatives and addiction and criminology academics – illustrating a real desire to work together to ensure that consumer protection issues are fully addressed as important EU developments unfold.

About eCOGRA

eCommerce and Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance (eCOGRA), an independent UK based organisation, is the leading supplier of compliance and advisory services in the areas of player protection, fair gaming and responsible operator behaviour to stakeholders in the remote gambling industry.

In 2011 alone eCOGRA will conduct almost 100 operator and software supplier compliance reviews against eCOGRA’s eGAP Requirements, the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) Standards and various jurisdictional regulations. Monthly payout percentage and randomness reviews will be performed for over 300 remote gambling sites.

These services are provided to many of the industry’s leading operators, including 888, bwin, PartyGaming, The Palace Group, Ladbrokes, Unibet, Fortune Lounge, 32Red, Partouche, Expekt and BetClic.

About CEN

The European Committee for Standardization (CEN) is a business catalyst in Europe, removing trade barriers for European stakeholders such as industry, public administration, service providers, consumers and other stakeholders. Its mission is to foster the European economy in global trading, the welfare of European citizens, and the environment. Through its services CEN provides a platform for the development of European Standards and other specifications.

CEN’s 31 National Members work together to develop voluntary European Standards (ENs) in various sectors to build a European Internal Market for goods and services and to position Europe in the global economy. By supporting research, and helping disseminate innovation, standards are a powerful tool for economic growth. More than 60,000 technical experts as well as business federations, consumer and other societal interest organizations are involved in the CEN network that reaches over 480 million people.

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