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Richard Lee never saw himself making such headlines. The star poker player has had his day in the limelight in 2006, when he finished sixth at the World Series of Poker that year. Unfortunately for him, Lee has also drawn the attention of the San Antonio police department, which has been investigating him for over a year with the district attorney's office of Bexar County, Texas. Online Gambling Charges The charges placed against Lee are for online gambling. The authorities claim he, along with four other partners, has been behind a sports gambling website, betbsbnow.com. All five were charged with the misdemeanor, which carries penalties of up to a year in jail and/or $4,000 fine. It is likely that the sides will reach a deal, which will keep them out of prison. But what will it take from Lee and his partners? Earlier this year, Lee received a visit from police, who seized millions in cash from his San Antonio home (one of several) and a number of cars. It will suffice to say that Lee has had $2.7 million confiscated from his home, along with a 2005 Lexus LX470, a 2005 Mercedes S430 and a 2004 Toyota 4Runner. These will be held by the authorities as leverage, and a good deal of it will likely be kept by the district attorney's office in the final deal. In his defense, Lee claims the money seized and the money used to purchase the luxury cars is the money won at the WSOP, when he came in at sixth place. He will be given the chance to present his side of the story on November 7, when the two sides will be arraigned. The Effect Though it is no secret that many Americans engage in online gambling, even today, a full year since the ban was imposed in the US, the authorities have strategically chosen a big fish to prosecute. It is a wise move, from the police perspective, earning it headlines and making waves with a famous person charged in court. But the affair has another side to it too. The large amounts, the mass following and the exciting world of gambling also make it into the news, and many who read about Lee's (past) success are exposed to the life, fun and excitement that poker offers. The WSOP also enjoys free publicity, in advance of the upcoming tournament, the 39th Annual event, already publishing the schedule for the May 30 through July 17 event and opening pre-registration especially early in anticipation of great demand.
While the industry is shifting from the United States to Europe, driven by the ban on gambling in the former and the legal embrace in the latter, some are making the reverse trip. Gibraltar based online casino company PartyGaming has announced it is open to offers to be bought, by a Las Vegas casino, no less. The company's CEO, Mitch Garber, has made the announcement in Barcelona, during the EIG2007 iGaming conference. While the occasion he chose re-enforces the significance and major role that such events and conferences have. More significant is the preferred choice of buyers, namely a major Las Vegas casino. At its peak days, which unsurprisingly correlated with the industry's heyday, the company made almost $10 billion. Then came the UIGEA and the company had to leave the American market, which is relied on largely. It currently brings in (only) around $2.5 billion. At the same time, the focus has become global, which Mr. Garber believes could be a draw, especially for American casinos who would not want to lag behind. It should be mentioned, and surely no buyer would miss out on this important fact, that PartyGaming is currently holding talks with the US Department of Justice. It is even expected that they will end up paying a fine, much like the one that Neteller has paid recently, though the amount of which is yet unknown; Neteller paid $136 million. Alongside the global business horizon that the company offers any buyer, American or other, there is still a chance that the state of gambling will change in the US. This depends largely on the IGREA bill, Rep. Barney Frank's initiative.
The actor Jason Alexander, best known for his role as George Costanza in the successful television series Seinfeld, has been seen around poker tables in past years, playing cash games, celebrity tournaments, even at the World Series of Poker invitational. Mr. Alexander, however, admits his best games are in front of the computer. His round face, beard and bold head, an eternal smile and coy behavior, Mr. Alexander tells the story of how he started playing poker. Like everyone else, he played the game already when in high school and college, but in his acting career he found himself engaging in poker games during downtime on sets he was filming on. Everyone in the business plays some, he says. C Level Player From cash games he moved to celebrity tournaments eight years ago, although he still plays more cash games and on the computer, admitting he is not at a professional level, yet. Perhaps for his high profile celebrity status or his acting skills, people give him credit for being better than he is. "Acting," he says, "is lying," hinting at the secret to his poker success. In fact, Mr. Alexander believes he is no better than a c+ or b- player, on his way to become a b+ player, at the most. Wittily and humbly, he said having cards in his hand is half way to winning; they could win. Tips from George With tips from American poker player Phil Gordon, Mr. Alexander has had a good teacher train him for his first WSOP appearance this summer. Perhaps we can learn a thing or two from George. Mr. Alexander says he is not great at reading people at the poker table. Nor is he any good at doing the math that the pros do in calculating their opponents' hands and their chances to win the pot. He can calculate his own hand, position and basics, but when it comes down to it, he goes with the hand that he thinks can win. Simple as that. Another trick he acts, er does, is making players lay down winning hands by confusing them with a constantly changing style of play. At times he will get aggressive early with a good hand. Other times he will change his approach and then again, on 15-30 minutes cycles. Aggressive or not, winning or losing, he remains George to all of us.
Business in Atlantic City may have fallen 10.6 percent last month compared to September 2006, but don't tell that to MGM Mirage Inc. The company has announced its plan to build a casino in the Always Turned On city, the second largest gambling center in the United States, worth up to $5 billion. The resort, in near proximity to the successful Borgata, 50% of which is owned by MGM, will be the largest Atlantic City has ever seen. On the surface of things, this may seem like a peculiar, even risky decision. Skeptics abound. Especially with business falling due to competition from neighboring states operating their own gambling venues, namely Delaware and Pennsylvania. But a bird's eye view of Atlantic City shows mass development on the Boardwalk, condominiums and town houses being built en masse and tourism pouring in. Indeed, local officials claim hotel occupancy and business is up over a year ago, though these numbers are contested. In a city plagued by corrupt mayors (the same day the announcement regarding the new casino was made, Robert W. Levy has resigned from office over a federal investigation of his misrepresentation of his Army service in Vietnam), the gambling business is one way to strive towards the future. In fact, it is a multi-billion dollar bet that one company is willing to make.
The Attorney General of Florida, Bill McCollum, has presented his point of view in the Florida Baptist Witness this week, calling the gambling expansion a nightmare for Florida. The opinion was published following a growing concern on behalf of the AG and the Baptist readers, regarding the expansion of gambling in the state of Florida, with Indian tribes proposing they develop such gambling centers on their territories. McCollum views this as potentially having a negative impact on the state's tourism industry, public safety and consumer protection. McCollum claims the following: Experience has taught him that Class III casino gambling has brought greater crime rates, at double the national average, to communities like Las Vegas. Illegal gambling is more likely to take place in states that permit gambling. The state's family-friendly tourism might change, with the casinos somehow taking center stage over the Florida beaches. The social cost will be 300% the revenue that will come from gambling. A general concern for problem gambling addicts. Fraud concerns And more. It is nice to read of the citizen Bill McCollum's concern for his state and fellow state residents. It is another thing to have the person who is the Attorney General shy from the effort to battle these problems, protect consumers, enforce the law, difficult as it may be. The AG prefers preserving the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) instead. And calling the suggested change in policy a "nightmare." McCollum and his readers, those supporting the Act, should acknowledge theirs is only an opinion, and possibly founded on wrong information, if founded on information at all. The claims of age verification difficulties, prevalent fraud and bad odds are all out wrong. Suggestions to sign up and try gambling online have appeared on the web. That actually might not be a bad idea.
The operators of an online gambling site, residents of the State of Washington and business partners, have flown voluntarily to Louisiana where they were arrested and would stand trial. In an unprecedented move, their home state governor, Christine Gregoire, approved the extradition request. The site, Betcha.com, has been in operation for only a short time. Nick Jenkins, an entrepreneur from Seattle, is already facing charges in his home state against the Washington State Gambling Board. He asked that he not be extradited until he completes the process of defending his stand to the Board. The Board has already shut down the site The defense he chose was that his site was operating third party betting services. The site did not guarantee or back bets, allegedly making the site legal under the law. This has not convinced the State of Louisiana which demanded Jenkins and his partners stand in court and respond to the charges of violating the state's laws against Internet-based gambling. These charges of violating local and Federal laws and the dramatic new development in law enforcement, which has states demanding extradition over such charges, seem not to deter the three gambling site operators. Jenkins and his partners - Josie Imlay and Peter Abrahamsen - flew to Louisiana, where they were arrested immediately by the State Police. They face up to five years in prison and fines of up to $20,000 each if indeed convicted. In the meanwhile, the case and the trial promise us another chapter in the continuous development of the US persecution of online gambling, a campaign many view as futile.
A year is a long time in tennis. Reigning #1 tennis player Roger Federer has won three Grand Slam singles titles in the past year. The tennis world has undergone a major change over the past year in another respect. From considering accepting an Internet betting company as an official tour sponsor, the tennis governing bodies have joined forces to keep a safe distance from betting altogether. Match Fixing Scare The main event of the past year, which turned attention from allowing betting on tennis matches as a matter of course to raising concerns and awareness of match-fixing dangers, was an August match between Nikolay Davydenko and Martín Vassallo Argüello in Poland. Although it was an early round match in a minor tournament, it attracted over $7 million in wagers. Suspiciously, most the wagers were place on Davydenko, the favorite, to lose, even after he has won the first match. Betfair, which accepted the wagers, took the unusual step of voiding all bets after the Russian has withdrawn from the match with a leg injury. It then notified the ATP, which has launched an investigation. Let's Talk About It Now the tennis governing bodies are about to sit and update their anti-corruption program which was introduced in 2003 to handle Internet gambling. Representatives from the men's and women's tours, International Tennis Federation and Grand Slams will meet on Friday in Roehampton, England, to create an integrity unit. Speaking before the representatives will be experts who have worked on anti-corruption in horse racing and cricket. The focus will be on improving intelligence gathering and player education on the matter. It should be noted that players have come up since and told of match-fixing offers they were made, though they said this to the press and not the tennis organizations. Bill Babcock, the ITF's executive director, said the effort is not directed at combating sports betting altogether. "We're not here to stop betting," he said. "But we are here to make sure there is no match-fixing." Gambling More Disconcerting than Doping Tennis officials admit gambling is a greater concern than other negative sports phenomena as doping. There are ways to combat match-fixing, an interest of the betting companies as much as it is that of the sport's. Any unusual trend is an interference with sports betting as much as it is for tennis. Doping, though Major League Baseball tells us differently, can be tested. The sports needs "resources and punishments" to prevent such incidents from occurring, said Etienne de Villiers, head of the men's tour. One of these measures will include a harsh two-year penalty for failing to report allegations. Match-selling offers can come from everywhere and reach anyone. It is up to the sport, its officials and the players themselves to fight it.
In a presidential campaign that will last over two years by November 2008, once the elections are actually held, a campaign that has runners spend tens and even hundreds of millions of dollars over this time, there is time and money to be spent on the Internet. There is certainly an interest by many gamblers. Political betting is one of the most popular trends of the day. With over a year left until the elections, and the runners are shifting places as most favorites to win, as they are followed closely by the odds makers. Joining the Frontrunners Currently leading the pack of over a dozen runners are Rudi Giuliani, at 9-5 odds, followed by Mitt Romney and John McCain, at 5-2, then Fred Thompson (7-2) and Ron Paul. Ron Paul?! The vocal opponent of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act has seen his odds rise from an insignificant 200-1 to 6-1 to the current 4-1 and listing as one of the top six runners. A political analyst online sportsbooks offers an explanation for this. The candidate, Carrie Stroup says, is enjoying a significant amount of grass roots support, the numbers suggest. Accordingly, Mr. Paul has announced his campaign has raised a significant $5.1 million, drawing attention from mainstream media as well. Stroup believes Paul may climb further and reach 4 to 1 odds by year's end. An Internet Favorite It should be noted that Paul is the only candidate to address the state of online gambling in the United States. The betting rooms are, naturally, a place where this population gathers, which may explain his popularity. Among gamblers Paul is considered a favorite as he supports the industry in its legalization efforts. While it seems like Paul's high odds are a reflection of the gamblers' hearts' wishes, it is a prophecy that realizes itself. Would it continue on a greater, national level, beyond the online betting sites? We will not verge into that prophecy. But you are welcome to do so.
Star poker player Richard Henry Lee, a 56- year old investor from San Antonio, who came in sixth at the WSOP 2006, has faced legal trouble lately. The San Antonio Police and Bexar County District Attorney's Office have been investigating allegations that Lee and several of his associates have operated a sports betting website that only pretended to be based offshore. In a plea bargain reached by the sides on Tuesday, Lee and his associates pleaded no contest, agreed to pay fines and avoided any prison time. Much of the money confiscated in a police raid on Lee's residence last year, however, as much as 80% of the cash, will be kept by the police and DA's office. So what is the price of freedom? Lee will pay over $2.2 million to the authorities. The sum will be taken from the $2.7 million that lee has earned at the WSOP. Lee was not alone in facing the charges. His son-in-law, Lawrence Joseph Davenport, Matthew Colburn Winslow and Daniel Ortiz, will all pay fines as part of the deal, though considerably smaller than the amount Lee will pay, at $2,100; the sum includes $94 in court costs. A fourth employee, Marco De Carlo Hernandez, will walk away without paying any fine. Lee will keep the rest of the personal property seized by the police in the raid, which includes luxury cars and SUVs, designer purses, jewelry and electronics Lee, who did not contest the charges, said he's "glad it's over." He then added saying "Now I need to go win another poker tournament." Though he is expected to appear around poker tables, starting this weekend at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, it is less likely that some of his old partners for the game will be seen with him. Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff is one such high-profile partner of Lee's. Wolff said he played poker with Lee but that they were only friendly games, and he knew nothing about the bookmaking operation. Half of the fine would go to the San Antonio Police Department and half to the District Attorney's office. It will have to be used for law enforcement purposes. The chips Lee will keep in his hand will have to be bet wisely - and legally - this time to reach such sums again.
Sportingbet has released its end-of-year report, for the fiscal year that ended in July. The numbers are negative, with a reported loss and well below its profits of the previous year. But the trend is positive and management optimistic. The Internet gaming operator Sportingbet PLC is traded on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM).it has over 2.5 million registered users at its sportsbooks, casino and bingo sites. while it serves users in 200 countries, its main market - by large - was the United states. The pre-gambling ban US, has accounted for about 80% of the company's business. Hence the drop from £69.2 million profit in the year that ended July 2006, the company has lost £312.9 million the following year. Going Global To offset the loss of its greatest market, Sportingbet will invest in European gambling markets. Developing its business in new markets is viewed by the gambling group as, well, a gamble. "Some ventures will work and some will fail", said the statement. Among these new geographies are Turkey and Italy, where Sportingbet is underrepresented; the group has recently acquired a Turkish marketing partner. It is optimistic about the direction in which the European Market is heading, namely to liberalize the industry. In other business development moves, the group does not rule out targeted acquisitions. In what could potentially become the biggest move of the year, there are even rumors about joining forces with Austrian rival Bwin Interactive Entertainment AG. Talks between the two companies, however, ended in July and there are no new developments in that front as of now. Sportingbet's CEO, Andrew McIver, said "It's a possibility", but added that he cannot "give it any probability." Faith in Numbers With a turnover at £1.32 billion, though down from the previous year, Sportingbet still has a market share that is enviable compared to any gaming company. Sports betting is one field in which there was an absolute increase in business. Betting on such sites went up 14.3 percent. Indeed , these numbers have not evaded the company. McIver said in the statement: "To lose 75 per cent of our business... but still record an operating profit for the year is, in my opinion, a highly creditable achievement."
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