Card Player – The Poker Players Alliance, a grassroots poker advocacy group in Washington, released an update on its efforts to help fight a pair of proposals that are attempting to ban online gaming, including web poker, across the United States. The video from PPA Executive Director John Pappas also highlighted some ways that the poker community itself can help amass opposition to the measures. U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz are pushing a restoration of the Wire Act. Their efforts are aligned with lobbying by billionaire casino boss Sheldon Adelson, who wants online gambling to be…

iGaming Business – Online gaming software provider NYX Interactive, part of the NYX Gaming Group, has announced that its NYX Open Gaming Season (OGS) games platform has been certified for launch in the regulated market of Denmark. NYX OGS was handed approval by gaming testing, certification, calibration and training firm NMi, which became the first European laboratory to be approved by Danish authorities in March 2012. David Flynn, senior vice-presdient of NYX Gaming, said “Gaining confirmation from NMi that OGS is now certified for Denmark is further testament to the continuing progress of NYX OGS. “Since going live 18 months…

Poker News – Sweden’s gambling monopoly Svenska Spel said it has taken a “big step towards a healthier gaming market” with a soon-to-be-created professorship to study problem gambling. The professorship at Lund University’s Faculty of Medicine will carry out detailed research into the causes and effects of problem gambling – the first of its kind in Sweden, according to the state-owned operator. “It’s part of our mission to work towards the prevention of gambling problems,” Zenita Strandänger, head of Corporate Social Responsibility at Svenska Spel, told PokerNews. “To learn more about how we best can prevent these issues we need…

Poker News – According a report by GamingIntelligence, a French court has recommended that €40,000 in fines be handed down to bwin.party co-Chief Executive Officers Norbert Teufelberger and Manfred Bodner for the group’s activities in France prior the adoption of the gambling legislation in force today. Teufelberger and Bodner are being charged with iGaming violations by a court in the commune of Nanterre (12 km outside of Paris), with violations that date back over a decade ago when the group offered betting services to France’s citizens. Although the original complainants French monopoly operators La Française des Jeux (FDJ) and Pari-Mutuel…

iGaming Business – Online gaming software supplier Connective Games and internet gambling company Balkan Texas have announced plans to build an online poker network with a focus on the Eastern European market. The two companies will utilise each other’s expertise, experience, technologies and resources to develop a service to rival other online poker networks. Connective Games and Balkan Texas envisage an “intense” two-month set up period in which they will create and build a specialist team that will manage the day-to-day running of the network. Dean Todorovic, chief executive officer of Balkan Texas, and Konstantin Zubarev, chief executive officer of Connective…

An Orange County lawmaker has introduced legislation that, if passed, would legalize certain legalize internet poker, but only types of online poker games that are deemed to be contests of skill rather than luck. Currently, online poker is considered a game of luck and is illegal in New York state. The bill seeks to “amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law and the penal law, in relation to allowing certain interactive poker games.” According to the language of the bill, New York would authorize 10 online poker licenses. The licenses would come with a $10 million price tag and…