From iGaming Business The drop in cash game poker stakes in France’s iGaming market continued during the first half of 2013 as licensed operators’ turnover fell by 14 percent year-on-year to €2.7 billion ($3.4 billion). The figures were revealed to Agence France Presse on Thursday during a meeting of German, Spanish, French, British, Italian and Portuguese gambling regulators taking place in Lisbon. French online poker’s travails are in marked contrast to the regulated online sportsbetting sector, which saw turnover rise by eleven percent year-on-year to €402 million ($515.7 million) and gross gaming revenues improve by 11.5 percent when compared with…

From Poker News he World Series of Poker has opened the nominations for the Poker Hall of Fame Class of 2013. The Hall of Fame traditionally elects one or two new members annually and holds a ceremony in conjunction with the final table of the Main Event. This year’s final table will take place in November. To date, the Hall of Fame includes 40 members, including Johnny Moss, Bill Boyd, Walter Clyde “Puggy” Pearson, Doyle Brunson, Benny Binion, David “Chip” Reese, Thomas Austin “Amarillo Slim” Preston, Stu “The Kid” Ungar, Johnny Chan, Bobby Baldwin, and Phil Hellmuth. Last year, Eric…

On Friday, April 15, 2011, the American Government shut down online poker sites over the ambiguity of the legality of poker. They branded its operators criminals. But is this still the case? The answer to the above question is yes and no. One of the main problems with passing new laws is that they often have unintended consequences. The clearest example of that is the Volstead Act of 1919. The ostensible purpose of this – Prohibition – was to save Americans from the demon drink; in practice, it created an era of lawlessness. The current drug prohibition laws – worldwide…

From Pokerati Trust us, they’re not the same! First and foremost, it all boils to down to whom you’re playing. In a traditional game of poker, even online, you’re putting up bets against other players. You’re trying to win for yourself, but you’re also trying to beat them. But with video poker, it’s all about you. Maybe you’ll win and maybe you’ll lose, but you don’t have to focus on anyone else’s hand. Really the only commonality between the two games is the system of ranking cards. A good hand in poker is a good hand in video poker, but…

From North Jersey Resorts Casino Hotel and The Rational Group, operator of PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker site, have reached an agreement to provide online gaming in New Jersey, the companies announced today. The agreement links the first casino to open in Atlantic City with one of the biggest online gaming companies in the world. Meanwhile, Donald Trump wants in on the action, too:   “This is another blue chip partner for Resorts to complete a wonderful series of brands – Mohegan Sun, Margaritaville and now PokerStars,” said Morris Bailey, Resorts’ Company Chairman. “Resorts is a fantastic partner for…

With online poker now legal in Nevada, and UltimatePoker.com currently legally able to offer the game to those within the state’s borders, I predict, in the end, the big winner in the online poker bonanza will be Facebook (FB), but for this to come to pass, poker must spread beyond just Nevada. First of all, casino gambling is legal in many states. Poker is considered a game of skill, and embraced as such even by many who might frown upon games of chance. Poker offers politicians a new way to increase revenues without having to enforce new obligatory taxes (always…