That annual chatter regarding online poker regulation in various states has already begun for 2016. The problem is that much of the chatter is going on outside of California and Pennsylvania. While any discussion regarding iPoker regulation is positive, the reality is that much of it is glorified lip service. While it is great that Massachusetts and Washington State are already talking about regulation this year, there’s nothing that leads us to believe that they will lead to even as much as a positive committee vote. Frankly, until Pennsylvania or California regulate online poker, most talk towards that end is…

Breaking reports from Kentucky-based news outlets have revealed that a county-level circuit judge issued a massive $290 million judgment last month against PokerStars and its current parent, Canada-based Amaya Gaming, as part of an ongoing case brought by a private firm representing the state’s interests against PokerStars and other offshore sites who once serviced Kentucky players. Local news reports confirm that Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate awarded the $290 million judgment against several defendants, including Amaya Group Holdings and a subsidiary connected to Stars or Full Tilt operations on Nov. 20.  The state brought its action against the original Full Tilt, PokerStars,…

A Nevada judge has sentenced former Bitcoin online poker site operator Bryan Micon to probation for illegal gambling charges. On Tuesday, Clark County District Court Judge Kerry Earley handed Micon a $25k fine and two years of probation for his role in the Sealswithclubs online poker operation. The sentencing, which also required Micon to forfeit certain items seized by police, follows a deal Micon worked out with Nevada prosecutors this summer. Micon was formally charged with operating an unlicensed interactive gaming system in April following raids on his Nevada residence in February, during which the authorities seized a good deal…

Friday marked the official end for California’s online poker hopes in 2015, though it had been known for many weeks that the Golden State’s chances were essentially zero. The 2015 California legislative session ended on Sept. 11 with no consensus being reached by tribal groups, card clubs, racetracks and outside firms looking to get in on the most lucrative online poker market in the country. Amaya Gaming Group, owner of PokerStars, has been pushing hard in 2015, even sending some of its top pros to Sacramento to advocate for regulation, but to no avail. Tribal gaming is a $28.5 billion…

If New York opens the door to legalized online poker, there will be no shortage of gambling interests trying to get a piece of the action. Representatives from Caesars, MGM Resorts International and the state’s racetrack casinos were among those who testified Wednesday at a state Senate hearing on the future of Internet poker in New York, where it’s currently illegal. At various points, the individual gambling interests made the case — some subtly, others directly — that they’d be best-suited to hold an online-poker license should the game be legalized in the state, a step that’s far from certain….

Brazil has a long and complicated history when it comes to gambling in general and poker in particular. The latest development, according to an article published on CardsChat*, the country has passed a law banning the playing of online poker in public. Anyone caught using their mobile device to access an online poker site while in a public space now faces a stiff fine and, in certain cases, potentially a short jail sentence. At first glance, it may seems surprising that the Brazilian government would clamp down in this way, given that the overall trend seems to have been towards…