National Journal – God wants us to have the right to play poker online. So said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, during a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing Tuesday called to review the state of online gaming in the U.S. The session often had the feel more of an old Western saloon—poker challenges and all—than a stately governmental affair. Barton began the hearing with some cheerleading for his Internet Poker Freedom Act, which he introduced in July. He said that God must want his bill passed because Barton safely traveled from Texas to D.C. this morning, braving two icy storms…

iGaming Business – PokerStars has had its application for online gambling in New Jersey suspended for two years by the US state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement due to ongoing concerns about the company’s founder, Isai Scheinberg. Scheinberg is still under indictment from the Department of Justice for PokerStars’ activities in the US after the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The DGE confirmed in a notice to the operator that the decision was based on Scheinberg’s activities and the involvement of other unnamed PokerStars executives with online gambling operations in the US. Lisa Spengler, DGE’s spokeswoman, said the application for a…

Poker News – On Tuesday, the World Poker Tour expanded the Season XII schedule once gain, announcing the WPT Fallsview Poker Classic in Feb. 2014. After two successful in Montreal, the WPT is excited to return to Canada for a CAD $5,000 main event at the Fallsview Casino Resort, an hour outside of Toronto. This single-entry, three-day tournament will run from Feb. 22-24, at the end of the week-long, three-event Fallsview Poker Classic tournament series. “Poker is more popular than ever in Canada, and our players have been asking us to add another WPT stop north of the border,” WPT…

Forbes – The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement has suspended the review of PokerStars’ application for an online gambling license for two years, locking the world’s biggest online poker company out of the largest state to regulate online gambling. The decision is a big setback for PokerStars’ effort to return to the U.S. market, but New Jersey regulators are leaving the door open to reconsidering PokerStars’ application under certain circumstances. “The Division of Gaming Enforcement has determined that the application of Rational Services Limited (PokerStars) casino service industry licensure (CSIE) will be held in a suspended status for a…

iGaming Business – Online poker operator PokerStars has announced the addition of the Heads-Up No Limit Hold’em (NLHE) and Pot Limit Omaha Zoom (PLO) cash games to its offering. According to the Pokersoftware.com website, Zoom is a fast-fold game that, in its heads-up format, whenever a hand is folded or otherwise ended, brings the player to a new table to face any opposition. Although players can hit and run, they cannot be selective about whom they play, meaning they could be placed against any opposition. Games are available in regular and cap formats for both NLHE and PLO. Blinds range…

iGaming Business – UK bookmaker Ladbrokes is set to complete its migration from technology solution provider Microgaming’s MPN network to mobile gaming company Playtech’s iPoker Network on December 21. According to the Pokernewsdaily.com website, Ladbrokes first announced its intentions to switch to the iPoker Network in March of this year, but agreed to stay on MPN until details of the transition were completed. In a Frequently Asked Questions section on its website, Ladbrokes said that the move would take place on December 21. It said all players balances and accounts would remain unchanged, but confirmed each player would need to…