From Poker News Bwin.party digital entertainment, the leading European online gambling operator, has taken drastic measures to cut costs. Sources told eGamingReview this week that World Poker Tour CEO Steve Heller, business development director Alen Lang, and group technology director Tod Martin have all left the company. More departures may take place in the future. Heller joined PartyGaming in 2005 as CEO of Asian operations. It is reported that WPT President Adam Pliska will assume Heller’s role. PokerNews reached out to bwin.party for comment about Heller’s departure, but a spokesperson said the company doesn’t comment about management changes. Martin, who…

From CNBC Like brick-and-mortar retailers, casinos in Las Vegas—and pretty soon in Atlantic City—are finding themselves up against a familiar foe: the Internet. It may seem counterintuitive that Nevada and New Jersey—homes to the two biggest gambling cities in the country—are leading the charge at the state level to legalize online betting. But states, like many Americans, are looking for new revenue streams as the economy continues to sputter to life. And some casinos are being proactive, looking for ways to develop or partner their way to a Web-based gaming presence. In February, Nevada become the first state to approve…

From the Hill Lobbyists who advocate legalizing online poker are on the prowl for a new Republican to champion their cause in the Senate. Former Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) had been a reliable supporter of online poker, but he retired last year after making a last-ditch effort to pass legislation with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). Gambling interests are eager to revisit Internet poker legalization — a top priority for Reid’s casino-dominated home state — but lobbyists for the gaming industry doubt the effort will succeed until a Republican ally is found from outside Nevada who can broaden the…

The great investment thesis behind Zynga was that it would eventually turn its play-money Zynga Poker game into a wildly lucrative online poker business, rivaling even the most established players in gaming. There was a time when an idea like that wasn’t too far-fetched. Zynga Poker has around 36 million users every month on Facebook with around 6 million of those on the site every day. The problem is that online poker isn’t legal here in the U.S., so this huge user base hasn’t translated to a significant profit. First-quarter revenue dropped 18% and the fickle nature of online-game players has…

From Poker Affiliate Listings – News from the poker industry, brought to you by Tori at Poker Affiliate Listings. This week she discusses the WSOP and online poker in Nevada.     . VISIT POKER AFFILIATE LISTINGS

Officials for the World Poker Tour recently announced the signing of a new 3-year TV deal with FOX Sports Network which will provide close to 100 hours of new WPT poker programming for the cable network to extend through 2017. The new agreement is set to begin with the upcoming start of Season XII of the WPT, with five designated main events on the schedule through the end of 2013 to be televised. Players will have the opportunity to be a part of a TV final table starting this August when the WPT returns to the Bicycle Casino in Los…

From Card Player “The Mouth” is back! It’s been an amazing year for Mike Matusow, who has seen his ups and downs in the poker world since Black Friday. The 45-year-old poker pro started off the year with a win in the NBC National Heads-Up Poker Championship for $750,000. On Friday, he followed that up by winning his fourth career gold bracelet in event no. 13 of the World Series of Poker. Matusow defeated a field of 210 players in the $5,000 seven-card stud eight-or-better event, claiming a first-place prize of $266,503, which puts him over the seven-figure mark for…

From Reuters A Republican congressman on Thursday introduced legislation to allow online gambling on a federal level, which he says will give consumers more uniformity than legalizing it on a state-by-state basis. The move by Representative Peter King of New York follows industry lobbying for federal legislation to provide a larger, more liquid market across state lines, attracting more gamblers. U.S. casinos operators like MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment Corp plan to launch Internet operations in states like New Jersey, which recently passed online gambling legislation. “A common federal standard will ensure strong protections for consumers, protect against problem…