Last week, I shared with you news that poker public enemy #1 Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson has been lobbying the House Appropriations Committee for language hostile to online poker. Per the Adelson ban plan, since our opponents know their proposed prohibition would be crushed in an open up-or-down vote, this was to be inserted in that committee’s latest budget bill. However, due to the outstanding efforts of poker advocates and lobbyists, anti-poker Reps. Charlie Dent (R-PA) and Henry Cuellar (D-TX) quickly conceded defeat and withdrew their measure without even seeking a vote! While it may seem odd that…

If baby needs a new pair of shoes, you’re still going to have to try to win the money for them in a Pennsylvania casino or the nightly state Lottery drawing. The House on Tuesday rejected separate amendments that would have drastically expanded when, where and how adults could wager in the state. Both amendments would have legalized online gambling and fantasy sports, provided the activities were run by the state’s licensed casinos. The first amendment failed 122-66. It would have allowed video game slot machines at taverns, bars, social clubs and volunteer fire halls. The second bill — rejected…

A new report indicates a bill that would legalize Pennsylvania online gambling and poker will be back on the legislature’s agenda next month. The gambling expansion package that has been on the House floor since late last year appears to be coming off the sidelines. A new report from the Reading Eagle indicates that the House will take up a bill involving online gambling in June. That legislation is HB 649, although the story did not mention the bill by name. The bill, when last seen, included a number of different gaming expansions that could derail its progress, including the…

With the availability of technology around the world spreading it has become easier to gamble than ever before. The trends in online gaming and gambling have been slowly changing over the years. The apps and mobile technology available today can make placing a bet as easy as a few swipes of a smartphone screen. The following are just a few of the trends you should watch out for in the coming year. Mobile Could Become King Online gambling has become more accessible now than it has ever been in the past. The days of having to wait until getting home…

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,…

Political observer Jon Ralston interviewed Nevada’s Attorney General Adam Laxalt, who admitted to supporting Sheldon Adelson’s Restoration of the Wire Act (RAWA), on his TV program Ralston Reports. Laxalt also revealed his intention to signing a letter going around to US attorney generals, which supports a ban on online gambling.Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval responded to the interview saying, “The gaming industry is changing and in order for Nevada’s businesses to maintain a competitive edge internationally, we must enact policies that allow the industry to meet the demands of a younger, more technologically engaged gamer. “The groundbreaking online gaming bill previously…