He’s founded a new California company — Federated Sports+Gaming — with Annie Duke on the executive team and serving as commissioner of the poker league, which promises to be a professionals-only set-up. Duke resigned from the WSOP’s event-steering Players Advisory Committee two months ago and last month renounced her relationship with UB, the most notoriously beleaguered online poker site in history.

According to @OskarGarcia from the Associated Press:

The yet-to-be-named league is planning four televised regular-season events plus a $1 million championship freeroll at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas this year, league executives said.

“This is incredibly pro-centric,” Duke told The Associated Press. “This is the one piece that’s kind of missing from the poker landscape right now, which is something for the best players in the world to compete against the best players in the world.”

Should be interesting to see who, by Federated’ new definition, qualify as pros … with one obvious litmus test being will @donkeybomber be able to secure his card?

Corporately, Duke is an executive vice president of Federated Sports+Gaming’s, though not a member of its board of directors. The others on Pollack’s team come from YouBet.com, the biggest legal online gaming company based in the US, which was recently acquired by Churchill Downs, the publicly traded online gaming outpost for Kentucky’s horse-race industry. Others on Pollack’s executive team share varying degrees from Northwestern University, to which I say, um … Go Cats!

Pollack, serving as chairman of Federated, maintains his position as executive chairman of PBR, which real cowboys will tell you is very different from traditional “rodeo”. Read below for his full statement announcing his reburstage onto the poker scene:

Tue, 01/18/2011
Welcome Message from Jeffrey Pollack

We may be a new company, but Federated Sports + Gaming is built on a timeless value: putting people first.

Our ground-breaking poker league will put professional players first and celebrate the stars of this great game like never before. As in any other endeavor, the world’s best talent deserves the spotlight and poker is no different. Federated Sports + Gaming will provide a custom-tailored tournament experience that clearly demonstrates how poker professionals lead the industry and are skilled in a way that is rare and worthy of special attention.

The television and media coverage of our tournaments will focus on poker professionals — making them the rule, not the exception — and it will put viewers and fans first with great story telling and a level of production that elevates the game of poker and honors its most talented and compelling personalities. Led by highly acclaimed and Emmy® Award winning creative talent, our programming will provide an ideal showcase for the world’s best poker players and carry forward a tradition of excellence shared among established, elite sporting events.

Federated social media games will also break new ground and put online players first with a superior experience that is fun and simplified. And, we will provide great customer service every step of the way and build an online gaming environment that is safe and secure.

Along the way, we will partner with companies that share our passion and values and also put people first – both their customers and employees. For our own part, I know that we have assembled an executive team at Federated that is replete with experience, insight, perspective and a fierce desire to work as we live – with integrity, honesty, transparency and a keen sense of humor. Our people rock and have a wealth of experience in sports management and media, entertainment, e-commerce, entrepreneurship, and legal online gaming.

When I took the helm of the World Series of Poker in 2005, a smart media executive said to me, “Always remember, it’s just poker” and suggested that the game never be taken too seriously. Well, we are serious about treating poker professionals with the respect they deserve and we are serious about our mission. But, we’re going to have a lot of fun along the way and I invite you to join us.

Welcome to a new way of doing business in the sports and gaming industry, and to a company that puts people first.

Welcome to Federated!

Jeffrey N. Pollack

Co-Founder and Chairman

In an attempt to kick-start this litigation – which has been bogged down in procedural wranglings and appeals – Kentucky had proposed to divide the in rem defendants into smaller, more manageable groups. Each group would then be addressed by the court using a case management system. The idea was that the owner of the domain name in each group would be given notice and a chance to appear, prove his/her/its ownership of the domain name, and contest the seizure. The first group of domain names was limited to www.playersonly.com, www.sportsbook.com, www.sportsinteraction.com, www.mysportsbook.com, and www.linesmaker.com. The Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA) had opposed Kentucky’s motion and also sought to intervene in the case.

iMEGA has made a case for what’s called associational standing. Associational standing, very generally, allows an organization or group to intervene in a judicial proceeding on behalf of its members. There are a number of tests that need to be met in order to obtain associational standing. While iMEGA would normally have associational standing, the Franklin Circuit Court has now held that it is unclear whether associational representation can extend to an in rem proceeding in Kentucky; this issue is novel and the court needs to consider it further. Accordingly, the next move is that the Court will keep the case management order sought by Kentucky on hold until the associational standing issue can be determined. This is a clear victory for the defendants in this matter, as Kentucky wanted to simply plough ahead with a case management structure and without vetting the associational standing issue.

The parties have 30 days to submit briefs on this issue, after which Kentucky or iMEGA can bring the matter on for an oral hearing.

Stay tuned for more developments in this fascinating state-level case.

1. Denmark Online Gaming Delays – Denmark had intended to open up its online interactive gaming market by January of next year. However, there has been a complaint about tax rates and a blackout period before the European Commission. The Danish government and the EC are addressing the review and the complaint, but inter-governmental wrangling takes time, especially in Europe. Look for market liberalization to be delayed until Summer 2011.[EGR Magazine]

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2. Kentucky v 141 Internet Domain Names – This is a fascinating and timely case that keeps getting more so. Latest development: A hearing has been scheduled for December 6^th (this will be pushed back to the 13^th) in front of Judge Thomas Wingate, who is the original judge that first dealt with this matter back in the Fall of 2008. The hearing is supposed to address the identification of the owners of the 141 Internet domain names that were part of Kentucky’s original suit. Kentucky has proposed that the domain names be split up into groups and that the initial group to be considered by the court comprise the following 5 names: www.playersonly.com, www.sportsbook.com, www.sportsinteraction.com, www.mysportsbook.com, and www.linesmaker.com. The proposed case management order (to be discussed at the hearing) grants 30 days to anyone purporting to be an owner of these sites to file a motion to intervene and prove their ownership of the site(s). iMEGA plans to make a motion to intervene on behalf of these sites, which does not sit well with the Commonwealth; Kentucky has consistently objected to iMEGA and the IGC being granted standing in the proceeding.

   The Commonwealth may lose here – the Supreme Court of Kentucky seemed to like the idea of associational standing but said that the associations did not yet demonstrate that they had standing. The associations can be expected to do what they have to to show this. If iMEGA loses out in December, look for more appeals and legal wrangling. This case has certainly been a boon to the Kentucky bar – it seems that just about every lawyer in the state has had a piece of this lawsuit. [Poker News Daily]

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3. Cyprus Attempting to Ban (Most) Internet Gaming – Cyprus has drafted a bill proposing a ban on all forms of Internet gambling except sports wagering. This has gone to the European Commission for review. Cyprus argues that the ban on roulette, other table games, slot machines, and poker is in the public interest. Cyprus hopes that the Santa Casa ruling by the European Court of Justice in 2009 in favour of Portugal will work in its favour in this draft. The bill also provides for the creation of a Gaming Board regulating Cypriot online gambling (sports betting only), issuing of licences, and a ban on cash bets and the exclusive use of credit cards and e-wallets to make transactions easier to monitor and tax. [Gambling City]

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4. Excapsa & the Cereus Network Settlement – In a shareholder communication by Excapsa Software’s liquidator, Excapsa and the Cereus Network appear to have settled their dispute over promissory notes and fraud claims on the network. In return for full and final settlement, it looks like Blanca Games (UB’s operator) will acquire Excapsa’s interest in the outstanding debt for US$2M and a percentage of proceeds if the business is sold by Blanca on or before March 31, 2013. Excapsa will get the remaining interest in the old gaming software (the Towkiro Group – UB’s old owners – had retained a residual interest to use the software for internal purposes). [WSBG Accountants, Montreal]

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5. What Congress Shall Wil Probably Will May Do in the US – This is the favoured party game of everyone in the Internet poker industry right now. Few know for certain what will happen, but here’s what I think is becoming reasonably clear: a) the Frank & McDermott bills are probably dead; b) if anything passes during the lame-duck session, it will likely be a Reid bill and will probably be attached to ‘must-pass’ financial legislation; and, c) poker is the only thing that will get through this year. My best information is still that it’s more likely than not that a measure won’t pass, but I have been hearing more and more gossip rumblings suggesting that prospects are perhaps better than I have expected. The next week or two could change things and make passage of an interactive poker measure the odds-on favourite. Stay tuned. [Motley Fool]

   Also …
   interesting conference on US i-gaming to take place in Washington D.C. on December 10^th. This is a should-attend if you are in D.C. at the time:

   http://www.spectrumgaming.com/conferences/

1. FullTilt Turns Off Washington - In big news from last Friday, FullTilt Poker has elected to follow PokerStars’s lead and discontinue providing real money games to players located in Washington State. This impacts players residing in Washington and non-residents of Washington visiting Washington. Tilt’s FAQ on the matter is here. This is being done to preserve Tilt’s Internet-poker-only-is-legal argument. A related fact is that they’re able to protect their poker-only and transparent processing solutions by turning off Washington. This leaves fewer offerings out there willing to service Washington State poker players. [Poker News Daily]

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2. New Jersey Moves Forward on I-Gaming - Irrespective of what’s happening in Congress, New Jersey continues to move forward in its review of an intra-state Internet gaming offering. This week, the NJ Senate’s Budget and Appropriations Committee reported out S490 (Permits Internet wagering at Atlantic City casinos under certain circumstances); the bill now goes to the full State Senate for consideration. This bill has State Senator Ray Lesniak as the primary sponsor. It seeks to authorize Internet wagering in Atlantic City casinos, thereby allowing New Jersey residents to place wagers on casino games by means of the Internet. All games, including poker, which may be played at a casino in New Jersey, may be offered through Internet wagering under this bill. Several commentators have been saying for some time that New Jersey is one of the more promising states for intra-state gaming; if this bill becomes law - and there’s a ways to go yet - those predictions may turn out to have been prescient. [NJLeg.state.nj.us]

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3. Kentucky v. PartyGaming - In other US state news, PartyGaming is not (initially, at least) rolling over in the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s attempt to extract damages from Party. Recall that Party was added to the state’s suit against Pocket Kings (Tilt) earlier this year; Microgaming was added last month. Party has now brought a motion to dismiss the complaint on several grounds. This will be interesting litigation as it rolls forward alongside the Kentucky domain name litigation. Watch for one or more of the identified defendants in Pocket Kings et al to settle. [EGR Magazine]

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4. GTECH Worldwide Expansion - GTECH, a Lottomatica subsidiary, continues to generate interesting news and business. Recently it has struck a number of deals with various operators, including with provincial operators in Canada. Last week two more deals were made public. The first was a 10-year agreement with the Shenzhen Welfare Lottery Center to upgrade existing Keno systems, selling online lottery games, and increasing the operator’s terminal base. [iGaming Business] Then came word that GTECH has received a two-year extension to continue providing support to Pronosticos para la Asistencia Publica in Mexico. [Gaming Intelligence] Even though the parent posted a net loss in Q3, keep watching GTECH, folks.

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5. gTLD Expansions - This is the most important ongoing story in Internet gaming (and, indeed, in intellectual property) that you’re hearing nothing about. Basically, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is opening up the general top-level domain registry well beyond what’s currently available. Instead of .com, .biz, etc., people will be able to create their own extensions and registries. Some of the new registries could include cities (.london, .nyc), Internet auction providers (.ebay), and people with strong trade-marks and domain names in a host of industries (think of .pfizer or .coke). The implications for Internet gaming are huge. Not only could operators register trade-marked names (e.g., .pokerstars), but they could add security to their offerings by owning, domiciling, and managing their own registries. Some think that a more generic name could be registered by one or more parties: .bet or .poker, perhaps. A summary of changes in the proposed final new gTLD applicant guidebook are here - worth a view. [via CircleID]

1. American Midterm Shuffles - Today, everyone is thinking about the US elections. Are the pundits right? Are the Democrats headed for heavy losses? Will Harry Reid prevail in Nevada? What does it all mean for Internet gaming, specifically for poker? Whatever happens today, the trend towards legalizing and regulating Internet gaming will continue in the United States. The focus may move to the state level - although some are saying that a new Reid bill could  be passed before the end of the lame duck Congressional session on December 31^st - and, if Senator Reid loses (which is unlikely), things may be slowed down. However, the push for poker by many interested groups is too big for one person or one election to derail entirely. Some see today as crucial to the industry (see: Offshore Gaming Association); taking the long view, however, I’m a bit more sanguine.

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2. Kentucky vs. Microgaming - Things always seem to be developing in the Kentucky domain name seizure matter. Several weeks ago, the Supreme Court of Kentucky denied the writs of IMEGA and the IGC, sending the questions of standing and jurisdiction back to the Franklin Circuit Court (that was only a waste of 6 months); recently the Commonwealth added Microgaming to its list of defendants in the separate but related suit against Pocket Kings (FullTilt Poker) and PartyGaming for damages. Kentucky is seeking to recover triple the amount of losses of those located within Kentucky against these three “and unknown defendants. [EGR Magazine]

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3. New Bank Seizures - Circumstances continue to challenge those servicing the US-facing Internet poker market. In Seattle, federal prosecutors have sought to cause the funds of Secure Money Inc. (a payment processor based in Canada) to be turned over to the US government. [Seattle Post-Intelligencer]

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4. Boyd Gaming Fundraisers - On October 26^th, Boyd Gaming Corporation announced that it’s seeking to raise $500M through 8 year senior notes in a private placement. The bonds will be guaranteed by certain Boyd subsidiaries. Boyd will use the funds to pay off existing debt. This continues the recent trend of gaming companies reaching out to the broader markets (some through IPOs - see Betfair) to raise funds. [Boyd Gaming]

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5. IMGL Conference Summary - The International Masters of Gaming Law had their fall conference in Madrid last week. It was a great series of sessions and contained lots of stories and gossip (lawyers are as bad as judges and schoolgirls for thriving on gossip). Snippets on the US: rumours about Harry Reid working on his own poker regulation/tax bill; predictions about New Jersey and Florida being the most likely to pass intra-state gaming bills among the states; and, forecasting that current US-facing operators will still have a significant role to play post-US regulation. [Gaming Law Masters]

Barrister Stuart Hoegner is an expert but not quite a “master” in international gaming law whom you can follow regularly @GamingCounsel.

Here’s the actual complaint, filed two weeks ago in Franklin Circuit Court. You’ll see they spell out a host of alleged infractions by Full Tilt according to Kentucky state law against the citizens of Kentucky. And thus, they’re seeking to have all rake and player losses refunded.

They’re also calling out the company and its principals in harsh terms, saying Full Tilt is based on a series of shell companies to conceal their identities and avoid legal responsibilities, and labels Full Tilt defendants as “shams” and “alteregos” of each other and different individuals. We’re guessing they don’t have much case law on the role of avatars and multiaccounting Terms of Service agreements in poker. No word on whether or not Joan Rivers will be called to testify.

They’ve named other sites as well as having committed the same alleged crimes — including Doyles Room, Ultimate Bet, PokerStars, TruePoker, and more than 100 others. This way, should they win their case against Full Tilt, they’d be able to apply the same ruling to all these other online poker entities upon identifying who they are.

This is all happening as the Kentucky Court of Appeals considers arguments claiming that Imega has no standing to represent online poker defendants any more than NAMBLA would have standing to represent Catholic priests.

But lest you think the state of Kentucky is simply anti-poker, next month is the Derby Poker Championship — “Go All-In for Kids and the Climate” — an event hosted by Phil Hellmuth, Robert Williamson, III, and Denny Crum. Perhaps even more fascinating are the sponsors: Jim Beam (wouldn’t the WSOP kill for that relationship?), TwinSpires.com (Kentucky’s ready-to-go online gambling site), and UB.net.

For those interested, video of the hearing is now available below:

From the Iowa Politics Insider:

Iowa should keep its options open and develop plans to “protect its borders” while Internet gambling legislation is being debated in Congress, Iowa Lottery Chief Executive Officer Terry Rich said Tuesday.

[...]

The legislation could include provisions authorizing the federal government to regulate and tax Internet gambling in Iowa if the state’s elected officials don’t take action within a specified time frame, Rich said. He is urging state officials to protect their right to either reject or approve Internet gambling, and to impose taxes.

“The decision may be to do something, do nothing; but to at least have control so that if you do something in the state of Iowa that the state legislature and the governor decides what it should be,” Rich said.

And therein lies what seems to me the next big obstacle for regulated online poker — the states. They want theirs. And eventually all will follow in the footsteps of Kentucky, Minnesota, California, Iowa, et al. and take a look at the revenue possibilities should the Feds want to tax activities within their borders. Then it becomes a matter of who has the right to grab what … and issues of states rights, no matter how any level of legislation looks, is usually only settled in the higher courts.

Many months ago, a group of organizations representing internet freedoms and the rights of online gambling companies won an important appeal in the Kentucky court system, and that victory prohibited the Commonwealth from proceeding with its attempted seizure of those domains. The state promised to appeal to the Supreme Court, and that latest appeal was granted this month. Those fighting the state on the matter include iMEGA (Internet Media Entertainment & Gaming Association), PPA (Poker Players Alliance), ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union), CDT (Center for Democracy and Technology, EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation), Internet Commerce Association, eBay, and Network Solutions. (Can we win on number of appellees alone?)

According to iMEGA’s announcement:

The Supreme Court has set oral argument in Commonwealth of Kentucky v. IMEGA, et al for 11 a.m. on Thursday October 22, 2009 in the Supreme Court courtroom. The order allots 15 minutes for each side.

“We’ve been waiting for this for a long time, and we’re going to win again,” said Joe Brennan Jr., iMEGA’s chairman. “From the beginning, Kentucky law has clearly supported our position, and a win in the State Supreme Court will put the final emphasis on that.”

Anyhow, part of the point of this post is a just-because-I-can: First time I have ever played on an airplane — like while we’re actually flying in the air! — and I think that’s pretty darn neato. (And am thankful that AirTran, so far, has not blocked PokerStars, Full Tilt, Pokerati, Wicked Chops, or … actually, I’m kinda afraid to check anything by the Bang Brothers.)

See what I’m getting at here? Me neither … but I swear it’s relevant, because technically I’m in Kentucky right now, theoretically I could be in Washington State, and no matter what the state of the UIGEA, I’m pretty sure there is not proper justification for shooting this plane down.

Anyhow, crap, I gotta finish up this post because I’m running out of power … wi-fi on this Boeing 717 yes, power outlets no … but technology, internet, jurisdictions, mid-air financial transactions … this is the stuff our future laws will have to deal with, and obviously simply trying to prohibit online poker play or even just attempting to enforce the sooo-like-2006 UIGEA won’t cut it.

It took some time, but the Europeans have clearly arrived – now with more bracelets and final tables than California, and money won than Nevada.

Some of that came from Crocodile Lisandro, who claimed his first bracelet on behalf of Australia, but his second for Italy. Not sure how that will work out with taxes – but hey, if he wants to spread it around in the official standings, what can ya do? On that same day, Italy lost 0-3 to Brazil.

Similarly, we have our first big mistake (to be corrected on the next go-round) as it relates to Marc Naalden’s bracelet in $2,000 Limit Hold’em … which he won as a Belgian, but claims for the Dutch, the other country that runs through his border town.

ALT HED: Belgian Waffles, lol.

European newcomers to the world beyond the bubble include Portugal and PokerStarzistan Isle of Man.

Perhaps inspired and educated by neighboring Russians, Alaskans, specifically Alaskan’s from Wasilla, keep cashing.

Boooo Kentucky!

One of the other “bad” states representing at the WSOP is Washington. They had four players cash in $2k Limit Hold’em, which in and of itself would not seem like a major accomplishment in a 446-player field … but here all four made the final table.

In the way Northeast of North America, Newfoundland finally got on the board, as did Vermont — leaving Wyoming as the only state to not pop into Vegas and pick up some WSOP cash.

California is still unbeaten — batting 38-for-38 in this year’s WSOP — but just barely, thanks to Isaac Baron’s lone Cali-cash (10th place) in the $5k PLO.

When you’re done scrolling through the Standings, get your European poker news at Betfair.

Minn. regulators drop bid to block online gambling [Associated Press via @ppapoker]

“We have not folded our hand,” said Andy Skoogman, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, where gambling regulators are housed. He said he expects new strategies for regulating Internet gambling to emerge.

“The action raised awareness of the broader issue about who is policing the Internet and protecting the consumer,” he said. “At this point, we don’t feel there is anybody. This is an issue that every state is going to face sooner rather than later.”

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/06/09/minnesota-frontlines-poker-internet-wins/feed/ 1 http://pokerati.com/2009/06/05/kentucky-imega-and-denmark-in-online-gambling-news-perspectives-weekly/ http://pokerati.com/2009/06/05/kentucky-imega-and-denmark-in-online-gambling-news-perspectives-weekly/#comments Sat, 06 Jun 2009 01:35:24 +0000 J. Todd http://pokerati.com/?p=8608

Let’s get ready to rumble! It’s time for the next round in the battle of iMega vs. the State of Kentucky! Not only that, but this week we show video evidence of Governor Steve Beshear’s true motivations for banning online gambling in that state! Also, we have online gambling news from Intertops, Microsoft, and Denmark! What a show!

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/06/05/kentucky-imega-and-denmark-in-online-gambling-news-perspectives-weekly/feed/ 0 http://pokerati.com/2009/01/27/perspectives-tuesday-will-uigea-be-repealed-this-year/ http://pokerati.com/2009/01/27/perspectives-tuesday-will-uigea-be-repealed-this-year/#comments Tue, 27 Jan 2009 19:01:43 +0000 J. Todd http://pokerati.com/?p=5299

This week we look atthe possibility that the UIGEA will be repealed in sometime in 2009. Plus, great news for online gambling from the US, as the state of Colorado joins Pennsylvania in declaring poker a skill game!

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/01/27/perspectives-tuesday-will-uigea-be-repealed-this-year/feed/ 0 http://pokerati.com/2009/01/24/perspectives-weekly-kentucky-verdict-and-the-last-word-on-cardspike/ http://pokerati.com/2009/01/24/perspectives-weekly-kentucky-verdict-and-the-last-word-on-cardspike/#comments Sat, 24 Jan 2009 20:55:59 +0000 J. Todd http://pokerati.com/?p=5186

The Kentucky domain name seizure case has a verdict, and it’s good news! Also, not such good news for the online poker room Cardspike, as we finally get closer to the truth, and how Casino Affiliate Program’s Lou Fabiano may be connected.

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/01/24/perspectives-weekly-kentucky-verdict-and-the-last-word-on-cardspike/feed/ 0 http://pokerati.com/2009/01/21/re-kentucky-appeals-kentucky-appealmore-technicality-than-principle-internet-police-laws-at-stake/ http://pokerati.com/2009/01/21/re-kentucky-appeals-kentucky-appealmore-technicality-than-principle-internet-police-laws-at-stake/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:22:11 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=5121 A look at the non-poker media’s take on the Kentucky case as it moves through The System:

From the subscription newsletter blog Daily Online Examiner …

By Wendy Davis, Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Kentucky’s Move To Kill Online Gambling Squashed — For Now

In a closely watched case, an appellate court in Kentucky rebuffed the state governor’s attempts to shut down online gambling. But, while the case attracted attention from a wide range of outside groups who made all sorts of lofty constitutional arguments, the judges ended up deciding the case on a technicality.

The court ruled 2-1 that the government couldn’t confiscate domain names of 141 out-of-state gambling sites because the 1974 forfeiture law only applied to gambling “devices,” like roulette wheels.

“It stretches credulity to conclude that a series of numbers, or Internet address, can be said to constitute a ‘machine or any mechanical or other device,’ ” judge Michelle Keller wrote.

The dispute started late last summer, when the state hired a law firm to bring proceedings against online gambling companies. At the time, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear made no secret of his protectionist motives. He said he wanted to shutter the gambling sites as part of an effort to preserve horse racing, which he termed the state’s signature industry.

As news of the court showdown spread, a wide range of groups questioned whether one state could legally reach beyond its borders to claim jurisdiction over sites with a global reach. Outside parties — ranging from trade organizations like the Interactive Gaming Council and the Internet Commerce Association to civil rights groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and ACLU — weighed in on behalf of the Web sites.

The groups argued the law was unconstitutional for a host of reasons, including that Kentucky had no right to block sites visited by a worldwide audience.

While the appeals court dodged those issues for now, they’re bound to recur. If Kentucky rewrites its laws to specifically include domain names, the court will again be faced with determining how far one state can go to police the Web.

See what others are saying on the Online Examiner blog.

I guess it kinda depends how you look at it. Some might say a 66-33 percent victory is pretty dominating. Others might see winning by just one vote as a tiny margin of error.

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/01/21/re-kentucky-appeals-kentucky-appealmore-technicality-than-principle-internet-police-laws-at-stake/feed/ 0 http://pokerati.com/2009/01/21/kentucky-appeals-kentucky-appeal-pappas-bring-it-on-gov-beyotch/ http://pokerati.com/2009/01/21/kentucky-appeals-kentucky-appeal-pappas-bring-it-on-gov-beyotch/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 23:14:51 +0000 Dan Michalski http://pokerati.com/?p=5113 The PPA just put out a statement, regarding actions yesterday in Kentucky that shows the Governor has no intention of backing down on his desire to seize control of 141 gambling-related internet domains located outside of Kentucky, and America for that matter. Yee-haw! I’m tellin’ ya … it’s off to the Supreme Court we go on the way-bigger-than-poker issues in play here.

(Anyone wanna agree on a bet over the internet and transfer funds via PayPal?)

Though I’m not totally sure, I think Kentucky higher courts work like volleyball, or tennis after deuce. If you can win two points in a row, you win outright. The state of Kentucky won the first case, and had we lost our first appeal, we’d be dead. But we won … so now it’s their serve, and if we win that — the appeal to the appeal — I think then they can go no higher (can someone confirm this?). But if they win, then we can appeal to the state Supreme Court, yadda yadda.

Anyhow, John Pappas taunting Kentucky gov. Steve Beshear — reminding him he has an election in the not-too-distant future, and a plausibly disgruntled citizenry to answer to:

PPA Statement on Commonwealth of Kentucky Appeal of Domain Name Seizure Ruling

WASHINGTON, DC. (January 21, 2009) – John Pappas, executive director of the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nationwide, today issued the following statement regarding the appeal filed by the Commonwealth of Kentucky in light of yesterday’s ruling by the state court of appeals overturning a lower court decision allowing the Commonwealth to seize Internet gambling domain names.

“Kentucky residents should be outraged that the Commonwealth is investing another minute of time and another dollar of scarce resources in this quixotic case. The appeals court’s sound rejection of the Commonwealth’s case should have ended this legal debacle in its tracks. Unfortunately, the Governor and the hired-gun attorneys want to drag their ultimate defeat to another venue at the expense of Internet freedom and the rights of law-abiding Kentucky poker players.”

A copy of the Commonwealth’s appeal can be found at www.pokerplayersalliance.org.

BTW, for those in need of a lexicographic refresher, here’s a definition of “quixotic”.

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/01/21/kentucky-appeals-kentucky-appeal-pappas-bring-it-on-gov-beyotch/feed/ 2 http://pokerati.com/2009/01/20/internet-gaming-wins-a-battle-in-kentucky/ http://pokerati.com/2009/01/20/internet-gaming-wins-a-battle-in-kentucky/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2009 00:31:46 +0000 Kevin Mathers http://pokerati.com/?p=5087 A three judge Kentucky Court of Appeals panel ruled today in a 2-1 decision that the state’s attempt to seize 141 internet gambling domain names could not take place. More details can be found at Poker News Daily and the full decision on the Poker Players Alliance website. It’s expected for the state of Kentucky to file an appeal, which would move the matter to the Kentucky Supreme Court, in the very near future. More news as it becomes available.

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/01/20/internet-gaming-wins-a-battle-in-kentucky/feed/ 2 http://pokerati.com/2009/01/11/perspectives-friday/ http://pokerati.com/2009/01/11/perspectives-friday/#comments Mon, 12 Jan 2009 04:39:46 +0000 J. Todd http://pokerati.com/?p=4993

We continue our look into Cardspike’s alleged connection to Casino Affiliate Programs. Plus, indusry news that could tie online gaming to terrorism as we wait on an important decision in Kentucky!

]]> http://pokerati.com/2009/01/11/perspectives-friday/feed/ 0