RE: 60 Minutes to Air AP/UB Story (2)
Tokwiro fears for reputation of online poker or Tokwiro?
Nat Arem sure has sources. He recently received a forward of an inter-company memo from Tokwiro Enterprises COO Paul Leggett regarding the upcoming 60 Minutes story. Leggett has reason to believe that there will be a bias against Tokwiro and its companies, going further to say that online poker will emerge with a bad reputation. Thus, they did not appear on camera for interviews. (A little like saying that the jury has a bias, the judge is going to declare me guilty, so why defend myself?)
Leggett wrote:
“We have every reason to believe that the 60 Minutes producers are intent on portraying the online poker industry and our companies in a negative light, and we do not expect that the program will be either fair or balanced.
Because of 60 Minutes’ apparent bias against Tokwiro and online poker, we have decided not to appear on camera. We have, however, had many conversations with the program’s producers. We provided them with extensive background materials and documents, and we answered questions on-the-record, but off-camera. Despite all this, it is not likely that our views will be properly represented. Therefore, it is important that all of our staff know the following facts about our company:”
The remainder of the memo states some facts about Tokwiro Enterprises and the cheating scandals, most of which were released to the public in UltimateBet, Absolute Poker, or Kahnawake Gaming Commission press releases or statements.
The tone of the memo and words chosen by Leggett indicate that the 60 Minutes piece could portray online poker in a bad light. In fact, what Leggett fears is that Tokwiro and its online poker entities will look bad. Well, that is entirely possible because the way in which the scandals were handled was bad, and if that comes out in the reporting, who is really at fault, especially when the company in question refuses to go on camera with a statement and show otherwise? And in truth, what is said about AP, UB, and Tokwiro really doesn’t reflect on the entire online poker world, and there still remains some hope that the reporters for 60 Minutes and the Washington Post will make that clear distinction.
Frank Frisina says:
November 27th, 2008 at 1:37pm
I sure hope they expose Tokwiro for what it is. A company that deserves everything it is getting. I am rooting every day for its failure.
Scumbags.
DanM says:
November 27th, 2008 at 5:06pm
***I am rooting every day for its failure.***
Be careful, Frank. The schaedenfreude will eat up your insides.
DanM says:
November 27th, 2008 at 5:19pm
Leggett’s quote is shameful. They could use this in business school as an example how not to handle the media … don’t talk to them in the way they want to, then pre-emptivly bitch about unfair coverage before you’ve even seen it.
I’m not joking … you know where I have seen a memo that looks almost identical? The Catholic Church when “biased” and “anti-Catholic” reports were making their priests look bad for molesting so many children. (And note to Leggett: from a PR perspective, it doesn’t work.)
It goes well with the self-produced fake 60 Minutes-ish interview where Leggett gets to declare, “we are the victim here.”
He is doing nothing to restore faith, is he?
Poker Shrink says:
November 27th, 2008 at 10:22pm
The problem with giving online poker a fair shake is that crooks and criminals at Absolute and Ultimate Bet stole in excess of $20 million dollars. That is a really big chunk of doo-do to spin without a lot of splatter.
Max says:
November 28th, 2008 at 6:18am
That’s right DanM media control is the key
DanM says:
November 28th, 2008 at 8:53am
***media control***
I’m sure a lot of politicians wish they had media control, too. I can’t believe how many people I respect are being such pussies. If they are so afraid, then we really are a crooked industry and should be shut down.
I got news for all of you … welcome to the world of LEGIT business, where there is no such thing as media control. You have to just run your stuff right and hope it all pans out accordingly. I can’t believe how many people I respect are falling along the lines of the media in poker I don’t respect.
Robert Sanchez says:
November 28th, 2008 at 9:53am
Why didn’t Paul Leggett just tell 60 Minutes that if he have an interview they would have to allow him to show their new security measures amd how they will stop it from happening again………Oh wait maybe they haven’t figured it out yet!!!!!