Nevada Gaming Firms up Opposition to NAPT, PokerStars.net

Part 2 is coming … and parts 3 and 4 … and maybe even a Part 5 addendum. But damn, writing semi-investigative narrative non-fiction ain\’t exactly easy, especially when the story doesn\’t convert well continues to develop in the present tense.

On May 28, the same day we ran the first part of NAPT, Venetian Part Ways over Row in Carson City, the Nevada Gaming Control Board officially responded to a formal inquiry about the Stars-sponsored event at the Venetian from attorneys representing one of its other licensees. They then posted this letter on Nevada Gaming\’s website on June 2. Though this correspondence in and of itself doesn\’t constitute enforceable policy, it does serve as effective notice to all Nevada casinos about how the GCB, the \”prosecutors\” of Gaming violations, will be seeing relationships with the likes of PokerStars … dot-com or dot-net.

Click here to read this important letter.

(In a nutshell, they say don\’t mess with Stars … too much trouble from the Feds with these guys, not to mention the Czechs, and getting into bed with any site doing biz with American players could violate other GCB policies about working with international thugs. Oh, and dot-net doesn\’t make it OK.)

Meanwhile, longtime poker politico and legal consultant Wendeen Eolis writes a bit more about how February\’s NAPT-Venetian led to the Board\’s current stronger-than-ever opposition to the idea of its Nevada casinos partnering with American-friendly online poker sites.

Check out her story in the new Poker Player Newspaper:

By all accounts, throughout the tournament, both Venetian and Poker Stars honchos were aglow over the initial collaboration. Word around town was that they were rarin’ to do an encore this summer.

Yep, sounds familiar. But one important new piece of info she reveals is where the NAPT is supposedly headed next, after having been effectively deported from Nevada.

California. Specifically the Bike.

A well-informed gaming official asserts (on the condition of no attribution) that \”Poker Stars has embraced the Bicycle Casino and Card Club for its next NAPT Festival.\” He says it is slated for \”wheels up\” on or about August 1st.