Industry headlines this week include issues at Ladbrokes, plus an update on several US states where online gambling has been on the agenda. We also have information on new APCW audits, and a look around the iGaming Super Show in Dublin.
Holy moly! Pokernewsdaily.com sold on eBay today for the bargain price of $63,100. I think it’s funny that the top bid increased by more than $13,000 in the last 60 seconds of the auction, but the winning bidder got the site for just $100 more than some other guy who wanted it. I guess that’s the beauty of eBay!! I personally enjoy being a last-minute eBay swooper — like that time I got the Weird Al Yankovic Ultimate Video Collection that someone thought they had locked down for 99 cents when I swooped in all ninja-style to nab it for $1.99. Danielle 1, random bidder 0.
With 23 bidders and 88 bids in the fight for PokerNewsDaily, I can only imagine the joy “b***2” felt upon binking the auction. No word on who that buyer really was. But they didn’t even play in the game for Pokerterms.com, a sister site to PND also put up for auction that went to “s***n” for $8,359.
This is the first time I’ve heard of an on-line auction for a poker site. It seems as if Protos Marketing, the site’s parent company, was trying to unload these domains (and related assets) pretty fast. I wonder if they are feeling the effects of Black Friday on affiliate-based poker media, or if the previous owners needed cash for WSOP Satellites something bigger and better yet to come.
I’ve overheard several people at the Rio talking about friendly wagers they had on the selling prices for these sites. Curious if people here participated in any prop bets … or the actual eBay auctions?
Online gambling news that really sucks includes updates on from Quicktender, affiliate program closures, and the FBI giving away our money to local cops! Plus, an update on a story from Vancouver and a shout out for a friend.
Watch the episode below:
We don’t really know the affiliate world here at Pokerati, but we still sometimes get their emails. And this one reveals, I think, another important cog in the Full Tilt machinery grinding to a halt. Either that or it’s nothing … but I’m not really believing people these days who tell me what seems like something is nothing.
You tell me. It’s different, that’s for sure … I do know Poker Affiliate World is a pretty big mega-affiliate that at least at one point was owned (at least in part) by PokerNews … and with or without Tony G’s involvement, a huge chunk of online poker signups pass through PAW in some capacity.
From: Poker Affiliate World
Date: June 7, 2011 6:01:44 PM PDT
To: Pokerati.com
Subject: Full Tilt Withdrawal Option Disabled – TemporarilyDear Affiliate,
Due to recent issues with Full Tilt Poker in regards to “Black Friday” we have temporarily removed Full Tilt player transfer from our withdrawal options until further notice.
We are confident of a resolution in the near future so please feel free to use another method or wait until this option is reinstated.
Regards,
The PAW Team
Hoping someone who understands this stuff better than I can clue me in to what I’m missing between the lines.
Meanwhile, Tony G is saying that he might skip the 2011 WSOP … supposedly because he can’t keep up with the young players. Ahh, if only it could be that simple this year.
You gotta love the Hardcore Poker Show on Sirius 98 (moving to channel 158 tomorrow) … as they seem to know how to get the right guests at the right time to throw out a few doozies.
On yesterday’s show they talk to Pauly — one of the Top Two Podcasters on Tao of Pokerati — who lets it be known that while player money from PokerStars may indeed be filtering back to American players via US banks … affiliates got a form letter saying they would not be paid, and I think it sounds like he’s saying they have no intent to in the near future or ever.
Check with the Tao of Poker to see if he (or someone else) posts this letter. Until we see it I can’t know if Pauly — who removed his PokerStars affiliate banners — is simply speaking the aggressive truth or just playing squeaky-wheel hardball or both. He is a New Yorker, after all — from the Southern District no less!
UPDATE: He has posted it.
Tony G, the owner of PokerNews is next on the show — and really, for all the voices that have been clamoring since “Black Friday”, he’s one of the biggest names in poker with a direct connection to the money-flow from Full Tilt, Stars, and others to do an in-depth, candid interview.
Here’s a clip from the show to give you a taste.
download
[audio:https://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/tony-g-calls-people-out.mp3|titles=tony g calls people out]
Controversial for sure … but his words seem to be less publicity-whorey than usual. The G says any American depositing money on any site is high-risk, and payout could be unlikely. While believing that Stars seems to be making good, he sees signs that Full Tilt accounts could be in greater jeopardy — and calls out Howard Lederer and Phil Ivey specifically to address the issue (either in public or private) and possibly offer up their personal assets to take care of players.
The father of Andreas Oscarsson, the PokerListings cofounder murdered in Sweden two months ago, says his son was the victim of a professional hit. He spoke on Swedish TV (their equivalent of America’s Most Wanted, I believe) in hopes that the public can help police solve this crime.
Apparently there was almost no evidence left behind.
Oscarsson, of course, was one of the biggest success stories of the international online poker boom — not as a player, but in helping bring players to online sites — and he accumulated vast wealth in a relatively short period of time. The semi-retired poker affiliate kingpin was on a brief holiday to his family home in Sweden this past August when an unknown assailant quietly broke into the house. He was shot six times with what investigators believe was a silencer-capped pistol as his wife, parents, and two-year-old son slept.
Hear Oscarsson’s father in his own (chilling) words:
[audio:https://pokerati.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/oscarsson2.mp3]
download
You don’t need to speak Swedish to kinda-sorta understand what this is really all about …
Click below for two recent stories (Google translations) about the highest-stakes murder the Swedes have seen in a long while … one police do not seem close to solving.
Nothing new here … but I saw this old Dave Chappelle clip the other day on what it would be like if the internet were a real place. Though most of it is about porn and penis enlargement, “online gambling” finds its way into the skit in the last minute of it … and by the time Chappelle punches out the guy pimping “our kinda sites”, the crowd is cheering.
Anyhow, something to think about in lieu of online poker’s political efforts — that it probably doesn’t help us to be in the same game as debt consolidation penis enlargement free mp3 downloads paris hilton sex goat fucking:
EMBED-If The Internet Was Real – Watch more free videos
Maybe some day we’ll see “legitimate” sites refuse to reward affiliates who use such methods?
Ed. Note: Will be curious to see what gets more views — the latest episode of Perspectives Weekly or Face the Ace. LOL. -dm
Breaking News! A grand jury has just indicted an online gambling payment processor! Plus, a New Jersey Senator rolls out new poker legislation, and affiliate programs change their Terms & Conditions!
Word about the payment processor shizznit was definitely part of the buzz around the Rio today. We should know in about a week whether this is poker’s version of the swine flu, or if it spreads into something far more significant. Supposedly Full Tilt checks are back to clearing. However, at least one major PokerStars affiliate had his check bounce — and that’s money he lives on.
Seen in the Amazon cash game area (reading a story in the New York Post):
UPDATE: Oops, maybe swine flu wasn’t the best comparison.
The fallout from our Cardspike investigation continues, as the partners who have run Casino Affiliate Programs (CAP) for years have now turned on one another in a power struggle battle royal. Whether you’re a webmaster or a player in this industry, you should be very concerned about the negative attention being generated for our industry.
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.
We have online gambling news from the UK as Google loosens advertising restrictions for our industry. Also, what can US poker players do right now to help their cause?! Plus, we start to put the pieces of the Cardspike puzzle together!
And earlier in the week … Are we finally starting to learn the truth about Cardspike? Yes! But is it the whole truth? That’s still to be seen. See the latest “confessions” from those involved in the Cardspike scandal. Plus a visit to the Affiliate Summit and take a brief look inside!
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!
Just got back from the porn awards (AVN) — it was one of those “love Vegas!” days — and the first pokery thing I found interesting there was one of the hall of fame inductees supposedly was the creator of affiliate marketing on the internet. Poker really is a lot like porn.
The next thing I learned was that Full Tilt is supposedly going to be opening an online sports book. I don’t have a date or any details — other than that it will be only for non-American players, Europeans specifically, and that it’s super hush-hush.
Again, this is just rumor, and I have not called anyone from Full Tilt to confirm — because I’m pretty sure they won’t tell me, and I fear “aggressive interrogation” should I say too much — but I can attest that it comes from a reliable enough source that were there an online sports book that took wagers on such likelihoods, I would definitely bet on it.
From APCW.org:
Online gambling news, as the founder of Party Gaming pleads guilty to violating the US Federal Wire Act. We also give a follow-up report on the Grand prive’ Casino Group, with evidence of thier lies as they continue to steal affiliate commissions.
