Poker Players Alliance Unveils Political ‘Jokers’ List

South Carolina’s Senator Lindsey Graham the most prominent ‘jokers’ on the PPA’s target list of anti-online gambling proponents.
The Poker Players Alliance (PPA) has generated a list of 22 politicians that the corporation is referring to as ‘jokers,’ highlighting lawmakers who are up for election in November and who also oppose Web poker. The people on the list consist of candidates for the Senate, House of Representatives and positions that are gubernatorial and feature both Republicans and Democrats whom have compared online gambling.
‘Over the previous year, these ‘jokers’ have advocated for federal and/or state prohibitions for Internet poker. Some have actually even sought to criminalize those who play,’ the PPA’s statement states. ‘We wish you will require the time to make contact with these lawmakers before Election and let your voice be heard day. It’s the perfect time to take the ‘jokers’ out of the deck!’
Most on List Are Most Likely to Win Elections
Lots of the targets are expected to cruise to reelection victories this year. Those include big names, such as for instance Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) and Representative Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), who sponsored bills favored by Sheldon Adelson which would redefine the Wire Act to ban most kinds of on the web gambling.
Probably the most name that is vulnerable the list is that of Rick Scott, the Republican governor of Florida. He’s locked in a really battle that is tight former governor Charlie Crist, with nearly every recent poll showing a virtual dead heat involving the two men. Scott has helped bring some of the toughest anti-online gambling laws in the country to Florida, a move that even caused subscription poker sites which are appropriate in many states to take out of this market here.
Republicans Dominate List
Taking a look at the list that is overall 17 regarding the PPA’s appointed ‘jokers’ are Republicans, while just five are Democrats. This is not terribly surprising: while you will find supporters and detractors of online gambling on both sides associated with aisle, the national GOP platform includes a plank in favor of banning online gambling, and Adelson, a prominent donor to the party, is passionately in benefit of such a ban. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party has no official position on the matter, giving members less incentive to come out for the online poker ban.
Perhaps the most prominent Democrat who did make the list was Martha Coakley, a prospect for governor in Massachusetts. The PPA says that Coakley made the list because of ‘multiple public statements against online poker and gaming.’ Four Democratic House members are included on the list.
On the PPA’s web page devoted to ‘The Jokers,’ a picture of each and every politician is displayed. Simply clicking the pictures offers information on why the list was made by them, along side contact information for that lawmaker. While the PPA does not explicitly tell members to vote against these prospects, it can ask that they contact them in order to let them know that online gaming is an important issue to voters.
A few of the listed candidates have made waves in the wonderful world of online poker in recent years, whether or not they aren’t yet well-known towards the average man or woman. Greg Abbott, the Republican candidate for governor in Texas, can be their state’s Attorney General, and was certainly one of the key signatories to a letter by 15 attorneys general asking for an online poker ban that is federal. Marco Scavello may only be a State Representative in Pennsylvania, but gained notoriety for becoming the lead sponsor on a bill that would have criminalized on-line poker in the state.
California Chukchansi Casino Still Closed as Tribal Gaming War Continues
Warring factions at the California Chukchansi Casino remain poised to just take actions that could endanger general public safety, authorities say. The property remains closed. (Image: pfadvice.com)
California’s Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino should stay closed for the safety of its own customers and employees: that’s the term from the state’s Deputy Attorney General, as a dispute between two rival tribal factions shows no indications of abating.
The AG’s office this week asked a federal judge to keep the gaming property power down before the contentious dilemmas can be resolved for good.
The Chukchansi have been closed down following a power that is armed between two rival tribes, each wrestling for control of the casino’s ownership. On 9 at around 6:30pm, 20 armed men entered the building and ordered security guards at gunpoint into an area of the casino where they were handcuffed and assaulted, forcing around 500 patrons and employees from the casino and hotel october.
More details have since emerged of the dispute, which concerns two groups that are opposing referred to as the Tex McDonald and Reggie Lewis factions. It seems the McDonald faction had been operating the Chukchansi from its base at the tribe’s nearby business complex up until August, whenever Lewis faction entered the casino into the early hours regarding the early morning and occupied the 10th and floors that are 11th effectively taking over.
The initial schism in the tribe apparently arose following a disputed election.
Danger to Public Safety
The ousted McDonald group claimed it then stormed the premises in order to gather casino documents and review information which were overdue for submission to the National Indian Gaming Commission. The Commission had threatened to close the casino down and issue it a $16 million fine if the accounts, some of which are eighteen months late, had been perhaps not submitted. The Commission said Friday that is last that had now received the audits.
Nevertheless, the McDonald faction’s heavy-handed actions triggered the casino’s instant closure by order of the federal judge. A restraining order is now in place to keep both groups apart while no arrests could be made in relation to the armed stand-off, because it took place on tribal land. US District Judge Lawrence O’Neill has said that the casino might have violated the state to its agreement, which requires it not to endanger general public security.
‘All evidence points to the tensions and confrontations continuing, not abating,’ stated the court documents filed by Deputy State Attorney General William Torngren this week. ‘The keys to reopening the casino come in the tribe’s arms,’ added Torngren, who states it is up now to officials that are tribal re solve the dispute.
No Federal Interference
Minimal progress has apparently been made since the incident that is dramatic. According to Joginder Dhillon, senior adviser for tribal negotiations for California Governor Jerry Brown, the two factions ‘remain poised to take actions which could threaten public safety.’
Madera County Sheriff John Anderson stated he hoped the casino’s continued closing would incentivize the tribe to find ground that is common. ‘Perhaps it will force the tribe to get its act together and do something positive,’ he said.
The government that is federal meanwhile, said it might not step in to resolve the dispute. ‘The usa is ill-suited to make such decisions for tribal nations,’ said Kevin Washburn, the assistant secretary for Indian Affairs, in a page to the tribe. ‘I implore you to function together to resolve this dispute for the good of the tribal government, tribal membership, and the surrounding community that you are making such a significant impact through a fruitful procedure of your economic enterprises.’
PokerStars Ramps Up Rake as Amaya Backlash Grows
Few would consider PokerStars rake increase to fall underneath the group of ‘progress,’ similar to this William Hogarth that is classic print. (Image: A Rake’s Progress/William Hogarth)
A PokerStars statement this week that it are rake that is increasing its cash games and tournaments on its dot.com client, the newest in a string of unpopular decisions, has ignited a new player backlash against brand new owners Amaya Gaming.
The business’s announcement, which first appeared on poker forum TwoPlusTwo, has united the poker that is online in its indignation, with the finger pointed squarely at Amaya.
The changes, which will come into impact in two phases, the very first next week, on November 3, as well as the second on January 1, 2015, will hit high-stakes cash-game players, heads-up cash game players, and Sit & Go players the hardest, and contains triggered numerous players to question the profitability of continuing to play the overall game.
A sit-out boycott associated with the site is apparently presently being arranged.
PokerStars additionally said this week it is subject to ‘significant local taxes,’ including the UK, Germany and Denmark, which are jurisdictions that have already seen their VIP programs reduced that it will be introducing extra charges for tournament rebuys and add-ons in European countries where.
Unpopular Choices
Oahu is the time that is second a week that the company has caused a stink, having quietly added a 2.5 % trade price charge to deposits and withdrawals without first creating a formal announcement about the change in policy. Other decisions have caused consternation, too, such as for instance the ditching of many of its sponsored pros, along with all of Comprehensive Tilt, not to mention withdrawing suddenly from over 30 gray markets without previous warning.
Talking about the changes that are recent this week, PokerStars Director of Communications Eric Hollreiser explained that they were a necessity because ‘the game is constantly changing and evolving, as is society and technology at large. Like any good poker player,’ he continued, ‘ we all know you need to adapt or risk being left out. The choices we make today are not for brief term gain; they’re made because we believe they are the thing that is right tomorrow.
‘ we are going to continue to make tough telephone calls to secure the game in the present and also make bold moves to most readily useful invest in the future growth of the game. Our goal continues to be to offer the greatest, most poker that is exciting and keep carefully the poker universe growing,’ Hollreiser included.
Is Sheldon Alderson Involved?
PokerStars will argue that slots of vegas casino sign up the modifications bring its rake framework in line with the remaining portion of the poker that is online, and this is broadly real. But there is also a perception that is growing players that there’s huge pressure on Amaya to recover the $4.9 billion and incurred debt from the PokerStars takeover and that it’s trying to squeeze every final ounce of profit from an already hugely profitable business to the detriment of the poker ecosystem.
‘I not any longer believe that PokerStars actually are trying to produce profit but instead there (sic) brand new owners are wanting to destroy online poker,’ said one disbelieving poster on TwoPlusTwo. ‘This may sound absurd but seriously you shouldn’t be surprised if Sheldon Alderson (sic) is involved somewhere.’
‘Wow. Then Amaya are serious about jeopardizing their monopoly,’ said another if this is true. ‘Wow. Terrible. This is awful for your long-term traffic for everything except non hyper MTTs, pretty much, and as MTTs are this kind of tiny % of movie stars overall rake this has to be a terrible move assuming a competitor can begin siphoning down players (which will eventually happen).’
One poster also mocked up a photoshopped gravestone, bearing the epitaph: ‘PokerStars. 2001-2014. We were poker.’
But could a player backlash affect pokerStars’ really dominance? It’s unlikely. Many players won’t even notice the changes. The rest, well, to begin with, where would they go? PokerStars still supplies a competitive rake structure and contains unparalleled liquidity in terms of player pools, and that suggests its monopoly is probably remaining placed.
Amaya, however, has purchased very profitable online gambling businesses of all time, and may want to think twice before tinkering excessively by having a formula that is winning.
