Bally’s has officially been renamed the Horseshoe Las Vegas with a soft opening on Thursday Dec. 15 at midnight PT. The rebranding was announced in January and brings the prestige of old-school Vegas less than a year after its first wildly successful season holding the World Series of Poker along with its sister property, Paris, which was previously was held at the Rio for 17 years.
Bally’s opened on December 4, 1973 and was originally named the MGM Grand. The building, in 1980, suffered one of the worst fires that Las Vegas has ever seen. It took until the following year to reopen, and in 1986 Bally Manufacturing purchased the property. Finally, in 2005 Harrah’s Entertainment (now named Caesars Entertainment), bought the casino, along with the Paris Hotel and Casino.
History of Binion’s and the World Series of Poker
The World Series of Poker began in 1970, at Binion’s Horseshoe casino, owned and operated by Benny Binon and had only a few players. Johnny Moss was the inaugural champion, voted in by his peers as the “best-all-around player.” Compared with last year’s numbers topping out at 8,663 and the Main Event champion Espen Jorstad winning $10,000,000, the WSOP has grown exponentially since its inception. Doyle Brunson, one of poker’s most widely-renowned poker ambassadors was in attendance at the first WSOP and has been one the greatest and well-known poker players to bring attention to the game.
As a full-circle moment, the Horseshoe Las Vegas renovated its poker room earlier this year which reopened as its Hall of Fame Poker Room on the morning of November 14th. It features 18 tables with an array of games and will have some new features coming in the next months. These will include a WSOP bracelet display case and a wall of bronze Poker Hall of Fame plaques, similar to the old display at Binion’s.
The Horseshoe Las Vegas also opened Jack Binion’s Steakhouse last summer, which adds to the legacy and roots of the Horseshoe brand. The casino and hotel will go through further renovations that will harken back to an iconic Horseshoe look that includes tooled leather and vibrant colors that will be sure to delight the thousands of poker players coming to the 2023 WSOP whose initial schedule was just released.
On Thursday at midnight, a soft opening occurred but without much fanfare or a ceremony. The soft transition included changing out the casino chips to the Horseshoe logo. Bally’s signage outside the building still appears in a few areas but that is expected to change soon.
The newly renovated Hall of Fame Poker Room at Horseshoe Las Vegas.
Between now and the 2023 World Series of Poker, further renovations will continue and before long the entire facility will no longer resemble the Bally’s theme.
The 2023 WSOP will run from May 30-July 18, and the full schedule will be released next year. The WSOP did unveil their smallest tournament buy-in to date with the $300 Gladiators of Poker, which comes with a staggering $3,000,000 guarantee.
Christina Bradfield
Editor
Christina is a Las Vegas-based freelance writer who discovered poker at the age of twelve. She’s been a contributor to PokerNews since 2022.
Twitch Streamer Dennis “Paymoneywubby” Richardson found himself in hot water this week, after a freeroll poker stream attracted the ire of his audience, who some raising concerns over the promotion of gambling on the site and the trustworthiness of the poker site.
Richardson is a popular San Diego-based variety streamer and two-time Streamer Awards nominee. He is best known for his iconic green-screen suit, passionate audience of “Wubcubs” and for producing innovative Twitch game shows such as ‘The Price is Scuffed’.
He would address the concerns of his audience in a follow-up “fireside chat”, stating that he had heard what he believed was fair criticism, but that other more personal attacks and unfounded claims of him scamming his audience were unwarranted and uncalled for.
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Freeroll Tournament Crashes; Players Refunded
Richardson had accepted a sponsorship from and subsequently hosted a freeroll poker tournament on Americas Cardroom (ACR) that attracted close to 5,000 entries. After the tournament crashed, with all participants refunded as a result, viewers began to criticize the streamer on Reddit for him partnering with the unregulated poker site.
Americas Cardroom is an unregulated online poker room based in Costa Rica. Although there are no federal laws that make it illegal to play there, Americas Cardroom is not regulated anywhere in the United States and there are no fraud protections for American players on the site.
Not only did the freeroll come with a guaranteed prizepool of $10,0000, viewers could join the tournament and potentially win $2,000 every time Richardson was eliminated (up to five times).
What Are the Best Poker Sites for US Players?
If eliminated, players could re-enter and receive 35,000 chips for $2.20 or 70,000 chips for $4.40. The amount of entries — almost 5,000 — made it one of the most popular ACR-hosted streamer freerolls ever held.
During the stream, Richardson reiterated that his viewers were not required to pay to enter the tournament, nor to be eligible for the $2,000 bounty on his head. He also made it clear that he was not getting paid any affiliate revenue for referring any players as new sign-ups.
“I am not paid by referrals,” he told his chat, saying he was just getting paid for doing the stream. “I am not paid by how much money you put into their system.”
He revealed that the site had also given him $15,000 of “real US dinero” to play with, and that he was allowed to keep anything he won and anything he was left with. However, that didn’t stop Richardson criticising the site, saying it was “out of 2005” and that the emotes were outdated.
Richardson alongside fellow streamers (from left) Will Neff, jschlatt, Alluux and Amouranth. Source: Paymoneywubby
Reaction to His Stream
Following the stream, a small but vocal minority of viewers began to raise concerns on his community subreddit about the morality of streaming online gambling, with Twitch’s ban of unlicensed gambling sites only two months ago.
Others were sceptical of the legality of playing real-money online poker in the United States in 2022, especially considering the events of Black Friday and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) which made it technically illegal for banks to accept online gambling transactions and for gambling sites to operate at all.
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Richardson Responds
This criticism — both warranted and unwarranted — resulted in Richardson two days later spending a portion of his stream conducting an in-depth chat about the messages and posts he had received since accepting the sponsorship.
“I’ve heard what I think to be real concerns […] If you have a problem with gambling and that includes poker, that’s ok.”
“The amount of shit that has been thrown in my face is insane,” he said. “I’ve heard what I think to be real concerns. I am going to do my best to respond to real criticism, address it fairly and then I’m going to pivot to my issues with this community.”
The most common concern expressed was general reticence from certain viewers to him accepting a gambling stream in the first place, and that they wouldn’t feel comfortable watching a gambling stream. Richardson says that this was something he was understanding of.
“If you have a problem with gambling and that includes poker, that’s OK. I view poker differently from slots or casino sponsorship.
“I’m not going to convince myself that I’m morally better than you – I don’t think I am – we probably disagree on other things as well. I respect that. You don’t have to watch.”
The second main criticism that Richardson received was something that he said he felt personally pained by. This stemmed more around allegations that Richardson and his team were intentionally defrauding or scamming the audience as a result of partnering with the site.
How to Play Online Poker with Friends
“It’s disappointing that people think so low of me and my team,” he said. “I trust myself and my research. I trust my team. I trust my management company.”
Richardson pointed to other notable Twitch streamers who had partnered with the site such as “jschlatt”, Karl Jacobs, “QTCinderella” and Ludwig Ahgren, the latter of which previously appeared on a Hustler Casino Live stream alongside Mr Beast.
Popular Streamer Ludwig Also Calls Out Ethan “RampagePoker” Yau’s Scammer Over $100k Debt
One post criticising the partnership pointed to Trustpilot — a consumer review website — which featured overwhelmingly negative reviews of ACR.
Richardson thoroughly debunked this as a valid argument, pointing out that the vast majority of the negative reviews stemmed from perceived “bad beats” or unlucky play instead of legitimate concerns about the software, security or customer service. Although, concerns about these areas were raised, they were drastically outnumbered.
“I feel I’ve adequately proved that you have more work to do to prove it’s a scam”
In summary, Richardson said that he felt he had done enough to address the concerns of his viewers, and that allegations that there was anything sinister going on regarding the partnership would need more evidence.
“To the people saying ACR is a scam — their site looks sketchy, and that’s a fair complaint. [But] I feel I’ve adequately proved that you have more work to do to prove it’s a scam, but I think I’ve addressed the claims that they’re a scam to the best of my ability.”
Where Can I Play Legal Regulated Online Poker in the US?
There are a number of regulated real money online poker sites that you can play on in the United States.
A handful of states have already legalized online poker, such as Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. In these states, online operators are required to sign licensing agreements with the land-based casinos in order to launch their online poker rooms, and plenty of big names have already done so.
Here are some steps for you to take in order to play online poker in the US:
Alternatively, there are plenty of free online poker options for US players that require no deposit to play on.
Will Shillibier
Executive Editor E.U.
Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester. He previously worked as a freelance live reporter, and video presenter for the World Poker Tour.
The largest-ever PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague €5,300 Main Event has crowned its winner in the Czech capital. Only four players returned on Sunday to the Hilton Hotel Prague, the remaining survivors from a record field of 1,267 entries that had generated a prize pool of €6,144,950.
In the end, Canada’s Jordan Saccucci went wire to wire in fewer than four hours on the final day, defeating two-time WSOP Main Event finalist Antoine Saout in heads-up.
Final Table Result 2022 EPT Prague Main Event
Place
Winner
Country
Prize (in EUR)
1
Jordan Saccucci
Canada
€913,250*
2
Antoine Saout
France
€800,000*
3
Istvan Pilhofer
Hungary
€470,500
4
Jun Obara
Japan
€361,950
5
Parker Talbot
Canada
€278,450
6
Luigi D’Alterio
Italy
€214,150
7
Petar Kalev
Bulgaria
€164,750
8
Javier Gomez Zapatero
Spain
€126,700
9
Paul-Adrian Covaciu
Romania
€97,450
*denotes heads-up deal
Both players agreed to a deal prior to battling for the EPT Main Event trophy and it was the 33-year-old from Mississauga, Toronto who came out on top and secured the top prize of €913,250. Saout had to settle for a consolation prize of €800,000, the third-best live poker score of his career.
The final day also included Hungarian hotel and restaurant owner Istvan Pilhofer and Japan’s Jun Obara.
Winner’s Reaction
The winner was certainly relieved that his trip to Prague went better than the last time when he “had his ass kicked”. Among the most talkative players throughout the entire tournament, Saccucci appeared laser-focused for the final showdown and had his family on the rail for support.
“Last time, I had a bad run but this time it was better,” Saccucci told Joe Stapleton after his short-lived heads-up duel with Saout.
However, it wasn’t smooth sailing for the winner at the final table.
“It was a roller coaster! Ups and downs, got lucky a few times. But it was good, I enjoyed it and I had fun,” said the new 2022 EPT Prague Main Event champion, promising that he would “keep grinding”.
The Canadian survived the Day 1 with over three times the starting stack. From there on, he gradually climbed the leaderboard and was near the top for the better part of the last three and a half days of play.
Be Part of Poker History; Qualify for the 2023 EPT Paris Main Event
Action From the Final Day
Throughout the tournament, Saccucci had been the recipient of a lot of big pocket pairs, and that continued on the final day when he found pocket kings in the very first hand, sending Japan’s Obara to the rail in the proc.ess.
Saccucci continued to dominate from the top of the leaderboard, but with no increase in aggression it was Saout who steadily chipped up to ultimately take over the lead. Pilhofer was short-stacked, but did manage to secure a double through Saout. However, the second clash of the duo ended in favour of the Frenchman and London resident when pocket deuces flopped a set against ace-nine.
Brief deal discussions emerged, and both contenders agreed to secure a payday of €800,000 each with €113,250 and the trophy awaiting the winner.
From there on, it was mostly one-way traffic as Saccucci hit most boards and quickly established a 2:1 lead over Saout. In the final hand, his ace-trey was up against pocket sixes and the Canadian flopped trips to lock up the victory.
The first part of the final table the previous day also featured PokerStars ambassador Parker Talbot, who eventually had to settle for fifth place. That was one spot better than his performance in 2016 and he took home a cash prize of €278,450 for the efforts. Other finalists included Luigi D’Alterio, Petar Kalev, Javier Gomez Zapatero, and Paul-Adrian Covaciu.
Parker Talbot Falls Just Short of Joining Exclusive PokerStars Team Pro Club
However, they all failed to stop the hot run of Saccucci, who scored the biggest victory of his poker career so far and topped the largest EPT Prague Main Event in history.
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The bonus releases into your playable balance in $10 increments each time you generate 180 redemption points, which in turn are earned at a rate of five per $1 contributed to the cash game rake or spent on tournament fees (6.5 points per £1, 5.5 points per €1, and four points per CAD$).
Lawyers for the federal government asked an appeals court to override the decision to nix a Florida sports betting compact with the Seminole Tribe.
Three judges from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit welcomed arguments on Wednesday from a variety of officials and representatives of Florida, the Seminole Tribe, and the US Department of Interior.
within her power to allow the tribes to reach a monopolizing agreement
The court needs to decide if Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland, in charge of an agency that monitors tribal gambling, was within her power to allow the tribes to reach a monopolizing agreement with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Judges will focus primarily on the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which deals with gaming on native territory.
Issue with the model
The deal between Florida and the Seminoles lasted for less than one month before it was thrown out by a federal judge. It was deemed controversial because governing law states that all bets must take place on tribal land, yet through the compact, bettors would be allowed to place wagers from the comfort of their own homes.
The Seminoles defended the plan by referring to a “hub and spoke model,” similar to what New Jersey uses. It argued that all bets were processed on tribal land, therefore making the wagers legally tied to Native American ground despite being initiated elsewhere.
The agreement stipulated that the Seminoles pay the Florida government at least $2.5bn over the first five years of operation. In exchange, they would have full control of statewide sports betting operations and also be able to add craps and roulette to their casino offerings.
a pseudonym for dancing around the real law
Critics, however, took issue with the so-called hub-and-spoke model. They felt that it was a pseudonym for dancing around the real law, approved by voters in 2018, that requires players to place their bets on Native American territory.
Several casino members and businesspeople unaffiliated with local tribes filed lawsuits against Haaland after the deal was approved. They argued that her silence was a vote of approval in the matter, and she was complicit in allowing an inherently illegal compact to form.
Courts hearings
Judge Dabney L. Friedrich of the US District Court in Washington, D.C. struck down the deal by siding with plaintiffs in the original 2021 case. She decided that Haaland made a mistake by idly allowing the agreement to pass without intervening.
‘deeming’ their activity to occur where it, as a factual matter, does not”
“Although the compact ‘deem[s]’ all sports betting to occur at the location of the Tribe’s ‘sports book[s]’ and supporting servers … this court cannot accept that fiction,” Friedrich wrote in her decision. “When a federal statute authorizes an activity only at specific locations, parties may not evade that limitation by ‘deeming’ their activity to occur where it, as a factual matter, does not.”
An appellate court then compounded the tribe’s woes, finding that they failed to show any clear and present danger that would come from terminating its sportsbook operations.
Despite the multiple failures, attorney Rachel Heron defended Haaland during Wednesday’s hearing.
“[Haaland] does not even list non-compliance with state law as the ground on which the secretary has authority to disapprove a compact,” said Heron while imploring the judge to reinstate the deal.
Barry Richard, a lawyer for the Seminoles, also said the act “was not supposed to restrict gambling to Indian land but was to restrict the states from regulating gambling on Indian lands.”
An opposing attorney later countered that the federal government was “trying to have it both ways.”
The post Federal Government Asks Court to Reinstate Florida Sports Betting Plan appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Former EPT Main Event and Spanish High Roller Adrian Mateos has won the €25,000 No-Limit Hold’em High Roller III at the 2022 PokerStars European Poker Tour Prague after just five hours of poker. Mateos overcame a field of nine entries and made an ICM deal to pocket €71,072 in the last high-roller event.
Although Mateos was the clear short stack when Philip Sternheimer got eliminated in third place, he and Alex Kulev agreed to an ICM chop and flip for the trophy. Mateos won three in a row to take home the crown, but Kulev will be walking home with the larger prize amount of €101,798.
Final Payouts of €25,000 High Roller III
Place
Player
Country
Prize
1st
Adrian Mateos
Spain
€71,072*
2nd
Alex Kulev
Bulgaria
€101,798*
3rd
Philip Sternheimer
United Kingdom
€43,220
*denotes heads-up ICM deal
Winner’s Reaction
“I had to play tighter to try to get the other player eliminated first before me”
“It’s always nice to win a tournament,” Mateos told PokerNews. “It’s a small field, like a sit-and-go, but nice to win.”
It was an odd situation that saw 33% of the field get paid and Mateos said he had to adapt to the strategy.
“(There was) one big stack and two smaller stacks, so the strategy changed. I had to play tighter to try to get the other player eliminated first before me.”
Through some table chat throughout the day, it was determined that Mateos has now won yet anotherEPT trophy and Kulev still has that monkey on his back. The Bulgarian has yet to capture a PokerStars Spadie after another second-place finish but still found a nice payday for a few hours of work.
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Action of the Day
It was a late start for this high-roller tournament that was scheduled over the course of the final two days. Late registration was scheduled to remain open until the start of Day 2 but the tournament director was forced to amend that schedule. There were eight players who took their seats in the early going but that was the extent of the number of players who would show up for this event.
Ben Heath, who already had two titles to his name at this festival, was the first to bow out when his rivered pair was no good against the set of Sternheimer. Moments later before the first break of the day, Daniel Dvoress put his short stack at risk but faced resistance from Juan Pardo and Kulev. With the latter two players engaging in a side pot, the stacks got in the middle and Kulev spiked a pair on the river with his ace-king against the pocket pair of Pardo.
Read About Ben Heath’s Sensational Back-to-Back Victories at EPT Prague
The field was dwindled down to just five players and none of the three eliminated players chose to re-enter. Newcomer to the high-roller scene Arnold Oosterbaan was next on the chopping block when he ran into Mateos’ full house. He, however, chose to re-enter and make another appearance.
The remaining five players didn’t last long as Pascal Lefrancois felt the cold side of the deck when his pocket tens were up against the pocket kings of Kulev and the pocket kings of Mateos. The two big stacks chopped the pot and Lefrancois was sent to the rail. The pressure was back on Oosterbaan to keep the tournament alive but that didn’t last long either as he was eventually sent to the rail by the pocket tens of Kulev.
With the field down to just three players, the tournament director was forced to close registration and determine that the final three players would each get a share of the €216,090 prizepool. They agreed to play the scheduled 10 levels and make a decision about what to do after that.
There was going to be no need to make that decision as Kulev started to run away from his short-stacked opponent and apply the heat. On multiple occasions, Kulev put his opponent’s stacks at risk and forced fold after fold while he continued to stack the chips. On the last hand of the night, Kulev barrelled three streets and got called on all three by Sternheimer. Kulev tabled a flush on the river and Sternheimer was forced to settle for third place.
The final two players immediately agreed to an ICM deal and they would flip until the trophy was won. Kulev walked away as the big winner with the six-figure score while Mateos was taking the winner’s photos as the eventual champion.
That wraps up the coverage for this event but there is still some action taking place inside the Hilton Hotel Prague as the festival wraps up. Keep it tuned into PokerNews to find out who will be the Main Event champion and who will be crowned the EPT High Roller champion
With only a week to go until Christmas, the excitement is at its peak and Christmas euphoria has officially begun!
With that in mind, Endorphina, a Czech-based iGaming developer, presents players with its latest Christmas-themed slot addition: Santa’s Gift.
Impressive visual:
True to its title, the game’s main theme is Santa Claus and his bag full of presents. However, the more gifts a player collects throughout the game, the more real prizes he receives at any Endorphina casino!
To win, players must form matching combinations of five scatter symbols on any of the reels on the new 5×3 grid that offers 10 paylines.
The basic low-value symbols are the Jacks and Aces cards, while the high-value bonus symbols are sleighs, stars, Christmas tree balls and bells. There are also three special symbols: Santa Wilds, Cottage Scatters (snowballs) and Gift Symbols. A combination of 5-of-a-kind low-value symbols is worth 5x, increasing to 25x the player’s bet for the full set of bells, as they are the ultimate scatters, also known as high-value bonus symbols, which can give players a maximum win of 5,000x the player’s bet.
The game’s volatility is hypothetically in the medium range, with a hypothetical RTP of 96,06%. The player’s paid spins can be gambled on for 0,01 to 45 $ per spin.
Slot features:
The key features of this slot are:
Santa Wilds can replace any paying symbol to assist players to complete winning combinations and can show on the grid as Stacked on any of the reels, both in the base game and throughout Free Spins.
A combination of three snowballs on the three middle reels of the slot activates the Free Spins feature, where the player can win 8 Free Spins. However, players can reactivate the round; only high-value and special symbols can appear during this bonus round!
In case players hit 6 or more special Gift Symbols on the reels, they will activate the Bonus Game feature. Players can receive extra Gift symbols throughout this feature, which will expand their rewards to begin with!
Also, players get 3 respins throughout this feature and can reset the round by discovering Gift Symbols on the board.
Finding the green Gift Symbols gives the player a chance to earn a base prize of 1x to 16x of the player’s bet, but when the player finds the yellow Gift Symbols, a new level of the game begins!
Each yellow symbol will earn players 20x, 50x and 150x a player’s bet and if the player manages to fill the whole board with Gift Symbols, he will win the biggest prize in the game worth 5000x a player’s bet!
And last but not least is the Gamble feature which follows the usual Endorphina’s gambling procedure by players trying to beat the dealer’s card.
And as a cherry on top, players can double their winnings up to 10 times throughout the Classic Risk Game!
So get ready and immerse yourself in the Christmas magic with Endorphina!
PokerStars have finalized the schedule for the upcoming 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure (PCA) and PokerStars Players Championship (PSPC) at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, The Bahamas
The action kicks off on January 22nd and runs all the way through until February 3 with a huge selection of High Roller, Bounty, Turbo tournaments — as well as the massive big-field tournaments that PokerStars are renowned for.
Click Here for the Full PCA Schedule!
13 Events of PokerNews Coverage
PokerNews will be sending a team of reporters and staff members to the event, reporting on 13 events over the course of the two weeks including both the PCA Main Event and PSPC.
The live reporting schedule features numerous High Roller tournaments, including the $250,000 PSPC Super High Roller and two $100,000 tournaments. Also, in a PCA first, PokerNews will be live reporting the $25,000 PCA PLO High Roller, offering fans of the four-card format a chance to follow along to what should hopefully be a star-studded field.
The popular Mystery Bounty format returns from January 26-28 with the PCA Mystery Bounty, while the PCA Main Event and PSPC Main Event will undoubtedly conjure up incredible stories as the event unfolds.
The PCA Main Event will be streamed daily by PokerStars from Day 2 until a winner is crowned on January 29th, while all days of the PSPC will be streamed from January 30-February 3.
2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure PokerNews Live Reporting Schedule
Tournament
Dates
Event #1: $100,000 PCA Super High Roller
January 22-24
Event #3: $1,100 BSOP Bahamas Main Event
January 22-24
Event #6: $10,300 PCA Main Event
January 23-29
Event #14: $50,000 Single Day High Roller (6 Handed)
January 24
Event #19: $50,000 High Roller (7 Handed)
January 25-26
Event #23 $3,000 PCA Mystery Bounty
January 26-28
Event #25: $50,000 High Roller (8 Handed)
January 26-27
Event #31: $25,000 High Roller (8 Handed)
January 27-28
Event #33: $25,000 PCA PLO High Roller
January 28-29
Event #48: $25,000 PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship
January 30-February 3
Event #53: $250,000 PSPC Super High Roller
January 31-February 2
Event #59: $25,000 PCA High Roller
February 1-3
Event #66: $100,000 Super High Roller (6 Handed)
February 2-3
Freeroll Your Way to the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure
$10,300 PCA Main Event Schedule
It will be over three years since Chino Rheem won the 2019 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure Main Event once the 2023 edition kicks off.
This $10,300 buy-in event will see players allowed a single reentry per flight, with eight levels played on Day 1. Late registration will remain open until after Level 10 on Day 2 at approximately 15:40. A shot clock will be implemented from Day 4.
Event
Buy-in
Date
Time
PCA Main Event Day 1a
$10,300
January 23, 2023
12:00
PCA Main Event Day 1b
$10,300
January 24, 2023
12:00
PCA Main Event Day 2
$10,300
January 25, 2023
12:00
PCA Main Event Day 3
–
January 26, 2023
12:00
PCA Main Event Day 4
–
January 27, 2023
12:00
PCA Main Event Day 5
–
January 28, 2023
12:00
PCA Main Event Day 6
–
January 29, 2023
12:30
$25,000 PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship Schedule
Players will finally get the chance to use their Platinum Passes once the $25,000 PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship gets underway on January 30. If 2019 was anything to go by, the 2023 edition should be a spectacular event that has the potential to change one person’s life forever.
This freezeout tournament has late registration until the start of Day 2, and will see 20% of the field paid.
Event
Buy-in
Date
Time
PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 1
$25,000
January 30, 2023
12:00
PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 2
–
January 31, 2023
12:00
PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 3
–
February 1, 2023
12:00
PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 4
–
February 2, 2023
12:00
PokerStars Players No Limit Hold’em Championship Day 5
–
February 3, 2023
12:30
Still Time to Win Your Way to the Caribbean
There is still time to win your way to the 2023 PokerStars Caribbean Adventure!
The best way to discover all the satellites to the PCA Main Event can be found in the ‘Live’ section which sits under the Events tab in the PokerStars client.
Those of you who do not already have a PokerStars account can download the excellent software via PokerNews. Make your first deposit safe in the knowledge that PokerStars matches your deposit 100% up to a maximum of $600. In fact, your first three deposits in the first 90 days after creating your account are matched 100% up to a combined maximum of $600.
Will Shillibier
Executive Editor E.U.
Will Shillibier is based in the United Kingdom. He graduated from the University of Kent in 2017 with a B.A. in German, and then studied for a NCTJ Diploma in Sports Journalism at Sportsbeat in Manchester. He previously worked as a freelance live reporter, and video presenter for the World Poker Tour.
As one of mankind’s oldest activities, gambling has existed in different forms in almost every culture and is believed to date back to the Paleolithic period. And, as is usually the case, over time there has been a gradual shift in the attitude toward gambling, with the activity now seen for the most part as an acceptable form of entertainment after being viewed as taboo for so long.
Of course, there are exceptions, and there is still some stigma associated with it but the fact of the matter is that gambling is one of the biggest and most profitable industries in the world. Additionally, thanks to the Internet, many forms of gaming are now accessible on an unheard scale. According to one report, the global gambling market is projected to reach US$876 billion by 2026.
There are operators from different countries in the iGaming market, and while they may appear to be similar, each jurisdiction is subject to its own regulations and laws and they differ substantially. With the online gambling industry growing at the rate it is, familiarizing yourself with the rules is even more important than ever. Here, we will cover some of the key rules and regulations that govern online casinos in New Zealand, such as those according to kiwigambler’s experts. First though, a brief description of the country’s brick-and-mortar landscape.
NZ’s Brick-and-Mortar Landscape
New Zealanders, or “Kiwis” as they are fondly referred to as, don’t have many land-based casino options to choose from, with only six licensed venues currently operating in the island country estimated to have a population of 5,124,100. And of those six, Auckland-based SkyCity Entertainment Group (SKC.NZ) owns four, including one each in Auckland and Hamilton and two in Queenstown.
The first casino to open in the Oceana country was Christchurch Casino, which started operations in 1994. Grand Casino Dunedin, meanwhile, is privately owned and began welcoming citizens in 1999. It is located in the former Grand Hotel, a Heritage 1 status building that was constructed in 1883.
Rules & Regulations
In September 2022, SkyCity Hamilton became the last land-based casino to open in New Zealand, as gaming in the country is regulated by the Gambling Act 2003 which replaced the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1977, and the Casino Control Act 1990, and has prohibited any new casino venue licenses since that time. While the Gambling Act became law on September 18, 2003, many of its provisions didn’t take effect until July 1, 2004.
The primary purpose of the 2003 Act (pdf), which is currently administered by the Department of Internal Affairs and Gambling Commission, was to “prevent and minimize the harm caused by the activity, including problem gambling,” by controlling its growth. It authorizes some gambling and prohibited the rest and set out to facilitate responsible gambling; ensure the integrity and fairness of games; limit opportunities for crime or dishonesty associated with gambling; ensure that money from gambling benefits the community and facilitate community involvement in decisions regarding the provision of gaming.
Initially, the Act applied to land-based casinos and bookmakers, however, as the online pastime grew in popularity and accessibility some minor amendments were added but for the most part, the Gambling Act 2003 remains unchanged.
State-owned Monopoly
Established in 1987, the New Zealand Lottery Commission (NZ Lotteries) has been conducting online lottery sales since May 26, 2008, when Lotto NZ launched MyLotto. The online sales channel provided an alternative to the traditional retail outlet for players of games of chance including Lotto, Keno and Bullseye. The government-owned entity is only the only New Zealand-licensed provider of online casinos and gambling sites. TAB (Totalisator Agency Board) is also allowed to provide online betting via www.tab.co.nz (New Zealand’s only betting website) courtesy of the Racing Act 2003.
NZ Lotteries and TAB are the only two entities permitted to provide internet gaming to New Zealanders.
Since the prohibition only applies to remote interactive gambling in New Zealand, it is not illegal for someone in the country to take part in online gambling – sports betting, online casino games, mobile pokies, housie, or poker – as long as the website is overseas as there is no specific legislation that forbids their access. As such, neither the operator nor the player is subject to any penalties. While offshore gambling is welcomed, New Zealand’s anti-advertising rules for those operators that provide overseas services are strict, with individuals risking hefty fines for infractions.
No Tax On Winnings
Rather an additional revenue source, gambling in New Zealand is still considered an enjoyable pastime, which may be why any and all winnings from real money online casinos and sports betting via sportsbooks are not taxed – no matter if the proceeds were obtained outside of the country. Unless you’re a professional poker player and your winnings are such that playing poker is your only or predominant source of income, those proceeds are not subject to tax.
Does New Zealand Allow Online Casinos?
The short answer is YES!
To summarize, all of the gambling in New Zealand is controlled by the Gambling Act of 2003 and its subsequent revisions, minor as they may be. In order to buy scratch cards and participate in the lottery, sports betting and horse races in the country, you must be 18 years or older, while the age to join a land-based casino there is 20 and up.
Any and all gambling activities that are not within the authority of the 2003 Act are still prohibited/illegal. However, New Zealanders are free to join online casinos, gambling sites, and sportsbooks provided by operators/companies based in other countries without having to worry about conflicting with any local regulations.
Considering the current state of New Zealand’s online casino market and the dynamic and fast-changing nature of the gambling environment, it will be interesting to see how the rules and regulations governing those associated enterprises in the country change over time.
The post What You Need To Know About Online Gambling Laws in New Zealand appeared first on Casino News Daily.
As the chiming of the clock signals a new year, it brings with it fresh hope for sports betting backers in the US. Since the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018, states have fallen like dominos in legalizing the profitable vertical. Now, a total of 33 jurisdictions offer betting in some form.
New York swiftly became the top dog for betting handle
2022 saw some highly-sought-after states added to that mix. When its online betting market went live in January, New York swiftly became the top dog for betting handle, generating $1.63bn in just its first month. Meanwhile, based on unique devices used for betting apps and taking percentage of the population into account, Kansas even exceeded New York’s debut when it went live in September.
Although betting backing lawmakers saw success here, they have proven less fortunate elsewhere this year – California, Minnesota, and Georgia three states in which bills fell flat. Whatever the case, legislators that tried and failed will return with renewed vigor in 2023, and several large states seem on the precipice of legal betting this time around.
California gold
This year marked a tumultuous period for California betting hopes. Two opposing betting propositions made it all the way to the ballot in November and both failed to gain voter support. A commercial operator coalition, including FanDuel and DraftKings, even began pulling its expensive ads early as the polls predicted the loss.
Speaking with VegasSlotsOnline News prior to the vote, Kathy Fairbanks of No on Proposition 27 claimed her team’s proposal, one that would only allow in-person betting at tribal casinos, was the best deal for the state. Voters clearly agreed, with the tribal initiative gaining a 33% yes vote compared to the commercial prop’s 18% approval.
voters don’t want a massive expansion of online sports betting”
When VSO News reached out to Fairbanks again regarding 2023 hopes, she shared a quote from Mark Macarro, tribal chairman of the Pechanga Band of Indians. He said that the rejection of the commercial betting proposal indicated “voters don’t want a massive expansion of online sports betting.” However, he stopped short of providing any indication whether the tribes will try for legalization again in 2023, confirming only that they would meet to discuss the future soon.
Regardless, 2024 is technically the earliest that California sports betting could launch if an agreement is reached in 2023. Betting backers clearly need to win over some hearts and minds before they can achieve that goal, but with a potential market of up to $3bn per year on the line, they will undoubtedly continue to give it their best shot.
Lone star betting
With its population of nearly 30 million, Texas has long been a desired market for commercial betting operators. The state’s conservative nature has made that a difficult goal to achieve, but lawmakers are continuing to push for gambling expansion and some have high hopes for 2023 as a date for change.
Abbott has U-turned on his previous stance
A significant source of this optimism comes from Texas Governor Greg Abbott. In the past, he has positioned himself on the anti-gambling side of the debate, in 2015 declaring that he was “wholeheartedly” in favor of strict gambling laws. However, perhaps in response to his gubernatorial opponent Beto O’Rourke, who championed gambling expansion as a means for economic gain, Abbott has U-turned on his previous stance.
Prior to his election win in November, Abbott confirmed that he is open to proposals from the gambling industry regarding some expansion. While this is unlikely to include widespread online wagering, Abbott may be convinced to permit betting options at newly approved casino locations across the state.
Paving the way for that to happen, Sen. Carol Alvarado has already pre-filed a new Texas bill aiming to legalize sports betting and casinos. If successful in 2023, the legislation would allow for the construction of four casino resorts in major cities although it does not provide many details on how sports betting comes into play. Lawmakers will discuss Alvarado’s bill in the 2023 legislative session in January.
Florida goes to court
Back in 2021, Florida looked all set to become the next state to join the US’s sports betting market. In fact, the state did offer online wagering for a short period through its Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Hollywood. The sportsbook lasted less than a month when a judge deemed a tribal compact signed by Governor Ron DeSantis illegal because of its inclusion of online wagering, placing the state and the Seminole Tribe of Florida in legal limbo.
In August this year, betting hopes gained fresh momentum when the Biden administration advocated for an appeals court to reinstate the compact. The White House backing adds even more weight to the defiant arguments of DeSantis and the Department of Justice – the federal body that gave the compact the green light last year.
arguments seemed to go well for betting backers
Now, the sports betting compact has finally reached the court room. Oral arguments began regarding the 2021 deal on Wednesday, with Judges Henderson, Wilkins, and Childs of the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia assessing the case. According to Legal Sports Report, arguments seemed to go well for betting backers, but it could be more than two months before a decision is reached.
Daniel Wallach, a sports betting and gambling-focused attorney, shared his opinion on the betting launch date earlier this week:
After today’s oral argument, the notion of legal sports betting in Florida as early as 2023 may not be so far-fetched.
Whatever the result in the appeals court, it is likely the losing party will appeal either for a rehearing or directly to the Supreme Court. If the sports betting compact loses on both counts, however, Florida cannot put another sports betting measure on the ballot until 2024.
The post US Sports Betting: Major States on the Precipice of Legalization as 2023 Brings New Hope appeared first on VegasSlotsOnline News.
Benny Glaser won a massive pot thanks to a fortunate river card late on Day 4, and it helped spark his push to chip leader with 36 players left in the $10,400 buy in WPT World Championship.
When the session began, the tournament was already well into the money. There were 128 players remaining, one of whom was Daniel Negreanu, a two-time World Poker Tour champion.
GGPoker Ambassador on GGPoker Ambassador Crime
Negreanu was running hot and playing sound poker coming into Saturday’s session and continued that trend on Day 4. He will head into Sunday’s Day 5 session at noon PT with 7,525,000 million chips and the blinds at 100,000/200,000 (200,000 big blind ante).
The GGPoker ambassador sent ClubGG ambassador Kyna England to the rails in 54th place ($71,400) when pocket queens held up against a nut flush draw.
But the hand of the day took place between Glaser and Daniel Sepiol, the player who busted WPT announcer Tony Dunst on the bubble.
At the time, the blinds were at 75,000/125,000 and Glaser opened to 250,000 with before Sepiol three-bet to 1,000,000 with . The flop of smacked both players in the face, and the preflop raiser continued with a 600,000-chip bet. His opponent called and they saw the on the turn. This time Sepiol checked and Glaser bet 2,600,000, and he received a call.
The river was the perfect card for Glaser — — because it gave him a full house and his opponent a flush. After action was checked over to Glaser, he moved all in for 4,700,000 and was called. That left Sepiol with 2,200,000 and he would later bust in 52nd place ($71,400).
As for Glaser, who won his sixth PokerStars SCOOP title in September, the hand propelled him into the chip lead at the time and he was able to hold it for the remainder of the session.
The chip leader will enter Day 5 with 28,800,000, a slight bit ahead of Krasimir Yankov (26,100,000). Behind those two there’s a significant drop-off with Alexander Farahi in third place at 15,400,000.
Retired poker pro and former PokerStars ambassador Igor Kurganov is back to his old tricks, and he bagged 11,300,000. Not far behind him is Mr. Jiggitties himself, Brad Owen, the most popular poker vlogger in the world, who finished Day 4 with 9,750,000 and has already locked up the biggest cash of his career.
Owen shared some interesting hands he played on social media during the day. The WPT ambassador hit quads to win a big pot and cracked pocket kings with pocket 10’s to win another. As is the case with the other 36 players still standing, he’s locked up a minimum cash of $99,600. But that $4,136,000 first place prize would certainly be even nicer.
Other notables still in the field include Aaron Massey (2,550,000), former PokerNews live reporter Lori Persinger (5,125,000), Frank Funaro (8,125,000), and Bryce Yockey (9,765,000).
Among those who reached Day 4 but couldn’t find a bag Saturday night were Marle Spragg (122nd for $29,450), Markus Gonsalves (113th for $32,650), Cary Katz (100th for $36,500), Kristen Foxen (97th for $36,500), Lynn Gilmartin (91st for $36,500), Kane Kalas (84th for $41,250), Jeff Madsen (79th for $46,650), Johan “YoH Viral” Guilbert (75th for $46,650), and David “ODB” Baker (41st for $83,900).
WPT World Championship Day 4 Top Chip Counts
Place
Player
Stack
1
Benny Glaser
28,800,000
2
Krasimir Yankov
26,100,000
3
Alexander Farahi
15,450,000
4
Jean-Claude Moussa
14,475,000
5
Igor Kurganov
11,300,000
Kerstetter, Liebert Reach WPT Ladies Championship Final Table
The Wynn has been hosting many other big events this month, including the $1,100 buy in WPT Ladies Championship, which began with 578 players on Friday. That field is now down to just six, and the final table will take place Dec. 19.
When play resumes, Lina Niu will hold the chip lead at 5,565,000, but her lead is slim over Olga Iermolcheva, who bagged 5,065,000 on Saturday.
There are some big name pros who reached the final table, including one of the top female poker players of all-time — Kathy Liebert (2,340,000), and World Series of Poker commentator Jamie Kerstetter (1,405,000).
There were 72 players who finished in the money (including the six at the upcoming final table). Among those who cashed and busted on Day 2 include Esther Taylor (62nd for $2,087), Ruth Hall (58th for $2,087), Ebony Kenney (46th for $2,541), Melanie Weisner (28th for $3,300), and Amanda Botfeld (20th for $4,548).
Those at the final table have a guaranteed minimum payout of $21,934, but the winner will take home $105,136. The final table will be filmed for television.
before Sepiol three-bet to 1,000,000 with 
. The flop of 
smacked both players in the face, and the preflop raiser continued with a 600,000-chip bet. His opponent called and they saw the 
on the turn. This time Sepiol checked and Glaser bet 2,600,000, and he received a call.
— because it gave him a full house and his opponent a flush. After action was checked over to Glaser, he moved all in for 4,700,000 and was called. That left Sepiol with 2,200,000 and he would later bust in 52nd place ($71,400).