Monday, April 30, 2012

US’ third largest casino to open in June | News | Casino | InterGame

Maryland Live!, a new $500m gaming and entertainment destination being developed by the Cordish Companies in the US, is to open on June 6.


The casino is located at the Arundel Mills Mall in Hanover, Maryland, and will open with approximately 3,200 slots and electronic table games. These will include blackjack, roulette, baccarat and poker, as well as the latest slot games from major manufacturers such as IGT, Bally Technologies and WMS.

Between July and October, a further 1,500 slots and gaming machines will be introduced.

“Maryland Live! Casino is a world-class facility that will bring a new level of entertainment to the gaming industry,” said Joe Weinberg, managing partner of the Cordish Companies. “In the first phase alone, Maryland Live! will be more than twice as large as any existing property in Maryland and one of the largest casinos in the country. Upon completion, the full facility will represent the third largest commercial casino in the United States.”

In advance of the launch, the casino is launching a play-for-fun online casino – Myliveonlinecasino.com – designed to allow people to play their favourite slot games and win virtual credits.

“We’re proud to be a pioneer in the evolution of play-for-fun online gaming,” said Weinberg. “Myliveonlinecasino.com will generate a lot of excitement in advance of our opening.”

To read InterGaming’s exclusive interview with Maryland Live! president and general manager Rob Norton, pick up a copy of the forthcoming May issue.

    

Cantor Gaming and Locaid Extend Mobile Gaming Beyond Casino Floor


SAN FRANCISCO and MIAMI, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Locaid, the world's largest Location-as-a-Service company, announced today that it partnered with Cantor Gaming® to provide location services for its mobile sports wagering application, available on all Android™ devices, including cell phones and tablets. 
Locaid worked with Cantor Gaming to provide a secure and patented privacy platform that enabledCantor Gaming to extend its wagering functionality beyond the casino floor.  As a result, Cantor Gaming's mobile sports wagering application allows customers access to the entire spectrum of wagers available in Cantor Race and Sports Books from anywhere in the state of Nevada. 
By utilizing Locaid's location services, Cantor Gaming's application only works within the state of Nevada and will not function once patrons travel out-of-state, compliant with Nevada Gaming Control Board regulations.  By using Locaid's unspoofable, privacy protected, secure cell-ID location service, which checks a mobile device's positioning against a geo-fence, Cantor Gaming can securely and instantly validate the location of a mobile device and determine if it is within the state boundaries. As a result, Cantor Gaming's mobile sports wagering application can be used by the widest possible number of customers to wager through any Android device on any carrier network.
"To comply with state law, it was critical to ensure a mobile user's location for mobile gaming and safeguard against today's sophisticated spoofing technologies; Locaid enabled us to meet this challenge," said Paul Williams, CTO of Cantor Gaming. "Locaid is the only compliant network location-based solution for mobile sports betting in Nevada, and their services allow us to extend our reach of mobile gaming to the entire state."
"Locaid utilizes geofence technology that meets the most rigorous compliance standards in the country," said Rip Gerber, President and CEO of Locaid.  "Locaid is pleased to help Cantor ensure that mobile gamers only place wagers on their smartphones when they are physically located in a legally approved area.  Our Location-as-a-Service is the 'only game in town' when it comes to authenticating the real world location of a smartphone in Nevada. As other states evaluate and adopt smartphone-based gaming, Locaid's partnership with Cantor Gaming serves as a roadmap on how to deliver a superior mobile gaming experience that exceeds all federal and state compliance requirements."
About Cantor GamingAt Cantor Gaming, we have built upon Cantor Fitzgerald's legacy of integrity and excellence and its unmatched financial technology to create an innovative and unique gaming system that we believe is revolutionizing the gaming experience in Las Vegas. Cantor Gaming is the first company licensed by the Nevada Gaming Commission to manufacture, distribute and operate a mobile gaming system in the state. We provide casinos with a complete mobile gaming solution, including a proprietary wireless gaming system, full back-office infrastructure and a portfolio of casino games. We are passionate about applying technology to transform gaming and we are continuously using innovations in the operation of our race and sports books, and enhancing our products and technology, to offer customers a unique and memorable gaming experience.
Cantor Gaming is an affiliate of the global financial services firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which has over 65 years experience and unparalleled expertise of highly secure, real-time financial transaction processing, management, and execution. Known globally for superior financial technology and real-time and secure execution of financial transactions, Cantor's clients include the world's leading banks and trading firms. Cantor's technology drives over $500 billion in transactions for the world's capital markets every day.
About LocaidLocaid is the world's largest Location-as-a-Service (LaaS) company. We operate a location privacy platform that allows mobile developers to locate over 350 million devices for enterprise authentication, fraud management, consumer location services and opt-in mobile marketing. Locaid locates smartphones, feature phones, tablets and any mobile device on leading wireless carriers, including America Movil, AT&T, Rogers, Sprint, T-Mobile, TELUS, and Verizon Wireless. Locaid also helps shape and enforce location privacy policies via leadership roles on governing associations, including the CTIA, MMA and IAPP. The largest financial institutions, mobile marketers, M2M platforms and mobile service providers get network location from Locaid. Location Matters.™ You can locate us at http://www.loc-aid.com.
CONTACT:
Ryan C. Smith or

Valerie Christopherson

Global Results Comms (GRC)


+1 (949) 502-6760

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Harry Reid Pushing Fed Gaming Bill


By ALEXANDRA BERZON

States considering plans to legalize online gambling could collide with Congress.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, a Democrat from Nevada, and Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican, are working on legislation that would legalize online poker but outlaw many other forms of online gambling, according to people briefed on the matter.

They have not introduced their plan in Congress and it's not known whether they would try to do so this year, the people briefed on the matter say.

Last summer, the senators told Attorney General Eric Holder they opposed legislation by states to legalize online gambling, as well as state lottery efforts to offer tickets online.

In a letter, the senators asked the Justice Department to "consult with Congress before finalizing a new position that would open the floodgates to Internet gambling." The pair called moves by state lotteries to operate online "troubling."

The Department of Justice said lotteries wouldn't be violating current federal law by operating online.

People backing a federal bill say that opinion, which reversed DOJ policy, has provided them new momentum, although they still face significant obstacles.

"Now states are moving rapidly and the federal government is saying, 'Time Out,' "Jon Porter, a former congressman from Nevada who is lobbying for the bill on behalf of online poker companies and others, said on a panel at an Internet gambling conference Wednesday.

Spokesmen for Messrs. Reid and Kyl declined to comment.

At stake is the future of the online gambling industry, which is steadily evolving as a host of states consider legalizing some forms of it. One state, Nevada, is already licensing gambling companies to operate online poker sites.

Others may soon follow. New Jersey's legislature is considering a bill to authorize online gambling sites run by Atlantic City casino companies, a move Gov. Chris Christie vetoed last year but has indicated he is now more likely to support. California is considering an online poker bill. State lotteries are moving ahead with plans to sell lottery tickets and, in some cases, operate other casino games online.

The legislation being drafted by Messrs. Reid and Kyl is rattling state governments, even though few details have been made public. The draft legislation would create a federal system for online poker, similar to one being pushed by large Nevada-based casino companies, according to people briefed on the matter and a version of the bill obtained by The Wall Street Journal in 2010.

The legislation is likely to prohibit states from allowing many other forms of online gambling. Many backing the bill say they want to stop lotteries from operating instant games, slot machines and other traditional casino games online.

Last fall, several governors wrote to members of Congress in an effort to prevent online gambling regulations from getting attached to proposals to reduce the deficit. The language was never publicly introduced.

"Historically, states have had the right to make their own decisions about whether to offer gambling and how to regulate the industry," Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley wrote at the time. Proposals in Congress, Mr. O'Malley wrote, "would strip states of those rights."

—Heather Haddon contributed to this article.
Write to Alexandra Berzon at alexandra.berzon@wsj.com

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Documentary looks at poker as new sport


Documentary looks at poker as new sport

Poker cards
The sport of Texas Hold-Em poker has boomed in popularity, prompting filmmaker Douglas Tirola to document its rise in “ALL IN – The Poker Movie.”
Tirola attributes the rapid rise in popularity to the success story of Chris Moneymaker, the 2003 World Series of Poker champion and the first winner to ever qualify through an online poker site. Moneymaker took home $5 million after his win.
Tirola said watching an ordinary person be catapulted into money and fame through poker drew the attention of crowds who wanted the same level of success.
Chris Moneymaker
“People want to live that story,” Tirola said. “Anybody can sit at that table and win.”
The ability to “make your own destiny” entices people who are looking for a way to move up in the world.
“You don’t have to be relegated to the social class you were born in,” Tirola said.
Despite the potential for big wins in poker tournaments, Tirola said people were aware of their chances and played mostly for fun.
“The majority play because it’s entertaining and a good way to spend time with people,” Tirola said.
Tirola said the view of poker has changed dramatically from being something only old people do to something anybody can play, “even kids who can’t get a date on a Saturday night.”
Online poker has changed the demographic as well, fusing the “movie concept” of five guys sitting at a table with the “gamer kids,” youth who grew up with video games and the Internet.
Tirola said online poker was full of promise, and said that it has become a source of revenue for some players, either as a primary occupation or just to make extra money on the side.
Tirola said his documentary was fun and exciting with both laughs and drama and not like your typical documentary. He said he hoped, by watching the film, people can understand why poker has become such a mainstream activity and learn to appreciate it.
“ALL IN – The Poker Movie” is available on iTunes starting today.
 
 

Nevada's slot machine industry preparing for Internet gaming


Nevada's slot machine industry preparing for Internet gaming

23 April 2012

By Howard Stutz

International Game Technology is poised to premiere "American Idol" on Facebook, and wants players to one day wager on the interactive version of its slot machine on the Internet.

While state and federal lawmakers inch along toward legalization of online gaming, IGT and the casino industry's other large slot machine makers are already lining up for a piece of the potential action.

And when it comes to the future of those who provide the technological bones of the gaming industry is debated, the only question is how much of the future online prize they'll want.

Analysts and investors have speculated openly whether slot machine companies and other gaming product vendors will be satisfied just to provide content for casino operators to use on their Internet gaming websites. They wonder whether equipment makers are prepared to manage their own Internet gaming portals and potentially compete online with the same casino companies that buy their slot machines.

WMS Industries officials said the company is following a business-to-business model to provide online casinos with slot machine themes and titles.

"We have made significant progress in our development of a technology and entertainment content base that will help our customers unlock the emerging opportunities provided through online capabilities," WMS President Orrin Edidin said when the Waukegan, Ill.-based slot machine maker applied for a Nevada Interactive gaming license last month.

The issue surfaced in January when industry leader IGT said it would spend $500 million to acquire social gaming provider Double Down Interactive, which developed Facebook's Double Down Casino.

IGT officials quelled speculation, saying the company "had no plans" to operate an online casino but would use Double Down to introduce its content to a new audience. A few weeks ago, IGT said it was debuting a free-play version of its popular slot machine themed on the reality television series "American Idol" to a social gaming audience on Facebook.

"The Double Down purchase is still being digested by investors who have questions about the benefits of the purchase and IGT's relationship with its brick-and-mortar customers," Janney Montgomery Scott gaming analyst Brian McGill wrote in a research report. "We do expect the interactive business to become more transparent over time as the results begin to be broken out separately."

Credit Suisse gaming analyst Joel Simkins, following a series of investor meetings with IGT management last month, said some of the company's major casino customers had complained about the slot maker as a potential competitor.

IGT already has a presence in Europe. Last year it paid $115 million for Entraction Holdings, a Swedish online poker network operator,

IGT Chief Executive Officer Patti Hart told Credit Suisse investors that most of the company's casino operator relationships remain strong, and that any loss in games purchased by IGT's unhappy customers won't break the balance sheet.

"(IGT) has a diversified customer base, with strong relationships in the regional markets and in Native American gaming," Simkins wrote in the report. "We tend to agree with this view and believe hemming and hawing by certain customers is more smoke then fire."

SOCIAL GAMING SURGE

IGT has company in the social gaming space. Slot machine rivals WMS, Aristocrat Technologies and Bally Technologies are putting games on the Internet to give potential customers or regular slot players a chance to try them.

Simkins said IGT's ownership of Double Down provides a platform for its large library of games and is a competitive advantage over other companies.

"Long-term, IGT believes it can deliver content for new virtual slot machines at 25 percent of the cost of its competitors," Simkins said.

Traditional social gaming providers also are exploring Internet gaming. San Francisco-based Zynga, which produces FarmVille, CityVille, Mafia Wars, and other games for Facebook, is reportedly in talks with Wynn Resorts Ltd. about a potential online gaming partnership, according to the New York Post.

Zynga CEO Mark Pincus said the company could parlay its popular virtual poker game into real-life betting, calling the possibilities "mind-blowing."

Most major slot machine manufacturers are poised to enter online gaming.

In February, Bally bought an Internet gaming platform from Chiligaming for an undisclosed price. Bally said it would use the system to help customers start casinos. Bally and rival Aristocrat then agreed to share an online poker network and online slot content in the U.S.

Also, table game and gambling equipment vendor Shuffle Master said it was spending almost $30 million to buy Ongame Network, a leading business-to-business online poker provider, from bwin.party Services of Austria.

NET POKER OFFERS GATEWAY

So how do these deals position the industry for pay-for-play online gaming?

The continuing emphasis, both state-by-state and federally, has been on legalizing Internet poker.

Other casino games, such as craps, blackjack, roulette or slot machines, are not on the table, which is the primary reason traditional slot machine makers are dealing themselves into poker.

"The best opportunity for legalization on the federal level is poker," said Reno businessman Paul Mathews Jr., a member of Gov. Brian Sandoval's Gaming Policy Committee. "Let's get poker done on a federal level, and let's prove we can do this right."

The casino industry, for the most part, wants Congress to legalize Internet poker, rather than leaving it up to individual states. The fear is that multiple states having Internet poker could lead to myriad regulations and rules for entry.

Nevada gaming regulators adopted Interactive poker regulations in January. Under the state's rules, only companies that are licensed for "brick-and-mortar casinos" can operate Internet poker websites catering to in-state gamblers.

That means companies such as MGM Resorts International, Boyd Gaming Corp., and the South Point are in, which would leave IGT and traditional slot makers as content providers only.

Federal legalization appears to be a long shot. Legislation has been hung up in Congress and is opposed by state lotteries and Indian gaming interests. And poker legislation may not surface at all in 2012 as political leaders focus on November's presidential election.

Meanwhile, Nevada's position as the only state with online poker laws may not last long. At least a half-dozen states, including California, New Jersey, Iowa and Mississippi, have draft online poker legislation or are exploring the prospects.

During the March i-Gaming North America 2012 Conference at Planet Hollywood Resort, panelists echoed the sentiment that Internet gaming would roll out state by state. States are taking the lead because the U.S. Department of Justice ruled in late December that the federal Wire Act of 1961 applies only to sports wagering, giving states the authority to determine whether they want to legalize intrastate online gambling.

"States have been more vocal about their rights," Deutsche Bank gaming analyst Andrew Zarnett told investors. "The debate on whether some form of Internet gaming will be legalized has now evolved to when will Internet gaming be legalized on a state basis. Federal standards may or may not be helpful."

Macquarie Securities gaming analyst Chad Beynon said it seems unlikely that online gaming legislation will be attached to a major federal bill this year.

"While almost all the experts are calling for federal bills, intrastate bills are the only ones moving forward," he said.

Despite the current uncertainty, some of the largest slot makers have stepped up their online gaming efforts. More than two dozen casino operators and gaming equipment manufacturers have applied for Interactive gaming licenses in Nevada. It's possible the first Nevada-only Internet poker website could be launched later this year.

NPD: 40% of freemium gamers have made in-game payments - FierceMobileContent

NPD: 40% of freemium gamers have made in-game payments - FierceMobileContent

our out of 10 consumers who have played an upgradable freemium game have made an in-app payment to extend or enhance the gameplay experience, according to a new report from market research firm NPD Group.
About 38 percent of the U.S. population currently plays some type of freemium game--i.e., titles that are free to download but offer premium in-app transactions like virtual currency, additional levels and virtual goods--NPD reports. Only 15 percent of respondents with awareness of freemium games choose not to play them, with NPD noting the barriers to entry are essentially limited to ownership of a compatible device and web access.
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"The majority of freemium gamers who opt to pay to upgrade their experience do so within the first month of playing a particular game," said NPD Group Industry Analyst Anita Frazier. "When designing a game, it's important to consider features that would drive quick conversion to pay."
NPD states that females are more likely to convert than males, while males and consumers between the ages of 13 and 34 are the most likely to abandon a freemium title after trying it. "Males and those ages 18 to 34 are traditionally seen as a big part of the core gamer audience, so it's likely these groups are not quite as engaged with freemium because the gaming experience is quite different from what they are used to from the games they play on consoles, handhelds or PCs," Frazier said. "At a minimum, for these gamers a freemium game would provide a different experience, like a snack versus a full meal."
Sales of mobile in-game items will surge from $2.1 billion in 2011 to $4.8 billion in 2016, driven by a sharp increase in smartphone adoption and growing user comfort with the freemium revenue model, according to a forecast issued earlier this year by Juniper Research. The proportion of mobile gamers purchasing in-game items will grow as subscribers become more accustomed to the freemium concept, Juniper states. The firm anticipates the trend will be most pronounced in the social and casual genres, where consumers have grown to expect compelling mobile experiences for free or next to nothing.
For more:
- read this release
Related articles:
Forecast: In-game purchase revenues to reach $4.8B in 2016
Forecast: In-app virtual goods sales to top $1B in 2012
Forecast: Annual mobile app revenues to reach $11.9B in 2015
Survey: Half of all App Store games generate less than $3K
Flurry: Freemium titles yield two-thirds of App Store gaming revenu


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Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Yandex Electronic Payments System Adds MasterCard Plastic | Business | The Moscow Times

Yandex Electronic Payments System Adds MasterCard Plastic | Business | The Moscow Times

Telefónica Teams Up With Electronic Arts to Offer Mobile Games


By Nick Clayton

Telefónica, the Spanish-based telco, has signed a deal with games maker Electronic Arts to deliver mobile games to its subscribers. The deal is initially only for U.K. customers, but eventually it will be available in other countries.

Last September Telefónica announced it would be separating content sales and creation from network services in the form of a new division called “Telefónica Digital” which would be based in the center of London. This deal is the most important announcement so far arising from the new strategy.

EA is one of the world’s largest video games companies with titles such as “The Sims,” “Fifa,” and “Monopoly.” The partnership should help Telefónica’s national subsidiaries to differentiate themselves from competitors.

It will also give Telefónica an important route into the youth market. The deal enables Telefónica to offer games which run on cheaper feature phones, which attract younger users, as well as more expensive smartphones.

The service will be launched first though Telefónica’s U.K. subsidiary O2, as Telecoms.com explains:

The deal covers Android, BlackBerry and all Java based feature phones. While Google already offers a range of EA games through its Google Play app store, and Nokia has a similar tie-up with EA for its Windows Phone 7 range, Telefónica said that its competitive advantage is in offering users is the ability to find the games that they are familiar with and providing “special promotions” to drive the uptake of mobile gaming, particularly amongst feature phone users.

“We’re not creating new gaming app stores to compete with these but using the existing app channels and allowing customers to benefit from free access to games through these channels,” a Telefónica spokesperson told Telecoms.com.

Telecoms.com: Telefónica Digital in gaming tie up with EA

Monday, April 16, 2012

Mobile Casino – the Future of Online Gambling?


Mobile Casino – the Future of Online Gambling?

Mobile Casino – the Future of Online Gambling?
Portable multimedia devices such as Ipads, Android phones and Iphones are becoming more and more popular. Such multimedia capable devices are opening new markets, for example, mobile devices are an excellent platform for gambling applications. The gambling industry is going to focus on devices which which consume most of their potential customers time. The question should be more likely when are the mobile casinos coming! Are the applications and products ready to fulfill players needs already? A big variety in different platforms might slow down the development, however, HTML5 offers an crossborder platform for almost every mobile device on the planet.

The Differences between Mobile Casino and Online Casino?

Mobile Casinos basically work very similary as normal online casinos. The obvious difference is of course a smaller screen, which is the biggest challenge of the mobile casinos. Most of the Mobile Casino softwares are quite limited still, offering a selection of 10-20 games. The selection offers usually the most common and popular table games like Blackjack, Baccarat and Roulette and of course usually a variety of slots. Also the biggest jackpot slots are usually represented in the selection.
We have not seen mobile casinos which would offer for example live casino games or games where players can compete against each others, however, there are no technical limitations or boundaries in developing such applications. So lets hope that we’ll see such games soon on mobile devices! However if you are used to play on normal online casinos, the change to a mobile casino can feel a bit like playing the past, because of the small screen and very simple selection of the games.
There are only few mobile casino software providers on the market currently, which means that most of the mobile casinos you run in to are basically the same. The most advanced HTML5 product is offered by NetEnt software, which is the leading online casino software provider currently.
The Mobile Casino softwares are usually built to detect the resolution of the mobile devices screen and scaling the games to the right size. The games are designed in a way where you can use the device horinzontally or vertically and still be able to play the games.

How Does a Mobile Casino Work?

Academic Gamers QR code
A scannable image which leads to Academic Gamers frontpage
Mobile Casino works usually as a side product of a normal online casino. You can enter the mobile casino by either typing the address of the normal address of the online casino to your mobile devices browser or for example using a scanner application on your mobile device to scan a QR code (example on the right side).
After entering the Mobile Casino with your portable device, you can either create a new account or to use an old one, which you have created on the main online casino site. After logging in you are ready to go.
Most Mobile Casinos let you test all the games for free, before creating an account or making any payments.

Iphone and Ipad casino

CasinoEuro Iphone Casino
An Iphone Casino Blackjack (CasinoEuro)
Most of the worlds multimedia devices are either Iphones, Ipads or Android devices. Therefore all the better mobile casinos support all these devices. The Ipad Casino solutions are usually the same ones as the Iphone casinos, just the graphics are scaled on bigger size. Sometimes this can make you wish for a better resolution for an Ipad but the difference usually is nothing too bad.
There is no different application for the mobile casinos on Iphone or Ipad because Apple has a closed system, where all the apps must be purchased from their App Store. The App Store does not allow mobile casino or any gambling related software to be downloaded. This is why all the mobile casino or mobile betting software will work straight from the browser of Iphone or Ipad. The Mobile Casino in your Iphone Casino or Ipad Casino will look like it would be its own app, thanks to the HTML5.

Android Casino

Android Casino Blackjack
An Android Casino Blackjack
Android Casino works with the same method as described above. Googles Android store is a bit more open solution, so we might see in the Android Store in future some applications related to mobile casinos or mobile betting solutions. For mobile Casino providers it is easier to build Iphone and Ipad casino solutions, because the screen resolution is always the same. With Android you have loads of different screen sizes and versions of the software, which makes it a bit more challenging to create an Android Casino. At least the NetEnts product seems to be working well in both platforms. In future with the help of HTML5 we’ll be seeing a lot more cross platform solutions.

New Lawsuit Filed In Nevada Against Full Tilt Poker Officials


New Lawsuit Filed In Nevada Against Full Tilt Poker Officials



With the anniversary of the “Black Friday” indictments on the minds of many in the poker community, four poker players have continued the fight against Full Tilt Poker in filing a new lawsuit against the principles in a Nevada court.
On Thursday, attorneys for four plaintiffs announced a new class action lawsuit aimed at recovering some of the nearly $150 million that is alleged the former number two site in the online poker industry owes to American players. In a Las Vegas courtroom, the attorneys forSteve Segal of New York, Nick Hammer and Robin Hougdahl of Minnesota and Todd Terryof New Jersey entered the lawsuit against alleged members of the Full Tilt Poker Board of Directors Howard Lederer and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson. The basis for the suit alleges that both Lederer and Ferguson received payments that are directly linked to player accounts and are asking the court to refund the affected player’s money and punitive damages.
If the four men at the helm of the lawsuit sound familiar, it is because they attempted to litigate much the same case last year. In a New York court, the four men filed their case against the entity of Full Tilt, alleging racketeering, bank and wire fraud and money laundering. That case ended in January of this year after the judge determined that the New York court lacked the jurisdiction over the individuals allegedly involved with the Full Tilt fiasco.
The attorneys for the four men – Las Vegas law firm Shook & Stone and the New York firmWolf, Haldenstein, Adler, Freeman & Herz – are already trying to demonstrate to the court that this time they do have the jurisdictional rights. The players’ attorneys have cited “diversity jurisdiction” in that everyone involved in the case are residents of different states, but that there is enough personal jurisdiction to charge Lederer and Ferguson in the Las Vegas court. Lederer is a resident of Nevada, while Ferguson has “conducted substantial business” within the borders of Nevada, the lawsuit states.
Further into the suit, the players’ state that Lederer received approximately $42 million from Full Tilt Poker, in cash distributions and “profit sharing” and that Ferguson received approximately $85 million in the same manner. “The distributions and loans to Lederer, Ferguson and the other Full Tilt Poker owners were from intermingled funds containing money from the site’s player accounts,” the suit contends.
This latest suit joins a long list of filings against Full Tilt Poker and its alleged ownership. In addition to the suits filed by these four players in New York and Nevada, another lawsuit is on record in California, brought by Lary Kennedy and Greg Omotoy, seeking $900 million in damages from the company. In that suit, filed last October, Lederer and Ferguson are named as defendants alongside alleged Full Tilt Poker Chief Executive Officer Ray BitarPhil Iveyand Gus Hansen.
There are also three other federal suits against Full Tilt Poker in the court system in New York.
This is all on top of what originally started the downfall of the company, the “Black Friday” indictments against Full Tilt Poker and two other online poker rooms, PokerStars and the CEREUS Network sites Absolute Poker and UB.com. Bitar and Nelson Burtnick were accused of being the ownership behind the Full Tilt operation and, in September of last year, Lederer, Ferguson and Rafe Furst were added to the lawsuit after the U. S. Department of Justice accused Full Tilt of running a “Ponzi scheme” that defrauded players (it is estimated that, along with owing U. S. players about $150 million, the site owes worldwide players around another $250 million). These lawsuits are all still active in the courts with no firm dates as to any start of the legal process.
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