November 05 2012, Rich Ryan

In early October, former online poker payment processor Chad Elie was sentenced to five months in prison. On Friday, Elie tweeted using the handle “BlackFridayChad.” Find out what he tweeted in tonight’s Nightly Turbo.

In Case You Missed It

Max “$kill Game” Weinberg took down the PokerStars Sunday Warm-Up II. Find out who else had success on Double Vision Sunday in this week’s Sunday Briefing.

Dan Cates took down the PokerStars All-Star Showdown. Find out who he defeated en route to the title here.

Lillian Chan finished Day 1c of the 2012-13 World Series of Poker Circuit River Rock Main Event as chip leader. Find out who else survived to make Day 2 here.

The Seat Open series continues with WSOP bracelet winner Jonathan Aguiar. Find out about his early days and more here.

DraftKings.com is linking up with PokerNews to bring you some great same-day fantasy sweats. Find out how to get in the action here.

Chad Elie Tweets Torpedoes of Truth

On Friday, Chad Elie, who was recently sentenced to five months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit bank fraud and operating an illegal gambling business in the United States, tweeted the following:

Elie followed his first tweet up with a picture of a memorandum letter from Tom Goldstein, creator of the SCOTUSblog, which explicitly says that “Transfers of funds related to on-line poker that are conducted accurately and transparently (including through accurate credit card coding), and pursuant to any license required for transferring money, are lawful.”

Over the weekend, Elie interacted with various new Twitter followers, and agreed to do an exclusive interview with independent poker journalist Diamond Flush. His main target was Howard Lederer, who stated in The Lederer Files that he never met with a payment processor.

There’s a thread on TwoPlusTwo.com titled “Chad Elie on Twitter,” in which “BFChad” has made a few posts. There is no confirmation yet that this is actually Elie, but a moderator will surely confirm or deny the user’s identity soon.

Elie is due to report to prison on January 3rd. You can read all of his tweets here.

Antigua’s Against Reid-Kyl Bill

According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda is strongly opposed to legalized and regulated online poker in the United States. In 2004, Antigua filed a complaint with the World Trade Organiztion (WTO), claiming that U.S. laws against online gambling violated an international trade treaty. Antigua won, but the two countries never agreed on a settlement package, and the small island nation has yet to be compensated.

If the current online gambling bill being scripted by Sens. Harry Reid (D-Nev) and Jon Kyl (R-Arz), passes, Antiguans wouldn’t be able to gain a license. Mark Mendel, an attorney representing Antigua, believes that passage of the Reid-Kyl bill would worsen trade relations between the countries. The U.S. government has stated that it never intended to include online gaming in its commitments to the WTO.

The Reid-Kyl bill actually makes mention of the WTO ruling, calling it “erroneous.”

Antigua wishes to receive $3.4 billion in countermeasures. The U.S. argues that it should be less, and in 2007, an arbitrator ruled that Antigua as entitled to no more than $21 million annually.

If passed, the Reid-Kyl bill would give the U.S. 180 days to resolve the dispute with Antigua and bring a close to a decade-long trade dispute. Antiguan representatives are encouraged that there’s a timeframe in place, but is displeased about being stonewalled.

The LVRJ has more.

Nuclear Blast Poker

Love metal music? Play poker? Well, let us introduce you to Nuclear Blast Poker.

In cooperation with kuuluu AG, Nuclear Blast has launched Nuclear Blast Poker, a free-to-play social platform integrated with online poker. Metal fans can interact, style their avatar, and listen to the newest music releases all while playing poker with their friends.

Players can play both tournaments and ring games (with virtual chips), and compete for experience points. Metal fans can also compete against some of the biggest artists in the industry, including Scott Ian of ANTHRAX and Damian Wilson of THRESHOLD.

Said Ian, “I love poker and I love music. Putting the two together is like introducing girlfriends. Could be heavenly or may be all out war.”

As a welcome gift, players who sign up before the end of December will be placed in a “registration lottery” to win a signed artwork on canvas from NIGHTWISH‘s latest album and upcoming movie Imaginaerum.

Check out Blabbermouth for more.

Ante Up Magazine Analyzes The Lederer Files

Love it or hate it, The Lederer Files had an impact on the poker world and instantly became one of the most-watched interviews in poker history. Debate and analysis of the seven-hour interview continues still today, nearly two months after airing. The latest to take a look at The Lederer Files is Ante Up Magazine, which has devoted a significant portion of its November 2012 issue dissecting the interview.

In the issue, Brian Fons, an attorney with Corporate Creations Chicago LLC, offers an analysis of PokerNews’ The Lederer Files, while simultaneously exploring the legal issues associated with California LLCs and segregated accounts.

“There’s generally no liability to the members of a California manager-managed LLC,” Fons explained. “However, the managers must make decisions on large issues to protect the members. They could be liable if they approved distributions when the company was short on cash. This is called a ‘fraudulent transfer.’ Fraud seems to indicate some criminal behavior, but no criminal charges have been levied against Lederer or Ferguson. That may still happen as the DOJ gets more information. They also can be liable if they made reckless or extremely bad decisions that would knowingly hurt the owners. This type of criminal and civil charge was brought against the board of directors in the Enron collapse.”

What’s more, Ante Up columnist Joel Gatlin looked at the impact of The Lederer Files on the online poker scene. “The new Full Tilt site is scheduled to be up and running this month and Gus Hansen has been tagged as the new face for the company,” Gatlin said. “This is great timing for Gus and Full Tilt, because Lederer also mentioned Hansen in his interview, saying he was the most vocal member of the old Full Tilt when it came to protecting the players.”

Both articles can be found in the November 2012 issue of Ante Up Magazine, which is on stands now. You can also read the issue online.

I Bet My Life

The series premiere of I Bet My Life, which documents Liv Boeree and Kevin MacPhee on the tournament circuit, aired last night in the United States. Here’s the trailer if you missed it:

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November 01 2012, PokerNews Staff

On Thursday, MGM Resorts International moved one step closer toward offering legalized intrastate online poker in Nevada. In a hearing with the three-member Nevada Gaming Control Board, MGM received preliminary approval to offer real-money online poker as an operator. The gaming giant, which will use bwin.party’s poker platform, is expected to launch a free-play online poker site in early 2013.

MGM will seek final license approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission later this month.

“We are encouraged to know that states are talking to one another,” MGM CEO Jim Murren told Reuters on Wednesday. “They are crafting their own legislation and legal frameworks but are talking with other states in anticipation of compacting with multiple states.

“We feel strongly that if it is in fact state by state, the states themselves need to compact with one another to create a more viable business model. Any one state going on its own presents an economic challenge, particularly in a small state like Nevada.”

Last October, MGM partnered with bwin.party and Boyd Gaming in anticipation of legalized gambling. As part of the joint venture, bwin.party will own 65 percent of the company for providing and maintaining the software for both gaming companies. MGM will hold 25 percent ownership and Boyd will own 10 percent.

Boyd Gaming received its interactive gaming license last month. Bwin.party has submitted license application but has yet to meet with gaming regulators.

“For many years it was a question of if the U.S. government – either at a federal or state level – would regulate online gaming,” Bwin.party co-CEO Jim Ryan said in an early-2012 interview with PokerNews. “We don’t think that’s the case anymore. We think it’s a question of when.”

Chris Sieroty, a gaming reporter for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, indicated that bwin.party’s license would be considered after the new year.

*Picture courtesy of msnbcmedia.msn.com.

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October 18 2012, PokerNews Staff

Las Vegas-based Fertitta Interactive LLC, which owns the UFC and Station Casinos, has been approved for an interactive gaming license from the Nevada Gaming Commission as a service provider of online poker in Nevada.

The license will allow Fertitta Interactive to provide real-money online poker under its new Ultimate Gaming brand. Fertitta began developing Ultimate Gaming when it acquired gaming company CyberArts Licensing LLC last October. The first offering from the company was Ultimate Poker, a free platform which launched on Facebook in June.

The Fertitta group said at this month’s hearing with the Nevada Gaming Control Board that Ultimate Gaming’s entrance into the real-money online poker market will allow it to expand its Las Vegas staff from 26 to about 100 by next year.

“With our unique ability to leverage the overlapping demographics between online gaming, traditional gaming and the worldwide sports and entertainment brand of the UFC, Ultimate Gaming is ideally positioned to rapidly capture a significant following in the United States and throughout the globe,” said Tom Breitling, chairman of Ultimate Gaming.

Fertitta’s hearing Thursday came shortly after the Nevada Gaming Commission met with Boyd Gaming, which received interactive gaming license as an operator. The NGC will next meet with the Golden Nugget to round out Thursday’s interactive license hearings.

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Photo courtesy of Ultimate Gaming Facebook page.

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