Online poker prohibition could be overturned
Poker Lobby & AGA groups aim to end Online Gambling Bill


The Poker Players Alliance and executives for the American Gaming Association (AGA) say they are hopeful that the recent political changes in the U.S. Congress will help them overturn the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA).

You may recall how the UIGEA was appended onto to the sure-to-be-passed Safe Port Bill when most Senators had already cast their votes and left, in the final hours before the Republican-controlled Congress adjourned for mid-term elections.

The UIGEA, while not making online poker illegal, did made it illegal for banks and financial institutions to process transactions for online gambling sites from U.S. customers when it was signed into law on October 13. Regulations that banks need to comply with have yet to be defined. A Government board has until July 2007 to define them.

AGA President Frank Fahrenkopf said the AGA previously opposed online gambling, saying, "Our policy changed back in April when we took a position that we thought the best way to go was to have an independent commission look at it."

Many analysts around that timeframe noted how online gambling actually lead to previously hesitant players coming to the physical casinos, swelling the number of overall casino visitors, which likely helped change AGA's perspective.

So the AGA board of directors will meet December 6, said Fahrenkopf, to consider whether "to support legislation in the new Congress calling for an independent study of Internet gambling to see if it can be properly regulated, controlled, taxed and licensed here in the United States."

Fahrenkopf pointed out, "My guess is that they are going to say let's go ahead and do it."

This past week Terry Lanni, chief executive of MGM Mirage who is an AGA board member, said the UIGEA is "ridiculous" because it was signed into law Oct. 13 as part of a larger port security bill -- and because it exempted horse races and lotteries, and online bets placed while on American Indian land.

Nevada Representatives Jon Porter and Shelly Berkley had previously introduced a bill to create a Congressional Commission to study Internet Gaming this past May. But the bill died. Noteworthy is that both Porter and Berkley were re-elected last week.

In contrast to the prior Congressional Commission proposed, if the AGA votes for a study it has already said it prefers an independent commission such as the National Academy of Sciences to do the study, noted Fahrenkopf, so results are free from the influence of lobbyists.

AGA's board includes CEOs from some the biggest live casinos in Las Vegas, such as Boyd Gaming CEO William Boyd, Harrah's Entertainment CEO Gary Loveman, MGM Mirage CEO Terri Lanni mentioned above, and Wynn Resorts CEO Stephen Wynn, amongst others.

Many bloggers have remarked if these well known casinos launch their own online gambling sites then a large majority of players will play at them because of brand recognition and huge marketing budgets, causing yet another re-alignment in the online gambling industry.

In an interview with Reuters news service, Fahrenkopf also remarked how the stated goal of the UIGEA was to protect American citizens. Instead, he noted, it caused many legitimate and responsible operators to pull out of the U.S. opening the way for unregulated companies to fill the void, since most US players were likely to continue gambling online.

He did not go as far as many others have to call the legislation Prohibition II, as did Pulitzer Prize-winning writer George F. Will in Newsweek's Oct 23rd edition and U.K. culture secretary, Tessa Jowell.

President of the 120,000-member Poker Players Alliance (PPA), Michael Bolcerek, said that results of the Congressional election have emboldened the PPA.

"Our members and other poker players went to the polls. They influenced the federal election," he said. "In the next 12 months we're confident that we'll get a study commission bill. We think an exemption [for online poker] is in order, as well."

Legal expert professor I. Nelson Rose, of the Whittier Law School, harshly criticized the UIGEA, saying how it is confusing and contradictory with all its exemptions, and noting how a portion of the bill even sanctions Internet betting conducted within states and tribal lands.

"It's a public embarrassment...it's a mess," said Rose. "Eventually I think they'll get Congress to change the law to do for Internet poker exactly what they did for Internet horse racing. It's an exemption but (based on) states' rights."

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Gambling911.com News Wire

Originally published November 20, 2006 1:28 pm ET

can't possibly imagine what you may have removed Ian!!! ..... many thanks, even if not at my instigation

looks like good news on way . read it here first,

Anyone know of timescales for these talks ?

obvioulsy not today as the sp has gone south yet again !!

Oh those days a few months ago at 60p seem so far away

Greetings all.

Lost a bundle on my last trade in these..........

Are there any traders out there tempted to get back in at these levels? ...... I certainly am.

All views welcome.

Cheers
Amar

I just did 9k today..........giving away previous profits......... Can't see any news soon on this one so have topped up with a ton of HAWK

PartyGaming Plc
02 July 2007



2 July 2007



PartyGaming Plc
(The 'Company')


Pre-close trading update


PartyGaming Plc, the world's leading listed online gaming company announces that
the Group's financial performance in the second quarter has been in line with
management's expectations and while the important fourth quarter period lies
ahead, the Group remains confident about the prospects for the full year.


The Group's interim results will be announced on 29 August 2007.




Contacts:

PartyGaming Plc +44 (0) 20 7337 0100
Peter Reynolds, Director of Investor Relations
John Shepherd, Director of Corporate Communications

Financial Dynamics +44 (0) 20 7831 3113
Edward Bridges / Juliet Clarke




This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

above statement will not get anyone's blood racing! ..... my guess is that sp will resume its downward track

and even more likely since GB's announcement re super-casinos this afternoon

3 weeks to go until the interim results are revealed. Might be a little movement in the sp in the run-up. Now that the U.S. is factored out, I would expect the revenue stream to be pretty steady.

Hi all

Return of some good volume today ............ I'm looking for a breakout ........ hopefully to the upside.

More thughts welcome
Cheers

stay away is my constant thought!

ladbrokes smash analyst expectations..big blue day!

just two weeks 2 go and I have the sp down to 25p. I know this has been asked before but I thought I better ask again, "Anyone tempted to get in at THIS price?"
Looks tempting ..... (lost a packet on it for the record).

you are joking of course! ..... even blue chips are being pasted, so why on earth would you want to throw more money at this load of rubbish and shares of similar ilk at this time?

I wasn't joking. Advice taken.

thank goodness for that!

There is a filip on the sp today (and yesterday).... does the market know something about the upcoming results ? I have volumes of 14m on 479 trades already, and that is un-usual. see RNS below
................................

PartyGaming Plc
21 August 2007

21 August 2007



PartyGaming Plc

Interim Results - Wednesday 29 August 2007

Analyst meeting, webcast and conference call details


PartyGaming Plc, the world's leading listed online gaming company, will announce
its interim results for the six months ended 30 June 2007 on Wednesday 29 August
2007. The Group will be hosting an analyst meeting for invited UK-based
analysts on the day of the results and there will be a simultaneous webcast and
dial-in broadcast of the meeting. To register for the live webcast, please
pre-register for access by visiting the Group website (www.partygaming.com).
Details for the dial-in facility are given below. A copy of the webcast and
slide presentation given at the meeting will be available on the Group's website
later on the day.

...................

still ticking up, L2 now 26.25 - 26.50 on volumes of 20m on 671 trades. I must say this is UN-UNUSUAL, or is it just following the market ....... (DYOR)

Good to hear from other traders.

The fact that it ended the day .. where it started........ has really confused me.

I was looking for an uptrend ............ as I have been wrong footed with this one in the past.

Cheers
Amar