Everleaf Gaming amended their terms and conditions today. Players had to agree to these terms to access parts of the poker software. Of particular concern was terms #18. No person who is resident in Malta, France and USA may open an account, play, or in any other way participate in the ELG offerings and/or services. Players from Malta were already restricted from playing on Everleaf Gaming, but France and the USA were new additions to the restricted country list. While the terms stated US players could not play, US players were still playing real money poker. Support had little to say about the new terms. Then Neil from Minted Poker posted at Two Plus Two confirming that US players would be banned shortly from the network. Neil went on to say that one of the US payment processors had been seized by U.S. authorities. Funds that were meant to pay U.S. player withdrawals were also seized. Neil continued by saying that Everleaf Gaming and their licensor, the Lottery and Gaming Authority in Malta, agreed that leaving the U.S. market was in their best interest. There has been no time frame announced for when U.S. players will be banned from the network, but it is expected that it will occur at some point on Friday. That is when the network will make an official announcement about the new terms and conditions. Everleaf Gaming is in negotiations with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as to how U.S. players will be refunded their money. This goes for players expecting withdrawals and players with funds on the network. There is no estimate time frame for reimbursement to U.S. players. Minted Poker also made it clear that players outside the U.S. would continue to be served, including existing players in France, and that all tables would be converted to Euros in the near future. Minted Poker also stated that funds are ring fenced as required by Maltese gaming laws. At this point, this appears to be isolated incident with Everleaf Gaming, and even though there is reason to be cautious, there are currently no indications that other rooms are in danger of leaving the U.S. market. When Everleaf Gaming makes their announcement about this situation, we will make sure to update this story.
As some of you may know, each month I go through each of our partner rooms and post the most significant non-exclusive promotions of the month. Today, I thought I would share my subjective analysis of the most interesting promotions on the list -- my Top 7 -- running during February. 1) WPT/Party Poker Card Rush During February, Party Poker and WPT Poker bring back the popular Card Rush. For each 15 Party Points a player earns they will receive a game piece that will reveal a guaranteed prize of a minimum of 10 Party Points up to a grand prize of $5,000. Card Rush Race points will also be earned towards a leaderboard that will pay additional cash prizes of $50 to $9,000 to the top 200 players. Party Poker will also scatter $50 spots to players finishing 220 through 2,000. Party Poker will be awarding up to 1.8 million cards during the length of this promotion. Undoubtedly, many of these cards will be Party Points and freeroll entries but it's still a great extra perks that grinders should appreciate. 2) Carbon Poker/Aced/Black Chip Poker $25,000 Bankroll Booster Freerolls Carbon Poker, Aced and Black Chip Poker will be running numerous daily qualifiers to the $25,000 Bankroll Booster Freeroll to be held on February 26th at 2 PM ET. There is no direct way to get into the tournament so players must enter either three-times-daily Freeroll Qualifiers (at 13:30, 17:30 or 21:30) or via VIP Points Earned Qualifiers. The VIP Points Qualifiers are run nine times daily. To qualify for these tournaments, players must earn a designated number of VIP Points the previous day and/or the current day up to the time of the tournament. I'm estimating an overlay of about $10 per player in the final. 3) Minted Poker $1 Max Rake Minted Poker and other sites on the Everleaf Network have extended $1 Max rake caps on all tables through February. These tables should be attracting more players than they are due to the fact they are not subject to the large 5 euro max rake and the winning limits that players must undergo at the euro tables. This would be the top promotion in online poker if there was more traffic on these tables. 4) Betsafe $100,000 Points Races Betsafe offers their lucrative Points Race every month so this promotion isn't any more special than previous months. I like this promotion not only for the total size of the prize pool -- which is divided into two promo periods each month -- but the overall value to players. Betsafe also sweetens the pot by providing a $6,000 freeroll to all players that finish in the top 100 of Race 1 or 2. 5) True Poker/Americas Cardroom You really wouldn't think that a small network such as Winning Poker would be able to offer such large promotions, but during February they have actually increased their monthly race promotions to $100,000. $60,000 of the prize pool is awarded to the top FPP Point earners during the month and another $40,000 will be given away during weekend "Sprints," $10k each weekend. Note that the Sprints are only available to ring game players while the $60k "Marathon" is offered to both ring game and tournament players and actually awards bonus points for participation in top tournaments. 6) Boss Magic Hands For one day only on February 14th, the Boss Network (Poker Heaven, Fortune Poker, Interpoker) are awarding cash prizes to players that hit various Valentine's Day themed hands. I've always loved these types of promotions, especially ones that are relatively easy to hit like this one. Players receive €25 for a Heart Flush, €25 when losing 3 hands with K and Q of hearts and €250 when winning a hand with Straight Flush of Hearts. Players must submit a Magic Hand to claim via the Player Zone within 72 hours of hitting the hand. Note that both hole cards must be used and other rules apply. 7) Mansion Poker On Target! I'm also a big fan of promotions that guarantee a prize when a certain amount of play is achieved and that is exactly what Mansion is offering during February with their "On Target" promotion. Each week during the month, players can enter On Target via a no-play tournament from the lobby. Players that hit a raked hand target during the week will receive a cash reward and a $50 pending bonus. Prizes start at $5 and a $50 bonus for reaching 200 raked hands. Not bad, especially for grinders and when combining the promotion on top of the other many Mansion promotions. There you have it- my personal favorite standard online poker promotions for the month of February. If you a PAS publisher, be sure to also check out over $300,000 in exclusive promotions during the month of February. Good luck and happy marketing!
MGM and Boyd apply for licenses in Nevada and a very fluid Full Tilt Poker situation that leads us do wonder "Will it or Will it Not Happen?" These stories and more are a part of this week's PAS Weekly Industry Update. MGM and Boyd Apply for Nevada Licenses: According to Card Player, Boyd Gaming and MGM have applied for online poker licenses in the Nevada regulated market, increasing the list of interested parties to 12. Other notable applicants include 888, Caesars Entertainments, Bally's, IGT, Shuffle Master South Point Poker and Fertitta Interactive, whose application also came to light this week. The applications are currently under review but there is no indication of when approvals will be made. Mixed Signals with Full Tilt Poker Deal: Over the last two weeks, various sources have reported that the Full Tilt Poker deal may be in trouble due to issues with Chris Ferguson's Full Tilt related accounts and money owed by various poker pros. A lawyer for Chris Ferguson predicted a deal was still on track to be completed in first half of this year, if not the first quarter. He refutes the report from Subject Poker saying that it is "flat wrong" that the Ferguson matter could hold up the deal. Pokeraddict and I shared some thoughts on where we see the current Full Tilt Poker situation. In other news, a federal judge threw out much of the class action lawsuit against Full Tilt Poker. PokerScout Traffic Update: Online poker traffic was down 0.6% over the last week according to PokerScout in their lastest report on online poker traffic. PokerStars was among the biggest losers of the week. PAS News: Unibet MGR and CPA was launched on the PAS Network this week. Unibet MGR publishers can promote a 30% MGR offer where players will receive 30% rakeback. Publishers choosing CPA will receive $100 commissions when a player accumulates 250 Points, the equivalent of $25 in rake. Jottings: Independent poker news site Subject: Poker shuts their doors after eight months, Diamond Flush carries the flame...Caesars Forms Technology Partnership with LBPoker.fr...2012 WSOP schedule released...Iowa online bill could be introduced this month...District of Columbia to repeal online poker bill...888 and Caesars Extend License agreement...Presidential candidate Romney against online poker...Boss Bad Beat Jackpot over $1 million.
Make no mistake about it: 2012 is looking to be a big year. Between regulatory changes -- most notably in part of Europe and the United States -- and a hopeful resolution in Full Tilt saga this year there will be plenty of new stories to follow. The drama of 2011 and Black Friday is still relatively fresh in our minds, but it's now clear that real change is on the horizon, possibly making 2012 the year when online poker officially moves into a new age (which we think will be an overall positive given the major difficulties of 2011). As a result of these truly interesting and exciting times, over the next few weeks Pokeraddict and I will be expanding our Full Tilt prop bet scenarios idea from last year to cover a variety of topics of interest to players, affiliates and industry observers. We really enjoyed putting our last post together and based on your feedback, many of you enjoyed reading it. In this edition of our Handicapping Series, we'd like to revisit our original Full Tilt Poker scenarios post with discussion of some of same questions with a couple fresh topics. As we mentioned in our previous post, we don't claim to be dug into the trenches on most of these issues, but we have spent a lot of time reading and thinking about the situation (Pokeraddict might be the only one on the planet that read the entire DOJ indictments and Nevada online regulations). We are not taking ourselves too seriously here but we hope that some of the topics and questions brought up will provoke thought that may even be helpful in your affiliate business or poker playing future. So let's get on with it... What are the odds that the GBT/Full Tilt deal will eventually come to a positive resolution (all players paid, games running again)? Pokeraddict's line: +375 (3.75:1 against or 21% chance) Gonzo: +200 Pokeraddict: There are too many variables that make me feel like there is only a small chance that FTP comes back this year, if they ever return. The latest issues with Chris Ferguson and the money that allegedly belonged to him that kept the company floating is just another problem plaguing the reorganization. Ferguson's attorney denies this news, but I feel there must at least be some truth to it. With as much money as GBT is willing to throw at this, I just cannot figure out why they do not just open their own poker room from scratch with the same marketing concept. Gonzo: You're optimism sure hasn't been lost since the last time (sarcasm). I certainly think there is reason to doubt a deal coming to fruition. But remember that all parties are much better off if a deal gets done. Ferguson and Lederer will really be able to walk into a poker room again if a deal doesn't happen, Tapie will be a hero, players will get their money and DOJ could ease some bad blood (although most of that bad blood has turned to Full Tilt ownership over recent months). Assuming it is still in line to happen, what is your projection on the o/u on when the games will be live? July 2012 Pokeraddict's line: December 31, 2012 Gonzo: August 2012 Gonzo: Last October I said that June 2012 would be the over/under. With the deal behind schedule at this point for that scenario to come to fruition, I'm moving things back to August. How ready is GBT to launch if major progress was made? Between the DOJ, the recent Chris Ferguson news and other hold-ups, it feels like a lot of red tape still needs to be cleared. Pokeraddict: The reason I answer this is because I just do not nee anything happening. If something does happen, it will take most of this year to get things organized and reopened. What is your projection on the number of real money players during peak times on the new Full Tilt one month after launching (o/u)? Pokeraddict 1,200 Gonzo: 2,500 Pokeraddict: With no US players, and the lack of players that will be willing to deposit at first, I see Full Tilt being on the lower end of most player projections. What may help the situation is a strong prop program and the help of fresh online poker pros. There is the issue of previous Full Tilt pros not being involved that may hurt the marketability of the new brand. I know I predicted three times this number before, but it seems we are still too far from an actual reopening. The brand dies slowly with each passing day. Gonzo: I agree and that is why my number has moved down by about half since last October. Still, they have a huge brand recognition and I'm sure many will forgive Full Tilt when they realize its not under old ownership. That combined with their highly acclaimed software makes me think its reasonable they will be the size of Merge one month after launching based on a September 2012 launch. As you said, things deteroriate with every passing day. What are the odds Phil Ivey takes part in the 2012 WSOP Main Event? Pokeraddict +100 Gonzo: +200 Gonzo: Phil Ivey is playing more live tournaments these days, including the Aussie Millions which he won last week. Ivey playing these events actually contributes to my relative optimism of a positive Full Tilt resolution. In regards to this question, I think these recent tournament appearances are enough to bring my line down from +350 last October to +200 now. However, I think it's one thing to play the Aussie Millions and another to play the most prestigious event in the world, where there will be a huge spotlight on him. I'm not sure the positives would outweigh the negatives for Mr. Ivey. If a Full Tilt resolution is well underway by the summer, the odds drastically improve. Pokeraddict: Considering Ivey played the Aussie Millions, I feel he will play the 2012 WSOP this year after sitting out the series in 2011. The chances increase if Full Tilt actually looks like it is going to reopen. What is a the o/u on when U.S. players will receive their money? Pokeraddict: Never +200 Gonzo: April 2013 Pokeraddict: It is hard to book a "never" bet, but I see little hope here. The goal to reopen Full Tilt was the first quarter of 2012. Full Tilt is nowhere near being able to reopen. The DOJ is nowhere near setting up a refund process, and I am not convinced that it will ever happen. If there is a refund process, it will be long and tedious. If there is a refund, players may only get a fraction of their money. Gonzo: First of all, my line assumes the August 2012 time frame for games going live. This time frame could be optimistic even with timeframe, because I don't really have a good read on how long the DOJ would take on their end to get players paid. You can be sure there would be intense pressure from players and player interests. What are the odds of affiliates being paid during 2012? Pokeraddict: +900 Gonzo: +800 Gonzo: I still think the odds of this happening are bleak, even worse than I projected last year. My guess is the extra cost of working with affiliates will be seen as too much of liability for GBT although the x factor is still that a new Full Tilt could need affiliates more than ever (which many of us think they would -- see below). Perhaps the motivation to get off to a good start with affiliates would be enough. I wouldn't bet on it, though. Pokeraddict: The only way I see affiliates getting paid in full from the old Full Tilt Poker owners is if GBT is in dire need of affiliates. Otherwise, affiliates are at the bottom of the list of people waiting to get paid. Affiliates will never see a dime unless GBT gets so desperate for affiliates that they are willing to dig deep. Affiliates may see a percentage of what they are owed, but a full payment is doubtful. Affiliates have shown too often that they are willing to put up with too much from operators. Even if affiliates do not get paid, some of them will still promote the new Full Tilt Poker. This leaves little motivation for the new Full Tilt to pay up for the old Full Tilt. What is the likelihood of the new Full Tilt working with affiliates after launch? Pokeraddict: -300 Gonzo: +100 Pokeraddict: If Full Tilt Poker reopens, they will need affiliates more than ever. I project that Full Tilt Poker would drop some of the silly deductions and try to do anything that might help bring back affiliates. The problem will be that some affiliates will expect full reimbursement of commission owed from the previous Full Tilt Poker. I do not see that happening. Affiliates have been known to forgive though and I expect to see Full Tilt on many affiliate sites should they reopen. Gonzo: Agreed. The number one "rally the troops" move would be to honor the commissions before they closed last summer. A more likely scenario would be for GBT to not honor those commissions (not sure you could blame them too much) but still work with affiliates in some capacity for the reasons mentioned. I think if this happened, for the most part affiliates would welcome Full Tilt with open arms. So that is how Pokeraddict and I see the Full Tilt Poker situation with current public information. Because of developments late last year, I look at the situation somewhat more favorably while Pokeraddict essentially feels like a deal would have been done already if it was going to happen. We hope you enjoyed reading and please share any comments you have. Stayed tuned for the next edition of our Handicapping Series where we will discuss the current U.S. market. Disclaimer: Please note the opinions expressed in this blog post do not necessary reflect ...
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