President Obama’s campaign was built on change, but to online poker players, it seems like a lot more of the same. It’s no secret, if one were to look over my past articles, that I am no fan of the bloated, busy body federal government. And even if you only use the newspaper to wipe your rear end, you’ve surely seen a headline or two about the federal government growing like a baseball player on steroids that we’re not allowed to bet on. I never expected the government to get smaller under the leadership of someone as liberal as Obama, but I did expect his administration to be more respectful of personal freedoms. Silly me.

Sherman Bradley, gambling analyst for Online Casino Advisory has an even less rosy outlook when it comes to Obama’s change. “People who voted for change are disturbed to see the same old Bush policies, including deliberate dismissal of court interpretations of the Wire Act, disregard for due process in the bank seizures, and shady courtroom antics in the New Jersey and UIGEA cases to prevent honest justice from being accomplished.”

Liberal heavy hitters like Michael Moore were shouting in the streets when President Bush passed the Patriot Act, a gross infringement on the rights of all Americans and a, in my opinion, gross misuse of federal government power and disregard for our constitution. But for some reason, people go easier on the Obama administration when they restrict the rights of the people and states.

“The Department of Justice has seized bank accounts filled with money belonging to US consumers who legally play online poker, is fighting to preserve the UIGEA by denying the admission of recent evidence that would lose its case, is acting to deny New Jersey the right to determine its own state policy regarding sports gambling that four other states enjoy, and is pressuring Delaware to disavow its right as granted by Congress to employ sports betting,” says Bradley

Perhaps the most upsetting thing is that the UIGEA hurts Americans in two ways. First of all, it restricts the freedom of US citizens. Citizens who should be allowed to play a game if they choose and do whatever they choose to do with the money they have left after the federal government seizes its share. Secondly, Obama has been spending tax payer money like a Beverly Hills housewife to solve this economic crisis, but has done little to generate income through pursuing new ways to do so.  Ummm…regulated online gambling anyone?

“Even issues currently on the President’s plate, like health care, are affected by choices on the gambling issues. Over $3 billion in annual revenue would be available to help pay for some of Obama’s expensive programs, if he takes a stand to support Frank.” says Bradley

Obama himself is known for enjoying poker and actively campaigned to end censorship on the internet. Wouldn’t you think this would translate to online gambling, since it’s…online? As Obama himself has become a symbol of our country’s ability to change, it seems awfully hypocritical to stand behind a federal government that restricts online gambling for no other reason than that the people who don’t play poker online don’t like the idea. There was also a time when people like that didn’t like the idea of sharing the bathroom with a black man.

Bwin Interactive Entertainment, a popular European online gambling company, announced that it has extended its deal with Dorna Sports, rights holder to MotoGP, through 2010. Bwin had enjoyed a partnership with the Grand Prix motorcycle championship since 2004. The new sponsorship deal will include prominent product placement for bwin, including banners on the track, the pit lane, the starting line and at the podium during press conferences. These banners will be displayed at all 17 circuits of MotoGP, giving motorsports fans plenty of opportunity to say, “Who’s bwin? Haven’t I seen them on soccer jerseys?” Actually, the people watching MotoGP are mostly European, so they would actually say, “Haven’t I seen them on football jerseys?” But you get the point.

Those inquisitive Europeans would be right. Bwin recently became sponsor of the Real Madrid Club du Futbol. It seems that soccer – sorry, football – leagues and racing leagues don’t really mind being associated with online gambling. I can’t imagine the NBA allowing the Chicago Bulls to be sponsored by Bodog Online Casino. Choosing a sponsor would be problematic anyway, because the officials all probably use different sources for when they place bets and rig games to make the Lakers win (Of course, in the old days it was Jordan’s Bulls).

Considering the NFL won’t let their players Twitter or wear Nike headbands or high tops, I seriously doubt they would ever allow the Raiders to have a Cherry Red online casino patch on their sleeve, maybe with a picture of dice or chips. On the other hand, when it comes to the Raiders, any association you can make with their players that doesn’t involve mug shots would probably be a good thing.

It’s good to know that America isn’t the only country where people love to file frivolous lawsuits just for the fun of it. Apparently, the English do it every now and then as well. This week, England’s High Court ruled on behalf of the defendant, Playtech, a major online gambling software developer, who was accused by rival Cranway of patent infringement. Cranway’s suit alleged that Playtech infringed on a patent for online gambling invention for an “interactive, real time, realistic ‘home’ gaming system using general purpose computers. Aspects of the invention concern auditing and security to ensure fairness for players and prevent players defeating the outcome of a game; fast, efficient communication to enable reliable, low cost, real time, realistic operation; accounting; and enabling players to play a variety of games.”

All grammatical mistakes aside, Cranway’s “invention” sounds a little on the vague side. Isn’t it common sense to want online casinos to be safe and fair? Playtech’s defense was basically that the claimed invention was not new, the claimed invention was obvious, and the claimed invention wasn’t an invention at all. Speaking on behalf of Playtech was Ian Leslie, Professor of Computer Science at Cambridge Computer Laboratory. Leslie stated that Cranway’s patent described “the functionality of the system rather than the details of its design.” He argued that it therefore could not be considered a patent.

The Honorable Justice Lewison (yes, the judge is really named “Justice”) ruled that the patent was invalid, but that if it had been and ruled in favor of Playtech. It is not known whether Cranways immediately fired the person who wrote the language of their patent.  Online gamblers can rest easy. Playtech is still allowed to protect you.

A recent study by WMS Gaming learned that while frequenters of brick and mortar casinos tend to be older, the nation’s youth does most of their gambling online. Online gambling being the rage for young players isn’t really surprising, since younger people tend to be more technologically savvy anyway and grew up in the information age. The study said that the young players are flocking to online gambling primarily because they don’t have much free time. It is an age of multitasking, and taking the time to drive to a casino and devote hours of time to gambling isn’t popular among young players. Instead, they would rather save time by playing online poker on the computer while watching TV or playing online slots on their iPhone while riding the bus.

 The study said that gamblers live a more active and frenetic lifestyle than the general population, and thus have less free time. It also said that 92% of active gamblers have access to the internet, as opposed to 70% for the general population. There is a misconception that most gamblers are traditionalists that don’t like to learn new things, but the survey showed that most active gamblers happily embrace change, new technology, new tricks and tips, and want to learn as much about gambling as they can. In this age, much of that information is gained over the internet, and it seems that the gambling is being done over the web as well. This trend is good news for online gambling. As the old generation of gamblers gets older, some wonder whether the next generation, in an age where Rock Band and other hi-tech toys are immensely popular, would embrace gambling. It seems that gambling, which appears to be a rather low-tech form of entertainment in this age, is still exciting enough for young Americans.

Yesterday I wrote an article about how several states are seeking to legalize gambling primarily due to the profits they stand to gain. It turns out that having a rumbly tummy for lots of cash works both ways. With National Poker Week in full swing, supporters of legalized online poker are making their voices heard in Washington, but there are some in the gambling industry who are against online poker!

Most notable of all these enemies of freedom is casino mogul Steve Wynn, owner of Encore Las Vegas Resorts and Wynn Las Vegas. Wynn “believes” that online gaming is very risky and may cause embarrassment to the land based casinos if it does not succeed. He also feels that online gaming can’t be properly regulated and will lead to disaster. Translation: If online gaming succeeds, Steve Wynn is afraid he will make less money.

Poker pro and UltimateBet.com representative Annie Duke is in Washington making her rounds in support of online poker. She has a harsh opinion of Wynn and a strong message to fans of online poker. “Steve Wynn keeps coming up as the only major casino owner still against online poker. Consider that when deciding where to gamble in Vegas.”

It’s funny how Steve Wynn is afraid of land-based casinos being “embarassed.” This from a man long-rumored to lure big spenders to Vegas with prostitutes and illegal drugs. He’s kind of like the Superman of Las Vegas, only he fights off embarassment with prostitutes and class instead of super strength and heat vision.

Government officials are starting to learn the meaning of the phrase “The enemy of my enemy, is my friend.” After years of looking down their nose at gambling, state and federal officials, the current economic crisis has politicians scrambling for ways to make some cold hard cash to put a money band-aid on the wounded economy.

News has come down the pike that three, count’em, THREE U.S. States are pushing plans for video poker and slot machines to be legalized in their states to compensate for failing taxes. Ohio has projected $933 million in revenue from the 17,500 slot machines being installed by May statewide at horse racing tracks. Video poker is now legal in Illinois taverns and expected to raise $300 million annually as support for $31 billion in infrastructure improvements. While Pennsylvania is betting that $550 million in revenue would find its way into the state’s coffers from legalized video poker in bars.

“As we learned in Ohio and Illinois, desperate times call for desperate measures,” said Brian McGill, an analyst at Janney Montgomery Scott LLC. Desperate times indeed. Clearly there are some things that are only illegal until we need money from them, which should leave people questioning, why did our leaders make it illegal in the first place?

“Given that the state is desperate for revenue, it is possible the bill could find more support going forward,” McGill said. “We believe the situation in Pennsylvania is yet another example of a state that needs revenues and is considering turning to expanded gaming.”

With officials turning to gaming as a tremendous source of income, it seems even more likely that online gaming won’t be far behind.

Pramana Inc., an internet security firm founded by students at Georgia Institute of Technology’s College of Computing, is launching a new security program that will make online translations, including transactions made at online casinos, safer for the users. The patent-pending HumanTouch solution is said to have flexible implementation and be easy to deploy. The innovative solution allows online companies to distinguish between human users and software-generated “bots” in real time. The solution would be able to prevent users from being able to create “pokerbots” to play against and would block malware that could cause the online casino to spam people’s emails, hurting their credibility. The solution is non-intrusive and will not be noticed by users.

 HumanTouch could be most beneficial to online poker players. By cracking down on users’ ability to cheat in online poker games, it levels the playing field for honest poker players. The solution also protects against financial fraud and reputation hacking. As a writer who isn’t totally computer savvy, I’m not really up on all of the technological terms thrown around in press releases for tech companies like Pramana, but I talked to our IT guy and he says HumanTough sounds good. I believe him. So you can breathe a little easier next time you visit your favorite online poker site. Thank you, Georgia Tech students. You are a rambling wreck from Georgia Tech and a helluva engineer.

Poker Players Alliance, a special interest group that advocates for the rights of poker players, now has the official support of shock jock Howard Stern, who is now a member. Stern has a devoted following for his Sirius radio show and a loyal fan base that enjoy his lowbrow humor and political commentary. Alfonse D’Amato, former senator and current chairman of the PPA, is excited about the exposure Stern could bring to the PPA and their fight with the government over internet gambling rights, especially with National Gambling Week beginning on Monday. Capital Hill lawmakers are getting ready for a fight over online gambling, with Representative Barney Frank looking to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

 D’Amato thanked Stern for “supporting the PPA’s efforts to protect the freedom of American citizens to play the great game of poker at the time and place of their choosing – a freedom Congress voted to take away.” Personally, I can’t think of an advocate for the PPA’s cause with more credibility than the man who once appeared as Fartman at the MTV Video Music Awards. But despite his flaws, of which there are many, Stern is an influential man. After all, he was able to convince the nation to keep Sanjaya on American Idol, and that was no small feat. Besides, despite his controversial past, Stern can’t hold a candle to Barney Frank, with his gay prostitution ring and his role in pushing sub-prime mortgages and turning a blind eye to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac’s business practices. If online poker is going to be legalized in the United States, it will be the help of some very colorful advocates.

The rumors have been circulating like herpes at a fraternity kegger about who was going to acquire UK online gambling group Cashcade. For a while, the frontrunner seemed to be 888.com, but last week they backed out after CEO Gigi Levy confirmed pursuing a contract, but could not agree on a price tag. However, the dust has settled and a winner has emerged. According to a UK newspaper, Party Gaming has inked a deal to purchase Cashcade, owners of the popular bingo site, foxybingo.com.

The deal, expected to be officially announced within the next few days, is rumored to be somewhere in the neighborhood of $122 million and include further compensation (upwards of $48 million) based upon future performance of the site through 2010. Party Gaming recently settled a legal dispute with the US Department of Justice and had mentioned interest in acquiring a number of online gaming properties. They have also looked into deals with GigaMedia, owners of Everest Poker.

Independent News & Media, who owns a 20% share of Cashcade is breathing a sigh of relief as the purchase will create much needed cash flow for the indebted newspaper. Cashcade has proven to be successful since its launch in 2000, last year earning over $65 million.

CEO of Party Gaming, Jim Ryan said of this and further acquisitions, “Party plans on playing a material role in the consolidation of the sector, but that will always be contingent upon appropriate valuations and the willingness of parties to make deals happen.” he said. “I think that has been the limiting factor historically is that the gaming sector has been a growth sector, and the valuation expectations of organizations quite often don’t get reset during the softer periods like we’re experiencing right now.”

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Ah, the ninth amendment. That vague “rule” written by the framers of the Constitution oh so many years ago. The ninth amendment is significant because it limits the size of the federal government. Unfortunately, over the past hundred years or so, the size of the federal government has increased and the significance of the words in our Constitution slowly chipped away for some. To the point where the federal government tells the people what games they can and cannot play. Still, our great country allows for the reversal of laws both silly and significant.

Today marks the start of National Poker Week 2009 and it’s not only a great time to get together with friends, drink a Shasta and toss some chips at your friends, it’s a great time to speak your mind. The goal of National Poker Week is to send a message to the President and the US Government as a whole that online poker and poker in general should be legal and licensed. The Poker Players Alliance has been working hard to raise awareness of the effort to do away with the UIGEA.

“We all have a right to play poker and taking away that right sets a dangerous precedent that no American should stand for,” stated Annie Duke, WSOP bracelet winner and UltimateBet consultant. “There’s a lot of work to do to ensure that poker players and the game get the respect they deserve but we’re getting there.”

This year is particularly important as Barney Franks online gaming legislation gains heat in the press and September approaches. A planned “fly in,” where pokers best and brightest plan to meet with delegates in Washington to promote the repealing of the UIGEA, is in full swing this week. Also, an online petition set to be delivered to President Obama is up to over 352,000 signatures with a goal of 500,000 signatures.