60 Minutes Show on Online Poker Site Scandals to Air Sun. Nov 30
by PokerPages.com
Fri, Nov 28th, 2008 @ 12:00am
The result of a four month long joint investigation by CBS and the Washington Post, two very respected news organizations, into the cheating scandals at online poker sites Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker is about to be aired this Sunday, November 30th, on the 60 Minutes program at 7pm ET/PT.
Online poker players should worry how the industry is being portrayed, as a preview of the piece posted on the CBS site (click here to view it) begins by saying "We should tell you that this $18 billion industry is illegal in the US, but the ban [UIGEA] is almost impossible to enforce" ...and continues, "and unlike land-based casinos, there is almost no official regulation, enforcement, or supervision."
The report focuses on how online poker players were made to act as amateur sleuths after they suspected that they were being cheated, after the management of the sites in question failed to respond to their complaints.
It includes the following comments made by poker players who helped expose the cheating scandal:
"He was raising, just really, really bad hands against very good hands. He seemed to play crazy," says Todd Witteles, a computer scientist turned poker player who turned detective when he believed he was losing too much to the same new person.
"It seemed like he was giving his money awayâ€recalls Witeles. “Except the only thing was, he wasn't losing. He was playing in a style that was sure to lose, but he was killing the game day after day."
Michael Josem, a player and a computer security expert, also contributed heavily to exposing the cheating scandal. He plotted the odds of such consistent success. "We did the mathematical analysis to find that they were winning at about 15 standard deviations above the mean…approximately equivalent to winning a one-in-a-million jackpot six consecutive times."
COMMENTS POSTED ON THE PREVIEW PAGE
Several comments posted on the CBS site in response to the preview were quick to point out that playing poker online is NOT illegal in the USA, and they asked the venerated news organizations to get their facts straight.
An early comment noted that regulation and licensing of the industry could bring much revenue and needed jobs to the USA.
A REMINDER - STILL MUCH TO DO TO LEGALIZE
The show serves as a reminder to all poker supporters that even with a new administration coming January, there is still much work to be done to change the perception of poker to enable regulation of online poker in the USA.
Discuss this article in our forum
Print this article
Full Article »View Complete Archives »
CEREUS Poker Network Now Powers UltimateBet and Absolute Poker
12am Tue Nov 25th, 2008
Today marked the launch of a totally new online poker platform, called the CEREUS poker network, which powers two popular online poker rooms: UltimateBet and Absolute Poker. In a press release today both poker rooms confirmed that they completed their transition to the new poker network.
Full Article »View Complete Archives »
WPT China Promotion of Poker is Progressing
12am Mon Nov 24th, 2008
WPT Enterprises (WPTE) has been making headway promoting poker in the China poker marketplace, as the WPT China National Traktor Poker Tour has become the first government sanctioned nationally-televised poker competition in China.
Full Article »View Complete Archives »
New Poker Game, Kandu, Takes No Chances to Avoid Legal Hassles
12am Fri Nov 21st, 2008
By eliminating chance from the game of poker, Wichita Kansas USA entrepreneur Shawn Riley believes his new patent-pending poker game called Kandu will be declared totally legal when it is inspected by the Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission, who only learned about the game this week and said they would be sure to take a closer look.
Full Article »View Complete Archives »
Netherland Banks Object to Policing Online Gaming
12am Fri Nov 21st, 2008
Echoing the many objections raised by the American banking industry to policing the UIGEA, representatives of the Netherlands Bankers Association (NVB) similarly told Dutch Justice Minister Hirsch Ballin that his plan to use Dutch financial institutions to police online poker and Internet gambling sites is neither practical nor legal.
Full Article »View Complete Archives »
Devilfish Acquires Players of Hungarian Poker Room Paramin Poker
12am Wed Nov 19th, 2008
Devilfish Gaming plc, the UK based online poker company owned by namesake poker pro Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott, has announced the acquisition of the player base of Paramin Poker, a Hungary-based online poker site on the Entraction poker network.
Full Article »View Complete Archives »
WSOP Champ Peter Eastgate signs with Poker Royalty
12am Wed Nov 19th, 2008
Peter Eastgate, who just won the 2008 World Series of Poker (WSOP) main event, recently selected Poker Royalty for worldwide management and marketing representation across all major platforms, including media, sponsorship, licensing, commercial endorsements and appearances, to help him leverage his win.
Full Article »View Complete Archives »
PokerPages
Newsletter
Online Poker »
Get 27% Rake Back
+ 100% up to $600 bonus
100% Initial Deposit Bonus
Up to $2,000 !!
PokerPages Special Offer: 125%
Sign-up Bonus-to $1000-Play Now!
100% Sign up bonus
up to $600 at Full Tilt Poker
100% Deposit Bonus
up to $500 at Cake Poker
Double up your 1st $50 deposit
And play in the Sunday Million !
The easiest way to a $10K seat. PokerSchoolOnline!
FREE $1,000 max at Bugsysclub
150% First Deposit Bonus !
Poker News »
Blog Coverage
Kenna James
Wed, Nov 26, 2008 - 05:29pm CST
Costa Rica and the first LSOP poker event
Top News
60 Minutes Show on Online Poker Site...
Menendez Introduces Bill #2 to Legalize...
Phil Hellmuth Expands into Poker Brat...
Top Tournaments
Doyle Brunson Five Diamond World Poker...
Harrahs Atlantic City WSOP Circuit Event
EPT Prague - Season 5
Advertise | Poker Links | Usage Terms | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice | Site Map
All Poker and free play poker content ©2008 Advanced Global Applications, LLC. All rights reserved.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, visit either: National Council on Problem Gambling or Gamblers Anonymous International Service |
