Weekly Roundup March 27 2015
RAWA Subcommittee Hearing Involved No Experienced Specialists
The House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations held a hearing for the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA) this week. Noticeably absent were specialists involved in geolocation, player verification, or any gaming regulators. The hearing consisted mostly of antigambling groups, although there were a couple of voices of reason.
The hearing was little more than a show put on to appease Sheldon Adelson by Rep. Jason Chaffetz, whose arrogance and ignorance was easy. There is currently no bill in the Senate and no future committee hearing to discuss RAWA.
Merge Gaming Cashouts Slowing
Cashouts on the Merge Gaming Network are now being reported in the range of two months. No withdrawals have been processed since early March. This is the slowest reported speed for Merge Gaming in two years. While we are not yet alarmed – the Super Bowl volume appears to be playing a role – we are still keeping an eye on the situation. The Merge Gaming cashier services players from Carbon Poker, Sportsbook.ag, PlayersOnly, and SuperBook.
Winning Poker Network Launches Jackpot Sit and Gos
The Winning Poker Network has rolled out jackpot sit and gos, as first reported by Profrb.com. These are lottery-style three-handed sit and gos that do not display the prize pool until after players are seated. These have become immensely popular at PokerStars, where they are called Spin and Gos. This is the first availability of lottery-style sit and gos for U.S. players.
Nevada and Delaware Pool Online Poker Players
The interstate liquidity sharing agreement signed in February 2014 is now live. The three Delaware racinos now share player pools with WSOP.com in Nevada. Both sites are powered by 888 software. Delaware players saw their availability of cash game players go up 20-fold instantly. The network averages about 170 players, according to PokerScout.
Quebec to Block Offshore Sites
The Quebec government is expected to order ISPs to block illegal gambling sites. This is due to the competition with its own lottery, Espacejeux. In addition to protecting the provincial lottery, Quebec feels that offshore sites present a public health issue due to the lack of problem gambling funding.