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It may not be the official date on the calendar just yet, but summer is here. That means the World Series of Poker is here. Despite much of the focus being on Las Vegas, online poker players everywhere are still chasing big scores, including in New Jersey.

Many prize pools on regulated online poker rooms in the Garden State over the weekend failed to meet the posted guarantees with lots of players seemingly across the country chasing bracelets, but that only meant there was plenty of added value to those that cashed.

Josh "Shipitagain" Rosengarten nailed down the single biggest score by winning a cool $10,000 in the partypoker NJ/BorgataPoker-com $50,000 Guarantee. Just like his screen name suggests, he "shipped it again" after winning this tournament in March 2015 for $8,721.

Other players reaching the final table were Joseph "megolaman1ac" Liberta (2nd - $6,800), David "phatchoy" Cheng (4th - $4,100), Michael "JohnnyDrama" Haberman Jr (5th - $3,550), Anthony "Flawlessbink" Maio (7th - $2,550), and Yong "LuckySpewy" Kwon (9th - $1,550).

In addition to this final table finish, Maio, under the screenname "l0lflawless," was victorious in the WSOP NJ/888poker NJ $30,000 GTD Weekly Sunday to win the top prize of $8,250. Other notables on the final table included Ryan "Hag😴021" Hagerty (2nd - $4,800), Pierre "P_aire_146" Deissler (3rd - $2,730), Tommy "ShankU4Chips" Schenck (7th - $1,170), and Craig "Ruby_" Rubinstein (9th - $540).

Meanwhile, Keith Donovan once again had a great weekend by taking first place in the WSOP NJ/888poker NJ $10,000 GTD Weekly Sunday under the screen name "T1mB3y_B33F" $2,778, second place in the PokerStars NJ Sunday High Roller [6-Max] for $6,500 as part of a two-way deal with Michael "J3tBl@ckP0pe" Gagliano, and sixth in the PokerStars NJ Sunday Special for $2,250.

Speaking of the Sunday Special, two big winners came out on top with "NateTheGrape" and "supremetny" agreeing to a heads-up deal to collect $9,543 and $8,182, respectfuly.




New Jersey Online Poker Briefing: Donovan, Maio, and Rosengarten Win Big | PokerNews

It seems the state of Michigan is one step closer to online poker legalization. Yet another major hurdle was cleared yesterday when the Senate committee members approved SB 889 bill 8-1.

The next step is the bill to receive a Senate approval. For the time being, there is no information about an online casino bill, awaiting approval at the Michigan House. If approved, bill SB 889 would legalize only poker games via the Internet.

The legislative session concludes at the end of June, so it is difficult to handicap whether the bill would pass or not. Yet, the Michigan Senator Mike Kowall is the sponsor of the online casino bill which boosts the chances the matter to be resolved in a timely manner.

According to the clauses, the piece of legislation contains, operators willing to provide their services on the territory of the Wolverine state will be required to pay an application fee amounting to $100,000. The fee for an Internet gambling license is set at $5 million. The internet wagering services operators provide will be subject to a 10% tax.

The piece of legislation also enables only land-based casinos on the territory of Michigan to apply for an online gambling license. In addition, the online poker and casino legalization will bring about the necessity of establishment of Division of Internet Gaming in the Michigan Gaming Control Board to oversee the gambling activities taking place within the state borders.

Michigan residents have more than 20 tribal gambling facilities available as well as three commercial casinos in Detroit. They reached their peak in 2010-2012 when they collected record revenues. After that, a slight decline was noticed. Nevertheless, the accumulated revenue for 2015 was $1.37 billion.

The idea for online gambling legislation has been on the agenda for quite some time. The state has a long history related to gambling, though. The year 1933 saw the legalization of pari-mutuel horse racing. The increasing demand for gambling services in the 1980s led to the establishment of casino venues in Detroit. Back then, the lottery games were also allowed. Michigan legalized online lottery in 2014. If online casinos get the nod, Michigan would be the first state to legalize online gambling since 2013.

Online casinos legislation also remains a hot topic in Pennsylvania, California, and New York. Currently, there are three jurisdictions that have already implemented the iGaming options – Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey.




Michigan Online Poker Bill Heads to the Senate Floor

A bill that would legalise online poker in California is facing a series of proposed amendments as lawmakers in the US state continue to discuss its entrance into law.

Introduced by Assemblyman Adam Gray, AB 2863 is the closest that the state has come to legalising online poker for some time, with the bill in April having been passed by the California Assembly Governmental Organisation by a vote of 18-0.

However, the bill’s progress has now been delayed by the introduction of a number of new amendments, which cover tax rate issues, licence fees and the so-called ‘bad actor’ clause, the latter of which would block any operator that continued to accept online bets after December 2006 from US-based players from obtaining a licence in the state.

Should the latter amendment be approved, the bill would enable online operators such as PokerStars, which was amongst those to breach the 2006 cut-off date, to apply for a licence in the state.

Other proposed amendments include increasing the licence fee from $10 million (€8.8 million) to $12.5 million, as well as the tax rate operators a required to pay being dependent on the combined gross gaming revenue (GGR).

Should GGR exceed $350 million, the rate would be set at 15%, but this would be lowered to 12.5% should GGR come in between $250 and $350 million.

The rate for those with a GGR of between $150 and $250 million would be set at 10%, while any operator with a GGR of less than $150 million would be faced with a rate of 8.85%.

A final version of the bill is expected to be published later this month.







California online poker bill set for further changes | iGaming Business

So, let's hope for good luck, people )

The New York state senate has approved an online poker bill for the first time, although poker’s chief proponent in the state Assembly declared earlier in the day that he isn’t likely to move a companion measure in the legislature’s dying days.

Late on Tuesday, following a truly interminable debate between S-5302 sponsor Sen. John Bonacic (pictured left) and online gambling opponent Sen. Liz Krueger (on the right), the full senate voted 53-5 in favor on the bill’s passage. Bonacic’s victory was that much sweeter given that Tuesday was his birthday.

While the unprecedented nature of the senate’s approval is laudatory, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow, who chairs the Assembly’s racing and wagering committee, poured cold water on the issue even before the senate began its debate. The Buffalo News quoted Pretlaw saying that the online poker push in the Assembly was “dead.”

The state is also wrestling with the issue of whether to legalize daily fantasy sports, an issue that has significantly more juice than poker, and the legislature is set to adjourn on Thursday, so it appears online poker is simply a bill too far.

Unwilling to let go, the Poker Players Alliance has insisted that there is still a legislative path toward online poker passage, namely by inclusion in what New York legislators refer to as ‘the big ugly,’ i.e. a last minute, grab-bag omnibus package that collects mongrel bills like some Brooklyn dogcatcher.

THE ZOMBIES ARE COMING
Krueger questioned Bonacic for a half-hour – the only pol that asked any questions – and her line of inquiry displayed her obvious bias agin’ gambling. She also displayed a shocking level of ignorance about online gambling coupled with a remarkable familiarity with Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling talking points.

Krueger claimed that she wasn’t automatically opposed against any of the state’s pending gaming bills, “I just can’t find one I like. And tonight is no different.” Krueger then downshifted into a bizarre rant about how the internet and smartphones were turning Americans into “junkies on our computers” and “livingl zombies.”

Krueger appeared not to notice, but Bonacic found a way to avenge his frustration with her increasingly unhinged queries by responding with references to various sub-clauses in his legislation, helpfully labeling one example as “D for Dense.” Happy birthday, John.



New York Senate Approves Online Poker Bill | Online Gambling News : CalvinAyre-com

Online Poker Bills Earning Attention in Several States

The last seven days have been particularly active on the legislative front with regard to online poker's prospects in the United States. At present only three out of 50 states allow online poker — Nevada, Delware, and New Jersey — but several other states are presently considering bills to permit their residents to join the game.

MICHIGAN

We mentioned here a week ago how in Michigan the state's Senate Regulatory Reform Committee had passed an online poker and casino bill by a 8-1 margin, thereby sending the bill to the entire Michigan senate. News of the favorable committee vote on the bill, titled the "Lawful Internet Gaming Act," came somewhat suddenly, as there hadn't seemed to be much momentum behind the bill since its introduction in April.

Don't start betting on online poker in Michigan just yet, however, as the current legislative session ends in two weeks and the prospects for the bill proceeding further aren't necessarily the brightest.

CALIFORNIA

We've been discussing the possibility of online poker in California for over a decade now, but at the start of this week such talk had become more intriguing as an online poker bill appeared poised to pass through the state's Assembly Appropriations Committee to be heard by the entire Assembly.

An obstacle was encountered, however, when a six-tribe coalition led by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians expressed opposition to the bill, with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians additionally speaking against it.

The "bad actor" sticking point has arisen again as a point of contention, specifically with regard to the possibility of PokerStars being allowed to rejoin the online poker game in the Golden State.


NEW YORK

It's been a similarly up-and-down week in New York when it comes to online poker's prospects, where cautious optimism early in the week was soon followed by doubt and uncertainty.

On Tuesday the state's senate passed an online poker bill by a wide margin — 53-to-5 — meaning unlike in Michigan or California, such a bill had been moved even further up the legislative ladder. But the Assembly still had to consider it, and word even then from Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow who authored their version of the bill was that it didn't have the same support in his chamber.

However, there still remained hopes that the bill might get included in a last-minute omnibus bill full of various legislation — nicknamed "Big Ugly" — to be voted upon late last night as the current legislative session came to a close.

That vote and the end of the session had been scheduled for last night, but too much ground had to be covered and both the Senate and Assembly voted to return today to complete their work for the session. Meanwhile a daily fantasy sports bill (also authored by Pretlow) is scheduled to be considered by the Assembly today.




Inside Gaming: Busy Week for Online Poker Legislation; DraftKings and FanDuel Dismiss Merger Talk | PokerNews

Despite significant momentum last week, it appears online gaming regulation in New York is unlikely to happen in the immediate future.

The path to regulation in New York began earlier this month when the New York Senate Finance Committee reported with a 20-8 vote to the Senate floor Senator John Bonacic’s online poker legalization bill, S5302C.

Momentum took off from there with last week with the Senate resoundingly passing the bill by a 53-5 vote. The bill's next step was to be approved by the state's other legislative house, the Assembly. However, the bill stalled with no signs of it coming close to be voted on for approval.

That means the online poker bill in New York is done for the year.

However, despite the bill failing to take its next step to become law last week before the legislative session ended, poker players should walk away with two positive things. First of all, the approval by the Senate of the bill marked the first time since New Jersey, the last of the three states to create a regulated online gaming regime, passed its bill into a law in February 2013. It is possible that this momentum will help when the two houses reconvene for their next session.

With many poker players enjoying daily fantasy sports (DFS), perhaps the biggest news to come out of New York last week was the passing of a DFS bill in the state's legislature. The Assembly first passed a bill on Friday before the Senate passed the bill a few hours before the 2016 legislative session ended.

In order for the bill to now become law, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo will need to either sign it with 10 days or merely not veto the bill during that time frame.

If the bill becomes law, it will allow for DFS sites to operate with a temporary permit while awaiting a regulated license. Regulated daily fantasy sites will be taxed 15 percent from gross revenue less prizes or what we refer to in poker as the rake and another 0.5 percent in licensing fees which cap out at $50,000. The taxes are reported to be earmarked towards education.

According to The New York Daily News, Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee Chairman Gary Pretlow described the passing of DFS regulation through the legislature as "a collaborative effort between both houses," before adding that, "I think players of fantasy sports will be pleased."





New York Assembly and Senate Approve DFS Bill; Online Poker Bill Dead | PokerNews

New York’s legislature failed to pass a bill that would legalize online poker as it wrapped up business for 2016 in all-night session over the weekend.

After unprecedented momentum for online poker, New York should be considered a favorite to pass an online poker bill in 2017.
Online poker got halfway there

To almost everyone’s surprise, Sen. John Bonacic’s online poker bill passed the Senate in its final week before adjournment.

And it wasn’t just that it passed the Senate. It passed by such a wide margin — 53-5 — that it gave hope that New York online poker could actually reach the finish line in 2016.

But even as that vote was taking place, the poker bill’s sponsor in the Assembly — Gary Pretlow — was calling the effort dead. And that turned out to be true, as the bill was never considered in a committee vote.

“There is no easy way to swallow coming up short in New York this year,” Poker Players Alliance Executive Director John Pappas told Online Poker Report. “Even though internet poker regulation was a longshot, we did a tremendous job of positioning the issue and making it relevant.”
The positives for the future in New York

Why should New Yorkers be bullish on playing legal online poker in the not-to-distant future?
The same, tired arguments about online gambling fail to gain traction

When Bonacic brought the bill for consideration in front of the full Senate, he had a lengthy back-and-forth with one senator, Liz Krueger.

Krueger is an opponent of all most things gambling — or at least continued expansions of gambling.(She also spoke out against a daily fantasy sports bill that ended up passing.)

She brought up all the arguments that we’ve heard ad nauseam from the morality police/Sheldon Adelson/Restoration of America’s Wire Act supporters. She questioned whether minors could be stopped from playing (they can) and said online poker would turn people into zombies (not so much).

In New York, at least, these arguments are ringing hollow, as there are just five people in the Senate who voted against the bill.

And whatever is holding it up in the Assembly, it’s likely not these issues.
Advocacy is working?

While the online poker advocacy effort paled in comparison to the more than 100,000 contacts that DFS players had with lawmakers, it was still a good one.

Pappas said that the PPA tracked 10,000 points of contact with lawmakers, via emails, phone calls and tweets.

“I am especially heartened that so many New Yorkers took time to contact their lawmakers,” Pappas said. “There is little doubt that this activism paved the way for the overwhelming vote in support of the bill in the New York Senate.”
The consumer protection angle might be working

The DFS bill passed largely as a consumer protection measure, and as something that would legalize an industry existing in a gray area. It did so despite generating little meaningful revenue for the state.

Bonacic was also pushing his poker bill as a consumer protection measure. He noted that people are playing online poker at offshore sites already, with no oversight of those operators.

The consumer protection refrain is being used in other states, as well. If it worked for DFS, can it eventually work for poker? It’s at least possible.

Of course, online poker also could generate tens of millions of dollars for the state, on top of the above concerns.
So what’s the hold-up in NY?

This is the million-dollar question in New York. Why does a bill with overwhelming support in the Senate lack momentum — at least according to Pretlow — in the Assembly?

On more than one occasion, Pretlow has said that there the bill faced long odds in his chamber.

But we also don’t know why Pretlow and the Assembly took no action; Pretlow has never characterized why the bill didn’t move this year. Previously, the state’s gaming interests all hadn’t been on board, but now they are.

“Clearly, we could not convince everyone that regulation needs to happen now,” Pappas said. “So we are going to redouble our education efforts over the summer and into next year. We want to make sure that internet poker is first in line when the new legislative session begins.”

Whatever the problem is for Pretlow and the Assembly, we can expect it to be addressed during the next legislative session. Online poker has been on New York’s radar since 2013, and it’s hard to imagine it being dropped entirely after the historic and lopsided vote in the Senate.

It’s said in a lot of states when an online poker effort fails, but next year actually might be the year for online poker in New York.




Why New York Is A Favorite To Pass An Online Poker Bill Next Year

Black Friday sent most online poker players in the United States into a confusing and sad few years. It quickly became apparent that the industry was going to have to start from the beginning and pass legislation in individual states. The process didn’t look as difficult as it proved to be, though, and there are still only three states that have regulated and licensed online poker in the five years since that fateful day.

Nevada and Delaware didn’t take much convincing to legalize online poker and see the potential for the future – revenue, interstate agreements to create liquidity, a burgeoning market that could lead to its own poker boom. New Jersey got on board, too. But the train seemed to be stuck on the tracks after that, with various states considering bills year after year but making little progress.

States like California and New York have boosted the hopes of online poker players in America several times, and each session ends with another dead bill. But something changed in 2016.

New York began to move bills on the Senate and Assembly side of its state legislature at the very beginning of the year. California Assemblyman Adam Gray worked so diligently to bridge the gap between different factions that everyone agreed on a massive annual payment to the horse racing industry to move a bill forward. Michigan sprang out nowhere to put a bill in motion. Pennsylvania looked more promising than in years past as well.

Analysts vary on the reasons for the apparent momentum in 2016. State lawmakers are sick of the failures, and all of them want those millions of dollars in monthly revenue to help their own state budgets. But perhaps the biggest reason for the push is that daily fantasy sports (DFS) is seeing success in numerous states with incredible lobbying efforts.

The Poker Players Alliance has been the primary lobbying organization behind online poker legislation for years on both the state and federal level. But without much room for success in Congress, the focus has shifted to the states with the most promise. And with some notable success in 2016, it gives poker players something to boost their hopes.


Read more: Everyone Can Make the Push for US Online Poker

The first two items lead to this one: The DFS industry has done an amazing job of finding lawmakers to advance its interests.

The authors and co-sponsors of DFS legislation are usually whole-hearted believers in the first two points above.

The list of online poker “champions” on these items is relatively small. The DFS industry has found lawmakers in a variety of states that are 100 percent on the same page, and vocally advocate for the bill.

Do these same lawmakers exist for online poker? They may be tougher to find, but they must exist. Finding more of them should be a priority.



Read more: Lessons Online Poker Can Take From New York And Fantasy Sports