Do Some Promotions Violate Lottery Laws?
I was just thinking about this the other day but I remember some poker rooms running promotions where you earned tickets and then those tickets would enter you into drawings for prizes.…
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Bill Rini
Writing about poker, travel, technology, and life since 2003 .
Articles by Bill Rini
F-Train's Analysis - A Search for a Victim
I was reading F-Train's analysis of the charges brought against Stars, Tilt, and Cereus and while 90% of the time I think he's dead-on, this time I think he's letting his emotions get in…
Read the articleThinking About VPN'ing Poker? Think Again
My friend Michael who lives in Japan asked me to write VPN poker because he keeps getting asked about this topic and he's getting tired of answering the same question over and over.…
Read the articleThe PPA is Pathetic
The PPA just sent me this email: I don't know what universe the PPA lives in but the DOJ's decision had nothing to do with any grassroots pressure generated from PPA members. Sixty-five…
Read the articleLooking At Affiliates
When I was on 2+2's Pokercast the other day and Mike and Adam asked me about the impact on affiliates. It was a tough one to answer on the spot and very difficult to answer in a podcast…
Read the articleFull Tilt and PokerStars Allowing Cashouts . . . Soon?
Several sources seem to be reporting that Full Tilt and PokerStars have come to a legal agreement with the DOJ that gives the poker rooms back the use of their .com domains. They will…
Read the articleThe European Offensive
It looks like everyone is taking a crack at Stars and Tilt right now. Everyone is attempting to kick them while they're down and take advantage of the fact that their marketing staff is…
Read the articleI Don't Get the PPA
Here is the email that the PPA sent out to members late yesterday. I sort of mulled it over a bit to give it time to sink in but I still don't get it. Now Is the Time We Fight Back! Dear…
Read the articleAnd The Numbers Are In - A Look at the Carnage
Poker Scout has done their weekly report and there are no real surprises. I like the fact that Scout decided to compare the post Friday period so we can get an early look at how the…
Read the articleWhy Bodog Wasn't Kicked Out of the US
I was listening to the QuadJacks stream earlier today and they kept bringing up this question and I have received a few emails asking the same thing. I don't have any contacts at the DOJ…
Read the articleThe Vultures Are Circling
I just got this email from Chili Poker today: MALTA, 17/04/2011 – Beat the Black Friday with the Chilipoker.com Purple Day In response to the Black Friday of the online poker,…
Read the articleHappy Songkran
If people had been wondering where I was all last week, I was up in Phetchabun for the Songkran festival. Songkran is a religious holiday but over the years it has sort of developed into…
Read the articleThe Fallout From The Full Tilt / PokerStars Pullout
I said I was going to cover what this all means on a few topics when I got home and as I start to write this it's 6:07am and I've just spent a sleepless night on the bus from Phetchabun…
Read the articleOnline Poker Industry Black Friday
I have to apologize for being quiet lately. I've been in the backwaters of Thailand and the best I can get up here is GPRS which is about as slow as dialup so I've only been checking…
Read the articleFanelli 'Found to be Sane'
Just a quick update on Ron "The Mad Yank" Fanelli. After five months of psychiatric review in Surat Thani Fanelli is back in Phuket prison deemed to be sane. Fanelli requested the…
Read the articleThe New Standard in Online Poker
If you haven't noticed a trend by now, I'm sort of disappointed that the online poker industry has failed to really embrace the social media world. Much like AOL in the late 1990's many…
Read the articleOnline Poker Needs an Attitude Adjustment
Again, just like yesterday's post, The Value of Free , today's post is partially inspired by Kim Lund's great post Why PokerRoom.com was five years ahead of its time. And it's also…
Read the articleThe Value of Free
I was just reading Kim Lund's excellent post Why PokerRoom.com was five years ahead of its time and I couldn't help pick up on one of the points he made about social media (which…
Read the articleWhy Social Media is a Fail for Most Online Poker Sites
View the original embedded media sme_bw2010_jay_baer_v1 from Michael A. Stelzner on Vimeo . I was watching this video and couldn't help but think about all of the mistakes online poker…
Read the articleCake Poker Network Being Bought By PokerListings.com?
PokerNewsDaily is reporting that Cake Poker Network is to be purchased by PokerListings . That combined with the negotiations between 888 and Ladbrokes and the bwin / Party Gaming merger…
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