Author Archives: jnewell
Jennifer began writing about poker while working at the World Poker Tour in the mid-2000s. Since then, her freelance writing career has taken her from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back to her hometown of St. Louis, where she now lives with her two dogs. She continues to follow the poker world as she also launches a new subscription box company and finishes her first novel. Jennifer has written for numerous publications including PokerStars.com and has followed the US poker and gaming market closely for the last 15 years. Follow Jen on Twitter
Disclaimer: The information on this site is my interpretation of the laws as made available online. It is in no way meant to serve as legal advice or instruction. We recommend that you seek legal advice from a licensed attorney for further or official guidance.
Pennsylvania iPoker Down Again but iGaming Up Overall
The Pennsylvania internet gaming market has settled into a similar pattern to its New Jersey counterpart. Each month, revenue from online slots and casino games increases, as online poker decreases. This year was a banner year for the industry in some ways, as the coronavirus pandemic brought more players to the online games than ever before. Revenue soared in March, April, May, and into June. Without live betting options, including poker, players took their action online. The burgeoning industry set
New Jersey Online Poker Down Again in September
Another month delivered a familiar story about the internet gaming industry in New Jersey. Online poker revenue declined in September while online casino game revenue increased. The coronavirus pandemic prompted New Jersey poker players to log on in record numbers, and online poker soared for several months this year, specifically in April and May. Poker players served up another increase in July. But the last two months saw decreases. While revenue remains high with respect to the previous year’s numbers,
Bovada and Ignition Host Golden Spade Poker Open
Poker players have had their pick of online tournament series this year, from PokerStars to PartyPoker and GGPoker… Oh wait, not if they live in the United States, though. Those in Nevada, Delaware, and Pennsylvania each have one option for state-regulated online poker, while players in New Jersey have several choices. The rest of the American players do have something. There are poker sites that accept American players. Bovada and Ignition are two of those sites, and luckily for players,
GGPoker Intros Three Pro Teams with Martin on GGSquad
Some say it’s all in the marketing. GGPoker agrees. GGNetwork officially entered the online gaming scene in 2014, but it took a couple of years to build a reputation and name recognition with players. Instead of a broad strategy, though, GGNetwork targeted certain markets with various extensions of its network. Natural8 was the first of its poker skins to gain momentum with its target audience in the Asia-Pacific region. By signing players like Kitty Kuo to its team of ambassadors
ACR Talks Bots and Legal US Online Poker
Americas Cardroom, the flagship online poker site of the Winning Poker Network, is not shy about speaking up about poker bots. In 2019, CEO Phil Nagy became more vocal about bots and the site’s effort to crack down on them. ACR’s recent publication about bots is not surprising, though it does explain in some detail the methods used to detect and shut down bots. The ACR publication that is rather interesting is one about legal online poker in the US
Morris Trial Date for Zhao Murder Set for March 22
(Trigger warning: Mention of sexual assault and murder) The Michigan court system moved one step closer to putting Jeffery Bernard Morris on trial for the first-degree murder of longtime poker player Susie Zhao. A pretrial hearing in the Oakland County district court today resulted in an official pretrial date set for February and the start of the trial in March. It may take longer than usual to hold the alleged murderer to account for the heinous crimes against Zhao, but
Poker Gives Auction Offers Sexton Memorabilia for Bids
Mike Sexton died more than one month ago. It is difficult to believe, especially for those still sharing stories about and memories of the world’s best poker ambassador. One of Mike’s final requests was that people donate to Poker Gives. And people have been honoring that wish, most recently with an auction opportunity to benefit the organization he helped found and wanted to carry on long after his life ended. Linda Johnson is making that happen. Mike Sexton Personal Collection
888Millions Superstorm Ends with Huge Nitsche Win
Online poker operators have been hosting massive online tournament series in 2020, providing many options for players who have little or no access to live poker during the pandemic. 888poker was one of those operators, though on a smaller scale and more accessible to a larger swath of players with varying bankrolls. The latest series was a massive one that spanned from September 10 through October 11. The 888Millions Superstorm offered 480 tournaments over those five weeks. The buy-ins ranged
PokerStars Returns to Live Poker with EPT Sochi
Remember live poker tournaments? Remember the European Poker Tour? PokerStars hosted an EPT event that wrapped up this weekend in Sochi, and it went well. Casino Sochi implemented precautionary measures. Players and staff were careful. And they finished the live series. EPT Sochi 2020 was originally on the calendar for March 20-29, 2020. Of course, that little coronavirus pandemic swept the globe in early 2020 and forced PokerStars to cancel the event. The EPT has been on hold – as
Complicated Road Leads 5Dimes to US DOJ Settlement
The news of a settlement between 5Dimes and United States Department of Justice was surprising to some in the online sports betting and gambling industry. The 5Dimes brand became a popular site for US players after Black Friday. The major sports betting and internet gaming operators departed the US market after that April 2011 bombshell of indictments and seizures, so 5Dimes stepped in. Whether characterized as brazen or opportunistic – or both – 5Dimes moved into a market that craved
