Sandoval Pushes for Passage of Nevada Online Gaming Bill

No More Outs as Marcus Bebb-Jones Admits Murder

In what reads more like a film plot than a real-life tale, British poker player Marcus Bebb-Jones pled bad this week to second-degree murder in a Glenwood Springs, Colorado court within the loss of his wife Sabrina 16 years ago in Colorado. Providing no greater motive than that the killing was done in the 'heat of passion,' the 49-year-old poker star's plea deal can get him at the most 20 years out of a feasible 32 that could possibly have been sentenced for the second-degree charges.

Fought Extradition

First arrested back during 2009 adhering to a raid on their home in Worcestershire in his native nation, Bebb-Jones fought extradition for two years before being forced back to the States in 2011 to face trial. The poker player had denied any involvement until this week, although prosecutors had been suspicious when he continued a spending that is massive in Las Vegas after his wife disappeared. He subsequently attempted suicide by shooting himself in the head, but survived and went back towards the UK together with then three-year-old son.

Skull Found in Colorado

The 1997 missing wife case had little to go on until a skull that ended up being defined as Sabrina Bebb-Jones was discovered in Douglas Pass, Colorado in 2004. The couple owned the Melrose resort in Grand Junction, not far from the Pass, at the time of the murder. It then took years that are several bring the instance to fruition, according to District Attorney Sheri Caloia. 'Pleading to first-degree murder would [have been] a life sentence,' Caloia explained about Bebb-Jones admission of shame on the second-degree charges this week. He ended up being due to face trial in April, and will now be sentenced on might 1.

Poker Success After Murder

After Bebb-Jones' return to the UK and before his being charged and extradited, he enjoyed playing that is success at William Hill on the web. He qualified for the William Hill Poker Grand Prix II in 2007, and played live and on TV with other well-known players that are british. Following that stint, he played on the live UK poker circuit, ultimately winning $184,370 for very first place in a Pot Limit Hold'em event in 2007 for the Grosvenor Grand Prix.

Motive A mystery

The real story behind his motive remains unclear; at first, he had told authorities that his wife vanished following a row unless Bebb-Jones decides to shed light on what caused his murderous act at his May sentencing hearing. Sabrina was only 31 at the time, and their toddler son Daniel simply three years old. Now 19, there is no word so far on the boy's response to his father's plea deal this week.

Sandoval Pushes for Passage of Nevada Online Gaming Bill

Noting that Nevada happens to be in a race against time to finalize its online video gaming bill, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval told his state's legislative body this week that they need to pass the measure referred to as Assembly Bill 114 within the next 30 days so that you can stay a step ahead of brand New Jersey, that is additionally considering a statute that is revised legalize online gambling.

What the Bill Does

the brand new Assembly Bill 114 will be to create a process through which interested organizations can seek to get gaming licenses for online gambling sites in Nevada. a hearing that is joint of State's Senate and Assembly Judiciary committees came across to review the bill's contents this week.

Internal Disputes

Although rushing to get the measure through the legislature, Sandoval is not without his critics on some wording. The bill's sponsor, Assembly Majority Leader William Horne (D-Las Vegas), had argued with the governor over the best amount to set for the interactive gaming license application fee. Sandoval initially wanted to set fees at $500,000, in comparison to Horne's proposal which they be set at $1 million. A compromise ended up being reached by setting the fee at $500,000, but enabling the Nevada Gaming Commission the leeway to increase or decrease charges under specific circumstances. Additionally contained in the compromise was wording so that application costs could never go above $1 million, or fall below $150,000.

Additionally, renewal fees is set at $250,000, rather than Horne's initially proposed $500,000.

With No Federal Mandate, Nevada Should Act Alone

Assembly Majority Leader Horne said in his testimony that as Congress has did not take good steps towards passage of a national gambling bill, Nevada has to take the initiative and look out for its own interests. Horne added that the measure that is new provide much-needed tax revenues which could get towards their state's training system and assist the still-beleaguered economy return to life.

More Visitors Will Come

Because Nevada on the web gaming players will have to be Nevada residents, Sandoval stated the bill can only boost the state's residencies while offering possibly thousands, or even millions of brand new customers to your state's gaming companies. Several brick-and-mortar vegas casinos have already placed down stakes on the new frontier of on line gaming, establishing sites and offering play that is free they watch for real-money games to become legal.

'It is vital that people move quickly,' stated Sandoval in his plea to hawaii's legislature to have the bill done within the to come month. 'The [financial] potential is extraordinary.'

Government-Approved Swedish Gambling Site Cracks Down on Cheaters

Svenska Spel, Sweden's state-owned online video gaming company for the reason that nation's highly managed gambling market, has locked down 14 poker accounts that allegedly used bots to win big money. The company states the suspended reports had a total of $108,000 in them presently, but had won more than $1.8 million on the course of the year that is past.

Players Get Suspicious

In a scenario reminiscent of PokerStars and other online sites' cheating scandals in present years, it in fact was a player who initially reported activity that is suspicious the Swedish gambling site, which ultimately determined the reports had been using bots. Bots are illegal computerized players, masquerading as people in online games, but in actuality mechanized programs with sophisticated algorithms for how to initiate play or react with other players techniques in various circumstances.

Svenska Spel ultimately reported on its very own players' forum that the bots in question was in fact found in No Limit Hold'em games ranging in big blinds from $50 up to $500. The web site said the majority of the winnings that are big throughout the last six months, and that the matter ended up being now into the fingers of the Swedish Gaming Board as well as local authorities.

Company Initially Didn't Report

Again mirroring past online cheating scandals with Absolute and other poker sites, the business admitted it had known concerning the matter before the player reported it, and yet had did not report it to authorities. Svenska Spel have not revealed the display names of those tangled up in the lockdown while investigations continue; as one of Sweden's limited quantity of state-authorized gambling providers and the sole one licensed to provide poker that is online players, it will leave wary gamblers with few options but to accept the chance or stop trying online play completely. The company uses GTECH G2 computer software in their on-line poker games.

Issues Plague Internet Poker

As several U.S. states, most notably Nevada and New Jersey, stand poised to launch legalized and managed on-line poker at any brief moment now, these dilemmas of cheating on online poker internet sites and preventing them have actually become of paramount importance to potential since well as current players. A recently available online study of poker players revealed that 12% of online players were either apprehensive or had completely stopped playing online in light of the bot that is numerous and proven scenarios.

However the cheating issues are not restricted to only bots.

PokerStars had a massive scandal in 2010, where a team of 49 Chinese players were caught colluding in Double or Nothing SNGs, resulting in a projected $2 million bucks being stolen from some 25,000 players. PokerStars ultimately settled $2.1 million in compensation to the affected players. Absolute Poker also had a well-publicized cheating scandal in 2007, by which 'superuser' accounts were proven to have had the opportunity to see opponents' hole cards, demonstrably making it quite simple to win repeatedly (a reality which ultimately tipped down players and made Absolute investigate). Ultimately, $15 million was reimbursed to players at Absolute as well as Ultimate Bet, which ended up being also caught up in a cheating scenario; the reimbursement was made after the software company used by both poker sites, Excapsa Software, found money with Tokwiro companies, which owned both companies.

The Future

Obviously rich casino australia, there is nevertheless a real ways to go with several of those providers to potential on line players that the environment can be as safe and security is since tight as in a brick-and-mortar casino. With billions at stake, one can only hope they figure it out soon.

Singapore Ranks Third in Worldwide Gaming Revenues for 2012

Macau is rated #1, Las Vegas comes in second, and Singapore happens to be rated the quantity three gaming market all over the world in terms of revenues, based on its 2012 numbers. Considering the island nation has only two casinos, (compared to dozens in Macau and Vegas), that positioning is pretty impressive.

Singapore's video gaming profits came in at $5.85 billion for year-end 2012, an 8% increase over the prior year.

In comparison, #1 gambling market Macau pulled in $38 billion in 2012, and Las Vegas $6.2 billion from the more than 40 casinos on the Strip alone.

Gaming Proves Popular

Singapore first opened legal casinos back in 2006, searching for ways to improve tourism; along with gaming, the government mandated numerous other offerings as well. So it absolutely was with a few surprise that the island country showed a substantial revenue intake for gaming right from the bat, stunning gaming analysts. Early 2012 showed a small setback, however, as video gaming profits slowed notably.

The two Singapore properties, Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa Island, reported the annual revenues in their fourth-quarter earnings announcements recently. Marina Bay slightly edged out Resorts World in earnings, with $2.94 billion vs. $2.91 billion respectively.

Gaming Analysts Make Predictions

Macau-based Union Gaming Group principal Grant Govertsen stated recently that while low income gamblers 'continue to be muted,' the high-roller whale market now 'seems to be recovering.' In Singapore, locals must pay an entry fee to visit either regarding the two casino resorts.

'With that in your mind, we would expect Singapore gross video gaming revenue to grow in the lower or mid-single digit range in 2013,' added Govertsen. 'As such, we might expect Las Vegas Strip gaming that is gross in 2013 to keep ahead of Singapore.'

One challenge that Resorts World faces, according to Govertsen, is the fact that property that is malaysian-owned more of a mass-market focus than its competitor Marina Bay Sands, and attracts visitors largely from Malaysia and Indonesia. That market seems to be mostly tapped out, Govertsen said.

With two casinos to the Strip's forty, it will be a pretty neat hat trick if Singapore can ever pass Las Vegas in revenues in coming years.