Recent events surrounding the US government and online poker industry have led many to believe that there simply is no hope left for the legalization of online poker in this country. But in reality, it could be just the push that American online poker players needed to force the issue into the senate in such a manner as to finally establish, one way or another, the legalities of internet poker in the US.

There are two major contests scheduled in the UEFA Championships semi-finals. One is set for today, April 26 – FC Schalke 04 VS Manchester United – and another tomorrow, April 27 – Real Madrid VS FC Barcelona. With two extremely important match-ups, not to mention radiant enmity, it seems like an optimum time to discuss their current situations and betting picks.

On April 15, 2011, now universally recognized as the ‘Black Friday’ of online poker, the largest poker sites facing the US market were effectively shut down by the US Department of Justice (DoJ). The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) seized the domain names of PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com, Absolute Poker.com and UB.com.

If you’ve been following the online poker world for a few years now, you likely remember a major headline story that ended with professional poker player, Sorel “Imper1um” Mizzi, being banned from the online poker site Full Tilt. It was an unconscionable scandal four years ago, so why is Full Tilt suddenly changing their minds?

The original story was that crime bosses must have hired a hit on Le Hoang Hung due to his divisive reporting. He was a journalist who didn’t mind unveiling facts about notorious criminals and publishing them in the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper where he was employed. According to the head of Long An provincial police, Colonel Phan Chi Thanh, however, Lieu was a lead suspect from the very beginning.

Who do you trust, a major Las Vegas casino operation, or a happy-go-lucky porn film maker who openly admits that he always gets his way? That question will be for the courts to decide as Wynn Las Vegas casino and ‘Girls Gone Wild’ producer Joe Francis duke it out.

With the fascinating rise of online gambling that began in the 1990’s, and continues to see exponential growth to this day, it’s little wonder that Hollywood would decide to make a film about it. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that big name actors bring in big dollars at the box office either.

Anyone who has been gambling over the internet for any decent period of time is aware that there are two main types of online gambling sites. You have your legal, reputable establishments, which make up the majority of players’ preferred destinations, and then you have your illegal, underground operations, where there is no guarantee that your winnings will be paid, but you can rest assured your deposits will be accepted with vigor.

It’s Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air, but it’s the love of money that prompts this writer to pen today’s blog. I’m talking specifically about money lost to an unknown online poker player by a regular face on the high-stakes virtual felt.

David 'Zanderfish' Saab, Robert 'remo_04' Alan Remeeus and Darren Francis Hughes are members of an internationally known group of gamblers known as the ‘Saab Squad’. While they are traditionally famed as elite blackjack players, poker players, casino hustlers and sports handicappers, a new light has shone down on their names in Australia this week.

Sports betting is a highly volatile business. There is no such thing as a “sure thing”. That point is proven time and again as underdogs have come back from the worst of odds to defeat anticipated heroes. Whether by sheer desire, design or a twist of fate, sports bettors have lost millions of cumulative dollars over the last century to unbelievable upset victories.

An online dating fraud was uncovered recently, and oddly enough, it involves online poker, Facebook and a particularly handsome deceased soldier’s photograph.  Apparently a man by the assumed name of Dylan Sorvino was meeting women on Facebook by using the strikingly good looking photo of the dead soldier in uniform, then playing online poker with them while getting to know them better over the internet.

There may be millions of people all over the world with registered accounts on the mega-social network Facebook, sharing thoughts, links, videos, photos and more, but who would have thought there would be even more activity around the world at online bingo games?

There is a resounding question coming from online poker, casino, bingo and sports betting enthusiasts hailing from the United States. Are there any viable deposit methods left for US online casino and poker players?

Marketing directors all across the online casino industry have been spending countless hours in search of fresh new ways to promote their products. Big bonus offers for new players are nice, but players have begun looking for something a bit more substantial these days. Calida Gaming came up with a unique idea by choosing to crown a Miss Online Casino each month in 2011.

Imagine being seated at a poker table, playing in a tournament where you’ve spent hours protecting your chip stack, waiting for the perfect hand to make your move. That hand finally comes, and just as you prepare to push your stack, or a substantial part of it into the pot, the lights go out.

For more than four years, proponents of online poker in the United States have argued the legality of playing real money poker over the internet. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) does not specifically criminalize the activity, but rather the responsibility of financial institutions to prevent transactions between online poker sites and US citizens.

Online gambling fans in the United States finally have something to cheer about in recent weeks as it looks inevitable that the government, or at least certain states, will definitely be issuing licenses to online gambling operators. According to a report from Daniel Stewart & Co., those licenses could be going out as early as Fall 2011.

How many of you are familiar with the opening line from EA Sports games? You know the one… “EA Sports – it’s in the game!” Well it’s not just "in the game" anymore; it’s "in the gamble". Electronic Arts (EA) has signed a deal with Virgin Gaming, a division of the Virgin empire, to incorporate gambling into its online gaming modules.

The Super Bowl line-up was locked into place yesterday as the Green Bay Packers conquered the Chicago Bears, and the Pittsburgh Steelers routed the New York Jets. The AFC Champion Steelers will take on the NFC Champion Packers in the ultimate Super Bowl XLV showdown on February 6, 2011.

With probable online gambling legalization in parts of the United States projected for the near future, Gambling Invest is preparing to auction off more than 2,300 gambling domains, some with incredible potential for keyword domination. The company announced its intention to auction off the domains more than a month ago, but the official date has now been set for Wednesday, January 26, 2011.

For the last 15 years or so, online gambling sites seem to have put an annual focus on specific player types. An online casino, for example, may have targeted high rollers, or an online poker room may have geared its promotions towards grabbing more experienced poker players. Online gambling experts believe that 2011 will be the year of the casual gambler.

Andrew “Foucault” Brokos is a professional poker player who focuses most of his intention towards online cash games. Over the last few weeks, he has drawn attention to his blog by alluding to a big announcement, but it wasn’t until today that he finally let the cat out of the bag. The celebrated online poker player finally revealed that he will be joining Team PokerStars Online throughout 2011.

It’s been a tumultuous post-season for many football fans as we draw closer and closer to what has, thus far, been a very unpredictable Super Bowl XLV. While most experts were calling for a Falcons / Patriots showdown, both conference leaders were knocked out in their first playoff match-ups. Now the Green Bay Packers seem to be getting the most attention.

Back in October of 2010, former NBA player Charles Edward Smith of the Boston Celtics was shot; said to be related to gambling debts. Last week, Smith found himself under fire again (but not so literally this time) from local authorities as he was charged with more drug related crimes. The 43 year old ex-NBA player and former basketball star at Georgetown University was the victim of a shooting on October 21st, 2010.

Chris “moorman1” Moorman has been attracting the attention of the online poker world since he was raised to the position of one of the elite Brunson 10 back in September of 2009. Doyle’s choice was clearly the right one as the young UK poker pro just scooped up a record breaking 11th Triple Crown victory playing online poker.

Bank of America’s online banking platform suffered continuous crashing issues all day Friday, January 14th, 2011. We all know that websites incur problems now and again, but this particular matter brought about concerns for a lot of online gamblers in the United States.

The CBS news show 60 Minutes has been running forever, it seems. It is one of the most popular weekly news hours in the United States. But I must admit, I was shocked to see the television show do what appears to be a complete 180 in a single week’s time.

If you live in China, you are probably already aware that gambling over the internet is not legal. The World Cup of Soccer is a momentous occasion for sports bettors and online sports betting companies alike. As such, Chinese authorities are taking this opportunity to put a stop to online soccer gambling.

After a long debacle that finally ended in the UK’s online gambling famed ‘White List’ of acceptable licensing jurisdictions, it looks like Britain may be doing a complete 180 by refusing licenses to any online gambling operator located outside the country’s borders.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed in 2006, and finally received its regulatory guidelines in the summer of 2010. The US government continues to maintain that online gambling is illegal within its borders. So why is it that Americans are being asked to pay taxes on their winnings from internet gambling?

After a lengthy period of speculation as to who belonged to the online poker nickname Isildur1, Viktor Blom has finally admitted his association with the moniker. Not many were surprised by the confession, but the Swede may have a twinge of regret now that the government is aware his alter-ego.

PokerStars made exceptionally bold headlines recently when the world’s largest online poker room signed the likes of Viktor “Isildur1” Blom in December of 2010, but the poker room didn’t stop there. 2011 is a brand new year, and with it comes additional Team PokerStars Pros, including the most recent signing of Jonathan Duhamel.

For anyone who has been hanging onto the edge of their seat waiting for the ultimate event in online casino software upgrades, you can finally sit back and breathe a sigh of relief. Android smartphones and Microgaming casinos have come together at last!

As I type this, there is a large group of officials occupying some big high-ceilinged room, seated in their comfortable chairs, discussing a number of political issues that are certainly of importance to the citizens of New Jersey. One of them is whether to enact a regulatory scheme for the legalization of online gambling within the borders of the state.

Full Tilt Poker has for years been the biggest online poker room in terms of signing pro poker players. PokerStars has been the most vigorous rival in that department, thus the acquisition of Isildur1 – recently confirmed to be 20 year old Swedish poker pro Viktor Blom – has left Full Tilt Poker with a bit of a void to fill.

While many have suspected the identity of the illusive Isildur1, an exceptional online poker player whose bankroll fluctuates by the millions, confirmation of his identity has caused great waves in the online poker community. At last, we know for certain, Isildur1 is, in fact, Viktor Blom.

The online gambling industry is a very competitive one, consisting of nearly 2,400 operators, all contending for online casino, poker, bingo and sports betting enthusiasts from every corner of the globe. But this latest attempt at customer acquisition went far beyond the boundaries of legal campaigning.

Just one week after pro poker players Phil Hellmuth and Annie Duke both ended their sponsorship contracts with UB.com, Full Tilt Poker has already had a sit down with the ‘Poker Brat’ to discuss possible terms of a new contract with the top leading poker room.

The United States Department of Justice is continuing to magnify its stance against illegal online gambling, this time focusing on the state of Washington, where internet gambling is officially criminalized by state law. The DOJ seized about $8 million from Washington financial institutions; money said to be filtering through online payment processors for the purpose of online gambling.

If the current economical stance of some major countries – the United States being a prime example – had anything to do with it, industry analysts would never have predicted that 2010 would see such phenomenal growth in the online gambling industry. Thus a 12.5% overall increase in internet betting revenue came as quite a surprise to many experts.

As the November Nine dwindled its way down to the final heads-up showdown between Jonathan Duhamel and John Racener – a rigorous battle in which Duhamel finally won the 2010 WSOP Championship Bracelet – there were other festivities taking place. The Poker Hall of Fame was preparing to induct its latest legendary poker players into the esteemed hall of fame.

In theory, using gambling to solve a lack of funds is never the right move. In fact, anyone who has only half the money they need to pay their bills, and takes that half to gamble in an effort to win the other half, is what we call a ‘problem gambler’. But casinos in California are proposing that gambling would be the perfect solution to the state’s budget crisis.

Every December, Card Player Magazine takes a little extra time out of their busy schedule to mull over the accomplishments of all poker players over the last 12 months. One of those players – the one who stands out the most – is awarded the 2010 CardPlayer Player of the Year Award.

With the talk of a regulated online gambling industry across parts of the United States becoming more and more prominent, Caesars Entertainment is making a move to ensure it will have a stake in that business when the time comes. The company recently took up new residence in Ohio in anticipation of striking up an online casino operation in the years to come.

The new-gen online poker site PKR was proud to announce the signing of its first German professional poker player, Sascha 'locodice' Walter, this week. At 25 years of age, hailing from Stuttgart, Germany, Walter is the latest member of Team PKR Pro.

The government of Spain has enforced a very strict smoking ban all across the country, restricting most public places from allowing patrons and visitors to light up. The most infuriated individuals affected by the smoking ban seem to be casino gambling enthusiasts who smoke, as well as the owners of such establishments.

The French online gambling market has been expanding greatly since deciding to legalize and regulate the industry. The latest addition to this growing market is Titan Poker, the pride and joy of the iPoker Network.

Peter Eastgate, winner of the 2008 World Series of Poker Championship, shocked the world last summer when he announced his untimely retirement from an intensely successful professional poker career. He did it again last week when he decided to auction off his 2008 WSOP Championship Bracelet on eBay.com.

So many online sports betting enthusiasts rely on the self-professed brilliance of outside handicappers. How do you know how brilliant they are? Did they really do research on the competition, or did they flip and coin and post their picks? And how do you know if you can trust the win percentages some of them boast?

The online gambling industry has maintained its hold as one of the top revenue yielding e-commerce industries in the world for many years running, but it seems that at present, online sportsbooks are taking the lead among related companies by leaps and bounds.

Ladbrokes, the UK's largest bookmaker, revealed its earnings for the third quarter and realized a 128% increase in revenue from last year’s Q3 reports, a fantastic rating considering its overall progress as of late. Ladbrokes attributed the overwhelming swell to “higher net revenue performance and lower operating costs.

The online poker industry has become fiercely competitive of late, not that it wasn’t always competitive before, but it seems all of the major online poker rooms are vying for licenses in once restricted or isolated territories. The most recent regional penetration comes in the form of a sister site to Party Poker as its parent company, PartyGaming, just received a license to legally operate in Venezuela.

As so many online gambling operators are fighting for rights to market their products in Western Europe, its rather surprising to find that at least one major online sportsbook is actually threatening to leave the eastern-most portion of the continent. Betfair Sports is threatening to do just that, talking of pulling out of the United Kingdom due to inequality issues among operators.

Swedish online sports betting operator Svenska Spel has held an aging monopoly in the region for many years now. With no competition to speak of, the company has grown exponentially as time wears on. But a recent accusation of cheating on the sports betting site’s part may soon change all of that.

Poker pros are known to cash in big and drop massive chunks of change in a very short amount of time. It is the nature of their profession as high rolling gamblers. The best poker pros win more often than they lose, but this week, one ill-fated green-felt specialist suffered a tremendous downswing that cost him $1.5 million – in a single week!

PokerStars has been the world’s largest online poker room for several years running, and the online poker site only continues to see more rapid growth. The latest expansion for PokerStars comes in the way of a new geographical license obtained in Estonia.

As many of you may know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and so many are doing everything they can to not only raise awareness, but also raise funds to help in the fight against breast cancer. The popular online bingo site, Foxy Bingo, has joined in the battle to help in both ways.

Since the United States government imposed the UIGEA in 2006, land-based casinos have, for the most part, held a strong stance against legalizing any form of online gambling in the US. Four years later, that attitude seems to be turning around as more and more casinos would like to integrate at least online poker into their current commodities.

According to a BBC report, a judge sentenced Eamonn McGirr to 20 months behind bars after embezzling £330,000 (approximately $500,000 USD) from his employers at Tyrone Tiling Services. Apparently McGirr used, and subsequently lost, the appropriated funds gambling over the internet.

A new bill was recently passed in the state of Washington that forced PokerStars, the world’s largest online poker room, to discontinue acceptance of its Washington based poker players. What was once considered the most liberal of all poker sites is now being watched with a wary eye as industry analysts wonder whether other states will incorporate similar laws.

A recent report published by Juniper Research essentially blames Smartphones and other hand held devices for a clear increase in online gambling all across the United Kingdom. According to the study’s findings, in excess of two million European citizens are using their mobile devices to place sports betting wagers over the internet.

The National Hockey League (NHL) just got underway Thursday, October 7, and already the Intertops online sports betting operation is accepting wagers on who will claim the Stanley Cup come next April.

Tom “durrrr” Dwan always seems to be making the headlines in online poker industry news, and he’s done it again this past Sunday, making up for any losses suffered in London in recent weeks by racking up $1.5 million on the cash tables at Full Tilt Poker.