|
PokerPages > Poker News > Poker News
Poker News - Poker News
Search News:
Turkey Passes Law Against Online Poker & Online GamblingTue, Mar 6th, 2007 @ 12:00am Turkish legislators passed a law on February 28 that forbids online gambling services to be offered by any 'unauthorised' domestic or foreign company to citizens in Turkey. Like the United States passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) which was designed to protect online state lotteries and horse betting, the Turkish law is designed to protect its partially state-owned gaming company IDDAA. Several companies have already reacted. Austria-based Bwin, whose Ongame e-solutions includes PokerRoom.com, has already suspended business activities in Turkey. Since Turkey represents 6 per cent of Bwin's gross gaming revenues, the hiatus will cost Bwin a 25-20 million Euro drop in gross gaming revenues per year. Swedish public company Betsson, is parent to BetssonPoker, CherryPoker and CasinoEuroPoker. Turkey represents 20 percent of Betsson Online's revenues and 15 percent of its subsidiary Net Entertainment's revenues. Betsson issued a statement quoting CEO Pontus Lingwall as saying, "We hope the legislation can be positive to us. Protectionistic legislation has shown to be of our advantage, and I believe it is applicable to this case as well. We are in the middle of a phase of strong growth, where the first quarter has started out fantastic. The underlying growth of online gaming will not be threatened by individual countries' actions." Though the Turkish law's long-winded title is "Law for amending certain articles of the law on bookmaking organisation concerning football contests", the new legislation has sharp teeth, with fines up to between two and five years imprisonment to "anyone involved in enabling access, promotion or operation of sites offering egaming products to Turkish nationals."
Since Turkey is about to enter the European Union (EU), some observers point out that banning foreign companies may not be a good move for Turkey because the European Union promotes policies of free movement of trade and services between member states. They wishfully suggest Turkey might be pressured to change its law. But litigation has raged among several European Union nations who object to such free movement, notably Germany and France who arrested two Bwin executives last fall (click here to read related article). Another tactic is being used by Bwin. Reuters reported that Bwin is investigating the possibility of becoming licensed in Turkey in the future, though Turkey has not explicitly mentioned any possibility at this time. Read Related Articles:
More Poker News Articles
Keikoan Captures Harvey's Lake Tahoe WSOPC Championship This week marked the finale of the biggest annual tournament series in Northern Nevada, the WSOP Circuit championship at Harvey's Lake Tahoe. While the Main Event saw only a modest turnout, it did boast of a tough final table, and a WSOP bracelet owner as the eventual champion.
WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada to Appear on Letterman The poker world will receive some late night attention tonight as "The Kid" Joe Cada, the youngest champion in the four decade history of the World Series of Poker Main Event, takes a seat next to embattled talk show host David Letterman.
First Korean Champ of Asia Pacific Poker Tour Crowned in Cebu Another stop on the Asia Pacific Poker Tour is in the books, this time it's the APPT Cebu in the Philippines, and for the very first time a Korean player has come out on top.
Pollack Done as Commish of World Series of Poker Just three days after crowning Joe Cada as the 2009 Main Event champion, officially closing the special 40th anniversary run of the World Series of Poker, Jeffrey Pollack has resigned his post as Commissioner of the WSOP.
Durrrr Signs as Team Full Tilt's Youngest Member Tom "durrrr" Dwan is the newest member of Team Full Tilt, the online site's highest level of affiliation. At 23, Dwan is the youngest of the now 14-person team. The high stakes cash phenomenon was nominated for induction this year into the Poker Hall of Fame until the Hall of Fame Governing Council decided he was too young to meet the "has stood the test of time" qualification.
Joe Cada Becomes Youngest World Series of Poker Main Event Champ History was made early Tuesday morning in Las Vegas as 21-year-old Joe Cada outlasted Darvin Moon in heads-up play to claim the 2009 World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet and more than $8.5 million.
Moon and Cada Heads-Up, Ivey 7th at WSOP Main Event Final Table After a marathon session at the most esteemed table in the poker world, a 21-year-old and a logger are set to go one-on-one for the World Series of Poker Main Event bracelet.
PokerStars Launches New UK and Ireland Poker Tour PokerStars.com has announced the start of a new poker tour with stops throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. The UK and Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT) will kick off in Galway, Ireland in mid-December, and the first event in the UK will be held in Manchester in February.
Peerless Media Agrees to Purchase World Poker Tour Enterprises According to a Monday press release, WPT Enterprises Inc., mothership of the World Poker Tour, is now the rightful property of Peerless Media, Ltd., subsidiary of online giant PartyGaming.
Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho Hit the Amazing Race Rail After surviving six legs of the Amazing Race by the skin of their teeth, poker pros Tiffany Michelle and Maria Ho were finally eliminated in the CBS reality show's most recently aired episode. Michelle and Ho, the last women standing in the 2008 and 2007 World Series of Poker Main Events, gave reality television fans another chance to watch poker personalities compete away from the felt. Annie Duke garnered quite a following earlier in the year on another reality show competition, NBC's Celebrity Apprentice. |
 Online Poker »
Poker News »
Blog Coverage
Top News
Keikoan Captures Harvey's Lake Tahoe...
WSOP Main Event Champ Joe Cada to Appear... First Korean Champ of Asia Pacific Poker... Top Tournaments
|
Discuss this article in our forum
Print this article
All Poker and free play poker content ©2009 Advanced Global Applications, LLC. All rights reserved.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, visit either: National Council on Problem Gambling or Gamblers Anonymous International Service