
The Colossus has been a success so far.
The World variety of Poker’s inaugural ‘Colossus’ tournament has, as expected, smashed all the records to become the live poker tournament that is biggest ever staged.
Twenty-two thousand three hundred and seventy-four players ended up during the period of four Day 1 routes to relax and play in the event, beating the previous WSOP record, the 2006 Main Event, by (calculator out) 13,601 players.
The event represents a strategic departure for the WSOP and Caesars as the event now has the additional aim of boosting the numbers at WSOP.com.
Hence, this present year’s Series is fully geared to attract the ‘right’ sort of player, and plenty of them: the sort of player who might be drawn to multi-table a cash that is few or tournaments with low to mid-level buy-ins while they’re in town.
The Colossus is just a just to illustrate.
With its affordable buy-in of $565, and tantalizing $5 million guaranteed in full prize pool, it had been designed to paper the home with players.
The WSOP is peppered with large-field, low buy-in events this year, and even includes an online bracelet tournament.
Mobiles at the Table
For the time that is first players will be allowed to bring their mobile devices towards the tables to play online during WSOP events.
Caesars convinced the Nevada Gaming Control Board to waive its one-player-per-IP-address rule, meaning that the Rio and all sorts of other Caesars properties will be whitelisted and exempted from the rule throughout the duration of the Series.
Last year, WSOP.com cash game traffic rose 24 percent in the week that is first of Series alone, which means it’s likely to be also greater this year. Industry number-cruncher, PokerScout.com has conservatively suggested that the spike shall be at the least 50 %.
Only a few the players were happy aided by the payout structure of the Colossus, nonetheless, and several eyebrows were raised by the announcement of the first-place prize of $638,880, which represents just under six % of this prize pool, dramatically smaller compared to average tournament.
‘Democratic’ Payout Framework
But this was section of the plan; a flat payout framework that could reward as much players as possible, with 2,241, or around ten percent of the industry, making the money.
Top payout that is heavy would be https://myfreepokies.com the norm, and generally speaking that was created to reward the skillful player with an edge on the field. This was poker with a lot more ‘democratic’ distribution of wealth in mind, designed to keep the mid-level player happy.
‘When you experience a crowd that could fill many activities venues, there’s little else you can say,’ WSOP director that is executive Stewart stated in a declaration. ‘ We would like to thank everybody whom traveled from near and far to engage in this historic event, particularly the first timers.
Just like the indication states, ‘ We Hope You return Soon.’ We love to bring poker enthusiasts together and help build good momentum for the game.’
This week, rough Rock International and the Meadowlands Racetrack are expected to reveal plans for a casino in East Rutherford, home to the brand new York Giants and New York Jets.
Meanwhile, there have already been proposals for the casino regarding the waterfront in Jersey City, directly across from Lower Manhattan.
‘There is no good reason why we can’t make a statewide video gaming plan that brings jobs and economic growth to Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties while also supporting Atlantic City’s data recovery and revitalization efforts,’ declared Huttle.
‘The reality of video gaming is that New Jersey must do more to remain a leader today. We have to start competing or we will continue to fall behind in our area and in the nation.’
Sheldon’s Warning
Interestingly, Sheldon Adelson features a few words to state on the issue when the thought of one casino in northern New Jersey was brought up at the G2E annual gaming expo in Las Vegas last year.
The LVS president stated he’d leap at the opportunity to open a casino across the border from Manhattan, but would ‘think twice’ should casinos that are several proposed for the location.
He also warned against the short-termism of seeing casino expansion as being a fix that is quick economic problems.
‘Look, it’s a sword that is two-edged’ he stated. ‘then you may wake up one day and Governor Cuomo or whoever is governor or mayor of New York City will say, ‘Look, they’re taking all the New Yorkers’ money and they’re sucking it up in that casino in the Meadowlands if you go in there and spend a lot of money. So we’ve surely got to start one up, and keep the cash in New York.’ ‘
AGA Formally Denounces Slot Winnings Taxation Proposals
AGA President Geoff Freeman is aghast during the IRS’ proposal to track players’ electronically winnings through their customer loyalty cards for taxation purposes. (Image: casinoconnectionac.com)
The American Gaming Association (AGA) has struck out against IRS proposals to lower the income tax reporting threshold for slot winnings from $1,200 to $600.
The industry body complained that the proposals that are new be harmful to customer experience, increase paper work and disrupt the casino flooring, also needing expensive upgrades to casino back-end systems.
The AGA, which represents operators and gaming manufacturers that collectively support 1.7 million US jobs across 40 states, made its feelings clear in the shape of a 15-page formal comment submitted towards the IRS this week.
This came on the rear of a letter sent by 17 bi-partisan users of Congress to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen stating that increased labor costs and lost company revenue resulting from the proposal is ‘detrimental to local, state and national economies that depend on those revenue to help critical services.’
Serious Harm to Business
AGA President Geoff Freeman was particularly critical of the IRS recommendation that the rule might be enforced through the tracking that is electronic of’ gambling habits through their customer loyalty cards.
‘ The gaming industry knows no other industry in the country for which the IRS has issued laws requiring the industry to deploy its customer loyalty program for federal income tax collection purposes,’ Freeman reported.
Freeman stated that the work lost and cost business revenue that originates from the reporting of slot machine winnings is already burdensome, as the devices ‘lock up’ and are temporarily taken away from service after a jackpot of $1,200 is hit therefore that it can be reported to the IRS.
‘AGA is aware of no other industry that is US must take its assets out associated with the production of income to fulfill its tax reporting obligations,’ he said. ‘The proposed slot guidance that is reporting substantially magnify that burden on the casino to the stage of serious problems for its business by mandating the employment of an advertising device for tax information reporting purposes.’
Disruption to Backend
Furthermore, the reprogramming of the casino’s back end systems, which would be necessary to allow them to comply with the proposed regulations, would be disruptive and costly, Freeman said, particularly for those casinos that operate in multiple markets.
‘AGA casino members have expressed concern that in an effort for their back-end systems to become able to compile, shop, and index for retrieval a sizable number of day-to-day win/loss statements, costly investment would be necessary in development and in a substantial enhance within the present storage and processing power of these systems. This investment that is costly the necessary back-end systems modifications would be magnified for anyone gambling enterprises that operate in numerous markets.’
The AGA recently launched a petition that is online garnered over 10,000 signatures opposing the proposals. These signatures were from casino workers and customers alike, from across all 50 states, said Freeman.
FIFA Scandal Continues As Interpol Tracks Six Suspects
Sepp Blatter received a standing ovation from FIFA staff after announcing his resignation. (Image: Reuters)
Interpol, the police that is international, has put six of the suspects in the FIFA corruption scandal on the ‘red notice’ list, a designation that will make it practically impossible for the people individuals to travel.
Even though the designation just isn’t the exact carbon copy of an arrest warrant for the suspects, it recommends them they might travel that they are subject to the possibility of arrest anywhere.
Of the six suspects, two are former FIFA officials, while four were sports media executives.
Jack Warner, who formerly held the positions of FIFA vice president and CONCACAF president, had recently been arrested in his home nation of Trinidad and Tobago, but had since been released before the red notice was issued.
Likewise, former FIFA executive committee member Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay ended up being already under house arrest during the time of his red notice being established.
The four professionals receiving notices that are red Argentinians Alejandro Burzaco, Hugo Jinkis, and Mariano Jinkis, along with Brazilian broadcast executive Jose Margulies.
The Argentinians are faced with paying over $100 million in bribes so that you can secure media legal rights to different soccer tournaments.
Blatter Applauded at FIFA Headquarters
The FIFA scandal reached the office that is highest into the company (and maybe the most effective person in activities) on Tuesday, when president Sepp Blatter made the announcement that he would resign from their post sometime in the following year, right as an alternative could be elected.
Blatter’s announcement arrived just days after he previously been re-elected towards the workplace for the fifth time.
Upon going back to FIFA’s Zurich headquarters on Wednesday, Blatter ended up being provided a standing that is ten-minute by personnel.
According to reports, he gave the 400 staff users in attendance a similar message to usually the one he told the soccer world on Tuesday: that FIFA needed to undergo reforms, especially in the committee that is executive.
According to Reuters, a source close to FIFA said it was fundamentally Blatter’s very own advisors that convinced him to step down through the presidency after the ongoing criminal probe into FIFA by US and Swiss police force agencies.
While Blatter himself had yet to be implicated in some of these probes, it absolutely was still embarrassing for the association’s frontrunner, who saw also their main lieutenant facing accusations of corruption and bribery.
Numerous Candidates Could Vie for FIFA Presidency
Into the since Blatter’s announcement, much of the speculation by media members and football fans has been about who his successor will be day. You will find several viable candidates, though a few stand out as obtaining the most useful likelihood of using his place.
UEFA president Michel Platini generally seems to be the favourite, both among pundits while the bookmakers at William Hill, who list him at 6-5 odds. UEFA ended up being a hotbed of criticism for Blatter, and Platini had formerly asked Blatter not to run for reelection.
Another popular choice is Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan, who was the only person to run against Blatter in the most election that is recent.
He’s listed at 7-4 odds, while the Jordanian Football Association says it is looking into FIFA’s own guidelines to see if Prince Ali should be granted the position based on his second-place finish in Friday’s election.
But there are likely to be many candidates throw about in the days and weeks to come, particularly without the specter of A sepp that is unbeatable blatter scare prominent members of the soccer community from running.
For instance, Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro suggested that Argentine legend Diego Maradona should be the next FIFA president, noting that Maradona had for ages been attempting to root out corruption in FIFA even if few others seemed to care.