Currently, only PokerStars.be, Partouche.be, and Casino777.be are allowed to offer online poker to Belgian citizens. These three received licenses under the Belgian Gambling Act this past February. According to PokerNews, PokerStars managed to get by thanks to a partnership with Circus Groupe, an online casino developer.

For now, controversy abounds on the matter. PartyPoker and iPoker, two major players in the internet gaming industry, have been particularly vocal in their criticism of the Belgian government. Due to unresolved taxation questions within the law itself, they have dubbed the current legislation to be unenforceable.

Several other poker sites have already found their names on the blacklist. Among these are ChiliPoker, TitanPoker, EverestPoker, and 888Poker. As of yet, there has been no word on the possibility of further licensees.

Known as Senate Bill 1565, the proposed law would allow Atlantic City-based casinos to offer remote wagering games to residents of the Garden State. This is the second such proposal to advance to this level, following the eventual veto of a similar bill last year. After addressing some of Governor Chris Christie’s concerns, online gambling enthusiasts are back for another round.

One group primed to take advantage of a potential legalization happens to be headed by a rather familiar face. Donald Trump’s entry into the gaming business has long shown interest in the revenue generating power of internet gaming.

“Currently,” commented Trump Entertainment Resorts CEO Robert Griffin, “millions of Americans engage in online gaming with illegal offshore operators with no oversight, no regulation and no consumer protection. The state should regulate this activity, enforce strict standards to ensure the games are fair and collect revenues rather than allow profits and jobs to illegally go overseas… The state of New Jersey must be in the forefront of legalizing this emerging marketplace.”

With legislation flagging on the national level, many states are re-examining their intra-state stance. According to New Jersey General Assembly member John Burzichelli, now’s the time for the Garden State to step forward.

“Nothing can happen outside our state borders,” he told the Wall Street Journal, “unless the federal government acts and that’s not likely anytime soon.”

The high-stakes tournament drew 793 players, each paying $700 for their seat. This brought the total prize pool up to an enormous $531,310, a sum more than four times the event’s guarantee. Among those competing were several members of Team PokerStars, including Victor “Isildur1” Blom, Daniel Negreanu, and Bertrand Grospellier. In the end, however, it was shurgar who took home the lion’s share of the spoils. After beating gunning4u in the finals, he took home a purse of $80,350.76. Victor Ramdin was the longest lasting pro, tallying a $7,661.49 reward for his 14^th place finish.

In the mid-stakes arena, it was jotothejoe who grabbed top honors. The Australian online specialist waded through a field of 3,928 players on his way to a $31,037.47 payday. En route to the victory, he managed to knock off several prominent players, including TigerMenino, Rens02, and flexaccou. Prior to his win in this $82 buy-in event, jotothejo had posted no winnings in PokerStars’ tournament arena.

Lastly, we come to the low-stakes tier. Though the prize pool may have been smaller, the action was just as torrid. In the end, HustlaStylez made off with the final prize, snagging $8,383.70. This $7.50 buy-in event featured 16,384 players, with a total prize pool reaching $114,688. In order to capture his crown, the eventual winner needed to win fourteen straight heads-up matchups while enduring level changes every five minutes.

Norbert Teufelberger and Jim Ryan, the men behind the European gaming giant, worked closely with UAIC Tribal Chairman David Keyser throughout the deal-making process. Under their guidance, the parties were able to hammer out a ten year agreement, with the clock set to start ticking at the launch of their proposed poker service.

“California is the largest state in the U.S. in terms of population,” commented Bwin.Party’s co-CEOS, “and is known to have a significant number of poker players who like to play poker online. Combining our own significant assets and resources with those of UAIC will create a strong partnership that is well-placed to seize the opportunities that will arise if appropriate online poker legislation is enacted in the Golden State.”

The process of which Teufelberger and Ryan speak is already well underway. California officials have been working toward a legalization of online poker for several months, with the latest effort gaining steam this past February. At that time, state senators Darrell Steinberg and Roderick Wright introduced a piece of legislation which would allow state residents to participate in regulated online poker games. The UAIC, a federally recognized tribe, has been paying close attention to the proceedings.

“We see the legalization of Internet poker and other Internet gaming as being inevitable,” added Keyser. “Having met with representatives from a number of different online gaming companies, Bwin.Party was our first choice as partner. With its unrivaled expertise in online poker, proven technology and player loyalty we are confident of being able to maximize the revenue opportunity from a regulated online poker market in California and to continue to enhance the long-term prosperity of our community.”

The UAIC is no stranger to the gaming business. Their Thunder Valley Casino Resort would likely provide the basis for the new poker service, with Bwin.Party providing the software.

“We are very excited at the prospect of driving the product, marketing and overall vision of the network,” said Lock CEO Jennifer Larson. “It is a dream come true. Merge was a great stepping stone for us but we have outgrown them. We really need to forge our own path to continued success. The only way to do this is to stay true to our of core philosophy: partnering with our players.”

As Larson says, this means that she and her company will be leaving the Merge Network. Prior to this announcement, Lock had been considered the heavyweight at Merge. It will be interesting to see how their departure affects traffic on the rest of the network’s skins.

All of these changes will take effect through a simple software update, scheduled for May 31. Because of the site’s financial setup, players already on the Lock Poker servers needn’t worry about their bankrolls. Because the company has their own dedicated cashier, there should be no interruptions in any of their financial transactions. In addition, said a company release, “All players’ current player VIP rewards will only increase and all rakeback players will be moved over to the increased percentage on Revolution.”

Sites currently operating on the Cake Poker Network will see similar changes once the brand switch takes place. Though it may take longer for the effects to trickle down, all of the present skins appear to have a place in the Revolution Gaming picture.

In total, there will be five bracelets up for grabs at the WSOP APAC. While an exact schedule has yet to be released, plans to unveil the tournament structures are expected to come out sometime this year. The event is set to be filmed for TV audiences, says PokerNews, with ESPN being the expected broadcaster.

“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved with the Aussie Millions,” said Crown Melbourne CEO Greg Hawkins, “and look forward to featuring WSOP Asia Pacific on our poker calendar in April 2013… Our agreement firmly aligns with our objective of attracting the very best local and international players, all vying for a coveted WSOP bracelet.”

Ty Stewart, the Executive Director of the WSOP, echoed the excitement of his new business partner in a recent statement.

“Our goal,” he said, “is to establish the worldwide grand slam of poker and use our platform to elevate the game through a series of major championships…With WSOP Las Vegas growing annually and WSOP Europe poised for long-term success after five years, the time is right to turn our attention to the dynamic poker scene in Asia and Australia. Given Crown’s success… we couldn’t ask for a better partner.”

2005 WSOP winner Joe Hachem, one of the men most responsible for the growth of poker in the Asia-Pacific region, has also come out with strong words of support for the venture.

“It’s thrilling to think the World Series of Poker is coming to Australian soil,” he said. “I know first-hand what a life-changing moment winning the WSOP gold bracelet was and how it served as a catalyst for the growth of poker in Australia and Asia.”

“The bill presents Massachusetts with a great opportunity to be a pioneer in legalizing Internet poker in the United States,” read a company statement, “and there’s no question that EverestPoker.com is better positioned than any other operator to take advantage of that opportunity.”

The brainchild of Republican Daniel Winslow (a minority member of the state’s House of Representatives), the bill was introduced to state lawmakers last week. As currently drafted, the proposal would require licensed poker operators to pay a fee of $10 million, as well as pay a 25% tax on their gross revenue. Everest is said to have provided input on the initial draft.

The state legislature, says iGaming Business, would hand out a trio of online poker licenses. Gaming companies across the globe would then compete for the chance to enter a regulated American market. By coming out in support of the bill, Everest is perhaps hoping to jump out to an early lead.

“If the amendment passes,” the statement continues, “Everest Poker is confident that it would avoid the types of business-stifling policies currently seen in some regulated European markets.”

Should this bill be signed into law, companies who have honored American law in the past will likely have the upper hand during the licensing competition. This fact was recently pointed out by Everest Gaming CEO Tim Dent:

“Representative Daniel Winslow’s recent Internet poker amendment to the Massachusetts casino law,” he said, “is a very positive step forward for online operators like EverestPoker.com, which have scrupulously respected United States law.”

Players who wish to buy in directly can do so for a sum of 1,000 PTS. Those looking to spend a little less should check out a few of the other options listed below.

Each day, Bovada will offer several satellites options, each aimed at users with slightly smaller PTS reserves. The first of these is a 200 point affair, running each day at 5:10 PM ET. The top 15 finishers will be awarded with a Tournament Ticket for the $7,500 freeroll.

Next down the ladder is Bovada’s Sit & Go option. These qualifiers will run throughout the day, featuring a buy-in of 150 PTS. Each table will feature 6-handed action, with the top finisher being awarded a seat at Saturday’s event.

The cheapest route, however, is the 25 PTS Turbo Qualifier, running at 11:10 PM ET each day. The final 15 players in this event will receive an invite to the $7,500 freeroll, making this one of the stronger options for novice users.

As previously mentioned, this is the second such tournament of April. Bovada will be offering two of these events for each month, taking place on the second and final Saturdays. In total, these represent a $15,000 up for grabs each and every month.

This news comes almost a month after Campos had first announced his plea. Judge Kaplan was initially skeptical of this action, in light of the five felony charges hanging over the former banker’s head. But, according to iGaming Business, advice from several United States Attorneys in his district (including Preet Bharara, Arlo Devlin-Brown and Andrew Goldstein) swayed the matter in favor of the defendant. A letter penned by this legal trio provided the key arguments, showing that Campos’ role, in comparison to that over the other Black Friday indictees, was fairly minor.

The deeds in question came during his time as the chairman of SunFirst Bank. Prior to the bank’s shutdown in early 2011, the institution hemorrhaged some $2,700,000 of their customers’ money. Also involved in the process was Chad Elie, another Black Friday indictee, who collaborated with Campos in processing illegal online gambling transactions. Elie allegedly agreed to invest some $10,000,000 into the deal, which would have acquired him a 30% interest in SunFirst Bank.

Now, it appears as though Campos will face a maximum of six months in prison. This represents a significant reduction from the potential sentence which five felonies would have generated. However, he will also be barred from the banking industry, putting him out of work for the foreseeable future. The exact terms of his sentence will be decided when he faces Judge Kaplan late this coming June.

“Gambling issues traditionally have been regulated by state governments,” read one passage from Herbert’s letter. “It is a matter of both constitutional and social preference that matters relating to gaming be regulated by states for the benefit of their residents. The recent US Department of Justice ruling clarifies and reaffirms that this is a matter of state authority.”

Addressed to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), the letter illuminates the fierce anti-gambling views in Utah. Herbert, a Republican himself, has received considerable support from all corners of the state.

“The residents of the state of Utah have always been very clear about our views that allowing gambling on the Internet or other venues is not in Utah’s best interests,” he continues. “In the case of inter-state online poker, if Congress were to make it legal, it would be against the wishes of the majority of Utahns and encroach on our Tenth Amendment rights as well as our historical and long-standing position against gaming and wagering… Federal legislation and regulation in this area must be resisted.”

Strong words, to be sure. At present, Utah is one of only two states in which all forms of gambling are prohibited (Hawaii being the other).