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North Dakota and The Regulation of Online Poker
Published: 2005-04-13
 North Dakota and The Regulation of Online Poker: What Went Wrong
The recently abrupt termination of the Legislature's dalliance with Internet poker regulation in the state of North Dakota left a lot of unanswered questions. The proposed bill was looking to make North Dakota the first state to license online poker rooms and it would have allowed internet poker sites to become licensed in the US for the first time.
“It was a very significant progress for the online gaming and poker industry; one that had no precedents of any kind,” says Will Gatten, SportsCrew.com Senior Analyst. “The fact alone that there were various representatives of online poker rooms out there talking to US Senators speaks volumes of what the internet poker industry has become.”
In a cutting-edge interview posed by Will Gatten and regarding the discussion of this bill before U.S. Senators in the state of North Dakota, Nigel Payne –CEO of Sportingbet PLC (LSE: SBT)- says: “Over the past year we have managed to help people understand that the concerns held are definitely better managed under a regulated environment. What it is about now is politics. Who will be brave enough to stand up and say this to the American people? And in North Dakota, it seems they are not yet ready.”
As figures like Nigel Payne fight to elevate this issue from a political strife into a rational discussion, not every involved party feels the need to bring legitimate arguments to the table. When asked about the people that opposed the bill, Nigel Payne said: “Countless people testified against the Bill with one message ‘Gambling is evil’. Yes, they were in the main from the Church and from Family Groups but their views were very strongly felt and we need to respect that”; he continued to say, “During the debate one of the Senators asked the Church this (question) : Sir, I agree with you. I do not like gambling. But let me ask you, Mr. Payne here is arguing, quite convincingly, that the reasons why I do not like gambling can be properly managed with today's technology. How, if we do not regulate this Bill, can you do it?’ The Church answered: We do not know?”
It is believed that by 2008, online poker will have reported a total turnover of over $250 Billion and that mark might be pushed up to $275 Billion by 2012. At the same time an estimated 40 million to 50 million Americans play non-Internet Poker recreationally and there will be a time in the near future when a large majority of this group will go online to play poker.
Nigel Payne -as well as other prominent personalities of the online gaming industry- has the firm conviction that this industry needs regulation; in a remarkable statement he said: “...regulation could control children gambling, could minimize excessive gambling etc. Moreover, the industry argued (before the N.D. Senate) that it could not in reality be stopped and that the ONLY way to control these things was through regulation”.
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Bourbon Goes All-In With Poker Stars Howard Lederer and Erick Lindgren
Published: 2005-04-05
 Knob Creek(R) Bourbon Goes All-In With Poker Stars Howard Lederer and Erick Lindgren
Tuesday April 5, 8:00 am ET
- Two American Classics Team Up in 2005
DEERFIELD, Ill., April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Knob Creek®, the number-one selling ultra-premium bourbon in the United States, announced today it has signed a year-long agreement with professional poker players, Howard Lederer and Erick Lindgren. As part of the Knob Creek drink smart®, play smart campaign, which incorporates Jim Beam Brands' corporate drink smart philosophy, these high-profile high rollers will represent Knob Creek at the 2005 World Poker Tour and World Series of Poker tournaments.
"Lederer and Lindgren are masters of their craft," said Larry Plawsky, senior director, super premium brands, Jim Beam Brands Co., in announcing the partnership. "We're thrilled to sponsor these professionals and to celebrate the spirit of two American classics, Texas Hold' Em Poker and Knob Creek."
"More than 50 million adult consumers of legal-purchase-age play poker and 12 million more watch it on television," added Plawsky. "As one of the first major consumer brands to endorse poker professionals, we are thrilled to be getting in on the ground floor."
Lederer and Lindgren -- "Team Knob Creek" -- will represent Knob Creek Bourbon and the drink smart, play smart program in professional poker tournaments as part of the brand's national marketing campaign.
"This is an important sponsorship for Erick and me, as well as for the whole sport of poker," said Howard Lederer, two-time World Poker Tour winner. "Having a well-known brand like Knob Creek endorse us adds credibility to our growing sport. I believe Texas Hold 'Em Poker and Knob Creek Bourbon make a winning pair."
Added Erick Lindgren, 2004 World Poker Tour Player of the Year, "When Knob Creek asked me to represent them, I was very enthusiastic. It's a terrific opportunity to leverage our sport in the national arena."
Aged nine years with sweet vanilla flavors, Knob Creek is the flagship super-premium Small Batch Bourbon of Jim Beam Brands Co. drink smart is part of the Jim Beam Brands corporate-wide commitment to make responsible alcohol consumption second nature for legal-purchase-age adults. For more information on the brands, visit http://knobcreek.com and http://drinksmart.com .
Jim Beam Brands Co. is an operating company of Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc., an international distilled spirits and fine wines company that manufactures and markets more than 80 brands in 160 countries. Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. has leadership positions in bourbon, with Jim Beam® and Jim Beam® Black, the number-one-selling bourbon worldwide; Knob Creek bourbon and The Small Batch Bourbon Collection®; and cordials, with DeKuyper®, the number one cordial line in the United States. In addition to spirits, the Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. portfolio includes Geyser Peak® and Canyon Road®. A joint venture between Jim Beam Brands Co. and The Absolut Spirits Company, Incorporated, called Future Brands LLC, provides sales and distribution services in the United States for the company's spirits and wine brands. Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. is part of Fortune Brands, Inc. (NYSE: FO - News), the consumer products company.
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