Monthly Archives: February 2015

10 Reasons to Slow Down to Achieve Greater Success

“Slow down you move too fast, you have to make the morning last.”

Those are the first two lines of the first stanza of the Simon & Garfunkel classic: ‘The 59th Street Bridge Song.’ It’s one of those lines that likes to emerge from my memory and fill my conscious mind with melody.

I think we learned to sing it whilst I was in school. I wasn’t a good kid in school. I never listened, always had too much to say and I had this Road Runner type energy bursting to get out. Now that’s fine if you have to escape from a Wily Coyote, but it isn’t conducive to impressive feats of learning.

I guess there was a reason the line kept popping up. I was too busy to understand why – until now.

Russia seeks new ways to block access to internet sites it doesn’t like

Russia is seeking ever more restrictive ways of preventing its citizens from accessing forbidden internet sites, including online gambling operators. At a Feb. 5 appearance at the Infoforum 2015 national IT security conference in Moscow, a top Russian official declared war on anonymity over the internet, including the use of the Tor network and virtual private networks (VPN).

Leonid Levin, chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on Information Policy and Communications, told Infoforum attendees that the government should consider methods to block the use of anonymous technology in order to help impede access to “forbidden” information. Among the categories of sites not currently finding favor with Vladimir Putin are online gambling sites, access to which Russian internet service providers were ordered to cut off years ago.

Roskomnadzor, the state agency that regulates internet use, has reportedly agreed to Levin’s request. Roskomnadzor issued a statement calling the challenge “difficult, but solvable,” although few tech observers give them much chance of eradicating Tor, which was developed by the US military before being declassified and turned loose for commercial purposes in 2002. Silk Road, the infamous online bazaar for all sorts of illicit activity, operated via Tor.

Russia’s Safe Internet League, whose members include state telecom outfit Rostelecom and other major mobile providers, issued a statement supporting the ban, saying online anonymity allowed “offenders of all kinds to hide their intentions from the state and use it to commit crimes.”

Russians looking to circumvent their country’s draconian online gambling ban have used VPN to access sites like PokerStars, which remains wildly popular in Russia despite its presence on Russia’s blacklist. While Russia has made strides toward implementing a legal online sports betting market, the prospects for online poker and casino authorization seem as bleak as ever.

In December, Roskomnadzor was given new powers to block restricted sites without a court order. Failure to comply with these new rules could leave violators liable for fines of either RUB 500k (US $7,700) or three-years income derived from Russian citizens, plus the option of a two-year, all-expenses paid trip to the gulag.

All this leaves Canada’s Amaya Gaming – Stars’ new owner – in a pickle. While Stars pulled out of numerous grey- and black-markets following last summer’s Amaya takeover, most of those markets were piddling in terms of contributions to Stars’ overall revenue. Russia, on the other hand, reportedly represents a significant chunk of Stars’ revenue pie.

Powerball tickets were flying out the door at Fuel

Almost a half billion dollars will be on the line when Powerball makes its drawing Wednesday night. Powerball is played in 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Cashing out: Powerball jackpot nears $500 million Almost a half billion dollars will be on the line when Powerball makes its drawing Wednesday night.

French Businessman and Playboy Arnaud Mimran Arrested for Fraud

Arnaud Mimran has long enjoyed the good life, but it took a dramatic turn in January after France’s National Judicial Customs Department (SNDJ) arrested the 43-year-old on suspicion of tax fraud, and possibly even murder. Aside from his romantic escapades with Paraguayan showgirl and model Claudia Galanti, one of Mimran’s favorite activities is playing cash […]

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American Conservative Union Denounces RAWA

The American Conservative Union ACU has dealt a blow to Representative Jason Chaffetz’ hopes of gaining a hearing on Capitol Hill for the Restoration of America’s Wire Act (RAWA). A week after Chaffetz reintroduced RAWA for the 2015 legislative session, the ACU stated its opposition to the anti-online gambling bill. RAWA wants to overturn the […]

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Revel Casino Deal Dies after Straub Fails to Meet Deadline

Anyone interested in buying a $2 billion casino resort for 5 percent? If so, head up to Atlantic City as the Revel Casino will be back on the market effective Tuesday morning. According to CBS New York, Revel lawyers will file a motion in bankruptcy court on Tuesday to cancel a deal with Glenn Straub after he was unable to close on the property by midnight Monday.

Straub had been seeking an extension on the closing date to February 28 after a U.S. District Court judge refused to terminate the rights of Revel tenants. He had wanted to purchase the property without any restrictions, which meant that he had the right to immediately kick former tenants out of the property. This would have cost millions in investments by these tenants.

Straub Didn’t Close By Midnight So Revel Walked

When former tenants went to a federal appeals court to fight for their rights, Straub attorneys hinted that he might walk away from the sale entirely. On Friday, an appeals court reversed a previous ruling that the property could continue without consideration of property leases.

Sam Trickett: Fears, Friends and Ferraris

I think some people are destined for fame from the moment they are born. They hold their rattle like Mick Jagger holds his microphone, they kick their feet with the fluidity of a David Beckham free kick, and they look so damn cute.

I think Sam Trickett is one of those people.

Even the name sounds famous.

He is the most successful live tournament player in the history of European poker – and by quite some margin. He is technically gifted. But his success is not one-dimensional. He is lucky; but he creates his own luck through his unmovable determination that he will succeed. In his golden years he knew his card was going to hit the deck harder than Butterbean.