PokerStars will drive online poker players into the arms of BetStars via a new innovative promotion called The Big Race in honour of the forthcoming Ascot Festival.

It’s Father’s Day on Sunday, and as my wife said I could do anything I want, I have decided to spend most of the day losing my hard earned cash playing online poker.

So what takes my fancy?

I like the look of PokerStars latest promotion, and the $2 buy-in is well within the framework of my paltry bankroll. When PokerStars announced plans to enter the online casino and sportsbook markets back in 2014, it made perfect sense from a business perspective, but not everyone was pouring delight on the idea from a large metal watering can. Victoria Coren-Mitchell left the team such was her concern over the move into these two areas.

Editor Note: This is the first in a multiple-part series of interviews with Craig Wright, conducted by guest columnist Eli Afram.

In the last few days, I have been involved in a rather extended interview with Dr Craig Wright, who for various reasons has been cast into the spotlight, initially when Gizmodo and Wired both decided to “invade” his “private life” and then later again when he provided cryptographic proofs to Gavin Andresen and Jon Matonis identifying him as Satoshi Nakamoto. But he withdrew from presenting similar evidence to the public.

Despite what has been said of him in the media, and the countless click-bait publications, I personally found my interaction with Craig (who insisted I refer to him on a first-name basis) to be very professional, friendly, and personable.

Wright has been out of public view for a little while now, but he explained to me that he is feeling ready to come out again into public life in the near future.

The one and only Phil Hellmuth launches his autobiography at the World Series of Poker, and Beth Shak is the target of a hacker and a stalker.

Take a trip to the coldest parts of the Siberian Railway, and you will find someone who has heard of the name Phil Hellmuth. The man is one of the few personalities that transcends poker, and his brand is about to get a boost after releasing his new book during the World Series of Poker.

If you are in the Rio, then head over to the D&B Booth to pick up your copy of The Poker Brat: Phil Hellmuth’s Autobiography. Not only will you learn what it takes to become one of the best No-Limit Hold’em players in the game, but how to grow a personal brand that is still going strong two decades after denying Johnny Chan an unprecedented triple back-to-back WSOP Main Event win.

And there’s more.

The poker world has lost the two-time European Poker Tour Main Event runner-up, Max Heinzelmann after passing away of natural causes, aged just 26.

I have very few poker friends.

I don’t spend enough time in the throng to connect deeply enough to make them. But I do have plenty of acquaintances; people I like and seem to like me, who share a smile and a pleasantry every once in a while, more often than not, connected to a request for an interview.

One of these passing flings was with the German pro Max Heinzelmann. I met him in 2011, in San Remo, where he played superbly to finish runner-up to Rupert Elder in the European Poker Tour (EPT) Main Event, three weeks after finishing in the same position at the EPT Main Event in Berlin.

Another round-up of news from the World Series of Poker including a bracelet win for Ron “Grumpy” Ware, another deep run from Kenny Hallaert, and John Monnette searching for bracelet #3.

I tried.

I really did.

But I just couldn’t find a photograph of Ron Ware with a smile on his face.

For the second year in a row, New York’s state Senate has voted in favor of allowing online poker within state borders, but it’s anyone’s guess whether or not the state Assembly will follow suit.

On Tuesday, the Senate voted 54-8 in favor of Sen. John Bonacic’s S-3898 online poker bill, which would allow a maximum 11 licensees to partner with online technology vendors to offer regulated poker games to individuals over 21 years of age within state borders.

Despite some senatorial grandstanding for the cameras immediately preceding the vote, Tuesday’s result was more or less a foregone conclusion. The margin of victory was roughly equivalent to the 53-5 score that Bonacic’s 2016 online poker bill received in the Senate nearly one year ago to the day.

The action now shifts to the Assembly, which declined to even bring Bonacic’s 2016 effort up for a vote. Key Assembly pol J. Gary Pretlow has offered decidedly mixed messages on what fate Bonacic’s latest effort might face when it arrives on his doorstep, alternately suggesting that the reception would be more positive than in 2016 and that “serious objections” remained about the wisdom of treating New York adults like adults.

Belgium is joining the growing list of countries seeking to impose tighter restrictions on gambling advertising.

Last week, Belgian media reported that Justice Minister Koen Geens was preparing new legislation that would significantly reduce gambling operators’ ability to advertise on local television broadcasts. The proposals reportedly have the full support of the Belgian Gaming Commission (BGC), which already has a reputation as one of the less forgiving European regulatory agencies.

Geens’ proposed curbs include a blanket prohibition on advertising any gambling products on television before a watershed hour of 8pm. Gambling ads would be entirely blocked from airing during live sports broadcasts, whether these ads take the form of traditional commercials during breaks in play or on-screen banners during game play.

Even the ads that would be permitted to run could be taken down if the BGC determines that they are promoting “excessive” gambling activity, although the specific parameters of what defines ‘excessive’ activity have yet to be delineated.

Privately-held UK bookmakers Betfred have expanded their UK football visibility by inking a shirt deal with Bolton Wandereers Football Club (BWFC).

On Monday, Betfred confirmed that it had reached a sponsorship deal with BWFC that will see the betting company’s logo adorn the front of the team’s shirts for the next two Championship seasons. In addition to the shirt logo, Betfred will also enjoy additional branding opportunities at the club’s Macron Stadium.

Betfred and BWFC aren’t strangers, as the bookie was the club’s official betting partner a few years back. Betfred founder Fred Done said his firm had “enjoyed a great relationship” with the squad and thus the team was front and center in Done’s mind when he decided “to get more involved in football.”

Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed but the team claims it’s worth “significantly more” than the deal with previous shirt sponsors Spin and Win. Team chairman Ken Anderson welcomed Betfred into the club’s “ever-increasing and high-profile partnership portfolio.”

Las Vegas’ iconic Stratosphere Casino is under new management as part of the $850m sale of American Casino & Entertainment Properties (ACEP) to Golden Entertainment.

On Monday, gaming operator Golden Entertainment announced it would pay $781m in cash plus 4m shares of Golden stock to acquire ACEP, which owns the Stratosphere and three other Nevada gaming properties – Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, Arizona Charlie’s Boulder and the Aquarius Casino Resort in Laughlin.

The deal, which the participants expect to conclude later this year, will significantly expand Golden’s operations, which currently include the PT’s Pub chain of taverns in Nevada, three brick-and-mortar Nevada casinos, plus Maryland’s Rocky Gap Resort and the Golden Route Operations, which controls 10,500 slot machines at nearly 1000 small venues in Nevada and Montana.

Golden says ACEP is on target to generate revenue of $413m and earnings of $103m this year, and Golden expects the deal will be immediately accretive to its operating results. Golden also says it expects to achieve around $18m in annual synergies once it seals the deal.