The news spread quickly Friday night, as internet forums were bustling with questions as to whether the rumors were true.  Soon, people began seeing ePassporte either disappearing as a deposit option from several poker sites, or temporarily frozen due to “technical difficulties.”  Customer calls to ePassporte were met with denials, as customer service reps said there were simply technical problems.  Other than that, all was supposedly well. 

Then the following message appeared on the Cake Poker deposit screen: 

“We have received notice from ePassporte today that they are unable to continue to provide CakePoker with merchant e-wallet services. We have since confirmed that this situation is not unique to CakePoker and is, in fact, industry wide.” 

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“Reaching one million members puts the PPA on par with such political powerhouses as AARP and the National Association of Realtors, and will allow us to advocate even more effectively on behalf of our members,” said PPA Chairman Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato.  

As part of PPA’s ongoing advocacy efforts, and to fully leverage its growing membership, the organization launched a comprehensive voter registration campaign this week to underscore the growing political activism among the poker community.  With a goal of registering 100,000 poker players as new voters, the “If You Play, Have a Say” campaign will reach out to PPA members who are not currently registered to vote and raise awareness as to why being active in the political process is important to the future of poker.  

PPA members can go online to www.poker2008.org to complete a simple online form in order to register to vote in their state.  In addition to the online voter registration and a direct mail program, the “If You Play, Have a Say” campaign will include onsite voter registration drives in key battleground states as well as during the 2008 World Series of Poker beginning May 30th .

Additionally, PPA this week launched PokerPAC, its political action committee.  PokerPAC, which is open to dues paying members of PPA as well as PPA Board Members and employees, will further strengthen the group’s efforts on Capitol Hill.  PPA Chairman D’Amato will serve as the PAC chairman, with former Congressman Toby Moffett as vice chairman and poker pro Annie Duke as an honorary PokerPAC board member.

“The formation of PokerPAC and the ‘If You Play, Have a Say’ campaign sends a clear message to elected officials in Congress and the state capitals that poker players are paying attention to the laws they enact that impact an individual’s right to play poker.  Our one million members’ voices will be heard,” said D’Amato.

To learn more about the PPA and the “If You Play, Have a Say” campaign, please visit www.poker2008.org or www.pokerplayersalliance.org.

pokersourceonline.com

Joerg W of Germany became a member of Europa Casino on 9th February 2008 and was delighted to hear he had won the gigantic prize after only five days after joining the online casino. In a recent interview with Europa, Joerg stated that he couldn't believe his luck when he saw his big win. He was extremely excited and reassured, especially when he received the confirmation from the casino's friendly customer support.

Joerg also shared with Europa Casino that although he had always been a fan of Roulette, he was now also a devotee of the Slots after his recent big win. With his winnings, Joerg plans on doing some home improvements.

Europa Casino offers many special features that include giving their players the opportunity to hone their skills and learn new strategies using the 'Play for Fun' option. In the 'Real Money' mode, the casino provides useful help sections, giving members all the guidance and assistance they need.

gamblingplanet.org

Last year was the company's first full year without any business in the U.S. after a 2006 law barred foreign betting Web sites, cutting 888 off from its main market. To keep sales rising, the company is adding sports betting to its array of games in Europe in the current quarter with partner Rank Group Plc and introducing an online casino and wagers on sports in Asia.

“Casino was the star,'' Richard Carter, an analyst at Numis Securities in London, said of the fourth quarter, which he described as “very strong.'' Numis, which has a “buy'' rating on 888, had estimated revenue of $56 million for the quarter, Carter said in a note.

The company had 4.7 million registered accounts at the end of the quarter, up from 3.6 million a year earlier. 888 rose 8 pence, or 6.1 percent, to 139.5 pence in London. The shares cost 175 pence each in the September 2005 initial public offering and slid 30 percent in the following year as U.S. legislators unexpectedly approved the ban. The stock has lost 1.8 percent this year after gaining 7.2 percent in 2007.

Fourth-quarter sales from casino games increased 60 percent to $35 million, while poker revenue gained 16 percent to $21.4 million. Casino and poker sales per so-called active customer rose 26 percent to $270. Prior-year revenue excludes the U.S., where foreign online-gambling companies can no longer take bets.

“This was a transformational year,'' Chief Executive Officer Gigi Levy said in a telephone interview. “These are very good results that we think show our strategy is delivering.''

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