Issue 290
April 3 - April 9, 2006
Volume 6
page 2
 

National League of Poker Web Site Launched
Press Release

FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts - Responding to the increasing demand for online poker alternatives, The National League of Poker (NLOP) announced the formal launch of its completely free online poker portal www.nlop.com. The announcement includes the launch of the NLOP Spring Series, a 6-week promotion that will award over $30,000 in cash and prizes including 6 seats to the 2006 World Series of Poker.

The NLOP poker contest is powered by Poker Creations, a leading provider of promotional poker tournaments and a wholly owned subsidiary of NLOP, Inc. The Poker Creations division will handle all game management and logistics. Poker Creations just completed operating a nationwide online promotion sponsored by Miller Beer. During the 8-week promotion over $100,000 in prizes were awarded in the Milwaukee's Best Light "Best Me" promotion.

According to a recent NY Times article over 65M Americans play Poker. In fact Poker has become America's #1 leisure game, with more participants than golf and tennis combined. But, the majority of online poker adoption has been through offshore or remote site operators like Party Poker, Poker Stars, and Paradise Poker, as domestically based online poker rooms would violate current US law.

"We feel there is huge audience of Americans looking for legal alternatives to offshore sites", explained Alan Miller founder of NLOP. "While offshore sites claim to offer 'free' poker, most also offer little to win. With NLOP, people can win huge prizes, and because we limit the amount of points they get to play with each day-the NLOP poker experience is more realistic than other free sites".

"Poker has exploded on TV", commented Miller, "but US advertisers and sponsors have not been able to connect with the online poker audience". "There has been substantial precedent set for media and brand properties to stay far away from these offshore operators, NLOP provides advertisers and sponsors the opportunity to connect with the burgeoning poker demographic in a US-legal and fun fashion".

Consumers can sign up and play at www.nlop.com and compete for seats at the World Series of Poker. One grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 seat at the 2006 World Series of Poker. Five other seats plus cash and prizes will also be awarded during the Spring Series promotion.

About NLOP

NLOP is poised to become the leading web portal for casual poker game-play in the US. With a business model that stands in sharp contrast to offshore or remote sites, NLOP aims to bring fun, free and compelling game play to the US audience.

 

 

 


Tribes speak out against McCain's gaming bill
As Reported by indianz.com

Tribal leaders plan to send a letter to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee to formalize their opposition to a proposed overhaul of the $20 billion tribal casino industry.

At a meeting organized by the National Indian Gaming Association and the National Congress of American Indians, tribal leaders said a bill introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), the chairman of the committee, threatens their rights. They criticized provisions that would limit off-reservation gaming, impose additional bureaucratic rules on casinos and subject tribes to reviews of their daily business activities.

"Sovereignty is an inherent right of Indian tribes, and cannot be compromised without compromising our very existence as Indian people," Stanley Crooks, chairman of the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, the Minnesota tribe that hosted the meeting on Tuesday.

Ernie Stevens, the chairman of NIGA, said the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 doesn't need to be amended. He called S.2078, the bill introduced by McCain last November, "a disappointing reminder that some people think we've gained too much ground."

"Who else in American society is forced to defend their right to be successful?" Stevens said.

Despite the opposition coming from Indian Country, McCain isn't likely to hold back his proposal. At a business committee meeting next Wednesday, he plans to call a vote on his amendments to IGRA regardless of what tribes think.

"Any legislation that's 18 years old clearly needs a review," McCain said at a March 8 hearing. "Second of all, any operation that started from half a billion dollars to $20 billion a year, and continuing to go up, obviously needs to be scrutinized and looked at. Things have changed since 1988."

At the hearing, McCain indicated he was willing to accept compromise on one section of the bill that would give the National Indian Gaming Commission more power to review all gaming and gaming-related contracts. NIGC Chairman Phil Hogen and tribal leaders say the language, as currently drafted, would hinder tribes as they go about their daily business.

"Of the multitude of contracts tribal gaming operations enter into for their day-to-day operations, only a small minority are directly related to the conduct of the gaming activity," Hogen said,warning of a "bureaucratic bottleneck" that could be created by passage of the bill.

But McCain wasn't budging on another section of the measure that would ensure the NIGC has the authority to regulate Class III gaming. A federal judge ruled that IGRA left that role to tribes and states, through the compacting process, but McCain disagrees with the decision.

And McCain hasn't swayed from his view that off-reservation casino proposals have created a "backlash" against Indian gaming. His bill would make it harder for tribes to engage in gaming on land taken into trust after 1988, the year IGRA was first passed.

The disconnect between McCain, a longtime advocate for tribal sovereignty, and Indian Country has grown ever since he took over the Indian Affairs Committee in January 2005. Of the nearly 30 hearings he has held in Washington since February 2005, half of them have dealt with the Jack Abramoff scandal, gaming and the closely tied federal recognition and land-into-trust processes, topics that have painted tribes in a negative light.

The rift was highlighted at the March 8 hearing, when a tribal leader questioned McCain's agenda. Ron His Horse Is Thunder, the chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, said the bill was motivated by negative press coverage, anti-Indian groups and the fallout from the Abramoff scandal, comments that brought a rebuke by McCain.

"We're too far apart in our views of what this committee is trying to do in the 20-some years I've been involved on behalf of Native Americans," McCain said. Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), the vice chairman of the committee, said he agreed with McCain's sentiments.

Since IGRA was passed in 1988, a year after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the inherent right of tribes to engage in gaming, there have been no major amendments to the law. In recent years, state governments have lobbied against provisions that would prevent them from taking a share in gaming revenues and limit their regulation of on-reservation activities.

Tribes have fought certain changes as well, citing threats to their sovereignty and economies. The conflicting views have made it extremely difficult for Congress to enact any changes to IGRA.

By making gaming a top priority of the committee, McCain hopes this year will be different. He has cited an obligation to protect non-Indians who gamble at tribal casinos, controversy over off-reservation gaming and the growth of the industry in his campaign to overhaul IGRA.

New Tinian casino MOA signed
As Reported by Saipan Tribune

Tinian - The Fitial administration signed last week a memorandum of agreement with Baltimore-based Cordish Company for a $200-million casino and golf course project on Tinian.

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial said the agreement was signed Tuesday.

Cordish Company is the second casino MOA signed by the administration.

It earlier signed an agreement with Marianas Resort Development Co. Inc., which plans to build a $170-million casino and golf course project on Tinian.

Fitial said Friday that MRDC will break ground on Tuesday.

Under the casino law, Tinian can issue up to five casino licenses.

Right now, only one operator has the license, Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, which began its operations in 1998.

The Fitial administration said all five slots are essentially taken now.

Aside from MRDC and Cordish Company, the administration said it has found another company that could take the final casino license being granted by the Tinian Casino and Gaming Commission.

Last year, Bridge Investment Group, received a conditional license to set up its proposed $150-million to $200-million hotel casino.

The project includes the construction of a 300-room hotel casino, with 100 full suites and 200 junior suites, four full-service restaurants, a spa, wedding chapel, shopping arcade, and a convention facility that will accommodate 600 people.

The project also includes the construction of an 18-hole championship golf course, the first on the island of Tinian.

Construction of luxury bungalows and additional rooms at the hotel casino are also planned as expansion projects.

Meantime, TDHC remains confident that it can compete with the new investors.

It said that it would also benefit from new investments as these enhance the island as a tourist destination.

JuJRich Little

The Orleans Showroom: Master mimic, Rich Little, will be performing at the Orleans Showroom on April 13th-15th. With over 200 voices in his repertoire from presidents to the best-known stars, Rich Little has entertained millions over the course of his successful career.

Date: April 13th - 15th, 2006

Time: 8 PM

Ticket Price: $39.95 plus tax

For more information: (702) 365-7075
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