Another Pro Returns to Full Tilt

It has been more than two months since Full Tilt Poker has made its return to the online gambling world, and poker pros seem to be reluctant to reconcile with the operator. It is only recently that world-renowned players are making their return to Full Tilt while the company slowly rebuilds its relationships.

Towards the end of 2012, Phil Ivey returned to playing at Full Tilt Poker. He distanced himself from the online poker operator after Black Friday, like many others – and his recent return has inspired some poker players to begin playing at Full Tilt Poker once again.

Patrick Antonius followed Ivey’s lead last week, signing up to play with Full Tilt Poker online. Since his return, he has lost $200 000. His result resembles Gus Hansen’s, who returned as Full Tilt’s bran ambassador but is losing more than $500 000. Viktor Blum has won $5 million since the beginning of 2013, but lost nearly half of that in just one week.

Phil Ivey remains the most successful pro on Full Tilt Poker. Since he began playing at Full Tilt Poker, he has raked in over $100 000. However, this is still only a small amount, considering Ivey’s lifetime winnings on Full Tilt Poker have topped $19 million.

2013 will be an exciting year for Full Tilt poker and its pros, and we are eager to see who emerges as this year’s winners and losers.

Authorities Suspect Money Laundering Took Place at SkyCity Auckland

Authorities normally keep a watchful eye on local casinos, as they suspect that criminals congregate at these gambling venues. Their reason for this is that criminals often choose to launder money at casinos, since there is already so much money passing hands between players, dealers and the casino itself. This week, it was discovered that a local meth manufacturer may have been playing at SkyCity casino in order to launder money, and local police are investigating the issue.

Roy Allan Duncan, well-known drug manufacturer, is a VIP player at SkyCity casino in Auckland. Over the years, he and his wife have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at the venue – and police have reason to doubt that their winnings were genuine.

According to police reports, Duncan used a popular method for money laundering. He would deposit money into a poker machine and cancel the transaction before wagering on the game. As a result, he would receive his money back; however, it was not his money that he would receive. Since he received a cash out ticket, his ‘winnings’ consisted of other players’ deposits – successfully laundering his own money.

Duncan disputes these claims. He states that he is simply an experienced gambler who knows how to win at pokies. Unfortunately for him, this defence is unlikely to hold up in court, as new digital technology makes it impossible to predict the outcome of modern-day pokies.

NZ Politician Goes to Court to Fight Gambling Accusations

It has been over a month since MP Brendan Horan was accused to stealing money from his late mother’s estate to fund his gambling habit, and he is still fighting to clear his name. Although he has been forced out of NZ First, he has refused to resign from Parliament – and he hopes that he can obtain the information to clear his name and resume his career.

In early December, Horan’s family members stated that he had stolen thousands of dollars from his dying mother in order to spend money on gambling. Phone records showed that he called TabCorp hundreds of times over the course of a few months, but the politician has maintained his innocence.

To fight the claims, Horan has enlisted in the help of the court system. He plans to take legal action against the individual who is in charge of his late mother’s estate, claiming that this person is withholding the information necessary to clear his name. Horan states that his mother spent most of the money herself and that he had done nothing wrong.

Should he obtain the necessary information, Horan could prove his innocence not only to the general public but also to his political peers. However, NZ First may be reluctant to allow him to re-join, as leader Winston Peters has already dismissed Horan for shaming the party.