State-run Poker -- Swedish gaming software provider Boss Media and Swedish government-owned gaming operator Svenska Spel will debut their new joint venture poker room Thursday. The move makes Svenska-Spel the first government-owned and licensed gaming company in the world to release an online poker room.
Hard Time -- Disgraced former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced today to five years and ten months in federal prison for charges of fraud relating to the purchase of the SunCruz Casinos gambling fleet in 2000. He is also at the center of a Florida investigation into the murder of former SunCruz owner Konstantinos "Gus" Boulis, but maintains he has no connection. He also pleaded guilty this week to three federal charges of corruption involving up to 20 members of Congress and aides, including former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. No date has been set for his sentencing in that case.
PokerShare Returns -- Online poker room PokerShare.com, which has been defunct since November 2005, is re-launching on the Tain network, which is owned by Scandinavian online gaming operator Expekt. PokerShare.com, whose royalty scheme returns a percentage of rake to players, was shut out of its former network, Excapsa Software Inc., for reportedly creating unfair competition for UltimateBet, the largest member of the Excapsa network. For now, PokerShare is available in Beta mode exclusively for existing players. The company also plans to launch an online casino, CasinoShare.com in May 2006.
GLO Buys Tusk -- Australian Online Gaming Company Global Approach Limited today announced plans to acquire Tusk Investment Corporation Limited, parent company of the Tusk Group, which provides management services for GLO’s current online casinos and poker room. Total consideration for the purchase is $19.375 million and comes in the form of 155 million fully paid ordinary shares at an issue price of 12.5 cents per share.
IMF Workshop -- Regional regulators of online casinos and Internet gambling operations met in Antigua and Barbuda last week for a training workshop on combating money laundering presented by the International Monetary Fund in collaboration with the Financial Sector Reform and Strengthening Initiative and the Office of National Drug and Money Laundering Control Policy.