Trio's a Duo -- After yesterday's mid-term elections, Rep. Jim Leach, R-Iowa, was unseated though Rep. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Sen. John Kyl, R-Ariz., both unyielding opponents of online gambling, retained their congressional seats. Goodlatte paced to an easy victory, claiming 75 percent of the Virginia Sixth District vote, while Kyl, in a close-fought race, ousted opponent Jim Pederson in the most expensive Arizona Senate race to date.
Quoteworthy -- "We believe this will be a more favorable environment looking forward. A fresh perspective is needed, and we are hopeful that the new congressional leadership will objectively consider the skill game of poker for an exemption from Internet gambling prohibitions passed this year and create good public policy by licensing, regulating and taxing Internet poker in the U.S."
Michael Bolcerek, head of the Poker Players Alliance, regarding the results of Tuesday's mid-term elections.
BoS Offloads Asia-facing Operation -- Beleagured United Kingdom operator BetonSports (BoS) has sold its Asia-facing Hooball sports book and casino back to its original founders for a cash sum of $2.25 million. The sale follows the U.S. Department of Justice's (DoJ) temporary restraining order on its U.S.-facing business handed down in July. The purchaser will return an estimated 3.8 million shares that were issued at the time of the BoS acquisition, and cancel the outstanding consideration of $5 million. Any future earn-outs were also canceled. BoS acquired Hooball in May 2006 for an initial consideration of $22 million, with $10 million paid in cash, and incorporated it into the BoS-owned, Malaysia-based EasyBet infrastructure. The company said its "…inability to pay the outstanding consideration when it fell due or to fully integrate the business, as well as damage to the business caused by the legal action of the DOJ and its impact on customer confidence, have driven the pricing of this sale."
Standing Room Only -- Betfair Poker announced today that the Main Event of its inaugural Asian Poker Tour festival in Singapore has been filled to capacity. Over 370 players have each paid the $5,000 buy-in for the three-day Main Event that begins Nov. 15. Though exact figures were not released, "many" players reportedly qualified through Betfair Poker online. Additional land-based satellite tournaments will be held in Singapore beginning Nov. 12, and are expected to boost Main Event numbers over the 400 mark. Entrants hail from 32 countries, and will compete alongside a sizable pool of local players. The Main Event first, second and third-place finishers are guaranteed six-figure sums, with the overall prize pool totaling an estimated $2 million.
Sans House -- Online gaming software developer Zone4Play announced today that its subsidiary, Get21, launched online multiplayer blackjack tournaments for non-U.S. players. The Get21 service allows players to participate in tournaments against other players, rather than competing against the "house."