24poker has had its license suspended and the site shut down by its network provider. The Kahnawake Gaming Commission (KGC) suspended the Client Provider Authorization held by parent company BPR Limited on November 24th mentioning “several grounds” for suspension. Play has been suspended by the Microgaming network on which the site operates, and a statement from the network read: “Microgaming (www.microgaming.com) today announced that all game play on the 24 Poker website has been blocked due to the Kahnawake Gaming Commission suspending 24 Poker’s gaming license. Both Microgaming and the Kahnawake Gaming Commission have tried without success to contact the 24 Poker Management Team. Further announcements will be made as additional information becomes available.”
The company that owns 24poker, BPR Ltd, is listed by Companies In The UK as being run from an address in County Durham with one director listed as a Mr A Moody. It’s still unclear as to exactly what caused the license to be suspended and until they divvy up with the KGC it won’t be reinstated.
PokerStars.de is the latest to enter the German football sponsorship market ahead of new gambling industry regulations. Following in the footsteps of Betfair, the global poker behemoth has spray-painted its name in 10-foot-high letters on the side of fourth division side VfB Lübeck’s Stadion an der Löhmuhle. The 18,000 capacity theatre of football becomes the PokerStars.de Stadium and they’ll hope to attract more than the current 2,000 fans to the cavernous venue on a weekly basis. For the duration of the three-year-deal, the club receives €120,000 per season with the option to extend it to 2016.
It’s no coincidence the team is situated in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein – the one Lander that is decided to go its own way with regard to changes to gaming industry laws. It remains to be seen whether changes to UK gambling industry law will lead to similar deals being signed with lower league sides. If Devon and Cornwall decided to develop its own gambling regime then Plymouth, Torquay and Exeter would all be up for grabs.
Changing sports, Boylesports.com has inked a three-year contract with Leopardstown Racecourse. The deal sees the online gaming industry firm become title sponsor of the opening day of the Dublin course’s January Jumps Weekend. Boylesports.com will sponsor the grade-B hurdle at the course and provide a cash bonus of €100,000 should a horse win that and go on to victory in March’s Cheltenham Festival. The same deal is in place on the Boyles’ sponsored grade-two novice steeplechase with the prize a more modest €50,000.
