Affichage des articles dont le libellé est Bernard. Afficher tous les articles
Affichage des articles dont le libellé est Bernard. Afficher tous les articles

2 Janvier 2012, Chad Holloway

The Insiders

Sans aucun doute, l'histoire haut de 2011 a été vendredi noir. Maintenant, que la nouvelle année commence, les ramifications de cette histoire encore transportées dans l'industrie du poker. Il y a eu des développements importants au cours des huit derniers mois, mais peut-être pas plus significatifs que les intérêts du Groupe Bernard Tapie (GBT) dans l'acquisition de Full Tilt Poker. Cette acquisition chronophage est encore inachevée mais apparemment certains, d'amorçage c'est une des plus grandes histoires de 2012.

Comme le poker monde attend le prochain développement à briser, PokerNews tendu la main de l'homme, représentant les intérêts de GBT des États-Unis, Behnam Dayanim, un avocat basé à Washington, D.C., Bureau de Axinn, Veltrop, Harkrider, LLP.

Dayanim, coprésident de du AVH litige et réglementation Group, a reçu son diplôme de Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude, en 1989 de Yeshiva University de New York, suivi par son doctorat de Juris, cum laude, de la Harvard Law School. Il était auparavant associé avec Paul Hastings Janofsky & Walker LLP et a été reconnu au niveau national par l'intermédiaire de Chambers USA et le 500 juridique.

Un plaideur chevronné, l'expertise du Dayanim est en jeu ; et des jeux de hasard contrôles à l'exportation et les sanctions ; technologie de l'information de licence et d'impartition ; la vie privée et la protection des données ; signatures électroniques et règlement des paiements. et de publicité et de marketing.

Behnam Dayanim

Quelle est la plus récente dans le Groupe Bernard Tapie/Full Tilt Poker s'entretient avec le U.S. Department of Justice ? Y a-t-il eu aucun progrès récents ?

Non, il n'y a rien de nouveau.

Les dernières nouvelles de la saga de Full Tilt Poker était que les actionnaires avaient approuvé un accord de transférer l'actif au Groupe Bernard Tapie. Quelle sera la prochaine étape ?

C'est un processus en plusieurs étapes. Je vais commencer avec la première étape pour obtenir la dernière étape. La première étape a été de négociation avec le ministère de la Justice, qui a été fait en novembre. Qui a fourni, avec le consentement par les compagnies de Full Tilt de confisquer leurs biens, que le ministère de la justice serait vendre ces biens à GBT. Nous avons conclu qu'en novembre.

La deuxième étape a obtenir le consentement de compagnies de Full Tilt la confiscation dans l'arrangement proposé de l'actif pour nous. [Approbation de l'actionnaire] couvre ce morceau.

La prochaine étape est de négociation et perpétue un accord définitif avec le ministère de la justice qui définit essentiellement tous les détails entourant les termes de la lettre d'entente. C'est ce que nous faisons maintenant. Une fois que cela est fait, l'étape finale serait la confiscation réelle et l'ordonnance de la Cour qui permet au ministère par la suite de vendre les actifs nous.

Quand pouvons-nous attendre de voir que se produire ?

Eh bien, j'ai tendance ne pas à donner un calendrier. Chaque fois que je donne un calendrier, il y a les événements qui ne sont pas sous notre contrôle, donc je ne peux dire vous un calendrier définitif de conclure ce processus. J'espère que nous obtiendrions ce fait au début de l'année.

En novembre, qui rompt les nouvelles GBT acquerrait FTP pour 80 millions de dollars. Conformément à cet accord, GBT aurait rembourser les joueurs à l'extérieur des États-Unis, tandis que le ministère de la justice serait rembourser des joueurs aux États-Unis. Comment GBT va de faciliter la récupération de joueurs à l'extérieur des États-Unis ? Ces détails dois-je être aplanies encore ?

Je pense que la GBT est en train de ces décisions, d'évaluer ce que sera le mécanisme et par l'entremise de ces détails. Qui fait partie de la diligence que prend la GBT, et je pense que ce plan mettra au point au cours des prochaines semaines.

GBT prévoit de réappliquer pour une licence auprès de la Commission de jeu Alderney ? Si oui, combien de temps ce processus prendrait ?

Oui, le plan serait de demander une licence de la Commission de jeu Aurigny et de la Commission de jeu de Kahnawake (KGC). Comme vous le savez peut-être, Full Tilt détient les licences de ces deux autorités de réglementation. Notre espoir est que nous fera de même.

J'espère que le processus ne prendrait pas terriblement long car Alderney est déjà familier avec la technologie, le logiciel, la plate-forme de jeux et tout cela, qui est une grande partie du processus. Le nouveau composant serait le peuple à la propriété et la gestion, qui aura évidemment un peu de temps, mais nous sommes optimistes, qu'il peut se faire rapidement.

On a dit que propriétaires existants de Full Tilt peuvent conserver des participations minoritaires, rester des investisseurs « passif ». Vous pouvez élaborée sur ce que cela signifie, qui peut exercer cette option, et pourquoi ils pourraient veulent le faire ?

L'entente avec le ministère de la justice prévoit que la GBT conserverait la majorité et la participation majoritaire dans la société. Le MJ interdit également aux membres de Full Tilt de conserver ou d'acquérir aucun droit de propriété de la nouvelle compagnie, à savoir les administrateurs ne sont pas autorisés à avoir intérêt de propriété à l'avenir.

Dans la mesure où les membres décident qu'ils aimeraient participer à une participation minoritaire dans la société pour l'avenir, autres que celles qui ont été exclus, il y aurait à négocier et tout intérêt serait entièrement passif.

Laurent Tapie a déclaré que certains joueurs peuvent être offerts participations dans la nouvelle société comme une forme de remboursement. Est-ce encore le plan ?

Comme je l'ai déjà dit, GBT évalue toutes ses options en termes de comment il ira sur la compensation des joueurs. Je ne suis pas à l'aise dire quelque chose sera ou ne sera pas inclus parce que ce processus est en cours.

Ce qui vous a attiré dans les zones de jeu et Jeux du droit ?

Je suis venu à cela dans une perspective de la technologie. J'ai commencé au large comme un avocat d'exportation-commerce spécialisé dans les questions de haute technologie. Par exemple, j'ai traité avec l'exportation de logiciels de chiffrement et les choses de cette nature. Ensuite, sur 13 ou 14 ans, je commençais à travailler avec une entreprise de processeur de paiement qui avait une variété de questions réglementaires de paiements.

Elles aussi traitées jeux et ils m'ont demandé d'en attendant de lois du jeu. Comme vous le savez, cette question a été kicking autour de Congrès pendant de nombreuses années avant l'adoption de l'UIGEA en 2006. Donc à cette époque, un projet de loi était en attente qui serait ont clarifié le statut juridique du jeu de l'Internet, et soudainement, j'ai commencé à travailler sur les questions de leurs jeu [dans la fin des années 1990].
J'ai par la suite conservé par ce qu'on appelait alors Party Gaming pour conseiller sur les questions de réglementation jeux et connexes. Si j'ai été impliqué depuis un certain temps.

Restez à jour sur les dernières nouvelles par la suite nous sur Twitter et nous aimer sur Facebook.

Suivez le Tchad Holloway sur Twitter — @ ChadAHolloway


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AppId is over the quota
October 09 2011, Brett Collson, Elaine Chaivarlis

The Weekly Turbo

Groupe Bernard Tapie has been all over the news following the acquisition agreement with Full Tilt Poker, but the French investment group made headlines for a different reason this week. In this edition of the Weekly Turbo, you'll get a look into the International Stadiums Poker Tour, a Team PokerStars member being sued by The Wynn, and more.

Shootout at Wembley Stadium

In Monday's edition of the Nightly Turbo, we featured a story about the launch the International Stadiums Poker Tour (ISPT), an organization backed by Groupe Bernard Tapie. There wasn't much info provided except for a tournament with a hefty $30 million guarantee taking place at Wembley Stadium in London.

But it got our attention. And on Tuesday evening, the website was updated with more information. According to the site, ISPT is "a poker tournament organized each year in internationally renowned stadiums." The Wembley event is the first on the schedule and will take place over five days some time between Aug. 15 and Oct. 9, 2012, with the final dates to be released by Wembley after the national soccer team calendar is published next month.

Still a bit vague, but at least we're getting somewhere.

The tournament itself will begin with up to 30,000 players, all of whom will have qualified online, playing a shootout format using electronic pads offered to them from their seats in the stadium. Then, after the first round, the remaining players will move to actual tables laid out on the Wembley lawn. Play will continue until a winner is handed a top prize of $10 million.

This is a very unique idea and we're interested to see how it develops. For more information, visit the ISPT website.

Team PokerStars Pro Sued

Two poker pros from Argentina have been sued by The Wynn Casino in Las Vegas for their illicit methods at the craps table. Team PokerStars member Leo Fernandez and former PokerStars sponsored pro Veronica Dabul were arrested on July 18 for illegally winning close to $700,000, and The Wynn has filed papers to recover its losses.

The duo, which frequently visited the crap tables at The Wynn, has been accused of “dice sliding,” a technique in which a thrower supposedly slides the dice down the table so that the desired number, generally a six, remains face up. They are suspected of working with several unidentified customers, possibly as part of a team, who placed bets or distracted dealers to increase their chances of winning.

According to the suit, Wynn surveillance tapes from July 17 show Dabul and Fernandez playing craps from 10:37 p.m. to midnight, with Fernandez allegedly sliding the dice at least seven times without placing a single bet.

"It's not a common form of cheating because it involves a considerable amount of skill and practice," said Jerry Markling of the Nevada Gaming Control Board.

Dabul was released after two days in the Clark County Detention Center. Fernandez spent about a week in custody before being turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service.

Get the full story at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Campos and Elie File Motions to Dismiss

Two of the men indicted by federal prosecutors on Black Friday for their involvement in the online poker industry are fighting their charges in federal court.

Forbes reported Monday that Chad Elie, a former payment processor for PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, and Absolute Poker, and John Campos, the vice chairman of a Utah Bank that processed payments for the three sites, are arguing that the companies they worked for were not gambling businesses under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and Illegal Gambling Business Act (IGBA).

Campos and Elie were arrested on April 19, four days after being indicted by the Department of Justice. Elie was being charged on all nine counts in the DOJ indictment, which included violation of the UIGEA, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and money laundering. However, Elie’s attorney now claims that the UIGEA does not apply to poker, a game of skill rather than chance. One of the court filings reads, “Online poker is a game in which the outcome depends to at least some degree on skill.”

Elie’s attorney also claims that his client should fall under the exemption for financial transaction providers as a payment processor. Campos filed a separate motion to dismiss all counts filed against him, but his lawyers are arguing his claims in a very similar manner to Elie’s team.

Read more about their case at Forbes.

WSOP Announces 2011 Hall of Fame Finalists

Following Erik Seidel into the Poker Hall of Fame isn’t ideal, but someone has to do it. The 10 finalists for the 2011 Poker Hall of Fame were announced Tuesday, and as many as two legends of the game will be enshrined as part of the World Series of Poker Main Event Final Table festivities in November.

Eighteen living Hall of Fame members, including Seidel (voted in last year), and a 17-person media panel will cast votes for the 2011 class. The finalists will be voted on by a set of criteria, such as their consistency at high-stakes games against acknowledged top competition, and standing the test of time. Or, for nonplayers, the person must have contributed to the overall growth and success of the game of poker.

Here’s a look at the finalists:

Annie Duke
Barry Greenstein
Jennifer Harman-Traniello
Linda Johnson
John Juanda
Marcel Luske
Jack McLelland
Tom McEvoy
Scotty Nguyen
Huckleberry Seed

The 2011 class will be announced at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino on Nov. 8. Be sure to follow PokerNews for the live coverage from Las Vegas!

Visit WSOP.com for more information.

AGCC Softening Its Stance

On Thursday, the Alderney Gaming Control Commission (AGCC) released a statement regarding Full Tilt Poker and complaints it has been receiving from players. The statement reads: "At the request of the police, AGCC will continue to log incoming player complaints: these records will be made available to the police."

The statement came three days after the AGCC's initial announcement stating that it would no longer mitigate disputes between Full Tilt Poker and customers. In an effort to distance itself from the embattled online poker room, the AGCC originally directed players to report complaints to local authorities.

Read the statement at the AGCC's website.

Round 1: Fight!

Team PokerStars Pros Lex Veldhuis and Bertrand “ElkY” Grospellier have been training for a kickboxing match for nearly two years, and it appears the prop bet has an official date. Veldhuis said in his blog Monday that the two will fight on Nov. 22, 2011, in front of television cameras.

Veldhuis and Grospellier will step into the ring for an “official” three-round kickboxing match with judges and no protective gear. Veldhuis mentioned that he’s suffered several injuries leading up to the fight, but he still considers himself a favorite over the less-experienced Grospellier.

“I have been getting injured a lot, and it sends me on the darkest tilt possible,” he wrote. “I think cause it also shows me how much my body deteriorated, while I was in awesome shape when I was younger.”

Read more about the fight at Lex Veldhuis’ blog.

The Buffoons, the Arrogant Idiots

Daniel Negreanu has never been known to shy away from controversy; you can always count on him to speak his mind — no matter what.

PokerAkademia.com caught up with Negreanu while he was in Hungary and asked him his thoughts on having to move to Canada to continue to play online poker and what he thought about the Full Tilt Poker saga.

Are you following PokerNews on Twitter? Like us on Facebook while you're at it, and sign up for the newsletter. You know you want to.

Follow Elaine Chaivarlis on Twitter — @LaneyLV


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AppId is over the quota
September 30 2011, Elaine Chaivarlis

Full Tilt Poker

On Friday, Full Tilt Poker announced on PokerStrategy.com that an acquisition agreement was signed with the Bernard Tapie Group. This comes just one day after the Alderney Gambling Control Commission revoked Full Tilt Poker's license.

The announcement was made by Laurent Tapie, managing director of the Bernard Tapie Group.

Laurent Tapie is the son of Bernard Tapie, a French businessman and politician. Bernard Tapie is credited with rebuilding a number of bankrupt companies and making them profitable. His most famous is Adidas, which he owned from 1990 to 1993. He also owned a cycling team that won the Tour de France twice and a soccer club that won the French Championship five times in a row, as well as the Champions League in 1993. Bernard Tapie's record isn't only littered with wins. In 1993, he was accused of fixing a match between his soccer club and another, for which he served a seven-month prison sentence. Tapie was also convicted of tax fraud and was sued by his banker for repayment of a $240 million loan.

Reprinted below is the press release in full:

Full Tilt Poker and Groupe Bernard Tapie Sign Acquisition Agreement

Dublin, Ireland (September 30, 2011) Laurent Tapie, Managing Director of Groupe Bernard Tapie announced today that the group has signed an exclusive agreement with the Board of Directors of Full Tilt Poker to acquire the company and all of its associated assets.

This agreement, which includes the repayment of Full Tilt Poker’s world-wide players in full, is subject to several conditions; the first of which is a favorable resolution with the United States Department of Justice. Discussions with the United States Department of Justice will begin immediately.

Groupe Bernard Tapie has over 30 years of experience in the salvation of financially distressed businesses, with over 40 companies acquired and managed to profitability, the most well-known being the sport equipment giant, Adidas.

Updated 9:45 a.m. PDT: Laurent Tapie granted an exclusive interview with iGaming France to discuss the acquisition of Full Tilt Poker. According to iGaming France, the agreement includes "repayment of Full Tilt Poker's world-wide players in full, and is subject to several conditions; the first of which is a favorable resolution with the United States Department of Justice."

Tapie didn't disclose how much money the acquisition would cost his company, but did say he "wouldn't have undertaken such a project if he didn't believe in its potential."

He also told iGaming France, "We have shown that we have the funds necessary to repay player debts. We want to find ways where we don’t have to put in all the money and will be talking to the US Department of Justice next week."

It seems Tapie believes in the Full Tilt Poker brand and said he would keep it. "The brand is not in question, it’s a well-known brand and the technology is widely recognized as being possibly the best in the industry. The management of the company is being questioned and it will be changed (should the takeover be concluded). I believe we have the tools necessary to once again make the site one of the leaders in the online poker sector."

According to iGaming France, he hopes to have the site reopened by Jan. 2012.

Follow PokerNews on Twitter for up-to-the-minute news.

Follow Elaine Chaivarlis on Twitter — @LaneyLV


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