Congratulations goes out to Gamecock fan and USC grad Phil Collins who finished 5th at the 2011 World Series of Poker Main Event. Collins, a 26-year-old raised in Aiken, South Carolina, never even played a game of poker until a freshman-year spring break trip to Hilton Head Island.

“He’s got the perfect Norman Rockwell life,” said Norman Chad, commentator for ESPN’s poker telecasts. “Perfect SAT score, college grad, dresses nice and perfect comportment around the table. You can’t help but root for him.”

The 5th place finish at the WSOP earned Collins a cool $2,268,909.00. That is one nice return on the 10k buy in for the tournament that drew 6,865 entrants. Collins is no stranger to winning big money playing poker though. Many poker players know Collins by the nickname of “USCphildo” online where he has won over $3.2 million since graduating from USC with a business administration degree in 2007.

You can play online poker from your own home by clicking here!

Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that FullTilt Poker was not a legitimate poker company, but a global Ponzi scheme. ”Full Tilt was not a legitimate poker company, but a global Ponzi scheme,” U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement. “Not only did the firm orchestrate a massive fraud against the U.S. banking system, as previously alleged, Full Tilt also cheated and abused its own players to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.”

Investigators are saying that FullTilt used over $400 million of online poker players funds to pay board members, including well-known professional poker players Chris Ferguson and the brother of Annie Duke, Howard Lederer. Authorities say that in March the company had only $60 million left in its bank accounts. This is well short of the $390 million it owes to players, including myself.

Transferring funds in connection with online gambling became illegal in 2006 when former President Bush signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), stripping away the freedom of Americans to spend their money in online poker rooms.

I personally feel that players will never receive the monies that are owed them from FullTilt Poker. This is all the more reason that online poker should be made legal. If the government were to regulate it American citizens would be protected from cases like this happening again. With regulation and taxation would come many jobs and much needed revenue for the states and the Federal Government without raising taxes on anyone that doesn’t play.

Don’t be one to sit idly by and think your voice doesn’t matter, speak up for your rights. Players and those who believe in our freedoms can tell President Obama to protect consumers, create jobs and generate revenue by licensing online poker by clicking here.

It wasn’t too long ago that I published an alert from the Poker Player Alliance asking folks to connect with their Congress members and asking them to support online poker and H.R. 2366.

This bill would restore online poker rights by allowing licensed companies to offer Internet poker with real-money play to U.S. residents. Readers can read that alert by clicking here.

Congressman Tim Scott (R) from South Carolina has made the following reply:

Dear Mr. Moore:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me to express your support for legislation that licenses Internet poker in the United States. I always appreciate your input and the opportunity to address your concerns.

As you already are aware, H.R. 1174, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, would require internet gaming operators to apply for licenses through the Treasury Department and would make online gambling officially legal. In return, these operators would agree to be heavily regulated. This bill has been referred to the House Financial Services, Judiciary, and Energy and Commerce Committees. In addition, H.R. 2366, the Internet Gambling Prohibition, Poker Consumer Protection, and Strengthening UIGEA Act of 2011, would establish a program for State licensing of Internet poker, allowing states to opt out however if they do not wish to participate.

As we move forward on a variety of issues, it is important that we always consider the federal government's proper role and scope. I am an ardent supporter of the Tenth Amendment and believe that the regulation of gambling should be left to the states. Gambling remains a divisive issue and is best regulated at the state and local level.

Again, thank you for contacting me with your thoughts on this important issue. If I can ever be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me or a member of my staff. For more information from Washington, please visit my website at www.timscott.house.gov and subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter.

Sincerely,

Tim Scott
Member of Congress

Readers of Carolina Gambler can visit Congressman Scott’s Face Book page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/RepTimScott?sk=wall and ask him to support Americans freedom to play and fund online poker and gaming.

Editors note – The 10th Amendment states : “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

 Bodog has announced that they will let their current license agreement with MMGG expire at the end of 2011, and exit the U.S. online gambling market. Come January 1, 2012, US online casino players will no longer be able to access any Bodog website. The following announcement was released July 26, 2011:

“Following recent news that Bodog UK has been granted a gambling license by the UK Gambling Commission, we are pleased to announce further developments to the Bodog brand going forward.

As highlighted last week, Bodog UK’s CEO, Patrik Selin believes the trust and credibility that having a UK license brings to the brand will benefit customers and allow him to attract the best talent in the industry to work with him.

However, in order to ensure the brand’s expansion is not affected by negative perceptions, both in the UK and elsewhere in emerging markets such as Asia, where Bodog88 is already successful, a decision has been made to withdraw the Bodog brand from the US market at the end of 2011. As a result, the Morris Mohawk Gaming Group’s (MMGG) brand licensing agreement will be allowed to expire on 31 December, following which US residents will no longer be able to access bodog.eu or any other Bodog branded website. We understand that MMGG will launch under its own brand in 2012, licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. All Bodog.eu clients’ funds will remain safe and they will have the option to switch to a new MMGG brand should they wish but MMGG confirms it’s business as usual.

This decision presents a fresh direction for the Bodogbrand.com as it looks to create a new chapter in its history. The move will enable the Bodog brand to continue its growth and expansion and maintain its position as the world’s largest gaming brand.”

The understanding is that MMGG will launch under its own brand in 2012, licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. All Bodog players will be able to withdraw their funds or have them transferred to the new MMGG online gambling site.

At the  time of this posting there has been no formal reaction from MMGG.

The Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC)  has suspended Full Tilt Poker’s operating license. This is in all likelihood the end for one of the largest online poker sites on the internet.

All poker games have been suspended. The homepage now reads, “Scheduled Maintenance In Progress. The system is currently down for maintenance. Please check back soon!”

In a statement from the AGCC, Executive Director André Wilsenach had the following to say:

“Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) has today issued Hearing Notices under Regulation 46 of the Alderney eGambling Regulations, 2009 to the above named companies who collectively trade as FULL TILT POKER.

“In addition, AGCC has issued Suspension Notices under Regulation 47 of the Alderney eGambling Regulations, 2009 to the above named companies requiring them to immediately suspend operations.
The above named companies must, until the Suspension Notices are cancelled or the Commissioners of AGCC have reached a determination at the conclusion of the hearing convened in accordance with Regulation 46 of the Alderney eGambling Regulations, 2009 cease to exercise their eGambling licenses, which means that these licensees must from today cease to:-

• Register new customers
• Accept deposits from existing customers
• Allow existing customers to withdraw funds that are held in their accounts
• Permit customers to participate in any form of poker game play or gambling transaction.

“The Alderney Gambling Control Commission will hear the matters contained in the Hearing Notices at a Regulatory Hearing which will commence at 10.00am on Tuesday 26th July, 2011 at the Victoria Park Plaza Hotel, 239 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London SW1V 1EQ. In the event that there is a change to these details this notice will be amended.”

It does not look good for players from the U.S., or anywhere else for that matter, of ever getting their funds back from the site.