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Thursday, April 7, 2011 | 2:36 p.m.
PokerStars, the web poker giant trying to get its business legalized in Nevada, persuaded the bill sponsor to travel to London before he introduced the controversial bill. William Horne, the Assembly Judiciary chairman and majority whip, traveled with Commerce Chairman Kelvin Atkinson late last year on a trip intended to end on the Isle of Man, the Internet company’s headquarters. Because of inclement weather, they never made it to the Isle of Man, and spent two days at a satellite office in London with company officials and lobbyist Richard Perkins, the former speaker.
A couple of months later, PokerStars hosted state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford in Nassau, Bahamas, where a conference was being held.
Horne’s bill is in limbo, although he told me today a compromise with state gaming interests, who along with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid say the feds should act first, may be at hand – I can’t imagine it is one that would allow PokerStars to do business here, but Horne insists it would not gut his bill. We’ll see.
Horne scoffed at the notion the trip was a junket, saying, “It was productive. They made a good presentation.”
Shortly after he returned, Horne prepared the bill Perkins wanted and introduced it.
Horsford said he was invited on the UK trip last year but could not attend. He said the company asked him to attend the Nassau conference so he flew in from New York where he was on other business in January, right before the session began.
Horsford said he went “to learn more about Internet gaming policy before federal and state governments. I returned with a better understanding of how to continue to position Nevada as the international leader in the gaming industry."
Horsford said he is neutral for now on Horne’s bill and is concerned about the federal issue raised by Reid and others.
Speaker John Oceguera also was invited on the trip to the UK, but declined, a source confirmed.
Perkins refused to answer any questions about the trips.
The main question, besides the appearance issue, is this: Couldn't these lawmakers have learned all they needed to know by, say, going on the Internet?
good job exposing fraud and waste,,,,fire them
No. Actually they can't learn everything on the internet. This is why Steve Wynn went out of the US two times to meet with pokerstars management.
The majority owner of PS cannot come to the US until the murky legal issues are worked out.
How Casino Mogul Steve Wynn Went All In On Online Poker and PokerStars
Apr. 7 2011 - 10:08 am |
http://blogs.forbes.com/nathanvardi/2011...
The Wynn report was up this morning so Jon Ralston is doing some pretty poor reporting or should I just call it slanting.
When Ralston was looking into this I find it pretty hard to believe no one mentioned Wynn traveling twice to meet with PS.
I understand the private/public issue here but a partnership with PS could be very profitable for Nevada.
How come Ralston mentioned the internet but did not ask why PS officials didn't travel here if they want to legalize on-line poker? Most likely because Ralston knew they can't come here but somehow left that out. This is a little to close to lying by omission.
Maybe they had to go overseas to get a superuser account opened.
"When Ralston was looking into this I find it pretty hard to believe no one mentioned Wynn traveling twice to meet with PS" Gee topset why should people worry about what a private citizen does? The article is about lawmakers that we elect and pay, was that so hard?
What was the value of those "non-junket" trips? Would those trips have to be disclosed as an in kind donation?
I'm not surprised since i've learned there is no process to field ethics complaints by leadership.
"When Ralston was looking into this I find it pretty hard to believe no one mentioned Wynn traveling twice to meet with PS" Gee topset why should people worry about what a private citizen does? The article is about lawmakers that we elect and pay, was that so hard?
Because Wynn is one of the Kings of Las Vegas and may have more pull than the lawmakers. If they had flown to visit officials for Google would it be any different? Google is a an internet based company so there is no need to ever travel to met them according to Ralston.
Can't we elect honest and honorable people?
Golly gee topset you wouldn't be Mr Horseyferds campaign manager would you?
Wow. Trips to the Isle of Man. -- Two days at a satellite office in London. -- Nassau, Bahamas!
Book Title: "How to get a business started in Las Vegas, Nevada"
Movie Title : Godfather IV ( or is it V).
Senator "Very Poor Judgment" Horsford strikes again.
So not only are PokerStars crooks, but so are our legislators. Shameful....