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Today’s 3-Bet finds 888poker boasting, Tony G getting raided and the GOP pissing off online poker players.
1) 888poker Hits Record Profit in 2012
888poker has been seriously upping their game over the last couple years with vastly improved software, mobile apps and aggressive celebrity signings.
The results appear to be paying off.
According to their most recent earnings report 888’s overall revenue is up 21% with a whopping 72% increase in their poker division.
CEO Brian Mattingley called poker their “star performer” with massive increases in active players over the last year.
Active players are up 63% while new deposits are up 48% on 888poker.
Over the last year 888poker signed MMA superstar George St-Pierre as an ambassador and launched the highly successful 888poker.es in Spain. 888poker also has a deal with Caesars Entertainment to provide WSOP-branded online poker software outside the U.S.
The partnership has been expanded to include the U.S. when online poker legislation is passed.
The success of 888poker is especially impressive considering many online poker sites have remained stagnant or declined since Black Friday.
2) Party Poker Urges Players to Raid Tony G’s House
Players on Party Poker are being given the chance to rob poker pro Tony G’s house in an upcoming promotion on the site.
OK, it’s not his actual house. Instead players will get a crack at over $200k in gadgets, luxury items and a Volkswagen Golf GTI.
Raiding Tony’s house is relatively simple as any player who earns one Party Point will receive a daily giveaway ticket. Earn 20 Party Points and you can enter all 20 daily giveaways.
The promo runs from Sept. 3-Oct. 7, 2012. Sign up for a Party account by going to our Party Poker review.
Here’s the PR-heavy quote from the man himself, Tony G.
“There is no need to fight for the right to party in my house because it is as easy as taking candy from a Russian Phil Hellmuth to get involved – this promotion is open to everybody as it only costs one PartyPoint to become qualified!”
Somewhere out there Ralph Perry is approaching Tony G’s actual house with a crowbar.
3) GOP Takes Anti-Online Gaming Stance
The Republican Party didn’t make any friends with online poker players this week by inserting an anti-online poker plank into its platform.
The directive calls for a blanket prohibition of all forms of online gambling and shouldn’t come as a complete surprise to U.S. voters as the GOP took similar stances in the 2004 and 2008 elections.
Fitted under the Making the Internet Family Friendly section of the Republican platform, the plank specifically asks for a reversal of the late 2011 decision by the Justice Department to declare the 1961 Wire Act applies only to sports betting.
The 2012 plank was announced at the ongoing Republican National Convention where Mitt Romney will be announced as the GOP’s Presidential Candidate.
Poker Players Alliance VP Rich Muny is attempting to mobilize the online poker community in an effort to oppose the anti-online poker platform.
Check out his TwoPlusTwo poker forum thread to see what you can do to keep anti-online poker off the Republican Platform.
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