PKR Quiets Poker Cheat Threats--Despite Norwegian Pyramid Scam Artist!

PKR is reassuring affiliates over funds after login problems and poker cheat allegations. PKR has said affiliates have “nothing to worry about” after not being able to log in to the PKR.com affiliate site for more than a week. Concerns were raised by affiliates this week, some of them due thousands of pounds from the poker site, after their PKR log in details were rejected, leaving them unable to check their account statements.

However, speaking to EGRmagazine.com today, a spokesman for the poker site said: “The affiliate site is in the process of being updated and should be rectified very soon. No one has anything to worry about when it comes to the financial element.”

Speaking to EGRmagazine.com yesterday, one affiliate said: “The egaming industry has endured too many bad situations for affiliates, so I think it’s better to be safe than sorry. It's been a number of days, and I have money in the PKR kitty to collect, but haven't been able to log on, so one can't blame me in the slightest for starting to get concerned.”

Affiliates sought reassurance after Linx Media Group, the company behind the Eurolinx, BetOnBet and Linx Casino brands and the BetonBet sportsbook, ceased trading this week, leaving affiliates and players owed account funds totaling thousands of pounds.

Linx Media is the company behind the Eurolinx, BetOnBet and Linx Casino brands and the BetonBet sportsbook. A statement on the LinxMedia.com homepage states that Linx Media has “put its businesses into liquidation and will cease trading with immediate effect”, but claimed that liquidators have not yet been appointed and that it will “provide updates on the situation as and when information becomes available”.

Linx Media was owned by Jo Remme, who is understood to be a Norwegian also known as Jo Arild Remme. He is also alleged to have been involved in scams in Norway including a pyramid scheme with more than a thousand members, and a company called Arctic Uni that claimed to be able to provide sea urchin semen to breeders.

Eurolinx poker claimed to be licensed in Curacao, Linx Casino claimed to be licensed in Kahwanake and Betonbet claimed to be licensed in Malta. However a statement on the Curacao Egaming Licensing Authority website in response to enquries reads “please note: we do not license www.eurolinx.com or www.betonbet.com”.

Maltese regulator the Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LGA) issued a similar notice that stated “Eurolinx Ltd is not and has never been a licensed operator with the LGA [and] that the sportsbooks of Alpine Malta (BetonBet and Eurolinks) are not and never were licensed by the LGA”.

Linx Media was part of the Microgaming network, and Microgaming said in a statement: “Micrograming has terminated its software licence agreements with the Linx Media Group, with immediate effect. It has been advised that the group companies are insolvent. Microgaming is presently gathering all facts relating to this matter and will provide further announcements as and when information becomes available.”

Poker Cheat Machines in Australia Get Protection!

Imagine walking into a casino and being told that "some of the poker machines cheat you, but we're not gonna tell you which ones. You have to figure it out on your own." Sounds pretty rotten, huh? But that is kind of what is going on in Australia.

We're talking about pokies, the poker machine games that "cheat" plaayers out of their money more than any others - but you aren't allowed to know which ones they are. Eight of the 134 games approved since December 2007 have a level of volatility which is higher than what is recommended by the Australia/New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standard, but their names remain secret. While all poker machine games must have a return to player of at least 87.5 per cent, games with a low volatility pay out a larger number of small prizes. However, highly volatile games pay out a smaller number of large prizes.

Freedom of Information documents state there are eight games with a volatility higher than 15 but their names must remain secret because the information is "commercially sensitive". It is, however, not clear how many machines these games are operating. Independent MP Kris Hanna said these games were cheating gamblers. "While some receive higher jackpots, there is less return to players in between payouts," he said. "The machines are already addictive enough without extra tricks. Gamblers should be told which games pay out lessfrequently."

The Australia/New Zealand Gaming Machine National Standard recommends the nominal standard deviation of a game be no more than 15. Independent Gambling Authority director Robert Chappell said he was not concerned about the claims because the regulation was a guideline. "This particular fact doesn't concern me," he said.
"It's a welcome development that the regulators have put limits on volatility because it enables us to be better assured games will resolve at their true return to player."

Australian Hotels Association SA general manager Ian Horne said if Mr Chappell wasn't concerned, then no one should be. "If the independent regulator has no concerns and they are qualified in this material, why would Kris Hanna have any concerns other than to cause mischief," he said. "We have total confidence in the integrity of the approval system and anyone who suggests there is some manipulation here is being deliberately provocative for political gain."

Latest Dealer Inside Blackjack Cheating Scandal!

A blackjack dealer at the West Virginia Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center was arrested over the weekend after he allegedly willfully flashed top cards to players before they placed their bets and hole cards while sliding them under his up cards. Derek Maple, 25, was charged with a state gaming violation, which is a felony according to the criminal complaint filed in Kanawha County Magistrate Court. His alleged cohort playing blackjack, Thuhuong Nguyen, 40, was also arrested and charged with the same felony. (It seems that Vietnamese are getting more and more involved in casino and poker cheat scams these days.)

When State Police Trooper R.L. Walton Jr. went to the casino on Saturday morning, Tri-State employee Timothy Humphrey told him that a dealer was cheating by flashing the cards. Surveillance was alerted and then looked at videotape and determined that the cheating dealer was Maple and that one of the people he was showing cards to was Nguyen. Both were arrested Saturday. Maple allegedly told police that he flashed the cards, but he didn't know people sitting at his table could see them. (Pretty feeble excuse, huh?)

So, how serious is casino cheating in West Virginia? Maple and Nguyen each face up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine for the cheating charges, so I'd say it's pretty serious.