PokerStars may soon block Australian players
We round-up some stories you may have missed including a major DFS merger and another title for Ole Schemion.
PokerStars may leave Australia
More regulatory problems for the global online game after Amaya Inc may be blocking players from Australia from playing on PokerStars.
That is what would happen if a new Australian bill is passed, one which would restrict offshore gambling companies targeting Australian customers.
“In Australia, we currently offer poker and are reviewing the applicability of proposed legislation to player-vs-player games of skill. At this time, it would appear likely that if the legislation passes, we would block players from Australia” commented Amaya Chief Finance Officer Daniel Sebag.
Australia currently is estimated to provide PokerStars with 2.5% of its customer base.
Ole wins again in Amsterdam
When Fedor Holz is not in town, Ole Schemion is usually taking his place as the man guaranteed to win the High Roller event, and that phenomenon has been proven once again in Amsterdam.
The German has just taken down the €25,000 High Roller event at the Masters Classic of Poker for €160,875, defeating Frank Williams heads-up.
The win has particular significance for Schemion because back in 2012 he first made a name for himself by winning the Partouche Poker Tour followed by the Masters Classic of Poker back-to-back (and hasn't really stopped winning since).
Draftkings and FanDuel merge
As rumoured earlier this month a major merger between the two biggest names in the Daily Fantasy Sports industry has been confirmed.
DraftKings and FanDuel are expected to complete a merger in the second half of 2017, pending approval from regulators.
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins, who is expected to be the CEO of the combined company, commented: "We have always been passionate about providing the best possible experience for our customers and this merger will help advance our goal of building a transformational global sports entertainment platform."
This news will have a knock on effect for the poker industry in the US, both because DFS and online poker face many of the same regulatory issues, and also because a lot of US based poker professionals have migrated over to DFS while online poker is in short supply.
Are you an Australian PokerStars player? Do you play Daily Fantasy Sports? Share your views in the comments:
