The long-running American television investigative news programme 60 Minutes is preparing to air its long-anticipated story on the Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker cheating scandals on October 26.
According to numerous reports, the CBS television programme has joined forces with a major newspaper for the story on the cheating, which began in 2005 with Ultimate Bet, an online casino operator licensed by the Kahnawake Gaming Commission. The regulator issued a report late last month that identified the chief perpetrator as former World Series of Poker champion and former Ultimate Bet executive Russell Hamilton.
“The Commission found clear and convincing evidence to support the conclusion that, between the approximate dates of May 2004 to January 2008, Russell Hamilton, an individual associated with Ultimate Bet’s affiliate program, was the main person responsible for and benefiting from the multiple cheating incidents,” read the report.
“Furthermore, the Kahnawake Gaming Commission is currently in contact with the appropriate law enforcement agencies and intends to fully cooperate in the prosecution of all individuals involved in the Ultimate Bet cheating incidents.”
The statement claimed that over $60 million in fraudulent play was involved and ruled that all affected players must be refunded while Ultimate Bet was fined $1.5 million.
60 Minutes has been one of the most popular programmes on American television for almost 40 years and its expose on the scandal will air nationally just nine days before the US Presidential election on November 4.
Abstract from www.igamingbusiness.com
It is amazing that only the biggest names in online poker are allowed to continue offering their (theiving) services to players in the United States without being required to gaurantee any honesty in the game at all. How can we trust the Kahnawake Gaming Commission if they are directly related to these sites?What’s next? We find out the “random” number generators are actually stacked (as so many of us beleive to be true… After all- the sites would never cheat us since they make so much money…)
When will the US government accept online poker and legitimize sites like RealDealPoker which truly gaurantees randomness, honesty, and a fair game of online poker. Almost every poker player out there plays online (or wants to but can’t trust it.) Just read Cardplayer magazine Almost every professional player is associated with an online site. There is alot of untaxed income.
It’s time for us to demand our government protect us from the theives we created. Shame on Russ Hamilton. Shame on the Senators and Congressmen whom voted away our rights by not reading what they were voting for. Now do the right thing and regulate and tax these sites and the winners on them.