SPORTS BETTING FOR ONTARIO?
21 September 2007
ISW negotiating a contract to provide
sports betting software to Canadian
provincial gaming operator
The embattled Ontario Lottery and
Gaming Corporation seems to be
expanding its activities, according
to a press release from New Jersey
based Interactive Systems Worldwide Inc.
which reports that the company is in
negotiations to supply the Canadian
provincial authority with its sports
wagering product.
Recently at the centre of a retail
outlet ticket scandal which resulted
in widespread executive changes in
the top echelons, the OLG has a new
CEO and a firm commitment to fair
and safe gambling on its facilities.
The organisation generates revenues
of $6 billion and employs more than
20 000 employees and associates,
and is one of North America's leading
gaming enterprises.
ISW's announcement confirmed that
the company has received a purchase
order, and shortly expects to receive
an initial deposit of $35 000 from the
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.
The purchase order authorises the
spending of up to $175 000 for software
development and other services.
This software development is required
for the modification of ISW's SportXction
sports wagering product to add certain
features, including the offering of parley
wagering, required by OLG.
OLG is authorised under Canadian and
provincial law to operate gaming and
wagering businesses within the province
of Ontario.
The companies are currently negotiating
a development/licensing agreement,
which would allow OLG to conduct a
six-month field trial of the modified
SportXction product, after its completion,
for use in up to two casinos. ISW is optimistic
that this field trial will lead to a broader
implementation in multiple casinos and
other on-site gaming venues throughout
Ontario, Canada.
If successful, the system will have
applicability in other Canadian provinces.
The purpose of the purchase order
at this time is to kickstart software
development without waiting for the
completion and signing of the more
definitive licensing agreement.
Actual delivery of the modified software
will not occur until after signing the
licensing agreement.
Bernard Albanese, CEO at Interactive
Systems Worldwide stated, "We are
very pleased with this arrangement.
The purchase order initially provides
the company with some short-term
software development revenue, but
more importantly, we are excited by
the longer-term prospects of a broad
based deployment of the SportXction
product throughout Canada."
9/22/2007
9/21/2007
SHAWN SHEIKHAN FACES DEPORTATION
Sheikhan Faces Deportation
Hearing Over 1995 Conviction
September 20, 2007
PokerNews Staff
A breaking report in today's Las Vegas
Review-Journal details a pending
deportation hearing for Las Vegas
high-stakes regular Shahram "Shawn"
Sheikhan, based on a decade-old
misdemeanor conviction in a California
case.
Sheikhan, an Iranian citizen who
immigrated to the U.S. in 1983,
has an American-born wife, and
maintains full legal resident status,
received five years of probation
and served nine months in jail after
the 1995 conviction for 'sexual battery
and annoyance or molestation of a
child,' according to the LVRJ report.
Immigration officials arrested
Sheikhan August 30th, holding him
for more than a week before releasing
him after Sheikhan posted a $10,000 bond.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement spokesperson, Virginia Kice,
noted in a release that Sheikhan " was
targeted for ICE arrest because of his
criminal history." Kice later added,
"We want to see him removed from the
United States." The arrest was made as
part of ICE's ongoing 'Operation Predator'
program.
Sheikhan first garnered significant
poker-world attention when he made
a deep run in the 2005 WSOP Main Event,
where he served as a verbal sparring
partner for Mike 'The Mouth' Matusow.
He is represented in the current matter
by noted Vegas attorney David Chesnoff,
who received high poker visibility after
representing Bruce Crispin Leyser in
Leyser's dispute with 2006 WSOP ME
winner Jamie Gold.
Regarding the Sheikhan matter,
Chesnoff noted, "We're going to do
everything in our power to prevent this,"
and also raised the possibility that Sheikhan
may have received inadequate counsel
in the 1995 case.
Hearing Over 1995 Conviction
September 20, 2007
PokerNews Staff
A breaking report in today's Las Vegas
Review-Journal details a pending
deportation hearing for Las Vegas
high-stakes regular Shahram "Shawn"
Sheikhan, based on a decade-old
misdemeanor conviction in a California
case.
Sheikhan, an Iranian citizen who
immigrated to the U.S. in 1983,
has an American-born wife, and
maintains full legal resident status,
received five years of probation
and served nine months in jail after
the 1995 conviction for 'sexual battery
and annoyance or molestation of a
child,' according to the LVRJ report.
Immigration officials arrested
Sheikhan August 30th, holding him
for more than a week before releasing
him after Sheikhan posted a $10,000 bond.
A U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement spokesperson, Virginia Kice,
noted in a release that Sheikhan " was
targeted for ICE arrest because of his
criminal history." Kice later added,
"We want to see him removed from the
United States." The arrest was made as
part of ICE's ongoing 'Operation Predator'
program.
Sheikhan first garnered significant
poker-world attention when he made
a deep run in the 2005 WSOP Main Event,
where he served as a verbal sparring
partner for Mike 'The Mouth' Matusow.
He is represented in the current matter
by noted Vegas attorney David Chesnoff,
who received high poker visibility after
representing Bruce Crispin Leyser in
Leyser's dispute with 2006 WSOP ME
winner Jamie Gold.
Regarding the Sheikhan matter,
Chesnoff noted, "We're going to do
everything in our power to prevent this,"
and also raised the possibility that Sheikhan
may have received inadequate counsel
in the 1995 case.
9/18/2007
Vegas Withholding Tax
Lots of misinformation floating around
out there about the 30% tax on winnings
if you happen to get lucky in the USA.
Some say you cant get it back, others
say those Refund companies will get it
ALL back.
Here's the Short Truthiness Version:
The US charges a flat 30%
withholding tax on any US
source income. You can only
get back 100% of the taxes on
certain types of gambling income
(bingo, keno, slots).
Poker is not one of them.
If you’re planning on playing in a
big US tournament, you should
apply to the IRS for an Individual
Taxpayer Identification Number
(ITIN) using a W-7 form. This MAY
get your withholding tax reduced
to $0 on the spot, but (most) casinos
aren’t entirely familiar with these
procedures and may still withhold
the full amount. Then again, this
ignorance on their part MAY allow
you to avoid the Withholding Tax
simply by showing this piece of paper.
More likely though, to get your
withholding tax back you will have to
file a U.S. tax return and reduce
your taxable income sufficiently
so that you do not owe any taxes.
Then you will get a tax refund in the
amount of the original withholding.
So keep all your receipts so you can
claim the expenses you incurred
during the fiscal year of your winnings.
So basically you can claim flights, meals,
gas, hotel rooms, tournament buyins, etc
and get back a good chunk of what
was withheld.
out there about the 30% tax on winnings
if you happen to get lucky in the USA.
Some say you cant get it back, others
say those Refund companies will get it
ALL back.
Here's the Short Truthiness Version:
The US charges a flat 30%
withholding tax on any US
source income. You can only
get back 100% of the taxes on
certain types of gambling income
(bingo, keno, slots).
Poker is not one of them.
If you’re planning on playing in a
big US tournament, you should
apply to the IRS for an Individual
Taxpayer Identification Number
(ITIN) using a W-7 form. This MAY
get your withholding tax reduced
to $0 on the spot, but (most) casinos
aren’t entirely familiar with these
procedures and may still withhold
the full amount. Then again, this
ignorance on their part MAY allow
you to avoid the Withholding Tax
simply by showing this piece of paper.
More likely though, to get your
withholding tax back you will have to
file a U.S. tax return and reduce
your taxable income sufficiently
so that you do not owe any taxes.
Then you will get a tax refund in the
amount of the original withholding.
So keep all your receipts so you can
claim the expenses you incurred
during the fiscal year of your winnings.
So basically you can claim flights, meals,
gas, hotel rooms, tournament buyins, etc
and get back a good chunk of what
was withheld.
More poker TV news
If you've watched the WPT and WSOP
on tv, you'll probably recognize the very brash
and aggressive Jean-Robert Bellande .
He will be appearing on the 15th Season of
He will be appearing on the 15th Season of
SURVIVOR. The show starts on Thursday,
September 20th at 8:00 pm
Set your VCR / Tivo
For those lucky enough to get ESPN,
you can see a great night of poker on tv,
Tuesday 8pm - 10pm. They're showing
2007 World Series of Poker Main Event
Day 2A. 1034 players, about half the
remaining total continue playing for the
winner's share $8.5 million in cash and
poker immortality.
By the end of the day, 350 survived to
move on to Day 3.
you can see a great night of poker on tv,
Tuesday 8pm - 10pm. They're showing
2007 World Series of Poker Main Event
Day 2A. 1034 players, about half the
remaining total continue playing for the
winner's share $8.5 million in cash and
poker immortality.
By the end of the day, 350 survived to
move on to Day 3.
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