this is like saying 'FTP has a new agreement with XYZ and everyone is about to get paid'...I believe it when I see it.

P.S. in a year that will be politically charged as like we have not seen in our lifetime, it is hard to see how a 'gambling' bill could pass the U.S. Congress.

Why do you say this?

THIS!!!!!

watched this live the other day, definitely good news for the US ipoker industry

I always hated playing on Party even if the games were soft. Software made my brain hurt.

Need a new company using FTP software.

Doesn't the buy out of FTP allow the new owners the chance to return to the US market?

LOL at party stock skyrocketing after black friday.

As long as they arent half as rigged as Cake and Merge. I swear to God there is super accounts on both those sites.

MGM built City Center towards the end of the real estate bubble and it nearly bankrupted them. It still has them under an amount of debt ($1.5 billion?) that may not be servicable. I am guessing that is what is being described by your quoted comment.

People think the US market will be "blah" without international players and no Pokerstars.

Think about this people...

1. Deposits being instant, cashouts processed in 2 hours or less. No waiting time to get cash.

2. Marketing arm of Caesars and MGM. All of the people with players cards getting email invites to play poker online. Trips to Vegas/AC with reward points.

3. American player sign ups will be steady and will grow at huge rates during the WSOP if legal by then. Caesars and WSOP will just be a constant advertisement for WSOP.com for playing online.

I know people keep saying I will believe it when I see it. But when you have the VP of MGM and Loveman of Caesars being soooo vocal. They are setting the table for online poker and it's acceptance nationwide. No one in the government is going to deny tax revenue for federal government esp. if Nevada, California gets sites up and running.

Pokerstars is great and will do well in Europe and Asia. But the new sites in the US will be full of fish and multi-accounting will become extremely difficult with regulation requiring age and SS verification on wins or site signups. That will get much more casual gamblers to play because they will not feel online poker is "rigged" anymore.

My prediction is the circuit events, WPT, and WSOP will become huge in the US in 2013. The series will have massive entrants with satellites online for all events.

I'm very happy about not having a international player pool. Why do we want to share are donks with the rest of the world? People will be throwing their credit cards at the TV when they see commercials about being able to play the WSOP from home.

You are going to have big named casino's bringing creditably to online poker who won't have a problem trusting these companies with their money. Also with government regulation people won't be thinking that some shady company from costa rica is cheating the players for more profits (action flop theory anyone?). I personally can't count the people I've talked to or know that wanted to play online poker but didn't since they couldn't deposit/didn't trust the sites/thought it was illegal that would gladly start playing online again if it was regulated.

I agree that merge will be a joke , but there is room for argument that since Stars "kinda" helped themselves after bf and the fact that money helps everything , then our deficit should shrink and our countrymen happy

@ nick / roush That's all fine and dandy IF there are federal pools. As it is even on Merge, I run into the same people too much for my tastes. Even if increased trust does increase intrastate PPs, I personally don't think it would be enough unless you live in say NY, NV, or CA.

omg nomnomnom online sattys for live events and you know they will be rolling room and air comps to LV for all my friends. ....It would be my pleasure to say F you stars and merge lame rediculousness

please show us your proof

I agree that Federal is the best way to do it. I don't think states could really support sites unless you pool several large states together. The good thing is with states starting to do their own thing is that is going to push things along faster on the federal level.

Stars of course is in better position then other sites to come back but if they do it won't be until years later. The government is going to want to give the major vegas casino's a chance to in the market first. If any site is going to comeback it would probably be party poker.

That's a bold prediction to make in the 2nd week of January..

Now bring it on so I can lose many buy-ins..

Software should be decent too. MGM is going to use Party's software and infrastructure.

And no casino games to suck up the fishes money too.

If it's really as easy to deposit/withdraw, play, has tons of promotions and advertising and is 100% legal, it could be pretty close to the old Party Poker days.

Think it'll become legalized by this summer? Then I wouldn't have to hunt down lame internships. Screw working my ass off to become a productive member of society. Just want to be baller in my White Chevy Geo and treat my girl to Five Guys once in a while.

Be awesome if we could be on an MGM skin on the whole party network. I want it now

Would be better than the old Party Days. Back then internet poker wasnt trusted like it would be with the big casinos involved. Only thing that could kill it is if they get greedy with the rake.

No...give up on your dream world

There will be more sites under legislation than there is in the current market. The current market has huge barriers to entry. No company is going to be able to start a new USA friendly poker site, let alone make it grow.

Rofl.. Party Days are looooooong gone even if it's legal.

Don't see any reason rake would be any different than live game rake, if not better b/c lack of overhead. Casinos know the can of cashcows they're opening up and aren't gonna want to F that up. MTT's certainly won't be taking out of prize pools for dealer tips.