Phil Ivey Settles with Borgata, Ukraine Legalizes Gambling, WSOP Online Continues

Phil Ivey and his assistant Chen Yin Sun reached a settlement with Borgata casino. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The legal battle, which lasted six years, caused Phil Ivey significant inconvenience. In 2012, Ivey and his assistant won nearly $10 million from Borgata in baccarat by exploiting a flaw in the card backs. Two years later, the casino discovered the mistake and sued. As a result, 75% of Ivey's earnings in Nevada were to be paid to the casino to cover the debt. Therefore, his winnings at the 2019 World Series of Poker Player Championship were frozen by court order, making it difficult for him to play in the US. However, before the pandemic, Ivey had a productive trip to the high roller series partypoker in Sochi. These wins may have provided the liquidity needed to finalize the settlement.

Ukraine legalized gambling with the law № 2285-д “On state regulation of activities on organization and holding of gambling”. The law will regulate the activities of casinos, bookmakers, slot machines, and poker. Its scope will cover both online and offline operators. Ruslan Bangert is already in line for a PokerMatch license. The Commission, under the Cabinet of Ministers, will oversee the licensing of operators, certification of gaming equipment and software, and enforcement of the new law. Under the new rules, the age of players has been raised from 18 to 21 years. Non-compliance with these requirements will result in severe financial penalties. Offline casinos can be opened in five-star hotels, and slot machines can be placed in hotels with three stars or higher. The law also introduces a single registry for self-excluded players and the principle of 'responsible gaming' to combat gambling addiction.

Roman Afanasenko became the first Russian-speaking winner of WSOP Online, taking home $129,000 and a bracelet. Michael Lech won a high roller freeroll for $1,500, adding a bracelet and $164,000 to his collection. Ryan DePaulo won a bracelet while playing from his car on a parking lot.