In the quest for legal online gambling nationwide, California may emerge as the next state to embrace the industry. For now, state legislature is only considering online poker—part of an effort to make traditional casinos part of the game. However, the bill would throw one of the industry’s biggest merchants—PokerStars—by the wayside. Online Gambling in…
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US Government Continues Silk Road Bitcoin Auction
The United States Marshals Service recently conducted another auction of bitcoins collected from the black market website Silk Road. The bitcoin auction contained an estimated 50,000 bitcoins and was the second in a chain of auctions to sell off the confiscated bitcoins of incarcerated Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht. About the Silk Road Bitcoin Auction…
E-Commerce Sales Exceed $1 Billion Over Thanksgiving
E-Commerce sales on Thanksgiving Day and Black Friday saw a significant jump from a year ago while total retail sales from the two days – e-commerce and brick-and-mortar combined – were down from 2013. According to internet technology analyst comScore, e-commerce sales totaled $1.009 billion – which exceeded the $1 billion plateau for the first…
'Vape' Named Word of the Year
As the popularity of e-cigarettes continues to increase, so does the unique terminology and slang that drives the industry. Words like e-cig and e-juice are quite common among smoke and paraphernalia shops, but one term in particular defines and represents the e-cigarette movement–vape. Oxford Dictionaries has recently announced that ‘vape’ is their Word of the…
Clock is Ticking on EMV Liability Shift
As the EMV liability shift takes shape on the US payments landscape, small-to-mid-sized businesses (SMBs) have until October 2015 to comply to avoid fraud liability. When the four major credit card brands – Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover – announced the rollout of EMV chip credit cards to replace those with magnetic stripe earlier…
Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Planned for Boston
Boston could be the next major US city to see medical marijuana dispensaries on its streets. With the use of medical marijuana becoming more and more embraced each day, it is no wonder that local business owners want to take their products right to the forefront of the city. However, despite marijuana for medical use…
Democrats Urge Stronger E-Cigarette Warnings
A group of US democratic senators has accused big tobacco companies of manufacturing their own e-cigarette warnings and hiding the truth about the long term health effects of vaping. The senators assert that the FDA’s warning label that states, ‘Warning: Product contains nicotine derived from tobacco. Nicotine is an addictive chemical,’ is not enough. The…
4 Theories Behind Recent Bitcoin Volatility
Over the weekend of Oct. 4-5, Bitcoin value dipped to $290 – its lowest figure in a year. On Monday, Oct. 13, it escalated to about $380. Bitcoin volatility is obvious, particularly when looking at an hourly graph charting its value. One theory says that cryptocurrency enthusiasts and advocates have underrated the constant peaks and…
TPPPA Endorses Operation Choke Point Lawsuit
The Third Party Payment Processors Association has announced it is backing the Consumer Financial Services Association of America in its lawsuit against the Federal Deposit Insurance Company. The TPPPA recently issued an amicus curae, a brief statement brought to the attention of the U.S. Court, in support of the CFSAA’s lawsuit against federal regulators to…
How Cryptocurrencies Could Help Online Gaming Shortfall
When New Jersey launched its six online gaming websites last year, they expected a hefty cash windfall around $1.2 billion in the first year. As New Jersey’s online casinos near their one-year anniversary, they will likely fall short of the $100 million barrier, more than 10 times shy of the initial goal of $1.2 billion.…