HKGambler

There had been discussions over the past weeks regarding the fiasco. Sure this is the most concerning event I’ve ever read so far. Whether or not Pirate of Caribbean 21 would be able to collect his winnings in the end, he certainly has become the Legend of Century 21, even though it’s likely that he is going to pay a huge price.

I think Pirate is fundamentally a wise guy who does crazy & silly things. The silliest thing Pirate had done was to dare win big from an online casino. You can’t! Be they RTG, MG, Crypto or whatever. This is online gambling nature. Yeah people can win huge jackpots and got paid. Because jackpot money is accumulated out of players pockets, already made to be claimed. Casinos are set up to welcome you…cough... to lose big. They will seek every nook & cranny to escape the million dollar debts even if their pockets are deep enough. Try to imagine, the purpose of casino operations is for making a million, you see if they can write off a million that they lost, they have actually made one. That is, if Pirate had not made his “port” & “crew” posts, Hampton is certainly going to not pay him. Hampton was just trying desperately to find one excuse, by way of the slow process of weekly paying him. Lucky then for Hampton to have Pirate posted crazily. Even if they can’t find one, they make one.

This is human nature as well. Everybody can act like gentlemen when the money involved isn’t large enough. That’s it. So this time, Phoenician is praiseworthy to have paid Pirate neat & fast…Just in case they are losing like Hampton, they might be tempted to do the same. (oh, just wild guess, unfounded presumptions). Of course they might not have been as greedy & brainless as Hampton to have let Pirate bet $10,000's.

One important question is: Is RTG, as a software vendor who permits licenses to, and receives royalties from their licensees; who sells the whole business package of operating solutions ranging from the technical software, to support; financial processing; as well as marketing, held DIRECT & LEGAL responsibility to pay off Pirate in case Hampton fails to do so?

I think no. I know this view might not make myself popular. ONLY IF RTG & Hampton are in partnership, where they share some stated % of the entity’s profit and loss, then yes. In other words, Hampton, being themselves the owners & decision makers, are solely responsible for their debts. Other than themselves, no other should be legally binded to pay for their liabilities.

My analogy is that RTG & its licensees are like father & sons relationship. Once the sons are on the edge of fatality because of severe debts, the father would still be expected to step in to resolve, paying off in whole or in part. Not because the laws require him to, the reality or probably the morality does. Otherwise, his son dies which eventually will hurt the whole family.

That can explain why RTG stepped forward in 2002 to handle the debts of merlins, etc. and to receive complaints regarding other RTG casinos. But to unveil, they just worked for their own benefits under the reality. That time, RTG showed the world the ethics, won themselves some handclaps. This time, I hope RTG will do the same. Not saying they bear any direct or legal responsibility. Show us the morals again, the verve, the demeanor, the fatherhood. Exert the pressure real hard on Hampton, know you’ve done already. All in all, work out a justified plan to pay the legit (unless proven not) 1.3m winner at once, supposing RTG pays in part and/or grants loans to Hampton. It’s all for the holy name of online gambling, and for the priceless goodwill of RTG.

Dirk_Dangerous

I disagree, a Microgaming casino would have paid. Of course, no one would ever rack up a win that big on their table games because Microgaming's table games are rigged IMO. Tell me, has anyone ever heard of a big table game win at a Microgaming casino?

Crypto would have paid, but again, their games are probably rigged so a big win on a table game is probably out of the question.

Casino-on-net would also pay.

RTG's games are not rigged, hence the possibilty of walking through the raindrops and winning big. The danger with a big win at an RTG casino is that they don't have the money to pay a big winner. Paying a 4K royal is something most RTG casinos have a hard time doing.

GrandMaster

It was in the news that someone won £600,000 (over US$1 million) at Ladbrokes a few months ago playing roulette and blackjack.

HKGambler

The clock is ticking. I really hope RTG takes this matter seriously, makes an announcement of how this will be settled. This event is not going to end if the debt is not paid.

RTG- do you regret to have given birth to so many wicked sons? You nourished them with food, but never had them educated, guarded. Go punish yourself- since you had made multiples of million already- give back some % of your accumulated net profits and pay the suffering customers in the form of, for example, welfare money. LOL. Have this case settled.

I don't see why you act like a snail whereas your software performs like a rocket.

Hampton will die, no question. As for RTG- will you continue to prosper? I am wondering.

Got2Bet

LOL HKGambler!

I agree with most of what you said, except the point you said would be controversial

Dirk - Yes, but even if I told you I doubt you'd believe it.

Gamblegirl

You can be sure if Real Time Gaming were a public company this type of nonsense simply wouldn't play out as it constantly does, with RTG maintaining their hands off pose. They simply wouldn't be able to attract investment with such shoddy business practices.

In an outlaw industry they can get away with it -- for now. But once real regulation ever shows up RTG are not well-placed, with far too many skeletons lying around. It is no wonder their more reputable licensees (or perhaps licensees with aspirations towards legitimacy is more accurate) are looking anxiously at this situation.

Gamblegirl

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4449401/

Mainstream news coverage.

HKGambler

A very thorough and balanced reportage indeed.

In ending, the report says,
"Realtime Gaming President Michael Staw told MSNBC.com on Friday that a settlement had been reached and that he expected it to be finalized shortly."

Good news! Since Michael Staw said it, I am holding my breath.

"He said an unidentified third-party had agreed to purchase Hamptoncasino.com from its current owner and had reached an agreement to pay “Pirate,” though it was not clear whether such a settlement would involve the full amount.

But Bruce Holway, a gambler from California who says he has previously had success persuading reluctant RTG casinos to pay off and is advising “Pirate” in the negotiations, said Friday that the third-party had not yet put a dollar amount on the settlement offer.

“A deal can’t very well be imminent if we don’t know the figures,” he said."

Who would that third-party be? RTG themselves? If not, who else would want to buy a rotten name at a higher price? I am not optimistic of the deal then. Or was there a deal?

Got2Bet

A deal has apparently been concluded thanks to the efforts of a lot of people behind the scenes.

http://www.casinomeister.com/forums...=newpost&t=3767

Though only one particular person and his "team" were mentioned, I think it is safe to say that a lot of behind-the-scenes work went into achieving a resolution - so thanks also to the "silent" parties for their efforts.