“Suspicious Activity” Confirmed at UltimateBet --  Round Two in online poker’s series of insider cheating scandals began unfolding this week with UltimateBet’s admission that an account there, screen-named “NioNio” had indeed been associated with “suspicious” (re: “cheating”) activity.  Hundreds of thousands of dollars are believed to be involved.  UltimateBet was purchased last year by Absolute Poker, which was the company involved in last year’s scandal, one of the year’s biggest bombshells.  Nor may the Absolute Poker saga be over, as late in the week it was revealed that CBS’s long-running 60 Minutes may be interested in doing an expose on the site.

iMEGA Challenge to UIGEA Dismissed --  Remember the case brought against the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), where an injunction against implementation of the law was sought by a previously unknown group, the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association?  Following an initial hearing, that case languished for several months awaiting an initial ruling on the matter.  In this case the operation was successful but the patient, as the metaphor goes, still died.  While iMEGA was granted legal status to challenge the new law, the group’s complaint was tossed out for lacking merit.  iMEGA has announced plans to appeal.

Everest Replaces PartyPoker as WSOP "Felt" Sponsor --  The “wearing o’ the green” takes on a different meaning in poker, where green is the first color choice for poker-table felts.  The most valuable felts of all, in terms of advertising, are those at the World Series of Poker, and this week Harrah’s Entertainment announced a deal with Everest Poker for that prime piece of poker real estate. Everest replaces PartyPoker as the WSOP’s “felt” sponsor.

European Union Launches Probe into American UIGEA --  It turns out that the European Union didn’t sign away all its rights regarding the UIGEA in connection to the Antiguan World Trade Organization case late last year.  On Monday, the EU announced that it would be launching a probe into the “fairness” of the UIGEA, based on complaints from large European gambling concerns that the UIGEA was discriminatory in nature.  Such a probe, if it finds evidence of discriminatory and protectionist practices, would return the United States and the EU member bloc to a battle in the WTO over the rights to market internet gambling services.

More Red Ink From WPTE --  The World Poker Tour remains a major player on the poker TV scene despite posting an unending string of losses in recent financial reports.  World Poker Tour Enterprises, Inc. announced a loss of nearly $10 million for the recently completed 2007 fiscal year, just as it announced a trimmed-down schedule in conjunction with the WPT’s move from the Travel Channel to the Game Show Network.  The latest projected date for WPT profitability?  2009.

PokerStars Announces Latin America Poker Tour --  Ready for another major poker tour?  PokerStars announced this week its new Latin America Poker Tour, the third in a Stars-sponsored series of tours that also includes the European Poker Tour and the Asia Pacific Poker Tour.  “Latin America” is a slight misnomer as the tour’s three already-scheduled stops are in both Central and South America: Brazil, Costa Rica and Uruguay, respectively.  Yes, there’s already been an Humberto Brenes sighting in connection with the new tour.