Author Jennifer Newell's poker week in review for July 22-28.

Our consolidation of the week's news is quick and to the point — seven stories, to be exact — for the week ending July 28. Let's go.

No. 1 — Zynga Will Not Pursue U.S. Gaming Licenses

Leading social games company Zynga announced that it will not pursue licenses for real-money gaming operations in the United States. The company noted that it will still offer free-play social games and pursue real-money gaming in the United Kingdom and other markets. While Zynga did apply for a Nevada Internet poker license last year, it will not pursue that license or ones in New Jersey or Delaware. Decreased second-quarter earnings and predictions for troubles going forward led to the company's change of focus.

Zynga stocks took a hit after the announcement, falling as much as 20 percent on the first day. Though a new CEO has been recruited from Microsoft, the departure of previous executives, including the announcement that the company's vice president is leaving for Betable, new management has yet to produce positive predictions for Zynga.

No. 2 — Ultimate Poker Completes Field Trial, Readies Updates

The Nevada Gaming Commission officially approved Ultimate Poker at the end of the company's 90-day field trial for final testing of the online poker site. The nod by the NGC allows Ultimate Poker to move forward with its new software update, new VIP player program, and other updates that have been in the works since the site's launch. The update was supposed to be ready last week, but company executives confirm that version 2 of the site is only days away.

The new Ultimate Poker software rollout will offer players a 10-tiered VIP program, with eight of them offering monthly rewards and two annual levels. In addition, a new rake program will use a winner-takes-all method, so the player who wins a pot will also win the points associated with the rake. More changes are likely to accompany the software update, though no additional games or Mac compatibility will be included at this time.

No. 3 — Poker Players Draft Online Poker Bill

Poker enthusiast Martin Shapiro took matters into his own hands last week and released a self-authored draft of online poker legislation called the "Internet Wagering Citizens Protection Act." He told Pokerfuse that he felt no one else has yet to introduce a bill to Congress that would appease all interests and offer a passable solution to Internet gaming on the federal level. He claims that this bill is bipartisan, protects all interests and players, and is an ideal compromise upon which most members of Congress can agree.

The bill is written to legalize online poker and addresses all topics, including necessary components to update laws like the UIGEA and the Wire Act. Shapiro included clauses to address licensing, taxes, enforcement, customer protections, regulation, oversight, and ways to deal with "bad actors."

No. 4 — Nevada Representatives Calls for U.S. House Hearing

The recent Senate Committee hearing on Internet gambling and the need to protect consumers with progressive legislation prompted the call for another hearing. U.S. Representative Dina Titus submitted a request to the House Energy and Commerce Committee to request a similar hearing that will include members of the U.S. House of Representatives. There has been no response from the Chairperson of the committee thus far.

According to Poker News Report, Titus is concerned that federal regulation is lagging in the protection of consumers and the good of the industry as states move forward with their own differing Internet gaming regulations. Titus fears that more states will continue to enact their own laws irrespective of each other, and eventual federal law will have extreme difficulties in coordinating all efforts into a cohesive regulatory environment.

No. 5 — New Online Poker Pro Signings

With the void of online gaming sites in the U.S. market, the announcements of poker pros signing to represent online poker sites have been fairly few and far between in recent years. However, that changed this week. The first partnership involved Jackie Glazier, longtime Australian poker pro and recent 31st-place finisher in the 2013 World Series of Poker main event, and 888poker. The site signed her as a poker ambassador alongside sponsored pros like Sam Holden, Shane Warne, and Georges St-Pierre. 888poker is calling her "The New Queen of Poker."

Full Tilt Poker announced the signing of four players as tour ambassadors for the UK & Ireland Poker Tour (UKIPT). The European pros are Martins Adeniya, Dermot Blain, Ben Jenkins, and Sinem Melin, all of whom are playing in the UKIPT main event and participating in activities for UKIPT qualifiers who won their seats to the tournament on Full Tilt. They will also be "Red Pros" on Full Tilt, the first players signed to the site since Viktor Blom, Gus Hansen, and Tom Dwan became the relaunched site's team called "The Professionals."

No. 6 — New Company Eyes New Jersey Online Gaming

As first reported by NorthJersey.com, a UK company has decided to get in the game and move forward with plans to enter the U.S. online gaming market by way of New Jersey. 2UP Gaming revealed a letter of intent to build or purchase a hotel and casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with the help of an Asian investment group that will contribute £215 million to the project.

The plan has been in the works for 12 months, according to 2UP CEO Marino Sussich, to improve its technology and U.S. strategy. He added, "Emerging global gaming markets have created enormous growth opportunity for our company, and the United States launch of 2UP's online gaming products will significantly add to our growth." The final agreement must still be composed and finalized by Sep. 9 before moving forward.

No. 7 — AGA Creating U.S. Legislative Waves Again

The American Gaming Association has been working behind the scenes in a new lobbying effort in Washington, D.C. As a representative of many land-based casinos in the United States, the AGA organized a recent "fly-in" of lobbyists to flood lawmakers with meetings and requests regarding online gaming legislation.

The purpose of the meetings was to urge members of Congress to pass a bill to responsibly oversee the online gaming industry as it grows in America. However, according to PocketFives, one of the strong talking points for lobbyists was to suggest that any legislation ban "Internet casino games of chance" like blackjack, roulette, and craps, as well as to exclude any "bad actors" who previously offered online poker or gambling to U.S. residents without proper authority.