The news is definitely not good. Our good ol' boys in Washington have seen fit to sneak their Internet Gambling restrictions into the Port Security Bill at the last minute. The bill is expected to be signed by President Bush within days. PartyPoker, 888, and Cryptologic have already announced their intention to stop allowing US players to access their casinos and poker rooms, starting tomorrow. I expect the entire industry to fall like dominoes over the next few days. Thanks for nothin' Republican assholes. Now that you've wrecked an entire industry, you can all go back to seducing your senate page-boys. I know I for one will never cast another vote for a member of the GOP (Grand Ol' Pedophiles) Land of the free? Hardly.
Regulations and control Will all the online gambling sites be close to US players or just the ones who don't open their records and allow the US to regulate them? I thought that was the problem, that the US wanted to regulate the online casinos. If that is all, lets regulate them so we can continue playing. If this is not the case I guess the online gaming industry is screwed, (in the US anyway).
This is unfortunately not about regulation. Boy, I wish it were. The Port Security Act, if signed by Bush, makes it illegal for banks and financial institutions to allow fund transfers for internet gambling. No more credit cards (no big deal there). No more Neteller or wire transfers. (Very big deal there.)
The credit card thing was a long-time coming and shouldn't be too bad but I thought Neteller was safe from this sort of thing. So basically what you're implying is that now people won't be able to fund their accounts? How about the old fashioned way of writing checks to the companies? There's got to be a way around this isn't there?
Checks? Couldn't the players simple mail checks to the casino under an individuals name working for the casino to make their deposits? And do the same for winnings, simply request a check? Surely the players could receive funds, (I would hope anyway). Sure it may be slower, but it seems like it could work. Of course the casinos may have to open some credit lines for the players to allow time for the funds to reach them. I just couldn't see a bank not allowing a check to go through.
I believe that if your bank paid the check you wrote, it would be a violation of this law. Just what we need, banks having to examine every transaction to decide if it is allowed or not. You're right though. There's always a way around restrictions. However, the point is that this move finally shows without a doubt that the US government intends to kill this industry. Will alternative funding methods appear? Probably, but I think the reputable and well-established companies will flee the US market, leaving only the questionable outfits behind. As usual, prohibition will merely serve to endanger the consumers, rather than protect them.
You can add Poker Stars, *William Hill, *Ladbrooks,*PokerChamps, Neteller, and Firepay to the list of locking out US customers after the bill is signed. * already blocked US players.
What really sucks is this: Who's getting hurt in the on-line gaming industry? You want to go after an on-line industry try porn or the diet pill companies that fleece people but poker and BJ players? I guess that means that St. Kitts may be the second and last UBT stop?
Checks are now processed electronically rather than the old way of auctually being sent to your bank. No electronic fund transfers.
Damn! Well I'm buggered then. Online poker players will be alright because there is plenty of interest outside the US but TBJ is mainly US-based so I won't have anybody to play with. Except Colin and Andy of course! Cheers Reachy
What constitutes gambling I doubt anyone would want to risk a jail term putting this to the test, but could there be a possible exception for BJ tournaments and poker, based on the argument that they are not gambling but games of skill?
The founders and largest stock holders in Party Poker have the largest Porn internet sites and it all got started with the Porn.
blackjack21.com Isnt a casino. I doubt that will matter but who knows. As for internet gambling as an American right? You cant of everything. If you can make an argument online gambling isnt detrimental to your family you could do the same about using heroin. There might be wide dissent amongst most here, but if you put it to a state or nation wide vote online gambling would go down burning I am sure. B
Prohibition Never works!!!! Cheers Reachy Ps. I would support the decriminalisation of ALL drugs, not just alcohol and tobacco ! Not because I want to use them but because I believe it's the best and safest way to deal with them.
Idiots The worst part about this is that the morons don't even grasp what this is going to do. Sure this sucks for poker players and blackjack player, etc....but think about what this does to sports bettors. Casino games can be played at B&M Indian casinos, but sports betting can only be done in Vegas or AC. Online wagering brought the ability to wager on games in a safe manner. All this does is bring 'bookies' back into the mix and all that comes along with them, which, as we know, hasn't always been a positive element. Genius.
Ace People have always found a way to get a bet down. Bookies have been around forever. The really smart ones started the off shore sites. It beat working for the casinos. In a bowl of lucky charms, there are only so many Rothstein's and Roots.
The Demos voted for it to, they even requested a voice vote so there would be no record of the voting
Presumably there is some form of words that stipulates what sort of accounts can't be funded. An account might be said not to be a gambling account if all you can play is tournaments. I'm not really putting this forward with any great hope. It's just an interesting question of definitions. To clarify, I was thinking about which companies might continue to risk accepting bets from US players, rather than whether people should risk playing. The details of the new law probably aren't that important. Coming in the wake of a couple of high-profile arrests, companies are getting the hint that it is probably best to avoid accepting US custom for the foreseeable future.
Offshore banking??? Perhaps we will see a resurgence in offshore bank accounts? Hello Cayman Islands!
