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US to Close World's Largest Poker Sites

www.bankrollboosters.com
April 16, 2011 11:57:30 AM EDT

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Sad day. There are still options for US players though. Merge and Cake running good for me today.
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
April 16, 2011 12:20:40 PM EDT

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www.bankrollboosters.com wrote...
Sad day. There are still options for US players though. Merge and Cake running good for me today.

For how long I wonder....
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
April 16, 2011 12:23:58 PM EDT

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Kashuskay wrote...
I'm locked out of FT. I can access pokerstars and play (U.S. players nonexistant here). I can login to AP and see U.S. players there which is surprising but maybe not seeing it's AP and you know how good their reputation is.

What has happened to U.S players is absolutely disgraceful and will affect everyone in the world. I better be able to get my money out!

Looks like Party Poker will be THE site now.

Kash

Party is terrible. There are much better poker sites out there.
Bill Hart
April 16, 2011 1:34:37 PM EDT

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Well I'm locked out of Fulltilt, but it's the only site that I can't get onto. So last night I was pretty pissed. The bad thing was I found out about the whole thing right when I was starting my home game. I played on tilt and couldn't focus on my game at all. It didn't matter much anyways only had a few playable hands and finished like 6th place in both games.
Now I've slept on the whole thing and talked it out some more. My gut tells me that online poker is going to be legalized soon. I think Harrah's is going to be a big player and Fulltilt, Stars, and UB are going to have to pay some fines and be allowed to re-open But before they are allowed to re-open Harrah's and probably Party Poker will get a huge client base and the Big 3 won't be so big anymore.
Now if that doesn't happen in the next year I will be surprised. The U.S. needs more tax money. And if these people in D.C. don't figure that out we are all screwed not just us poker players but us as a country.
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
April 16, 2011 7:38:53 PM EDT

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I can't play for real money at Fulltilt either. And i have never deposited.

so my 70 dollars that I earn is just in limbo or lost right now.
Laszlo Csorba
April 17, 2011 2:02:56 AM EDT

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I found this: http://www.angrypokerplayers.com/ Does it make any sense to sign the petition?
Anthony Martino
- 494 posts
April 17, 2011 2:21:58 AM EDT

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JOKERWALKER wrote...
I found this: http://www.angrypokerplayers.com/ Does it make any sense to sign the petition?

Hmmm...........could be a way to snag email addresses of poker players for use by some marketer later, or could be legit, not really sure. I'd be more inclined to utilize the PokerPlayersAlliance for something like this since they're already one million+ strong.

I expect they'll be contacting everyone on their list in the US with a recommend course of action (i.e. which representatives in our government to contact)

What I'm wondering is how this will impact land-based events sponsored by the big three. Will the Stars North American Poker Tour still take place or will this present difficulties for them to operate?
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
April 17, 2011 10:09:57 AM EDT

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You know what really blows?? I have never deposited. I have made all my money online through freerolls and prop bets. And even that is frozen. It's only 70 dollars, but still.

Can't even play against the Monkeys anymore.
Elena Peckham
- 1 posts
April 17, 2011 10:50:35 AM EDT

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Just wondering if this will affect the sites that are no deposit like NoPay and PurePlay where the money you send is for an upgraded account/subscription fee. This is mainly where I'm playing right now to sharpen my skills. It does seem crazy that we as Americans can piss away any amount of money we wish on the state lotteries where the odds are stacked against us, but can't wager on our own skills as poker players. I hope Anthony's right and this is just a step along the way that leads to a regulated online game.

It's almost like letting teenagers go over and risk their lives in a war, but not letting them drink a beer once in a while. Something's not right.
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
April 17, 2011 11:08:44 AM EDT

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I don't think you'll have issues with sites like that. but let us know if you do. That's the loop hole it seems.

Honestly -- all they really have to do is not allow money transfers on a site between players. IMO

It's all about money laundrying and transfers. Which I can see the issues -- but you really could do the same on E-bay.
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
April 18, 2011 6:44:40 AM EDT

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The main problem, as I see it, is that because the banks weren't allowed to process cash transfers to and from poker sites, the sites found work-arounds to fool the banking institutions. (I'm sure they knew but that's not really the point.)

This is bound to be viewed as unlawful.

However, if the poker sites defend the actions, and they're bound to then it will be a landmark case for online gaming and could fall either way. Whatever happens, it will make the lawmakers take another close look at online poker and online gambling in general. There's money to be made and they'll want their cut.
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
April 18, 2011 7:16:50 AM EDT

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The online industy should be able to get this fixed through transparency and regulations. However, they do have to be smart about it -- if they pass the additional cost to the american players they might end up pricing us out.

unfortunately companies tend to be greedy -- and they might take a rake that will make it rough to be profitable.
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
April 18, 2011 7:39:57 AM EDT

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I think the online industry has, for a long time, been looking for regulation, transparacy and inevitably taxation. The rewards for being able to operate in the US would be greater than the cost of the taxation and other related costs. Certainly for the biggest 5 or 6 sites anyway.

However, you're correct in thinking that the costs will be born by the customer primarily - standard practice.
Ronin1085 .
- 417 posts
April 18, 2011 7:45:44 AM EDT

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How does the UK handle this? I was just wondering, because there has to be a tried and proven model out there then -- along with how other countries handle it.
Anthony Martino
- 494 posts
April 18, 2011 8:16:08 AM EDT

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Just got this email from the Poker Players Alliance

Now Is the Time We Fight Back!

Dear Anthony,

April 15, 2011 will forever be a dark day for the online poker community. Seemingly out of nowhere the U. S. Department of Justice (DoJ) took from us the ability to play online poker on many of the websites we have grown to trust. While the target of DoJ’s action is on the Internet poker companies and not the player, the poker community is being adversely affected by this prosecution.

These recent developments should be viewed as nothing less than a declaration of war against poker and the people who play the game. It is a clarion call to all poker players to take action. We cannot sit idly by and wait for this issue to resolve itself. We need to let U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder know we are disappointed with his decision to shut down trusted Internet poker sites in the United States and we need to again remind Congress and President Obama that now is the time to pass sensible legislation that licenses and regulates Internet poker in this country.

Today is no day to be a passive poker player. Your right to your personal property has been trampled on and your recreation, and in some cases livelihoods has been jeopardized. We need to fight and seize back what is rightfully ours.

The PPA wants you and every poker player to take action this week. Please go to this specially created PPA Action Page to learn what you should do. If every person who loves poker takes a few minutes to take these actions we will make a huge impact. Your support of PPA in these efforts ultimately supports your right to play!
Jan Teilhof
April 18, 2011 12:57:26 PM EDT

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My money is on Party Poker. Im sure they will become the leader once the open up for us players.
Ian Ross
- 270 posts
April 18, 2011 1:00:32 PM EDT

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Ronin1085 wrote...
How does the UK handle this? I was just wondering, because there has to be a tried and proven model out there then -- along with how other countries handle it.

It's handled by letting respectable sites purchase a yearly licence and then regulating those sites to ensure minors and compulsive gamblers are, to the best it can be, restricted from accessing the sites. Money laundering issues are part of those regulations.

We can legally gamble in any gaming site licensed and regulated within the EU and a few others. Worth noting that Kanawake where the likes of Full Tilt is licensed has never met the standards required within the EU.

Some European countries handle things differently, restricting players to sites only licensed within their own country as opposed to the UK who accept European wide and other areas where they meet the criteria.

It's, for the most part, sensible, protects who it should and provides some revenue.

I fear that the US, when regulation eventually does come, will want their cake as well as eat it.
Anthony Martino
- 494 posts
April 20, 2011 6:52:10 AM EDT

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Full Tilt has reached an agreement with the US DOJ to regain their .com site again, but agreed to no longer permit US players on the site.

While the site is back up, they do not know how they can process US withdrawals currently. The problems they face are multiple:

1. They have no payment processors in the US they can work with
2. They do not know how much money the DOJ seized that belonged to players
3. They do not believe the DOJ will be releasing that money back to US players of their own accord
Michael Santora
- 5 posts
April 20, 2011 9:12:06 AM EDT

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From this forum, I read a post that Bodog was still available. So (like a fool) I downloaded it and set up an account with the thought that it would be a waste of time and that I'd never be able to get any money on. So I tried the easiest method, my Visa, which always rejected Pokerstars and tried $50. It said, $100 minimum which was more than I wanted to risk but I'm a wild and crazy guy so I changed it to $100 and bingo in a matter of seconds it was accepted. So now, I got action on Bodog. Two questions:

a) How long before they get shut down?
b) Why was my Visa accepted so easily when it was denied on stars and tilt?
Anthony Martino
- 494 posts
April 20, 2011 9:17:37 AM EDT

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you action junkie you! I believe Bodog was one of the biggest growers in market share after this recent announcement, how they will avoid hitting the same roadblocks the big three encountered is something I can't answer.