Online Poker Shut Down: Workarounds and Solutions Revealed
The website MyPokerBasics explains how some poker sites are able to comply with US banking laws while others do not even try.
Although the online poker shutdown may be coming to an end with the US Attorney's Office seeking an agreement with the website owners of Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, the initial reaction of gamblers across the United States show that they are less than enthusiastic about the outcome. Even though it appears that part of the domain release agreement would hinge on US players receiving a prompt refund of any funds that are currently deposited at either website, neither Full Tilt nor PokerStars would be allowed to accept future players from the United States. Other poker sites, like Sportsbook Poker, definitely do not seem to be complaining.
National media outlets have actually compounded this issue many times over by incorrectly reporting that the seized poker websites were soliciting customers within the US illegally; there has never been, nor is there currently, a single piece of legislation on the federal level that states online gambling is illegal. The website MyPokerBasics.com explains this misconception a little further-
"If you look at the UIGEA in depth, it places a burden on US financial institutions to block transactions originating from or traveling to online casinos and poker rooms," said Kevin Smith, a project manager at MyPokerBasics. "Nowhere in this legislation does it even mention the actual players, what constitutes illegal gambling, or other forms of payment to online casinos."
The staff at MyPokerBasics went on to explain that the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act did state that bypassing these laws by transferring money from a US bank to a third party website (and then to an online poker rooms) would still be considered illegal since it is circumventing the law, and there is also a clause that states that any online casinos is in violation of the UIGEA if they accept any form of payment from any US citizen. The poker websites point out, however, the clause in the UIGEA states that online gambling is illegal, "only if that bet is unlawful under any other federal or state law." Only nine of the fifty states have such a clause and there is no other legislation on the federal level at all.
"The UIGEA essentially creates a loophole big enough to fly a Boeing 767 through and both sides use that to their advantage," Smith added in an interview on Thursday. "For example, you can walk into almost any gas station in America and purchase a money order for a few dollars, then mail it to the poker room of your choice. Since online poker is not expressly considered unlawful internet gaming and a gas stations definitely is not a financial institution, it would be difficult for the government to consider this an illegal action on the part of the poker website."
According to Smith, where PokerStars and the other banned websites essentially committed gambling suicide was when they decided to transfer money directly from US banks to their casinos. Poker websites like Sportsbook Poker and Players Only have never accepted these types of transactions from US customers, which is why they stand by their belief that they are in full compliance with the UIGEA. Until this legislation is updated or eliminated completely, online poker will continue to thrive in America.
For more information please visit: http://www.mypokerbasics.com
PR courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/e1VaPz
Although the online poker shutdown may be coming to an end with the US Attorney's Office seeking an agreement with the website owners of Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars, the initial reaction of gamblers across the United States show that they are less than enthusiastic about the outcome. Even though it appears that part of the domain release agreement would hinge on US players receiving a prompt refund of any funds that are currently deposited at either website, neither Full Tilt nor PokerStars would be allowed to accept future players from the United States. Other poker sites, like Sportsbook Poker, definitely do not seem to be complaining.
National media outlets have actually compounded this issue many times over by incorrectly reporting that the seized poker websites were soliciting customers within the US illegally; there has never been, nor is there currently, a single piece of legislation on the federal level that states online gambling is illegal. The website MyPokerBasics.com explains this misconception a little further-
"If you look at the UIGEA in depth, it places a burden on US financial institutions to block transactions originating from or traveling to online casinos and poker rooms," said Kevin Smith, a project manager at MyPokerBasics. "Nowhere in this legislation does it even mention the actual players, what constitutes illegal gambling, or other forms of payment to online casinos."
The staff at MyPokerBasics went on to explain that the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act did state that bypassing these laws by transferring money from a US bank to a third party website (and then to an online poker rooms) would still be considered illegal since it is circumventing the law, and there is also a clause that states that any online casinos is in violation of the UIGEA if they accept any form of payment from any US citizen. The poker websites point out, however, the clause in the UIGEA states that online gambling is illegal, "only if that bet is unlawful under any other federal or state law." Only nine of the fifty states have such a clause and there is no other legislation on the federal level at all.
"The UIGEA essentially creates a loophole big enough to fly a Boeing 767 through and both sides use that to their advantage," Smith added in an interview on Thursday. "For example, you can walk into almost any gas station in America and purchase a money order for a few dollars, then mail it to the poker room of your choice. Since online poker is not expressly considered unlawful internet gaming and a gas stations definitely is not a financial institution, it would be difficult for the government to consider this an illegal action on the part of the poker website."
According to Smith, where PokerStars and the other banned websites essentially committed gambling suicide was when they decided to transfer money directly from US banks to their casinos. Poker websites like Sportsbook Poker and Players Only have never accepted these types of transactions from US customers, which is why they stand by their belief that they are in full compliance with the UIGEA. Until this legislation is updated or eliminated completely, online poker will continue to thrive in America.
For more information please visit: http://www.mypokerbasics.com
PR courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/e1VaPz
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