PokerStars Shut Down Ends, Owners Not Happy with Outcome
The PokerStars domain was released by the US government today so business as usual can resume, but it will remain off limits for US customers.
The US Attorney's Office released the domain PokerStars back to the original owners today under an agreement that specified for swift refunds to be given to all US customers. PokerStars also had to concede that they would cease any interaction with Americans when it came to online gambling, which includes accepting wagers or any form of advertising. Although the specifics of this contract have yet to be released to the public, the US Government has said that this agreement would mean that Americans would no longer be able to gamble at PokerStars for real money. For now, these negotiations only apply to the big four poker sites that were seized by the government last Friday, Sportsbook Poker and other major gaming websites are still accepting US players.
"This is a win/win for both the American public and the US government today," said Kevin Smith, a project manager at the website MyPokerBasics.com. "US residents should be receiving their refunds from PokerStars in the very near future and our government scored a major victory against one of the largest poker rooms in the world. I have a feeling that the new poker legislation sitting in Congress must suddenly look a whole lot more attractive this morning."
Still, optimism among poker players is at an all-time low, mainly because of the frustrations they are experiencing form not fully understanding why the government singled out these websites. Despite the legal issues that are present under the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, the main goal of internet gamblers is to have the freedom to play poker on their own terms.
"That's one of the worst parts about this whole mess," Smith added, "There are millions of people out there that just want to hop on the internet any play poker. While these government actions were certainly necessary under the circumstances, it sort of left everyone in limbo wondering what's going to happen to online poker in the future."
The answer to that question is not immediately evident since many speculate that these poker room shutdowns could be a government precursor to legalizing online poker throughout the United States with full government regulation. Not only would a move of that caliber eliminate the legitimacy questions that many gamblers face, but it would also be a huge boost to tax revenue for the individual states that host internet poker. A major roadblock for the government in this endeavor, however, are the lobbyists standing behind the land-based casinos through the country.
"If I were personally in Congress," Smith said, "I'd show these lobbyists that there is currently around six billion dollars per year spent at offshore poker rooms. Six billion...and they are not seeing a penny of that money because they're not set up to handle the average American's needs. Websites like Sportsbook Poker have millions of subscribers for a reason...it's what the American public wants."
Matt Hayes
MyPokerBasics
www.mypokerbasics.com
PR Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/fQPhBK
The US Attorney's Office released the domain PokerStars back to the original owners today under an agreement that specified for swift refunds to be given to all US customers. PokerStars also had to concede that they would cease any interaction with Americans when it came to online gambling, which includes accepting wagers or any form of advertising. Although the specifics of this contract have yet to be released to the public, the US Government has said that this agreement would mean that Americans would no longer be able to gamble at PokerStars for real money. For now, these negotiations only apply to the big four poker sites that were seized by the government last Friday, Sportsbook Poker and other major gaming websites are still accepting US players.
"This is a win/win for both the American public and the US government today," said Kevin Smith, a project manager at the website MyPokerBasics.com. "US residents should be receiving their refunds from PokerStars in the very near future and our government scored a major victory against one of the largest poker rooms in the world. I have a feeling that the new poker legislation sitting in Congress must suddenly look a whole lot more attractive this morning."
Still, optimism among poker players is at an all-time low, mainly because of the frustrations they are experiencing form not fully understanding why the government singled out these websites. Despite the legal issues that are present under the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, the main goal of internet gamblers is to have the freedom to play poker on their own terms.
"That's one of the worst parts about this whole mess," Smith added, "There are millions of people out there that just want to hop on the internet any play poker. While these government actions were certainly necessary under the circumstances, it sort of left everyone in limbo wondering what's going to happen to online poker in the future."
The answer to that question is not immediately evident since many speculate that these poker room shutdowns could be a government precursor to legalizing online poker throughout the United States with full government regulation. Not only would a move of that caliber eliminate the legitimacy questions that many gamblers face, but it would also be a huge boost to tax revenue for the individual states that host internet poker. A major roadblock for the government in this endeavor, however, are the lobbyists standing behind the land-based casinos through the country.
"If I were personally in Congress," Smith said, "I'd show these lobbyists that there is currently around six billion dollars per year spent at offshore poker rooms. Six billion...and they are not seeing a penny of that money because they're not set up to handle the average American's needs. Websites like Sportsbook Poker have millions of subscribers for a reason...it's what the American public wants."
Matt Hayes
MyPokerBasics
www.mypokerbasics.com
PR Courtesy of Online PR Media: http://bit.ly/fQPhBK
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