The New UIGEA Regulations and what You can do to Fight Them

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maityTNT

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how come sites like bodog allow you to play with cash but partypoker does not?

MODS: PLEASE STICKY THIS

If no one knows yet, the fed recently decided to enforce the UIGEA much more harshly including provisions forcing banks to take more accountability for the transactions coming in with penalties and audits if they think the bank is not doing enough. No you don't have to withdraw immediately, there is a specific provision in the bill that checks from the sites to you is safe. You are not in danger of losing the money already there.

What you are in danger from is the new regulations making it either extremely difficult or downright impossible to deposit. If this happens, even if you are a winning player who doesn't see the need to deposit, the biggest problem would be that other fish cannot deposit. As the worst players cannot deposit to play recreationally the marginal losers/break-even players will begin to become losers. As they can't deposit eventually it will only be the really solid good players playing poker. This is game over for poker as a profitable past time for the serious player. This doesn't take effect until January 19th, 2009 (the last day of the Bush administration) and banks cannot be punished for lack of enforcement until December 1st, 2009. But obviously the banks aren't going to wait until November 30th next year to put the regulations in place.

Following are the PPA press release and a PPA release on what you can do to fight it:


PPA Condemns Finalization of Internet Gaming Regulations
Calls on New Administration, Congress to Overturn Flawed Policy

WASHINGTON, DC. (November 12, 2008) –The Poker Players Alliance (PPA), the leading poker grassroots advocacy group with more than one million members nation-wide, today expressed its extreme disappointment with the last minute finalization of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) regulations regarding online gambling.

“Today’s action finalizes a truly bad public policy – one that even the banks and Federal regulators called unworkable in Congressional testimony,” said PPA Chairman and Former Senator Alfonse D’Amato. “However, the PPA remains optimistic that the new Administration and the new Congress will recognize the failures of UIGEA and will act swiftly in the New Year to overturn this flawed policy.”

In April of this year, representatives from leading banks testified before Congress about the “burdensome” and “unworkable nature” of the proposed UIGEA regulations. Even the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve expressed serious concerns about the ability to enforce UIGEA and its impact on our nation’s payment systems. Notwithstanding the skepticism about the efficacy of the UIGEA and the burden it would place on our already strapped financial sector, the Administration, the Treasury and the Federal Reserve dedicated time and resources to get the rules finalized as the first of many Bush Administration “midnight” regulations.

Fortunately, several members of Congress, such as House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, Senator Robert Menendez and Congressman Robert Wexler among others, recognize the untenable nature of UIGEA and have sponsored legislation to truly address the concerns over online gaming.

“We have strong advocates in Congress who recognize the importance of balancing individual freedom and responsibility with the protection of consumers as it relates to online poker,” continued D’Amato. “As such, we believe that in the new political environment UIGEA will be overturned and effective licensing and regulation of online poker will be enacted.”

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The Bush administration has chosen to push through its incomplete Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) regulations via "lame duck" midnight rulemaking. Fortunately, no one is giving up. We have many avenues for success, and you can all be assured this is being fought at many levels. So, what can we poker players do?

Here are the four things we can all do right now:

1.) Write to President-elect Barack Obama

Barack Obama also has a new comment site, at Change.gov. I hope every single one of will post polite, professionally worded comments on this issue to him as well. Some points to consider sharing:
  • The Bush administration's last minute, incomplete UIGEA regulations are reckless in that they place unreasonable requirements on our nation’s imperiled financial services industry. Bush was reckless in forcing them on the country in his 11th hour. You should introduce legislation to overturn them.
  • These UIGEA regulations set a dangerous precedent for broader censorship of the Internet by the federal government.
  • The Washington Post, at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...111102935.html , reported that William Wichterman, a recent lobbyist for the National Football League who now works at the White House, played a controversial role in the Bush administration's last-minute effort to implement the UIGEA regulations. His lobbying firm made $2.8 million for these efforts.
  • Banks should not be forced by the federal government to act as law enforcement entities.
  • Poker is a game of skill where players compete against each other. There is no “house” profiting from losing players like in casino games of chance.
  • You should support licensing and regulation of online poker. Congressman Robert Wexler, House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank, Senator Robert Menendez, and others have sponsored bills that do just that. These bills provide protections for participants with excessive gaming habits. Bush's UIGEA regulations offer these people nothing.
2.) Write to the GOP

The GOP has a new comment site, at RNC: Republican For A Reason. I hope every single one of will post polite, professionally worded comments on this issue. Some points to consider sharing:
  • Federal Internet censorship is not a limited government position, nor is the idea that Americans need the government to protect them from themselves.
  • Banks should not be forced by the federal government to act as law enforcement entities.
  • UIGEA is reckless in that it places unreasonable requirements on our nation’s imperiled financial services industry.
  • Poker is a game of skill where players compete against each other. There is no “house” profiting from losing players as in casino games of chance.
  • The GOP should support licensing and regulation of online poker. Bills currently in Congress provide protections for participants with excessive gaming habits. UIGEA offers these people nothing.
  • The GOP has had an anti-online poker plank in its last three platforms (2000, 2004, and 2008). As a result, rightly or wrongly most Americans associate the party with UIGEA. This position likely costs the party far more votes than it gains. The GOP can no longer afford to give away votes
3.) Write to Congress

Go to the PPA autoletter site, at PPA: Action Center. In only 60 seconds, you can tell your congressman and both of your senators exactly what you think of UIGEA.

4.) Forward this to your friends

This isn’t just about poker. It’s about Internet freedom and freedom in general. Every American should care.
 
zachvac

zachvac

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Can any one tell me what playing poker online has to do with keeping ports safe ?

The justification was that it could help money laundering. Everyone pretty much realizes that was bullshit though and they just wanted to jam it onto a bill they knew would pass.

Sending and e mail to your congressman will accomplish nothing. Our political system is based on the $.

I'm not going to touch the rest of your post, but this is just plain wrong. Sure the $ makes a huge difference, and unfortunately has a bigger influence than it should, but the bottom line is they want votes. The 2+2 PPA rep has posted several times that he met with Congressmen who said they hadn't really heard of any problem with online poker until they got a bunch of emails/letters from constituents. Obviously some will be different, but the point is that for the most part Congressmen do listen to their constituents. Bottom line is that writing a letter/email takes 5 minutes (or less if you just send the form from the ppa site) and cannot possibly have a negative outcome, while if enough people write it could have an extremely positive outcome.

And if you want to contribute to the money side, I'd donate to the PPA.
 
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Flop_Bunny

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SOME US PLAYERS CANT CATCH A BREAK

Hya ... and a quick biatch! :mad:

Some non-USA members may not know that not only are USA players banned from many online rooms, but some of us are let down even more than that. When we finally find a site accepting US players, we then have to deal with whether the site is going to go one step further by banning those of us living in approx. 17 named states -- like me living in Las Vegas and Nevada being one of the the banned states (for what reason I don't actually know). It REALLY stinks -- way way worse than getting my pocket aces sucked out daily by a "donk".

I needed 2 express myself about the whole deal .. maybe get an answer why certain states are banned. Thanks for listening...Peace and Poker 4ever:cool:
 
mooleyjones

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well as far as the banned states I live in ILL and I know this was put into effect for Arlington park the race track. I'm not sure if our wonderful crooked Gov did it or not but I think so. Possibly for contributions, who knows...........
 
jazzaxe

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Wisconsin is protecting the Indian casinos and what is left of the Dog Tracks. In Wisconsin it is a misdemeanor to place a bet on the internet of any kind. No one has ever been arrested for playing online poker, but since it is in the statutes they have included Wisconsin in the banned states.
 
nomasburros

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the fact the government did this is a atrocity...dont they fleece us enough??? greedy politicians are the scourge of the earth...
 
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jaxplayer

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Is this the reason why I could not get my friend into Doyle's Room? I am already registered there and play their freerolls, I tried to register but they said they are no longer taking new players.
 
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jaxplayer

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This is just incredible. As an American I have the right to burn in public the American flag but cannot throw $20 on a poker site!
 
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CJBOGGS

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Just a side note... I am one of those players that arer restricted to WU or Moneygram for deposits... I wish I didnt need to deposit that often but when needed its very hard to do.... pokerstars gave me a name and country out of costarica... The Western union agent did not want me to send the money and feared I was being scammed... I told her it was a risk I was willing to take so she had to get her store manager to explain the risks again.... My payment was in my account within 30mins and I was happy.... but I can see why many people would NEVER go through all of those hoops...
 
DarkAceMafia

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To my understanding this has been haulted by President Obama. Below is the news clipping I read regarding this from Reuters:

"
Looks like the actual enforcement of the UIGEA will be put on hold for a little while longer.
While President Bush's last minute executive order pushing the UIGEA was met with a general shrug by the online poker operators still accepting U.S. American players, President Obama has put a halt to all pending W regulations.
Says Reuters:
President Barack Obama's new administration ordered all federal agencies and departments on Tuesday to stop any pending regulations until they can be reviewed by incoming staff, halting last-minute Bush orders in their tracks.
"This afternoon, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel signed a memorandum sent to all agencies and departments to stop all pending regulations until a legal and policy review can be conducted by the Obama administration," the White House said in a statement issued just hours after Obama took office.
The review is a tool commonly used by a new administration to delay so-called "midnight regulations" put in place by a former president between the election and Inauguration Day.
 
PokerHack

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Hopefully, Sen. Frank, and the PPA, along with Pres. Obamas love of Poker will make it easier for all of us.
Hack
 
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BlakIcon

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Me being from canada... I'd probably have a bitch of a time if i needed to deposit. This is insane it makes no good sense.
 
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DocHamer

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Thank for the info I will do my part and even send out some emails on this.
 
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ecoutee72

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I agree this is pretty sad. The government doesn't want you to spend your money on something they aren't getting a part of. Wow. I feel like I should spend my money where and when I want to.
 
U

upperdawg

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kill them all

i think we should shoot all the people in the goverment who have nothing better 2 do than make laws that takes away our freed:deal: oms..
 
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GrantGreen

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man I hope the new government gets rid of this hypocritical piece of s...
such an ill advised piece of self-interested c...
 
DaBigBoss

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I havn't had a problem depositing on any site using a debit card or a prepaid cc....and another thing ,why doesn't the goverment agree to let people to set up US sites and tax them, like nevada casinos..it's as simple as that< maybe not in paperwork and legalities but someone should get it started>:confused:
 
DarkAceMafia

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To my understanding, Reuters reported that all Federal Regulations signed by former President Bush in his last weeks or were all haulted by the current Obama Administration. This included UIGEA. All to be reviewed.
 
zachvac

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To my understanding, Reuters reported that all Federal Regulations signed by former President Bush in his last weeks or were all haulted by the current Obama Administration. This included UIGEA. All to be reviewed.

Sorry, but this is false. He stopped all regulations that had not yet gone through, but the UIGEA one was made such that it would be official on the 19th, one day before Obama took office and thus Congress would have to change it. The good thing is banks are not required to comply until the end of the year and Barney Frank has said that a bill repealing it will go through this year. Hopefully he's right.
 
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chefjimmy

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i,ve read the bill

i,ve even sent the president the form letter...no i dont want to see these restrictions,but they are mainly to stop credit card use...i would however like to see the gaming industry online be accountable..and that requires legislation in some form...there are still many forms of deposit that you will be able to use ...if you need help with these shoot me an im and i,ll send you some response to help...
 
MizLuvMonkey

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I think that the government should be spending more time on things that affect our country as a hole instead of wasting their time trying to stop online gambling.

Look how good it has worked stopping the use of illegal drugs!! Oh yeah, that won't happen, not as long as the government gets a cut

MizLuvMonkey & yes, I'm back.
 
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hothandsmgee

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This is a really big problem. I have been having trouble since they passed this bill depositing money. What I don't understand is are they making it fully illegal to gamble online or are they just screwing with us as much as possible.
 
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chefjimmy

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fully illegal or screwing with us,....

since you asked here i go...yes they are screwing with us...no they are not making it illegal to gamble online...check your state for a reference,but they are making it diffucult to deposit using standard banking means...i.e. credit cards,atm cards ect...now one might ask why is this?the answer is simple...the government couldnt care less what you do with these same cards in real casinos...so why the online restrictions..well 2 reasons..1st n foremost in our country nothing becomes a law without somone lobbying for it to be so...oh lets just say for instance it might be the real casinos who are losing revenue because instead of spending your money at there casino you are doing it in the comfort and privacy of your own home..this causes them to lose money so they lobby to pass a bill making ONLINE gaming illegal with certain banking means..but not illegal to gamble the same way in a casino..see the picture..we dont care if you gamble away your money..we just want you to do it with people who pay us money via taxes and lobbying.
part 2
ok the second reason is that online sites are not being monitored or regulated in this country yet...which means you have no defense whatsoever if you are treated unfairly...does the government care that you are treated unfairly...probably not in the least,,,but if they arent regulating it with claims of doing just that and arent able to make a commission and a commitee who get money to license and inspect and furthermore get tax money from revenue than they will continue to increase laws and restrictions until its impossible for you to do so or they are getting paid too...hope this helps
 
aLoser4evR

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I sent letters out to my state senators and reps. too. I just find it kind of funny how a lot of you blame Bush and think Obama will be your saviour when it's his majority party that has to sign and approve any last minute bill, the the exiting president may be trying to get pushed through, on the way out.
Now why would the controlling party just sign this when they won't sign bills funding supplies for my friends and soldiers in Iraq without fighting it first?
 
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