Serious Issues or concerns for US Players?

[Tonawanda]

Have you ever considered?

1. A shutdown of all poker rooms to US players
2. Your personal credit or credit cards being put in jeopardy.
3. Your bank accounts being frozen.
4. Your internet account being suspended.
5. And or anything else you can think of.

Now, I certainly don’t think any of these are likely to happen but, if I can think of them, so can State or Federal Law Enforcement agencies. They certainly seem hell-bent on shutting down what we find enjoyable. Anything is possible!

By the way, I am in the process of making deposits today in spite of starting this thread.

No, I’m not paranoid, but retired and obviously have too much time to come up with this stuff. I’m also bracing for an onslaught of negative responses for just throwing it out. Appoligize in advance if these thoughts have been covered before.

Good luck at the tables!

 

[Debi]

To answer your question the only one that ever crosses my mind is the first one - the rest of them I have no concern over at all.

To me it is kind of silly to waste energy worrying about things like that.

That question mark was a mis-click lol. And yea - I do those on the table too.

 

[kybcat]

I know how you feel, I pplay out of KY and they already limit what you can do with internet gambling. So i like to know what happen to FREEDOM OF CHOICE

 

[Mase31683]

You don't have to worry about any of them, with the extremely improbable exception of #1.

There's nothing illegal about playing poker here in the US. Even the UIGEA has been pushed back from enforcement another half year. But that act doesn't question the legality of playing poker for a US citizen. They instead are trying to make it difficult for the money to be moved around via the banks.

This is the reason that party poker and other non-US sites became as such. PartyGaming owns Party Poker and their shares plummeted 60% after the UIGEA came to pass. online poker is still legal in the US, but the future remains uncertain, and in an effort to protect themselves and their shareholders many online poker sites decided to distance themselves from whatever legal action may occur in the future.

 

[LarkMarlow]

Though my ISP is headquartered in Cincinnati OH, their computers and all are housed across the river in Florence KY so I have encountered restrictions as well. I can still access Stars, FT and bodog. Before Cereus took over UB and AP, I couldn't get into those rooms either. I rarely play AP so that didn't bother me, but I had quite a chunk of change in UB at the time and there was no way I could withdraw those funds. Everything's fine for the time being. The last I heard was that there is a good chance the KY legislation is going to be overthrown. We'll see.

In the meantime, I can't play at Cake or Doyle's Room or an a assortment of smaller sites. Though that doesn't bother me, there remains the principle of the thing. The silver lining in that temporary UB cloud was that I was fired up and joined the Poker Player's Alliance (www.theppa.org). I have become as active as I can locally to fight this injustice. I've corresponded and talked with our Rep. Steve Driehaus who co-wrote the appeal with Barney Frank.

Tonoawanda, I would highly recommend joining the PPA--now that would be a very positive and productive use of that extra time on your hands IMHO. My philosophy has always been that if I have serious concerns about something like this, I roll up my sleeves and do what I can to fight back. If we sit back and do nothing but lament the loss of freedom or worry about potential consequences, then we are part of the problem as I see things.

As for your list, like dakota said, #1 is a concern. At this point I think it is a possibility but hardly a likely probability. Regarding #2-#5, highly unlikely because of the huge number of people involved and many other factors.

 

[Tonawanda]

Thanks for the response LarkMarlo. I am a member of the PPA and have sent various e-mails and letters to my local, State and US representatives. Former Senator Hillary (NY) responded with a form e-mail that did not say anything (position could have been interpreted either way). Similar or no responses from others. Was at a luncheon a few years ago, guest speaker was Al D'Amato. A great guy to have on our side. You are right - time to get back to sending updated letters and more involvement. Keep up the good work.

 

[brianvoytek]

I dont worry about any of those things because its just a game and theres always a live game somewhere. Online poker isnt my life and if its taken from me I will be able to go on.

 

[Kasanova King]

Have you ever considered?

1. A shutdown of all poker rooms to US players
2. Your personal credit or credit cards being put in jeopardy.
3. Your bank accounts being frozen.
4. Your internet account being suspended.
5. And or anything else you can think of.

Now, I certainly don’t think any of these are likely to happen but, if I can think of them, so can State or Federal Law Enforcement agencies. They certainly seem hell-bent on shutting down what we find enjoyable. Anything is possible!

By the way, I am in the process of making deposits today in spite of starting this thread.

No, I’m not paranoid, but retired and obviously have too much time to come up with this stuff. I’m also bracing for an onslaught of negative responses for just throwing it out. Appoligize in advance if these thoughts have been covered before.

Good luck at the tables!

The first is the only real concern to have and I'm sure we would get ample warning. If it were to happen we would just have to withdraw funds before it did.

 

[Weregoat]

Hopefully, the bill gets abolished.

I agree. I haven't read it, but the state is taking an isolated group who are doing something that isn't dangerous, is recreational, and turning it into a stereotype.

I had a discussion the other day about the legalization of marijuana. I don't use, but I think it should be legalized for two reasons (Yes, this is a tangent, I'll be back on track after the two reasons):
1. It can be controlled and taxed by the state. The funds can go to education. You know your public school teachers aren't making enough money. (Hell, neither are your soldiers for that matter... a year away from their homes and their families to live in a smelly place where everybody's tryin' to kill 'em...)
2. It's going to cut down on crime. If selling weed is illegal, and people are still doing it, when they legalize it, people are still going to do it, but it's going to be Rite-Aid and CVS instead of the kid who should be in school.
Now, back on track...

Online poker should be legal and not morally in question because (and I believe this as far as all poker)
1. It can be controlled and taxed by the state. If you've seen an a movie about a casino in the last 50 years, you probably know about the NGC, or Nevada Gaming Commission. (Ok, about a casino in Nevada.) All you have to do is form a commission and write into your state's legislature that a portion of the casino's profits will go to dues for the gaming commission, they'll enforce fairness, and make sure a small amount of what the house takes in goes to the state.
2. It's going to cut down on crime. If it's illegal for me and my friends to get together at a communal friend's house, and smoke weed (I don't) and play poker for money (I do), I'm still going to do it. Gambling isn't allowed where my home station is (somewhere in Georgia), but from what I've heard there are card rooms every night in that town. And some of them in some pretty shady places. I would much rather play in a proper, regulated place with proper floormen and dealers then in the back room of a bar.

But if I wanna play cards that badly I might take the risk, and I'm at a lot more risk there than I am at a well-lit well-trafficked well-regulated casino. Not to mention the jobs...

A further note, if online poker stopped being so heavily regulated in the states, there could be poker sites hosted in the states, and when all these fraud and cheating scandals come out, they'll actually be in US jurisdiction.

But no, those who think with their hearts and not with their heads have branded us all degenerates, so now our country spirals downward with solid alternatives to our problems that they are too headstrong to even consider.

/rant

 

[evilpoochie]

i don't think it will happen either but i can see y america wants to do this it is because they want to keep tourism up in Vegas like who would want to spend money and travel when they can play from their home