So I started this long, in-depth analysis of the "Final Rule" submitted by the Federal Reserve System and the Department of the Treasury providing policy and regs related to the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act.) I was up to page 30-ish of the document which appears to be like 121 pages long and I've already created my own commentary that's just scrolling off the page, and suddenly it hits me. WTF!?! Why are you bothering!? The Act was crap, it was enacted in a shady fashion, it's been argued, beaten, commented upon, ignored, revised, and now this "final rule" gives us the regs for how to get it done. In short, this is just furtherance of crap. I immediately deleted my diatribe on the finer points of the most recent document. Look folks, we're beatin' this dead horse... and keep giving it new life, somehow. I'm not suggesting ignore it, but it seems the regs are here to stay at least for a while, until someone or something else comes along which renders it impotent or we just find a loophole to work around. I read Shamus comment in which he says he's sorry for the mushroom cloud picture and inciting a panic, but honestly I think we all know he wasn't suggesting that the end is nigh. He went on to cover I. Nelson Rose's comments which I think are spot on. Life will go on for poker and we who play her. However, the economy of the thing will suffer. What I mean to say is that the harder it becomes to "move" money about online for poker purposes, some folks simply won't bother. And a lot of those folks are fish and so you are going to continue to find yourself engaged in tougher and tougher games online. I'm not looking to deposit any time soon, if ever, since I have a comfortable sum online that I play with now. (I'd like it to get bigger, but I don't want it to rely on me depositing money to get there.) But with less new money flowing into the poker community, the skillset of those you will encounter is only going to improve. Only the strong will survive and the weak will not bother with a redeposit if they have to put too much work into it. So, I think Shamus has it right in this respect. The poker boom online owes much of its success to the ease with which you could get money online. There will be an impact, I'm certain, but I have no idea to what degree.
Anyway, I'd like to tell you I've been playing lotsa poker, but that'd be a lie. I did excavate and pour a concrete driveway extension to accommodate a third vehicle in the cheer_dad clan. Recall the yellow volkswagen now sitting out front in the belong of my daughter, Whitney. Two days of back-breaking work and chilly weather now behind me. The muscle aches and pains still bear witness to the feat though.
I'm tired, and now reviewing the log file from my phone it looks like I may have been called by the school (shudder.) Very likely in response to an email that I sent to my daughter's Geometry teacher, telling her that I think some changes are in order in her teaching approach. Okay, maybe I was a little more diplomatic than that. I can do that when I write. Not so much when cornered on the phone or in person. Diplomacy can then take the backseat... an argument will shortly ensue. But we shall see... and I shall blog.
Oh and don't forget... tonight we travel to Bridgeport, WV where the South Patriot Football Juggernaut faces off against Bridgeport High School in the first of our playoff games. Keep those fingers crossed! Let's GOOOOOOO Patriots!!!
Later all, it's just that kinda day.
Regards,
cheer_dad
Showing posts with label UIGEA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UIGEA. Show all posts
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, August 07, 2008
Inconsistent enforcement
An interesting article off the Reuters News Wire: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0731627620080807?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0, entitled Lawmakers urge U.S. stop action vs EU gambling firms. According to the article "Rep. Robert Wexler, a Florida Democrat, and Rep. Steve Cohen, a Tennessee Democrat" issued letters of warning to "U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey" urging that the U.S. Department of Justice to cease criminal investigations related to the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006) against companies which operate Internet gaming from European Union (EU) member nations. Specifically, they warn against investigation of activities which occurred prior to passage of the UIGEA. This "trend" if continued could "lead to a potentially damaging trade spat between the United States and the European Union at the World Trade Organization."
The article by Doug Palmer goes on to say that the European Commission launched an investigation of its own in March to determine if the U.S. "was singling out EU companies for enforcement actions, while allowing U.S. online firms to operate freely."
Recall that following passage of the UIGEA (the law which made payments by banks and credit unions to online gambling sites, illegal) a number of online poker rooms departed the U.S. market and began seeking customers elsewhere. Most notable among that group was the then giant of the industry, Party Poker. Despite this fact there are still quite a large number of available online poker options at the disposal of the U.S. market. These available options are largely outside of the member nations of the European Union. Most notably/remarkably U.S. based companies continue to operate undeterred. This fact causes most concern as it is perceived (and rightly so) as inconsistent enforcement.
As a poker player it goes without saying that I don't agree with the UIGEA and the ban by the U.S. of online poker, under the auspices of "illegal gambling." I'm not going to get into the "it's a sport" argument. It's a game, that can be best played using skill and experience, however involves a true element of chance. I do not agree with demonizing poker, and taking it away from a U.S. public which largely treated it as recreation under the guise that illegal dealings and a seedy element was all that did partake in the online arena. BUT, aside from all of that. Right or wrong and ultimately however this whole online poker thing works itself out; it is FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG to go after someone or a company for illegal conduct which was NOT deemed to be illegal at the time! I can't even get away with that kind of action against my two children. I think even they would raise an eyebrow. I'd look quite foolish. I believe that is the role which Representatives Wexler and Cohen are currently playing. They are crying foul at the activities of the Justice Department. They recognize that the implications could very well be far reaching and further damage the reputation of the United States in the international community. (Yeah, like we need anyone else in the world mad at us!) This just is NOT a fight that is worth winning. I'm not even sure what there is to win.
The UIGEA has proven to be a hot bed of controversy and I fear that its effects will continue to be felt for quite some time. But the problem isn't going away. A large part of the population in the United States continues to play poker, despite the initial impact that was felt when the UIGEA passed. It continues to grow in popularity. Poker players are not going away, their numbers continue to grow. Those are facts that the European Union and the World Trade Organization cannot continue to ignore. Still, I firmly believe that this argument will be going on for many years to come.
Regards,
cheer_dad
The article by Doug Palmer goes on to say that the European Commission launched an investigation of its own in March to determine if the U.S. "was singling out EU companies for enforcement actions, while allowing U.S. online firms to operate freely."
Recall that following passage of the UIGEA (the law which made payments by banks and credit unions to online gambling sites, illegal) a number of online poker rooms departed the U.S. market and began seeking customers elsewhere. Most notable among that group was the then giant of the industry, Party Poker. Despite this fact there are still quite a large number of available online poker options at the disposal of the U.S. market. These available options are largely outside of the member nations of the European Union. Most notably/remarkably U.S. based companies continue to operate undeterred. This fact causes most concern as it is perceived (and rightly so) as inconsistent enforcement.
As a poker player it goes without saying that I don't agree with the UIGEA and the ban by the U.S. of online poker, under the auspices of "illegal gambling." I'm not going to get into the "it's a sport" argument. It's a game, that can be best played using skill and experience, however involves a true element of chance. I do not agree with demonizing poker, and taking it away from a U.S. public which largely treated it as recreation under the guise that illegal dealings and a seedy element was all that did partake in the online arena. BUT, aside from all of that. Right or wrong and ultimately however this whole online poker thing works itself out; it is FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG to go after someone or a company for illegal conduct which was NOT deemed to be illegal at the time! I can't even get away with that kind of action against my two children. I think even they would raise an eyebrow. I'd look quite foolish. I believe that is the role which Representatives Wexler and Cohen are currently playing. They are crying foul at the activities of the Justice Department. They recognize that the implications could very well be far reaching and further damage the reputation of the United States in the international community. (Yeah, like we need anyone else in the world mad at us!) This just is NOT a fight that is worth winning. I'm not even sure what there is to win.
The UIGEA has proven to be a hot bed of controversy and I fear that its effects will continue to be felt for quite some time. But the problem isn't going away. A large part of the population in the United States continues to play poker, despite the initial impact that was felt when the UIGEA passed. It continues to grow in popularity. Poker players are not going away, their numbers continue to grow. Those are facts that the European Union and the World Trade Organization cannot continue to ignore. Still, I firmly believe that this argument will be going on for many years to come.
Regards,
cheer_dad
Saturday, August 02, 2008
Sometimes I can type faster than I can think
By the way, the weekend arrived early at least for me. I took Friday off... and it was a group decision. Big Red told me that I was sleeping really well that morning and so she decided to let me sleep. Ahhh, ain't that sweet? No, not really since what it really meant was that I had really tied one on the night before at the drawing at the Eagles and I was snoring so loud it was registering on the Richter scale. Hey, give me some credit for at least having the decency to sleep on the couch! Anyway, energized to some degree by the extra sleep, remarkably without much of a hangover. That's one thing I can say nice about the accursed Jack Daniel's, he seldom revisits you courtesy of an earth shattering headache. Now if I'd been throwing back draft beer all night, ouch! But I didn't get off all that easy folks. Big Red did have some "honey do" in mind for my lazy carcass. Both of the kids abandoned me just before she gave me the assignment. The little friggin' traitors, I think they must have known. Anyway, Whit headed to the mall, with JoJo, and Cole went bowling with mamaw and some of the other kids in the family. I on the other hand got to enjoy the pleasures cleaning out the damn garage. I hate cleaning. I'm not a slob, I'm not overly on the side of disorder. And from time-to-time I get a wild hair up my ass and decide to clean up something on my own. This was different. This was the garage, and furthermore it wasn't my idea, it was Big Red's and she expects you know... like results! I swear baby, I'll give up the bottle, just don't make me clean the garage! Well that didn't work, and she knew I didn't mean it anyway (damn her woman's intuition.) But I did survive the horror. I did learn one thing while I slaved away. You know, most of this shit, ain't even mine! How many old pairs of shoes do you people need? When did the Home Interiors nick nack crap begin to be "stored" out here? And exactly how many bicycles can you kids ride anyway!?! Alright, I'll stop complaining now, it really did need cleaned up. I didn't die, but when she assigned me the task I still think she secretly had hopes! Like I said, the weekend came early.
I actually played a little poker. By little I mean for a little while, and for some horrendously little stakes. I was bored, Big Red was watching Mama Mia (shudder) although I must admit I knew every ABBA song that was being belted out, in show tune stylings... I grabbed for the laptop and checked email, caught up on my blog reading and writing for that matter, and in the midst of things I fired up Bodog and thought I'd kill some time. I looked for something to occupy the time, but nothing too serious. I've only got a modest bankroll online anymore, and I don't want to squander it off on some poker ego trip. I play online most often to unwind and relax (though there are days when I wonder what the hell I was thinking when I came up with that idea.) Now, if I went bustola, it wouldn't be painful to the wallet. I'm not wagering the milk money (although the sums are similar.) If I lost it all, I'd be upset, cause I'd have this empty feeling but then again I could turn around a drop a few C-notes back out there again and be back in business. But I don't want to. I haven't redeposited "new" money in a very long time. Granted I'm not cashing out either. But that sum is there for my pleasure and it has served me well now for a few years. That first $90 I deposited so many moons ago, has definitely grown. I bought a few things along the way with it too. I'm happy with it. I don't need (right now) those big scores and grinding out for hours and days on end to enjoy poker. I love the game, and anyone who knows me, knows that. I play, talk, and write about it all the time. It is my hobby, and as hobbies go, this one has on occasion turned me a little profit. How many hobbies can people say that about? Over time, my game has improved. My opponents suckouts don't surprise me anymore, and I still feel my pulse quicken when I flop the stone cold nuts and some "guy" on the other side of the felt is betting in to me. Those are the moments I live for. Last night's 2 games were played at the SNG tables. And for a quick laugh I sat at two $2.20 SNG's! These differ from normal SNG's at least on Bodog, in that they payout the top 4 places instead of the customary 3. I played in some of these the other day too, and had a lot of fun, and cashed in like 3 out of 4. Last night I cashed in both of them. Now, I'm not going to get rich here and I know it, but I made a deal with myself, that I'd breach the $200 mark on Bodog before moving up to anything else. The cash tables I enjoy, but when you sit down, you've got to be willing to sit down for the long haul. Surprisingly these little SNG's are not exactly the donk fest that I had expected. There are actually some good players there. They aren't chatty and trash talkin' each other's mothers either. Without knowing or seeing them, they're just a bunch of guys like me, with a little cash online to mess around with. We're not trying to get rich quick, or get rich at all for that matter. We just love to play the game. We just love to improve our game. We just enjoy the learning of the thing in all its forms.
I think that more than anything is what bothered me most about the UIGEA when it came out, and then they (the DOJ) ultimately smacked Party Poker around (among others.) The "law" was passed to protect us from ourselves and to stamp out indecency and illegal activity. But what was really going on was they were taking away a beloved pastime from me and a lot of the folks that I know and for that matter from a lot of the other low stakes/working class stiffs that I played with every once in a while online just to let off some steam, and actually use my brain a little in the process. We weren't hurting anyone, and we resented feeling like it too. The government wasn't going to make any money off of us. We were the fish in most people's minds and we were just contributing at the bottom end of the food chain. We had no aspirations of greatness (at least none that we were telling anyone about.) We just liked playing. We still do, but there for a while our lives were a little out of kilter. Our paltry sums of money were tied up in the "war" against illegal online gambling and a few of the payment processor fiascos. But I didn't lose any sleep over it. I don't play as often as I did during that poker boom that was online poker, but that's been a choice for different reasons. The UIGEA scared some people and inconvenienced some of us for a time, but for us little guys down here at the bottom the effect was minimal, except that it took away from us a very enjoyable pastime. Some guys tinker on cars, some guys watch sports on tv, some guys do other things... but what we and a bunch of us other "little guys" play poker. And we like to play live games, for small stakes most of the time and make an occasional trip to an honest to goodness casino, but it was great and affordable for us to be able to play more often online. You can't go to a live casino and play micro stakes games. AND us playing at those micro levels online wasn't hurting traffic to the casinos one little bit. What the UIGEA really did was squash the fun of the little guys for a little while. But slowly, surely, it's all coming back. It's still poker, we still play it, and we love doing it.
Sorry I've gone on and on a bit here, but I've done it before and you seem to let me just type what my brain is thinking and you don't seem to complain. So, if you made it clear to the bottom of this post, thanks! If you left me somewhere along the way, that's okay too. Thanks for stopping by, hope you come back my way again. I'm all about low stakes, and low standards... and I'm one of those friends that you've got in "low places."
Enjoy your day...
Regards,
cheer_dad
I actually played a little poker. By little I mean for a little while, and for some horrendously little stakes. I was bored, Big Red was watching Mama Mia (shudder) although I must admit I knew every ABBA song that was being belted out, in show tune stylings... I grabbed for the laptop and checked email, caught up on my blog reading and writing for that matter, and in the midst of things I fired up Bodog and thought I'd kill some time. I looked for something to occupy the time, but nothing too serious. I've only got a modest bankroll online anymore, and I don't want to squander it off on some poker ego trip. I play online most often to unwind and relax (though there are days when I wonder what the hell I was thinking when I came up with that idea.) Now, if I went bustola, it wouldn't be painful to the wallet. I'm not wagering the milk money (although the sums are similar.) If I lost it all, I'd be upset, cause I'd have this empty feeling but then again I could turn around a drop a few C-notes back out there again and be back in business. But I don't want to. I haven't redeposited "new" money in a very long time. Granted I'm not cashing out either. But that sum is there for my pleasure and it has served me well now for a few years. That first $90 I deposited so many moons ago, has definitely grown. I bought a few things along the way with it too. I'm happy with it. I don't need (right now) those big scores and grinding out for hours and days on end to enjoy poker. I love the game, and anyone who knows me, knows that. I play, talk, and write about it all the time. It is my hobby, and as hobbies go, this one has on occasion turned me a little profit. How many hobbies can people say that about? Over time, my game has improved. My opponents suckouts don't surprise me anymore, and I still feel my pulse quicken when I flop the stone cold nuts and some "guy" on the other side of the felt is betting in to me. Those are the moments I live for. Last night's 2 games were played at the SNG tables. And for a quick laugh I sat at two $2.20 SNG's! These differ from normal SNG's at least on Bodog, in that they payout the top 4 places instead of the customary 3. I played in some of these the other day too, and had a lot of fun, and cashed in like 3 out of 4. Last night I cashed in both of them. Now, I'm not going to get rich here and I know it, but I made a deal with myself, that I'd breach the $200 mark on Bodog before moving up to anything else. The cash tables I enjoy, but when you sit down, you've got to be willing to sit down for the long haul. Surprisingly these little SNG's are not exactly the donk fest that I had expected. There are actually some good players there. They aren't chatty and trash talkin' each other's mothers either. Without knowing or seeing them, they're just a bunch of guys like me, with a little cash online to mess around with. We're not trying to get rich quick, or get rich at all for that matter. We just love to play the game. We just love to improve our game. We just enjoy the learning of the thing in all its forms.
I think that more than anything is what bothered me most about the UIGEA when it came out, and then they (the DOJ) ultimately smacked Party Poker around (among others.) The "law" was passed to protect us from ourselves and to stamp out indecency and illegal activity. But what was really going on was they were taking away a beloved pastime from me and a lot of the folks that I know and for that matter from a lot of the other low stakes/working class stiffs that I played with every once in a while online just to let off some steam, and actually use my brain a little in the process. We weren't hurting anyone, and we resented feeling like it too. The government wasn't going to make any money off of us. We were the fish in most people's minds and we were just contributing at the bottom end of the food chain. We had no aspirations of greatness (at least none that we were telling anyone about.) We just liked playing. We still do, but there for a while our lives were a little out of kilter. Our paltry sums of money were tied up in the "war" against illegal online gambling and a few of the payment processor fiascos. But I didn't lose any sleep over it. I don't play as often as I did during that poker boom that was online poker, but that's been a choice for different reasons. The UIGEA scared some people and inconvenienced some of us for a time, but for us little guys down here at the bottom the effect was minimal, except that it took away from us a very enjoyable pastime. Some guys tinker on cars, some guys watch sports on tv, some guys do other things... but what we and a bunch of us other "little guys" play poker. And we like to play live games, for small stakes most of the time and make an occasional trip to an honest to goodness casino, but it was great and affordable for us to be able to play more often online. You can't go to a live casino and play micro stakes games. AND us playing at those micro levels online wasn't hurting traffic to the casinos one little bit. What the UIGEA really did was squash the fun of the little guys for a little while. But slowly, surely, it's all coming back. It's still poker, we still play it, and we love doing it.
Sorry I've gone on and on a bit here, but I've done it before and you seem to let me just type what my brain is thinking and you don't seem to complain. So, if you made it clear to the bottom of this post, thanks! If you left me somewhere along the way, that's okay too. Thanks for stopping by, hope you come back my way again. I'm all about low stakes, and low standards... and I'm one of those friends that you've got in "low places."
Enjoy your day...
Regards,
cheer_dad
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Treasury and Federal Reserve officials have been warned!
I stumbled across this remarkable article over at TheHill.com, which told a story I had not yet heard from the front lines of the fight against the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.) According to the author, Susan Crabtree (as of 04/22/08 03:45 PM EST,)
"A bipartisan group of House Financial Services Committee members have warned U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve officials not to waste any more time trying to implement a ban on online gambling."
Yes, I recognize that is a direct quote (hopefully cited sufficiently)but what an opening line for an article! I don't want to have to quote the whole article, but it's really tough because it's just chock full of facts that I'd like to re-iterate. But suffice it to say that Representatives Barney Frank, Luis Gutierrez, Ron Paul, and Pete King sent a letter putting the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve on notice NOT to proceed with developing regulations which would be used to enforce the provisions of the much debated UIGEA. They didn't pull punches with the letter sent Tuesday and the recipients were Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke!
I acknowledge the fight that Rep. Barney Frank has put up in his efforts against the UIGEA, but this move seems quite bold. I think it demonstrates his commitment to the effort and I for one applaud him for it! I'm currently trolling around looking for the letter that was sent in its entirety. As soon as I find it...I'm posting it or at least the link. Basically what I gather from the article is that the lawmakers involved believe there are much more pressing issues with which to deal than waste time and effort on establishing policy for enforcement of the UIGEA, which Frank and his colleagues plan to actively oppose.
Sorry blog dwellers, I'm struggling for words to write here, without plagiarizing the whole article. Just go read all about it RIGHT NOW! Right HERE! Hopefully you'll be as excited about it as I am.
I'll stop rambling and head out looking for the elusive letter now!
***REVISION***
Ha, armed with an internet connection and the forces of Google on my side I found the smoking gun (errr letter) that was sent to Bernanke and Paulson... Here you go: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/press042108.shtml
Make sure to read BOTH of the letters that were sent out, which are for the most part identical except for the following passage in the letter sent to Chairman Bernanke:
"We realize this is not a task you requested. We also appreciate the candor with which your representative answered our questions. In fact, her honest answers and the testimony of the other witnesses confirmed our view that this is an impossible task."
This is the good stuff folks... : )
Regards,
cheer_dad
"A bipartisan group of House Financial Services Committee members have warned U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve officials not to waste any more time trying to implement a ban on online gambling."
Yes, I recognize that is a direct quote (hopefully cited sufficiently)but what an opening line for an article! I don't want to have to quote the whole article, but it's really tough because it's just chock full of facts that I'd like to re-iterate. But suffice it to say that Representatives Barney Frank, Luis Gutierrez, Ron Paul, and Pete King sent a letter putting the U.S. Treasury and the Federal Reserve on notice NOT to proceed with developing regulations which would be used to enforce the provisions of the much debated UIGEA. They didn't pull punches with the letter sent Tuesday and the recipients were Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke!
I acknowledge the fight that Rep. Barney Frank has put up in his efforts against the UIGEA, but this move seems quite bold. I think it demonstrates his commitment to the effort and I for one applaud him for it! I'm currently trolling around looking for the letter that was sent in its entirety. As soon as I find it...I'm posting it or at least the link. Basically what I gather from the article is that the lawmakers involved believe there are much more pressing issues with which to deal than waste time and effort on establishing policy for enforcement of the UIGEA, which Frank and his colleagues plan to actively oppose.
Sorry blog dwellers, I'm struggling for words to write here, without plagiarizing the whole article. Just go read all about it RIGHT NOW! Right HERE! Hopefully you'll be as excited about it as I am.
I'll stop rambling and head out looking for the elusive letter now!
***REVISION***
Ha, armed with an internet connection and the forces of Google on my side I found the smoking gun (errr letter) that was sent to Bernanke and Paulson... Here you go: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/financialsvcs_dem/press042108.shtml
Make sure to read BOTH of the letters that were sent out, which are for the most part identical except for the following passage in the letter sent to Chairman Bernanke:
"We realize this is not a task you requested. We also appreciate the candor with which your representative answered our questions. In fact, her honest answers and the testimony of the other witnesses confirmed our view that this is an impossible task."
This is the good stuff folks... : )
Regards,
cheer_dad
Monday, April 14, 2008
ePassporte goes the way of Neteller...
I received the following message from the folks at Walker Poker, which further confirms what has been reported elsewhere that ePassporte is bidding farewell to the U.S. market:
Walker Poker team would like to update you that due to the recent notification by Epassporte, players will not be able to deposit and withdraw via Epassporte until further notice.
Walker Poker team, as always, support ALL our players from around the world, and is working on providing the best methods for handling you money.
Walker Poker players can use all our other available processing methods, including Credit Cards and EwalletXpress, which support U.S. players as well.
Walker Poker team would like to recommend all our U.S players to open an account with EwalletXpress, which is very similar to Epassporte but much easier to fund and handle your money. In order to have an account with EwalletXpress, simply click here or visit http://www.ewalletxpress.com
Walker Poker team is giving all new EwalletXress users a special bonus of 10% instant on your deposit! Simply make a deposit and email us at cashier@walkerpoker.com and we will give you this amazing bonus within up to 24 hours!
As always, Walker Poker team is at your service 24/7 via our live support
See you at the tables!
Walker Poker Team
Hate to see it happen. I don't like the idea that businesses are being muscled out of the US market, which seems to me is what is happening here. No charges were brought against the company, just the threat of pricey legal wrangling is enough. Of course now we just all sit back and wait for the next funding method to appear. It's all sort of like watching a giant game of "Whack-A-Mole" being played out on a global scale... and unfortunately it's the tax payer's money that's being used to keep putting tokens into the slot for the government's next turn at bashing another payment processor in the head.
Regards,
cheer_dad
Walker Poker team would like to update you that due to the recent notification by Epassporte, players will not be able to deposit and withdraw via Epassporte until further notice.
Walker Poker team, as always, support ALL our players from around the world, and is working on providing the best methods for handling you money.
Walker Poker players can use all our other available processing methods, including Credit Cards and EwalletXpress, which support U.S. players as well.
Walker Poker team would like to recommend all our U.S players to open an account with EwalletXpress, which is very similar to Epassporte but much easier to fund and handle your money. In order to have an account with EwalletXpress, simply click here or visit http://www.ewalletxpress.com
Walker Poker team is giving all new EwalletXress users a special bonus of 10% instant on your deposit! Simply make a deposit and email us at cashier@walkerpoker.com and we will give you this amazing bonus within up to 24 hours!
As always, Walker Poker team is at your service 24/7 via our live support
See you at the tables!
Walker Poker Team
Hate to see it happen. I don't like the idea that businesses are being muscled out of the US market, which seems to me is what is happening here. No charges were brought against the company, just the threat of pricey legal wrangling is enough. Of course now we just all sit back and wait for the next funding method to appear. It's all sort of like watching a giant game of "Whack-A-Mole" being played out on a global scale... and unfortunately it's the tax payer's money that's being used to keep putting tokens into the slot for the government's next turn at bashing another payment processor in the head.
Regards,
cheer_dad
Saturday, April 12, 2008
H.R.5767 introduced
I'm headed out the door but I wanted to share some poker related information.
First, a link: http://www.safeandsecureig.org/media/frank-paulrelease.pdf
Basically, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) have submitted H.R. 5767 in an attempt to block finalization of the regulations for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006! Read for yourself, I'm crossing my fingers...
I've got to leave for baseball practice with my son, so for true analysis head over to see what "Shamus" has to say on the matter at http://hardboiledpoker.blogspot.com/.
Gotta go.
Regards,
cheer_dad
First, a link: http://www.safeandsecureig.org/media/frank-paulrelease.pdf
Basically, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) have submitted H.R. 5767 in an attempt to block finalization of the regulations for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006! Read for yourself, I'm crossing my fingers...
I've got to leave for baseball practice with my son, so for true analysis head over to see what "Shamus" has to say on the matter at http://hardboiledpoker.blogspot.com/.
Gotta go.
Regards,
cheer_dad
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Battle against UIGEA wages on and on...
I posted a comment over on Lou Krieger's blog following his article/post linked here, regarding a decision being rendered in relation to the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.) I read through the post and as always I remain skeptical, so I went out to the iMEGA.org website to read just what was being lauded as a "victory" on the side of internet gaming (more importantly and specifically as it relates to poker.) That statement on their site included a link to the actual "Memorandum Opinion" that was rendered, found here. Unfortunately for Mr. Krieger and other journalistic venues including http://www.gambling911.com/online-gambling-031008.html have one fact reported incorrectly. The statement that a judgement came from "a U.S. Supreme Court Judge" is not accurate. The Memorandum Opinion was issued by Judge Mary L. Cooper, of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. This merely granted iMEGA the standing to pursue a challenge of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). As well within the 29 page opinion, I'm not finding the language which agrees entirely that potential criminal liability by financial institutions with regard to the UIGEA has been absolved by the judge's opinion. Trust me... I wanted to find it, but I don't see it there. Then again, I've missed things before and I'm not an attorney so I'll be the first to admit my inadequacy. If some additional documentation exists to add credence to the assertion that this element of the UIGEA has been thrown out, please someone let me know! I'd love to see it, and I'd start showing it to my own bank/credit union and pump more money into the poker economy forthwith.
Do NOT construe my comments as criticism of Lou Krieger who I greatly admire and respect. I believe he has reported consistently and kept the poker blogging community very well informed on the subject of the fight against the UIGEA. I for one am grateful.
Regards,
cheer_dad
Do NOT construe my comments as criticism of Lou Krieger who I greatly admire and respect. I believe he has reported consistently and kept the poker blogging community very well informed on the subject of the fight against the UIGEA. I for one am grateful.
Regards,
cheer_dad
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