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Feds cracking down on online poker..? - Page 20

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Pokerstars is an online poker site. Pokerstrategy is an educational training site. They are not the same site. The TSL3 is sponsored by pokerstrategy.com.
Go0g3n
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
Russian Federation410 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-15 23:34:44
April 15 2011 23:33 GMT
#381
Russian news (lenta.ru) posted an article about this. 76 Bank accounts registered in 14 countries were frozen, operation was carried out by FBI and Interpol. The 11 conspirators, if convicted on all charges, can get over 50 years in prison each, 3 of them have already been arrested in US, others, reportedly, are in Costa Rica, Isle of Man and Ireland.
Jibba
Profile Blog Joined October 2007
United States22883 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-15 23:34:10
April 15 2011 23:33 GMT
#382
On April 16 2011 08:30 GeeseHoward wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 16 2011 08:15 Jibba wrote:
On April 16 2011 08:06 GeeseHoward wrote:
On April 16 2011 06:59 Jibba wrote:
On April 16 2011 06:43 Soap wrote:
Doesn't help that there are conservative officials that would prefer gambling to be evicted from the world, but the real difficulty is the same as always, the people who are in good faith and just want to play some games are silent.

If they could get a cut, there'd be no qualms about it.

I know people here are extremely invested in poker, but a lot of you would be cheering for the DoJ if it had been one of the other multi-billion dollar companies abusing loopholes and using offshore bank accounts. A dirty business got caught. Some of you are starting to sound like hardcore libertarians, especially the Europeans. :x

Not to hate, but innocent till proven guilt is a very important concept. While we can all argue the Federal government has to have a case or else they wouldn't be doing this. We need to remember that the federal government is jailing tens of thousands of people without even telling them what their charges are.

I'm going wait for all the facts to come out before making judgement.

On the discussion of poker, I personally see it as a game of skill and would like to see it move out of the "gambling" class of games. Hopefully a lot of you who care about this issue will write your Reps in DC.

They're not jailed. They invested money (mostly unknowingly) in a business conducting illegal activities. Freezing it is standard procedure, regardless of what the business is. When public companies are charged by the SEC, their stock and all their assets are frozen. This is no different.

I never said they were jailed. Merely saying United States is jailing a lot of people arugable illegally. Sorry if you find it confusing but I just want to stress that they may be innocent and we should wait till all the facts are out before condemning them.
Wait, what? I thought only the conspirators are getting put in jail. Are you saying actual players are being jailed? I thought you meant it as a metaphor for having their money frozen.
ModeratorNow I'm distant, dark in this anthrobeat
andiCR
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Costa Rica2273 Posts
April 15 2011 23:35 GMT
#383
wait. what about pokerstrategy? Is it being affected too? how about tsl's prizemoney?
Nightmare1795 wrote: I played a guy in bronze who said he was Japanese. That was the only game I ever dropped a nuke, which was purely coincidental.
GeeseHoward
Profile Joined November 2010
United States78 Posts
April 15 2011 23:38 GMT
#384
On April 16 2011 08:33 Jibba wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 16 2011 08:30 GeeseHoward wrote:
On April 16 2011 08:15 Jibba wrote:
On April 16 2011 08:06 GeeseHoward wrote:
On April 16 2011 06:59 Jibba wrote:
On April 16 2011 06:43 Soap wrote:
Doesn't help that there are conservative officials that would prefer gambling to be evicted from the world, but the real difficulty is the same as always, the people who are in good faith and just want to play some games are silent.

If they could get a cut, there'd be no qualms about it.

I know people here are extremely invested in poker, but a lot of you would be cheering for the DoJ if it had been one of the other multi-billion dollar companies abusing loopholes and using offshore bank accounts. A dirty business got caught. Some of you are starting to sound like hardcore libertarians, especially the Europeans. :x

Not to hate, but innocent till proven guilt is a very important concept. While we can all argue the Federal government has to have a case or else they wouldn't be doing this. We need to remember that the federal government is jailing tens of thousands of people without even telling them what their charges are.

I'm going wait for all the facts to come out before making judgement.

On the discussion of poker, I personally see it as a game of skill and would like to see it move out of the "gambling" class of games. Hopefully a lot of you who care about this issue will write your Reps in DC.

They're not jailed. They invested money (mostly unknowingly) in a business conducting illegal activities. Freezing it is standard procedure, regardless of what the business is. When public companies are charged by the SEC, their stock and all their assets are frozen. This is no different.

I never said they were jailed. Merely saying United States is jailing a lot of people arugable illegally. Sorry if you find it confusing but I just want to stress that they may be innocent and we should wait till all the facts are out before condemning them.
Wait, what? I thought only the conspirators are getting put in jail. Are you saying actual players are being jailed? I thought you meant it as a metaphor for having their money frozen.

No, nevermind. I'm personally going wait till all the facts are release before saying their business was dirty.
[quote][/quote]
Phonics
Profile Joined October 2010
114 Posts
April 15 2011 23:40 GMT
#385
Just waiting for the FBI to open their own poker site.
NoobSkills
Profile Joined August 2009
United States1603 Posts
April 15 2011 23:40 GMT
#386
On April 16 2011 08:35 never_toss wrote:
wait. what about pokerstrategy? Is it being affected too? how about tsl's prizemoney?


Lol no. They're shutting down the "big" guys from operating.
cujo2k
Profile Joined October 2007
Canada1044 Posts
April 15 2011 23:41 GMT
#387
On April 16 2011 08:35 never_toss wrote:
wait. what about pokerstrategy? Is it being affected too? how about tsl's prizemoney?

Depending on what happens, I could see this affecting pokerstrategy's potential sponsorship of TSL 4. But I'm guessing that TSL3 will go on as planned.
THE ANSWER IS 288
j0k3r
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States577 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-15 23:41:45
April 15 2011 23:41 GMT
#388
On April 16 2011 08:35 never_toss wrote:
wait. what about pokerstrategy? Is it being affected too? how about tsl's prizemoney?


AFAIK from what was said before in the thread, pokerstrategy is merely a gateway to sites where you can actually gamble from, and does not in and of itself provide any services beyond coaching, discussion of poker strategy, forums etc. As an entity, I don't think they have any legal risk of lawsuit or criminal complaint. However, they are partnered with many of the targeted sites and I would assume that this means a form of revenue is going to be cut off. How big is anyone's guess. I have no qualification to presume what would happen to TSL prize money.

blizzind
Profile Joined February 2010
United States642 Posts
April 15 2011 23:42 GMT
#389
i wouldn't be that worried about your money if you still have it online. also interesting how you can play on ftp but not on stars.
Ephex
Profile Joined October 2010
United States10 Posts
April 15 2011 23:43 GMT
#390
Looks like root gaming is screwed
Zurles
Profile Joined February 2009
United Kingdom1659 Posts
April 15 2011 23:46 GMT
#391
Glad i'm not from the "land of the free".
SkytoM
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
Austria1137 Posts
April 15 2011 23:47 GMT
#392
Emotions won't help here.

This is an extremly highly technical and legal issue, not something a normal-guy would ever understand, I know that some players here have much money in their bankrolls but reading through this thead I don't get the feeling that except maybe Travis, the legal dude, Jibba and Sonovbob have any good arguments at all.

You think the US are freezing your money for their depts? Don't overestimate your business just because guys can live from it (some even very good).

The Pokersites did nothing immoral and illegal? Immoral is subjective and as someone stated more than 50% in the US think they do. That's called democracy, YOU have to follow majority (history should tell you why).

That they did something illegal to bypass a law is, so I think, proven or about to be proven. Then there's nothing more to say. Accounts get frozen, that's standard procedure. You can't just go there and say "that law is stupid" and I'm pretty sure that deep down in your heart you know why and that that is a good thing. Because every law is stupid to somebody sometimes.

Instead of getting pissed at the US gov, you should get pissed at the sites themselves to be so stupid to do this. By trusting these sites you gambled your money away. And now it's lost most probably.

In times like these, where the world gets faster every day, People are so fast to call something immoral and unjust. But in most cases, people did things they "assumed" were legal and so on. If you don't understand something in its full extent, DONT DO IT. You would'nt drive a car, if you didn't know how, would you?

It was the same with the financial crisis.. A LOT of people lost a LOT of money, because they put their money into things they didn't understand at all. I feel a lot for these people, but their ignorance can't just be put aside.

The same case I think can be argued here. In a grey area, many people just made assumptions about legal things. But you don't make legal assumptions, that's why big companies have hordes of lawyers, because legal uncertainty in these times is the greatest danger to everything.(as a TLer, a quick look to Blizz vs OGN/MBC should enhance this argument.)

And also, at the end of the day, the legal system is (and was never, except maybe in murder cases etc) about justice. It is about the balance of interests. Never forget that please, most people here are looking at the case and looking for their lost money because it was theirs and it should belong to them. That's not how the legal system works (to explain you why, I am not good enough in writing, also it would maybe need like 200pages at least).

What I also noticed is that nobody is questioning the "how" of the pokersites. To fool that many banks, or even worse blackmail them, there has to be an extreme amount of criminal energy behind that. I don't think it is that easy to fake dozens of transactions. Especially with that range of money (some withdraws with only 10-100$ some with over 5-10k).

the last thing i want to mention, that in any legal system money (like real money) is not handled the same way as online-money (i don't know the proper legal term in the US, i'm sorry). The sites just have a dept to you, and if a site get's bankrupt depts have a certain order to be paid ( usually with a "cut", you get only a certain percentage). so legally, that money is NOT yours. Please ensure to read that sentence often enough to really grasp it. you have no case at all if you're going to the court and demand "your money" back. The only thing you can demand is that they pay your debt. But their bankrupt now, so they can't pay it back. and that is why you're screwed. Also there is a lot to the argument that maybe you should be screwed. Why didn't you know about this legal uncertainties and issues? Why didn't you know how money in the legal system is accounted for? Why didn't you ask yourself how the sites run so smooth in US despite this law?

Somebody has to pay now, because some people screwed up. Usually, as in this case, the people with the least clue and information basis are these screwed people. As in the financial crisis. I can't stress it enough, DON'T DO THINGS WITH YOUR MONEY YOU DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND:

My post are just some brain teasers. I hope you can do something with it, if not now in the state of emotions, maybe later. good day, i hope for everyone to get their money back. Also not every opinion i stated in this post is necessarily my own, just wanted to give a more wide picture.
Bisu... ;-(
PhilGood2DaY
Profile Joined September 2005
Germany7424 Posts
April 15 2011 23:47 GMT
#393
having $$$$ -> dangerous
in russia as well as in usa lol
hatred outlives the hateful
Xursian
Profile Joined April 2010
Canada94 Posts
April 15 2011 23:49 GMT
#394
Q: Is my PokerStars account balance used for your operational expenses or is it kept in a separate account?
A: PokerStars is proud that, under special banking arrangements, an amount covering the total of all players' account balances is held in segregated accounts, not used for any operational expenses. These segregated accounts are managed by one of Europe's leading financial services groups. These arrangements ensure that PokerStars can at all times fulfil its obligations towards its players, and provides further reassurance that players' funds are always secure with PokerStars.

Be at ease Americans...
WTFs with Barracks NERF?
GoTuNk!
Profile Blog Joined September 2006
Chile4591 Posts
April 15 2011 23:50 GMT
#395
Not even foreigners can cash out now -_-. Hope its because an overload of the system and not foreigner account seized aswell.
benefluence
Profile Joined January 2010
United States158 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-16 00:03:45
April 15 2011 23:51 GMT
#396
On April 16 2011 07:36 Modafinil wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 16 2011 07:29 travis wrote:
On April 16 2011 07:22 Modafinil wrote:
On April 16 2011 07:06 KimTaeYeon wrote:

For the last time, online poker is NOT illegal in the US
In this instance, govt is targeting the sites for their PAYMENT PROCESSING techniques


For the last time, IT IS.

Q1. What state do you live in?
A1. Whatever state you just said, it has a law against gambling at all, or unlicensed gambling. Doesn't have to be online, just gambling.

Q2. What does that have to do with federal law?
A2. Read UIGEA:

(10) UNLAWFUL INTERNET GAMBLING.
(A) IN GENERAL.—The term 'unlawful Internet gambling' means to place, receive, or otherwise knowingly transmit a bet or wager by any means which involves the use, at least in part, of the Internet where such bet or wager is unlawful under any applicable Federal or State law in the State or Tribal lands in which the bet or wager is initiated, received, or otherwise made.


So as soon as any poker site receives your bet, anyone else's bet, and then transmits that bet to you or anyone else in a state where gambling is illegal, the poker site has violated the UIGEA.

If your state allows high stakes poker with no regulation (it doesn't), then online poker is legal there (it isn't).

Just because there is no explicit federal law that says "online poker is illegal in the US" doesn't mean anything.

Further, a later section states,

§ 5363. Prohibition on acceptance of any financial instrument for unlawful Internet gambling
No person engaged in the business of betting or wagering may knowingly accept, in connection with the participation of another person in unlawful Internet gambling:


and then it proceeds to say "your money" in about 500 different ways.

Online poker is illegal in the United States. End of story. Some sites thought they could get around it and are now paying for that. Some sites were wise enough to get out before they screwed themselves over (like PartyPoker and PacificPoker).


You're wrong dude, you don't know what you are talking about. transmitting money means sending it to the site. when you make bets the money is already on the site you aren't transmitting anything.

also, there's been multiple precedents set for poker being a "game of skill".

you shouldn't be so confident when you're wrong, anyways. or it's at least highly debated and hasn't been definitively interpreted one way or another

(but pretty much all research I have done on the matter, which im sure is more extensive than what you've done, agrees with what I am saying here)


Ok, let's try this one step at a time, since you couldn't handle it all at once.

Q1. What state do you live in?


Washington DC =)

But seriously, thank you for providing an informed voice of reason on this thread. Keep up the good work.

With regard to legal contention over whether poker counts as gambling, historically, the answer has been yes. There have been a few arguments otherwise recently, but nothing serious enough to affect the proceedings here.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominant_Factor_Test
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commonwealth_of_Pennsylvania_vs_Walter_Watkins

If poker is gambling, then online poker is unlicensed gambling, and therefore illegal.
tarath
Profile Joined April 2009
United States377 Posts
April 15 2011 23:52 GMT
#397
On April 16 2011 08:46 Zurles wrote:
Glad i'm not from the "land of the free".


9th most free and falling lol:

http://www.heritage.org/index/
Seide
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States831 Posts
April 15 2011 23:53 GMT
#398
On April 16 2011 08:46 Zurles wrote:
Glad i'm not from the "land of the free".

How are you enjoying the gov't sponsored CCTV over there?
One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish.
TestSubject893
Profile Joined September 2009
United States774 Posts
April 16 2011 00:06 GMT
#399
Ugh, I was just getting into online poker too. >_> I hope this gets sorted out fast, but I have a feeling that might not be the case....
TrANCE,
Profile Joined December 2010
301 Posts
April 16 2011 00:08 GMT
#400
On April 16 2011 08:53 Seide wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 16 2011 08:46 Zurles wrote:
Glad i'm not from the "land of the free".

How are you enjoying the gov't sponsored CCTV over there?



Every democracy has its flaws, Personally being from the UK i'd rather not be able to gamble online rather that having CCTV watching every move i make
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