Why online poker pros are sitting idle in Sin City. (to buy, tax)

Baldrick · 05-08-2012, 05:44 AM

I saw this and thought some of you might be interested.

BBC News - Why online poker pros are sitting idle in Sin City

"When online poker sites were shut down by the US Department of Justice in April 2011 the accounts of many US-based poker players were frozen.
Some opted to cross the border to Canada or Mexico so they could continue playing online and keep on winning - and losing - money.
Robert Fellner, 28, had to wait several weeks for the online poker company Pokerstars to reimburse him the almost $150,000 (£94,480) he had won."

eventusstultorummagister · 05-08-2012, 06:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Baldrick

Robert Fellner, 28, had to wait several weeks for the online poker company Pokerstars to reimburse him the almost $150,000 (£94,480) he had won."

Several weeks? What a crybaby. I had to wait 6 months to get my cash out of Neteller. 6 months... zero interest!

MSchu · 05-08-2012, 08:33 AM

I still have not gotten my moneys off Full Tilt Poker... I don't expect to see it for at least another year or more.
I've moved on.
there are somewhat credible reports that taupe dropped out of talks to buy FTP, that Pokerstars is actually considering trying to take over

BBMW · 05-08-2012, 09:07 AM

I never trusted on-line poker, and I'm glad I didn't.

LVPoker1 · 05-08-2012, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBMW

I never trusted on-line poker, and I'm glad I didn't.

It is the short sided opinion of a few powerful people in the government that caused this situation, not online poker itself. The rest of the world enjoys safe and secure online poker. We are just about the lone country in the so called free world that has excluded itself.

BBMW · 05-08-2012, 02:17 PM

It's not just the government action. A number of the sites have turned out to be actively scammy.

LVPoker1 · 05-08-2012, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BBMW

It's not just the government action. A number of the sites have turned out to be actively scammy.

But if the government allowed open online poker there would be regulations that would prevent that. Instead, sites like Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet thrived in an underground economy. Within a couple of months online poker will be live in Nevada. Hopefully it goes well so other states will join.

binionrat · 05-08-2012, 05:14 PM

I thought it was just because the U.S. Govt couldn't figure out how to tax their U.S. players on the sites. Who really cares what the owners of the sites do with the profits they make...Put them in an offshore account for all we care. They wouldn't of ripped off the players and made them wait for their funds if they were'nt shut down by the U.S. Courts in the first place and had their assets seized. I don't know why the rest of the world can play and U.S. can't....well you can play for free...The U.S. govt lets you do that and join any site but as soon as you want to make some $ for yourself, tax free, they block you from depositing by way of court orders to the poker sites. Yes, it is all software programs...It's fast but it is fun and like any gambling you have to control your bankroll. The RNG's (random number generators) of the programs seem to come up with way more flushes, straights, and quads but then again you play probably 10 times faster than real poker tables. Some people play anywhere from 2 to 6 online tables at a time too. I don't miss Full Tilt now that it's shut down because there are so many other sites for everybody to choose from and wonderful graphics like pkr.com

Willy702 · 05-08-2012, 05:49 PM

There are still some sites taking US players and quite frankly its no harder to fund with them as it was with the others. They are being smart though, going fairly low key and not acting like they are untouchable. The downside is the action loser that poker depends on isnt being drawn in and the games are pretty tight. Once you get some losers back into the ecosystem poker will thrive again. The big winners being out might hurt them, but their absence does not hurt the games.

MSchu · 05-09-2012, 10:10 AM

actually BR... it was the payment processors that caused the Feds to come into the scene and cut off most US action.

Once they started looking at the way things were operating, the feds discovered deeper issues associated with online gambling.

now that they have stepped in and cut off most CREDIBLE play, the reintroduced product will be heavily regulated and taxed. Quite a few of those online poker sites that are still operating under the radar are actually "skins", not really different sites.

as for now, you can play on South points poker site for cash and prizes including a WSOP main event seat, but you need to sit thru god awful advertising. and horrible software. I would assume within a year or less, most of the big players will have this same format FREE or subscription based online poker websites... MGM, Harrahs etc etc etc