BND
10-09-2006, 01:03 AM
Poker Players of America!
On Friday September 29th 2006 a bill was passed that could effectively (in theory) make it impossible, or at least extremely difficult for you to play poker online by blocking financial transactions from U.S. banks and financial institutions to offshore “wagering” companies.
Regardless of your stance on internet gaming, the fact remains that the ban was attached to a completely unrelated Bill being considered late on Friday. The ban rode the coat-tails of the Safe Harbor Act to passage as the importance of the bill over rode any dissent there may have been for the UNRELATED rider. The addition (that by design was meant to subvert process of consideration on its own merits) of this completely unrelated rider was an assault and absolute bastardization of the U.S. legislative process.
Watch and Listen to Congresswoman (D)Nevada - Shelley Berkely (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb1pzayqPaI)
addressing the house floor as a perfect example
After consultation with numerous legal experts in this field, we want to make you aware of the following: The new U.S. legislation does not in any way attempt to criminalize the act of you playing online poker. By playing online at ANY poker room, you are not breaking any U.S. Federal laws.
There has been speculation through-out the industry that this legislation has effectively “killed” online poker for American players. Although several of the largest poker rooms on the net have stated that they will indeed stop providing service to U.S. players when the bill become law, we believe this is a tactic with several manifest functions.
A. We believe that these sites are anticipating that the discontent of the players that have been cut-off will motivate them to pressure their political leaders to reconsider this blatant effort to regulate their leisure activities.
B. We also believe this is an attempt to position them-selves to appear compliant to U.S. law. IF and WHEN online gambling should become legal and regulated, the sites that complied earlier with U.S. law might then have some advantage when trying to re-enter the newly regulated market relative to other companies who did not immediately comply.
We feel that the U.S. political process will recognize the error that was made in allowing this rider to be attached to the Port Security Act and will correct this mistake. In any event, we will continue to lobby for an expressed niche for online poker and for your right to play a truly American game from the privacy of your own home and computer
Through out this debacle, a number of online poker rooms have maintained that they will continue to provide service/games to U.S. customers as they feel that the law does not specifically apply to poker games. ( We agree)
If you haven’t yet, visit one of the rooms listed below and join with confidence that your online play will continue unimpeded.
Paradise Poker (http://www.paradisepoker.com/?adv_id=a_1437b_1)
Absolute Poker (http://www.absolutepoker.com/main.asp?host=a_77a_21652b_2320)
Full Tilt Poker (http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/?key=MDAwMDA0OTkwMDAwMjEzNTAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDA-)
Doyles Room (http://www.doylesroom.com?refid=gotbonus)
On Friday September 29th 2006 a bill was passed that could effectively (in theory) make it impossible, or at least extremely difficult for you to play poker online by blocking financial transactions from U.S. banks and financial institutions to offshore “wagering” companies.
Regardless of your stance on internet gaming, the fact remains that the ban was attached to a completely unrelated Bill being considered late on Friday. The ban rode the coat-tails of the Safe Harbor Act to passage as the importance of the bill over rode any dissent there may have been for the UNRELATED rider. The addition (that by design was meant to subvert process of consideration on its own merits) of this completely unrelated rider was an assault and absolute bastardization of the U.S. legislative process.
Watch and Listen to Congresswoman (D)Nevada - Shelley Berkely (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb1pzayqPaI)
addressing the house floor as a perfect example
After consultation with numerous legal experts in this field, we want to make you aware of the following: The new U.S. legislation does not in any way attempt to criminalize the act of you playing online poker. By playing online at ANY poker room, you are not breaking any U.S. Federal laws.
There has been speculation through-out the industry that this legislation has effectively “killed” online poker for American players. Although several of the largest poker rooms on the net have stated that they will indeed stop providing service to U.S. players when the bill become law, we believe this is a tactic with several manifest functions.
A. We believe that these sites are anticipating that the discontent of the players that have been cut-off will motivate them to pressure their political leaders to reconsider this blatant effort to regulate their leisure activities.
B. We also believe this is an attempt to position them-selves to appear compliant to U.S. law. IF and WHEN online gambling should become legal and regulated, the sites that complied earlier with U.S. law might then have some advantage when trying to re-enter the newly regulated market relative to other companies who did not immediately comply.
We feel that the U.S. political process will recognize the error that was made in allowing this rider to be attached to the Port Security Act and will correct this mistake. In any event, we will continue to lobby for an expressed niche for online poker and for your right to play a truly American game from the privacy of your own home and computer
Through out this debacle, a number of online poker rooms have maintained that they will continue to provide service/games to U.S. customers as they feel that the law does not specifically apply to poker games. ( We agree)
If you haven’t yet, visit one of the rooms listed below and join with confidence that your online play will continue unimpeded.
Paradise Poker (http://www.paradisepoker.com/?adv_id=a_1437b_1)
Absolute Poker (http://www.absolutepoker.com/main.asp?host=a_77a_21652b_2320)
Full Tilt Poker (http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/?key=MDAwMDA0OTkwMDAwMjEzNTAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDA-)
Doyles Room (http://www.doylesroom.com?refid=gotbonus)