Anyone who has an Online Account should Read!!

[Get Paid]

I don’t know if anyone has been following the legalities of Online Sports Betting, but there is a huge crackdown in the works.

As of now, there are a few Bills that are expected to be passed within the year that will make it illegal for banks to process any funds from online casinos or books. The repercussions will also be passed down to the individual better or account holder.

Also, there are certain issues that say it may be "aiding and abetting" for anyone to refer another to an online gambling site. Yahoo and Google have already dropped all gambling ads on any of their web pages.

Take this information how you will, but I wouldn’t keep too much money tied up in these online accounts. To be on the safe side, maybe some of you could take out some money if you have a lot in there so you won’t risk the chance of not being able to ever get to it!

[Blue Heels]

....On March 25, 2004 Antigua and Barbuda defeated the US at the World Trade Organization in a finding that a US ban on internet gambling violates global trade rules. Although the US will appeal this decision, it is viewed as a landmark decision by internet gambling operators providing services into the US.

[Get Paid]

This is why the US is going to pass a Bill that will make the flow of funds from the online casino to the bank illigal as a way around it all.

[Blue Heels]

definately an interesting topic.... this is a bandaid approach by the US, there are plenty of ways to go around this system and if it does not exist today it will be invented quicker than the laws can be made. I expect eventually the US will give into the notion that they are losing billlions of dollars of taxable revenue to other nations and permit online gambling in the US that can be monitored and taxed. Being realistic, through lottery tickets, land based casinos, water based casinos and indian reservation casinos you can gamble now in almost all 50 states. All the big US casino companies already have fully functional "for fun play" sites that are ready to go live at anytime. Not saying your point does not hold weight just think they will always invent a new way around the system and the US will not win this battle on a global scale and will eventually give in to making money off it.

[Get Paid]

There are plans to open a casino in the Catskills in NY right now, and there is also talks of allowing Atlantic City to have sports betting, but there is a lot of opposition from the NFL.

I think that they will pass this bill to make it illegal so that they can open up a way to run it themselves and tax it like you said.

FBI statistics say that there is 10 times more action through these online casinos than in Vegas.

[Blue Heels]

Interesting info on AC, it will be interesting to see what happens with the US case with the WTO...I think this will be the defining move in the direction the US takes for the future. Like I said real interesteing topic from a gambling and legal perspective since it really addresses the ability for global commerce via the web to be more powerful than the most powerful country....

[Blue Heels]

Just found this as well from April 04 news release....

XXX (dont know if I can post name) operates in a legal grey area by using an offshore base to take bets from American customers. Mr Payne said he was encouraged by "positive developments" in America which could lead to a more liberal approach to gambling in the US.

Washington state has introduced a bill to allow horse racing bets to be legally taken over the internet, while the World Trade Organisation backed the rights of Antigua to take bets from US citizens.

[Horatio]

Posted this as a new topic by accident:

Balls
to a hapless Congress...let's see:they get 5% of all drugs suggled into the U.S. (DEA's own stats). They have little control over the borders...ie, virtually none. They can try to put the genie back in the bottle, the the twits who are in Congress are so clueless: I bet, and bet heavily, they LOSE. What kinda show are they putting on?? A show trial. Good luck to em:they will defintiely need it. But of course they have no clue, as usual....


__________________
"Man, there is nothing in the world that makes me as nervous as seeing white people dance." Charles Barkley.

[Get Paid]

Very interesting!

I found this which is funny
According to the Senator’s office, at least three high school students have accumulated some more than a million dollars in debts because of online gambling.

[Blue Heels]

funny stuff guys...last post tonight...just good reading info on the topic for those interested...funniest part of this is the US might have to pay fines or lift restrictions!

Antigua wins internet gambling fight against US
Date entered: 04/05/2004
Source: Out-Law.com


The World Trade Organisation has upheld a preliminary report that the hard line taken by the US on internet gambling is in breach of world trade rules, according to Reuters. The tiny Caribbean state of Antigua and Barbuda had complained that the moralistic stance of the US was seriously damaging its economy.

The decision came after Antigua and Barbuda complained to the WTO last year that US prohibitions against internet gambling are discriminatory and in breach of international trade agreements that require the US to allow foreign internet companies to offer their services to US citizens.

The US responded that gambling on the internet is different from casino-based gambling, not least because of the difficulty in preventing children from accessing the services. It also said that the restrictions it has put in place do not in fact breach the trade agreements, which allow for exceptions for moral reasons, according to Reuters.

Finally, the US argued that when the WTO was set up in 1995, gambling services were excluded from its remit.

But the defence put forward by the US appears to have failed. Reuters reports that an unnamed US trade official has now confirmed that the final report has been issued, and is “largely unchanged” from a preliminary ruling in March that found the US in breach of the WTO rules.

“We intend to appeal and will argue vigorously that this deeply flawed panel report must be corrected by the (WTO) appellate body," said the official.

Antigua and Barbuda, with a population of less than 70,000, has an economy largely dependent on tourism, but with a growing market in internet gambling. According to a report on Caribbean Net News.com, the country has lost around US$30 million since the US began its attempts to restrict Americans’ access to on-line gambling services.

The text of the ruling is not likely to be issued until the end of May.

[DJTranks]

There no going to do shit, they have tried before and they can keep trying.

[mcb11]

just opened an account with first fidelity.i'm curious about who you other guys are using,and what methods of deposits and payouts you go with.....

[Horatio]

and the fatuosness of the US argument..they are worried that the mob created Vegas might be hurt..and they can't tax the proceeds...Good luck US Congress..as ever, about 20 years behind the curve. And all of em in someone's pocket.

Go Antigua!!! I got a book there!!!





[:yeah:

[sportsdaddy]

And All I hear is how the troops are fighting for our FREEDOM, FREEDOM, This is a FREE country? The damn Govt. won't let me have fun with my own money, when it hurt's no one, because I know my limit. This dumbass govt. of ours can't tell their head from their ass , otherwise they would be making a killing off of this shit, and the debt would go down. Even for some of the money that wouldn't get reported, most people would, just because they could do it legally, and not feel like they were doing something wrong. I would feel better playing with a US backed company, but I have no choice. I'm Surprised they haven't made some of those commercials they made right after 911, about how if you buy drugs , you support terrorism, and say the same thing about online gambling. Shit , I could only think of how many explosives I paid for over the years, when I could have been paying for an unemployed worker in the U.S. , and helping him or her feed their family, because this fuckin govt. don't give a shit about them. Let's build a country and make jobs for US citizins instead of bullshittin with small countries.

[QuickNick]

The government is a bunch of jerkoffs, they can't stop internet gambling. Everyone will get neteller, what is the US gonna do, they have no jurisdictions in Canada. so you deposit thru neteller in canada and fund your accounts. What are they going to do go overseas and try it influence the online sportsbooks that are backed by government???? If they start cracking down on the bettors online I will use my cell phone to call my bets in. What are they going to do then???? They don't have the manpower to police it. People have gambled before Jesus walked on the face of the earth, they have not stopped it by now they will never stop it. Why don't they go crack down on the illegal drugs coming into this country, that is hurting this country more than any gambling can. To be honest with you, I think Vegas is behind trying to stop the online gambling, they are paying off who they have to to try and get this done. They are losing BILLIONS by online gaming. YOU WILL NEVER EVER STOP PEOPLE FROM GAMBLING!!!! The government had better get wise and legalize it and make that tax money.

[The War Dogs]

I don't know all the details of the issue but the reality remains the WTO decisions are not binding. There is no enforcement mechanism except to the extent that individual companies (banks) and people are willing to comply. Fortunately the only binding decision can be made by Congress and signed by the Prez. I could see the House passing a bill but it would never get through the Senate.

[The War Dogs]

Some gaming observers say the ruling may have limited affect on the longstanding position of the U.S. government that Internet gambling is illegal.

In an interview with the Las Vegas Sun earlier this week, American Gaming Association Chief Executive Frank Fahrenkopf said such a ruling probably wouldn't have much power to affect change in the United States.

The U.S. Justice Department has long interpreted a telephone betting law from the early 1960s as making it a crime for offshore casinos to accept bets from U.S. residents, he said.

"I doubt the ruling will have any impact at all on land-based casinos in the United States," he said.

Fahrenkopf also said the ruling wouldn't likely put more pressure on Congress -- which has wavered on the issue of how to effectively ban Internet gambling -- to further crack down on online operators and bettors.

The ruling -- which only applies to Antigua and not to other Internet gambling jurisdictions worldwide -- was disclosed today and comes as federal prosecutors have threatened legal action against such media companies as Clear Channel and the Discovery cable network for doing business with online gambling sites.

Experts also are unsure how the WTO, which has the authority to impose sanctions against the United States, could enforce the ruling.

"It's a trade organization. It's not a world court. Their power is limited by the terms of the agreement that members of the WTO agreed to," Las Vegas attorney and Internet gambling expert Tony Cabot said. "This isn't the same thing has having the U.S. Supreme Court declare something as unconstitutional or illegal."

[Kevin]

Same thing has been said since 1996 and nothing has been done other than the govt trying to limit transactions through banks. The banks have decided on their own to not process gambling transactions due to the grey area and from being unsure of the laws.

Its an election year. Their all trying to say this and that however nothing has happened. Google and Yahoo have voluntarily pulled their PAID ads, not free listings. Yahoo kept their paid ads TO the rest of the world, just not TO U.S. citizens.

Many feel its a scare tactic by the govt to throttle something they know they cant control.

I am not a lawyer nor do I offer any legal advice but this is the same exact thing that has been printed in the media for the last 8 years.

To the best of our knowledge, not one online bettor has gotten into any trouble for placing bets. We do however believe it is illegal to take bets, as a bookie does, HOWEVER, the corporations accepting bets are based in jurisdictions where it's legal to do so!

Lastly, if there were widespread fear, our advertisers would not be paying us one year in advance for ads!

Online betting is legal in most countries in the world. The U.S. should spend time trying to regulate and tax it instead of making it illegal. It's been proven that prohibition of ANYTHING does not work.

[QuickNick]

I have talked to my accountant about opening an overseas banking account and he said it would not be a problem. So if push comes to shove, I'll open an account in England and just use my cell phone to place my wagers. If neccessary, If I have to fly over and get my money if I want it, then so be it.

THEY WILL NEVER STOP GAMBLING, JUST LIKE THEY CAN'T STOP DRUGS IN THIS COUNTRY!!!!