Is the end of poker near, 1st dec something will happen ?

Please read this post - 1 dec, online poker and UIGEA

Add your thoughts and comments here.

This is important for everyone.

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]I don't have a link available, but I could swear I recall reading that there a last minute effort going on -- not sure if by Congress or the lobbyists/PPA -- that was attempting to delay implementation for another year. In the meantime, I suppose the hope was that the UIGEA would be repealed/replaced/rewritten. If I can find the article I saw I will try to post the link. . .[/FONT]

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]Here's a link explaining the attempt from Poker Daily News:[/FONT]

Barney Frank, 18 Others Issue Letter to Geithner, Bernanke about UIGEA Rules

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]However, given all going on in Washington, it doesn't sound like this is at the top of the list for action. . .[/FONT]

Ok guys this does not directly affect me (as im irish)
- but it seems crazy to me in the "land of the free" that YOU cannot choose where, when and how to play poker
- i have been interested in this discussion for quite a while now - what the hell is the advantage for the US to ban online poker
- surely there is plenty of taxes etc. for the country to make out of online poker players
- i could be completely wrong as i'm not totally up to speed

we had censorship in ireland for a long time for various things - but that's a different story - but not completely - you should have the right to choose as an adult for YOURSELF!

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]Near as I can tell, Dec. 1st doesn't necessarily mean all poker rooms shut down. Just that it may become phenomenally hard -- impossible? -- for you to fund or cash out your accounts. The game itself -- at least in most US jurisdictions I believe -- is not illegal. I'm not even sure that it has been clearly defined whether placing wagers within an online game is illegal. [I think that's been posed as a potential state's rights question.]

UIGEA is basically intended to keep money from flowing into poker rooms and gambling sites -- and conversely out also -- not necessarily an attempt to stop online poker & gambling though that may be the ultimate effect in the US.

BTW, I believe sites such as SpadeClub consider themselves immune from UIGEA -- to be determined I guess -- since they charge membership fees to their players and do not have cash entry fees for their tournaments. IIRC, SpadeClub does not offer cash ring games either and so would be safe from that angle also.

Yes, the whole thing is incredibly onerous on the financial instituions who will take the easy way out and just cut off anything that even smells like gambling.

And, yes, I do object to being treated like a child who is not capable of making intelligent, informed decisions about the actions I take...and take responsibility for.

And I too do not understand why they would not want to collect tax revenue from such a seemingly endless pool of money. It seems like a tremendous opportunity being wasted from that standpoint. [But, to be honest, if only the players were to be taxed and off-shore poker rooms not -- unless they established a base within the US -- I might be righteously indignant about that.]

In the meantime, Dec. 1st hasn't arrived yet. There is some attempt at a delay going on. And, if UIGEA does come to pass, as long as you have a bankroll and the poker rooms don't immediately cutoff access to US players, you may still be able to at least play the game -- just not make real profits from it until some sort of rectification is made to the laws of the land.[/FONT]

There is still time to contact your representatives and tell them your position on this. We as online players can control our destiny in this if we speak up.. ALL as one... it can be done! Get on the stick and do this!

According to this article it appears that for now that extent most banks are willing to go is to send all Account Holders "due diligence" notices with their bank statements

"As a (fill in the blank) customer, we'd like to inform you that in accordance with the requirements of the Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 and Regulation GG, certain transactions are prohibited from being processed through your account

Prohibited transactions include those in which a person accepts credit, funds, or other proceeds from another person in connection with unlawful internet gambling. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this regulation, please contact us."

Hopefully this quote in the article holds up:
So what exactly are the banks doing to adhere to the UIGEA regulations and prevent online gambling? The answer is they are doing as little as is required, and rightly so.

[FONT="Franklin Gothic Medium"]A link to PocketFives: There may be a temporary reprieve coming in the next few days. Maybe some extra time to make some sensible decisions by Congress. Of course, if your financial institution has already implemented the restrictions I wouldn't be expecting them to reverse themselves immediately afterwards. . .[/FONT]

Online Poker Scene - Report: UIGEA Regulations Delayed Until Mid-2010

Thought I read somewhere that they delayed for 6 months any action that would require banks to stop the "flow of money" into poker sites so they will have more time to come up with some legislation....

It's in the news today that Dubai is defaulting on their debt. You may not see this as to us, but Dubai is the country that was in the news at the time of the passage of the Port Security Bill that the UIGEA was attached to. Dubai was granted the contract to handle our port security.

This could possibly speed up the bill to over turn the UIGEA that's attached to the port security bill.

Forgot to mention that with this uncertainty, I for one am holding off getting into any additional poker sites with the possible risk of my money. Even now most of the sites that I frequent have a minimal amount to keep me playing.

All I can say is that I hope that all of this does not come to a crashing halt one day😡!!