If you have already downloaded the software and live outside of the United States, you should be good to play any of the “for money” games you want.
Preet Bharara is the Federal agent that is leading the investigation, and the reason that the world’s largest poker sites, and 11 individual people involved, are facing criminal charges.
The prosecutors allege that the founders of FullTilt Poker, PokerStars, and Absolute Poker, particular banks and credit card processors, were trying to get around laws prohibiting banks and credit card companies from processing online gambling payments in the United States.
In 2006, online cash games were banned, but the biggest poker sites have still made billions of dollars by moving their businesses overseas, but still operating in the United States.
Also, in that same year, it became a crime to knowingly accept any electronic payment that was in connection with Internet gambling.
Allegedly, the banks processed the payments, to the tune of billions, to look like “other items” like: jewelry and flowers when, in fact, they were gambling payments.
As far as news for online gambling goes, the “not for money” games have not been the problem; it’s the “for money” games.
The Poker founders say that they have not violated any federal crimes in relation to online poker because they believe that online poker is not a crime.
How does this affect online poker, right now, if you are a player?
PokerStars has an announcement on their site that says:
“Due to developments beyond our control, we have had to suspend real money poker for players in the United States. Please be assured player balances are safe. There is no cause for concern.
For all customers outside of the US it is business as usual. We apologize to our players for any inconvenience caused by this disruption.”
Other online poker sites like, PartyPoker and WPT have not been targeted.
It was a black friday for online poker, but not all hope is lost. It seems the sites are up again at http://www.fulltilpoker.co.uk and http://www.pokerstars.eu but real money games and deposits are blocked for US players.
looks to be withdraws are blocked as well
Are we ever going to get our money?
Are you liking more government in your life? Guess you do, because that’s what you keep asking for.
We can play in the casinos for money but we cant play in our own homes? Are we going to get our money? I want to play for real money not for fake chips.
Another victimless crime. Gambling addicts don’t even play poker, they play state-supported lotteries instead. If you want to tackle gambling problems, shut those down.
Poker is not gambling.If poker is gambling then so is online stock trading or trading in general.Why do the same people keep ending up at final tables,time and time again?What are they the luckiest people in the world?NO!In the game of poker you measure the equity involved in any given situation based on all of the available information you have at your disposal and act accordingly.Just as investments in the stock market do not always yield the returns expected or not at all in many cases, poker to has this trait.Now, you may say, what about the people who do not know how to play and are blowing their money gambling.Well to you I say, ANYONE who invest in anything in life without calculating the risk to reward ratio properly and accounting for all the variables at their disposal is GAMBLING.In that sense poker is gambling and so is everything else you do.What about children who dream of becoming pro football players?Should we tell them that they are not aloud to gamble with their physical well being or for that matter what about the cost of playing football that is spent and more times then not wasted because of an injury down the line or lack of discipline and fading interest.Adults should be able to measure risk by themselves and they do not need the help of the government.Now if you are talking about slot machines then yes I agree get rid of them as they are BUILT to make the player lose or how about state lotteries?Poker is a game of 100% skill.If you invest in the correct situation you WILL make money playing against weaker opponents.This is no different than any other sport!I did not see any of you stepping in to save Buster Douglas from Mike Tyson when the odds were 50 to 1.NO!You didn’t because you believed it was the mans right to wager his body against the will of another man.I hope this has opened the eyes of some.Thank you for taking the time to read this, regardless of what your opinion is.Remember it is your duty to protect the freedoms of others as one day your number may be called and will I be there to stand for you if you will not for me?
Totally agree 100% except for the fact that internet gamming has the potential to be rigged.
which still goes back to what your saying bottom line gambling is incompetance vs competance. But that stupid river card!.
The FBI has closed these poker sites. They should also close the Governor of Hawaii’s site. He told the American public he would show obama’s birth certificate.He never did and never will.