Poker News

There are so many aspects of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) recent actions against online poker that I don’t understand.

I don’t understand why the very government that was built to champion personal liberty would take away our rights to play online poker, a game that citizens of almost every other country in the world are allowed to play. Why don’t we have the same rights as those who reside in other countries?

I don’t understand why the DOJ has spent so much time and money trying to shut down a game. Wouldn’t their time be better spent trying to crack down on some of the truly destructive crises in our nation like terrorism, drug dealing, and crime?

I don’t understand why our government chose to make the jobs of tens of thousands of Americans vanish overnight. And it’s not just the players who have lost their income source. What about the poker media, customer service agents, event planners, and developers in the online poker business? What will the staff of the poker magazines, poker television shows, and poker sponsorship companies now do for work?

I don’t understand what will happen to the players who have had their bankrolls frozen without warning. How will they pay their bills? How many of them will lose their homes and now be subject to the unemployment and welfare that our government claims to work so adamantly to reduce?

I don’t understand why the DOJ has chosen to make the United States the laughing stock of the world. I am getting emails from friends in other countries making fun of our legislators for turning away millions of dollars that could be garnered through the taxation and regulation of online poker – dollars that could reduce the national debt. The online sites have been begging to be taxed and regulated for a long time.

I don’t understand the tainted future of events like the World Series of Poker. About half of the field in the Main Event qualifies through online satellites. Now this widespread opportunity to turn players’ dreams into reality has vanished. What’s going to happen to the poker dealers and tournament staff who will no longer be needed due to the reduced entries?

What’s going to happen to the city of Las Vegas – a city already in dire straits due to the current economic climate? Reducing the number of people who come to Las Vegas, a city so dependent on the bustling business of its visitors who spend money on lodging, dining, and entertainment, will only add to its economic anguish.

I don’t understand why I personally can’t continue to play in my online home league. I already miss the nightly $1 tournaments and the chance to chat and bond with my friends. I’m surprised how much joy these $1 events have brought me. It isn’t about the money; it’s about the bragging rights and the competition we each enjoy. Also, we’ve been keeping records on each player’s performance, so now how will we finish the league and determine the champion?

I don’t understand why I now have to go to a brick-and-mortar casino in order to play poker. What a waste of time, money, and gas to drive to a card room when I could play in the comfort of my own home. There are many times when I have an hour to kill, so I log on and enjoy some poker. Now, I won’t be able to go to the card room and wait for a game unless I am willing to commit many hours to playing.

I don’t understand why the government has taken away my freedom of choice. After decades of building my poker skills to their current level, I now have only a few places to play the games I prefer. The games and limits that were so readily available to me online are not offered in my local card room.

I don’t understand what I’m going to do the 200+ nights a year I am traveling. I used to fill the time playing online poker. Now what?

I don’t understand what people who can’t leave their homes to get to a casino will do now. I have an elderly friend going through chemotherapy whose only joy in life right now is playing online poker. I know paralyzed veterans who are so disabled that they can’t go to card rooms. What about my brother who lives in Utah; where will he play now?

I don’t understand what people on fixed incomes will do now regarding playing poker. Online, they can make $5 last all night. They can play $1 sit and gos or $0.02-$0.04 Limit. If they go to a card room, they need to have at least $100 to get into the smallest No Limit game.

I don’t understand the hypocrisy of a government that allows its citizens to wager on horse races, fantasy football, lotteries, etc. online, but won’t allow wagering on a game of skill.

I don’t understand what will happen when many of our online players move to other countries in order to make a living. We will be losing some of our smartest young minds that have a lot to offer to the United States.

I don’t understand why my country has let me down. I’ve been a law-abiding, tax-paying citizen my entire life. I’ve been a flag-waver. I am overcome with emotion when I hear our national anthem. I’m as patriotic as they come. I’ve always been proud to be an American. I don’t understand why everything has changed.

I’m angry, sad, disgusted, and confused about what has happened with online poker. The illogical destruction of the poker community along with the loss of opportunity to embrace the game for all it has to offer its citizens and government alike is beyond reason to me. What used to be my pursuit of happiness has evaporated along with a piece of my patriotism. I already miss playing my favorite game.

I don’t understand.

64 Comments

  1. nick3911 says:

    I’m the first to stand up against oppression of liberty, with that said I would like to raise a couple of points that you could think about.
    1. You mention about players income, have you thought about the percentage of players actually making an income from online poker? I could suggest 2%
    2. The spirit of the indictment is mainly one, and that is gambling with other peoples money “CREDIT”. If the owners of the three major poker sites had removed the credit card option would we be talking about this Issue?,So lets put it down to , like everything else that’s going on in this world “GREED”.
    So I agree with the Liberty issue, but totally disagree with the way sites conducted themselves with no thought of the financial hardship to their fellow man.
    Hopefully this issue can be rectified and also if they (FBI) could investigate a bit deeper in the every day to day running of these sites,ei; RNG.

  2. bbaffert says:

    Amesome post. Says the way I feel. Sick of America and the way they treat our liberties.

  3. Guest says:

    Great article. My thoughts exactly. Just another example of our country going in the opposite direction of greatness. I am profoundly angry with the US government and I have yet to make a single wager playing online poker.

  4. Ben says:

    Great post. Well said.

  5. tripseekrx says:

    Wow, well written Linda..Im exacly where you are..We just gotta hang on baby, IT HAS to come back, quickly, and will..Im sure of it..And its gonna be bigger and better..Broke things will be fixed, tons of new people will be joining in, and the government will have other missions forever..I really truly believe this will be the only time in our lives we suffer because our poker was takin away..
    Hang on baby, I need you to, Im a huge fan of yours, AND I CANT WAIT to see you play again!!
    Mike..Tucson Arizona

  6. lambie_13@hotmail.com says:

    Well said Linda Johnson all the best from your neighbor to the north hopefully this will push legal regulation along and we can all play poker in peace again.

    Best regards

  7. kel1313 says:

    Well said Linda. I am also dealing with an illness and poker has been a life saving game which I was able to play at home. I know I was only a little tadpole in this huge pond and I know so many people are hurt by this in many ways. Linda, you have hit all points to this and it could not have been said any better.

  8. rogert3@gmail.com says:

    @ nick3911 I could not disagree with you more. Playing poker online is not only about an income, I have many friends that just enjoy the game. I myself am a profitable player and use it to grow my retirement account. To date I have added over $5000 to my IRA. And you second point is even more baseless than your first. Personal freedom is not only about choice but also about personal resposibility. A person has a choice to gamble away his house payment or to charge money on a credit card to supplement a gambling addiction just as he has the choice to not play. It is not the poker industries responsibility nor the governments to restrict my and many others rights because of a handful of irresponsible individuals that cannot control them. If it was then bring back prohibition because alchohol is by far more destructive and accessible. I would argue that all you read in the headlines now is about this country’s debt levels and this was the easiest way to get billions of dollars. Online poker has been around since 1998 and they have finally just got around to it when the industry is larger than ever. Hmmmm….. Here is a government that is lying to an industry that is built on discovering deception for profit.

  9. writermg@aol.com says:

    Well said … except, when the credit card deposits are made to look like purchases (of goods), the sites went one step too far. This is the move that gave the feds the hook they were looking for.

  10. Simple says:

    It’s all quite simple, really. If there’s a lot of money flowing and not enough of it falls into the pockets of the right politicians, they confiscate it all. The article is excellent, though. Thank you Linda.

  11. betyamama says:

    I agree and I couldnt have said it better xoB Im sick about this>>>>>>>>>>>

  12. lupe@lipstour.com says:

    Linda as always, you speak my mind. I am still blown away by what has happened to our industry in one swoop of an American government agency. IF they would have allowed legalization and regulation, NONE OF THIS would have been an issue. So many man hours and hard earned dollars have been spent by this industry trying to help the government make millions of dollars of revenue from what we as citizens already do… play, enjoy and for many of us, profit from poker!

  13. Shadowkin says:

    Wow, I could have seen myself(or my friends) writing that post, thanks for that.

    People keep hanging on the technical aspect of the DOJ being correct if not right. They may correct, but if my employees priorities were that out of flux with our goals they would be fired. Maybe some simple dialog and threats before pouncing would have been in order. That way they could be focusing limited resources on harsh crimes and maybe security or border control or whatever goes bump in the night the loudest.

    Hopefully poker will be severed from Casino games and this issue will be fast tracked.

    Keep up the cool posts, hang in there and GG.

  14. cruiser2 says:

    This all just makes me want to go on one of your cruises more! Relax, play poker, and put the DOJ out of my mind.

  15. Maico55@aol.com says:

    Very well said!

  16. Spike The Cat says:

    Linda: Fabulous piece. Your passion comes right through. Thank you for this. Below is a long “comment.” It is my effort to cover the issue. It will appear in the next issue of “Fun ‘n’ Games” magazine.

    Black Friday: The Death of Online Poker
    by
    Arthur S. Reber, Ph.D.

    April 15th, tax-filing day, is now being dubbed Black Friday by those who played poker on the Internet. Preet Bharara, US attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), handed down indictments covering 11 executives from the three largest online poker sites, Poker Stars, Full Tilt and Ultimate Bet. Within hours all had blocked access to their sites from anyone in the US.

    The indictments were for money laundering, bank fraud and related charges. The charges are almost certainly appropriate, although how they will be played out in court is unknown. The actions were taken using the Uniform Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) as the legal foundation.

    A brief history: In 2006 then senator Bill Frist (R—TN) appended this bill to the Safe Port Act. The bill passed unanimously although follow-up analyses revealed that only a handful of senators knew they were voting on it. Their attention was (justifiably) on the safety of the country’s ports.

    The bill did not make playing poker online illegal. It made the transfer of funds between an individual and a known gambling site illegal. In effect it left banks, money transfer companies and credit card firms to enforce it. Most financial institutions did their best to comply by denying requests to forward funds to online sites.

    The sites responded in a predictable manner. They established a host of front companies through which funds could be exchanged. For example, Joe requests a deposit of $100 in his Poker Stars account. The request is forwarded to a nonexistent firm, ‘Wally’s Wacky Widgets” which registers a charge for a bushel of widgets against his credit card. The cash is shunted through WWW into Joe’s account at Poker Stars. This, the US attorney’s office claimed, constitutes money laundering and bank fraud. On the surface, it sure looks like it.

    On April 14th there were approximately 1.7 million Americans who had or who were playing poker online. By the 16th virtually all such activity had ceased (a few smaller sites continue). The cascade of effects of the SDNY’s actions is larger than most people, even members of the poker community, realize. Thousands, tens of thousands (no one knows for sure) of men and women were playing poker professionally. It was their primary source of income. They are now among the ranks of the unemployed. The joke goes, “What do you do when a professional poker player rings your bell?” Answer: “Give him $20 for the pizza and say ‘thanks’.”

    More damaging is the impact on the hundreds of thousands who played online for the most benign of reasons — some because they love the game, others because they didn’t have a card room or casino nearby, still others because they had a free hour before bedtime, or were looking to pick up a little spending money or suffer from physical handicaps or are wheelchair bound. Poker, for these folks, is leisure activity, a hobby. It is as if your favorite pastime (knitting? carving wooden boats?) were suddenly cut off for no coherent reason.

    And it gets worse. Ancillary occupations were curtailed. Poker writers were let go by magazines. Web sites fired reporters. TV shows that feature poker let staff go as planned shows were canceled. Tournament poker throughout the country was reduced overnight as sponsors pulled out of events and players no longer could win entry through small-stakes satellites. Dealers, food providers, carpenters who built poker tables and many others lost jobs. The ripple is far greater than most imagine.

    In addition, all funds in players’ accounts were frozen and withdrawal requests were denied. On April 20th the SDNY acknowledged the unfairness of this and lifted the ban. It remains to be seen how smoothly this will go. Many banks may be wary of cashing checks or receiving wire transfers because, according to the letter of the existing law, doing so is still a violation of the UIGEA.

    Will this miasmic situation be repaired? Eventually. There are several bills currently being vetted in Congress which would legalize, regulate and tax the online game. Such action would benefit virtually every aspect of the enterprise. It would allow the sites to operate in the US which would create jobs. Regulation would ensure proper oversight and help prevent problems such as cheating and underage players. It is far easier to monitor businesses housed in the US than in Costa Rica or the Isle of Man. Sites licensed in the US would also generate significant tax revenues.

    It should be a “no-brainer” but alas it isn’t. Legislative bodies are loathe to overturn existing laws and there is still an undercurrent of concern that somehow playing poker is immoral and that online play will encourage problem gambling or cause financial problems.

    Such fears are unfounded. Problem gambling is relatively rare and is marked by “co-morbidity.” That is, it is accompanied by other psychological problems. The well-balanced person who suddenly develops a gambling problem because of the availability of online poker is a myth.

    It’s also unlikely that online players will find themselves in financial difficulties. The overwhelming majority (upwards of 90%) play for “micro-stakes” – that is, less than 5¢ – 10¢ with most of these playing at 2¢ – 4¢ and 1¢ – 2¢.

    Mr. Bharara may think that the Department of Justice is carrying out a major moral and legal campaign against a group of miscreants but he isn’t. The SDNY’s actions damaged the quality of life of a large number of ordinary Americans while increasing unemployment. All the while, the true malefactors, the ones who brought the country and the rest of the developed world to the brink of financial collapse are still at it – down the street from his offices – on Wall Street.
    ——————————————————————–
    The Poker Players Alliance is the one organization that is working assiduously to overturn the UIGEA. I encourage all concerned parties to join and to work with the PPA to establish legislation to legalize, regulate and tax the online game. Poker, let us not forget, is the single most frequently played game in the land. Bridge, golf, tennis … all the others have far fewer regular participants. http://theppa.org/

  17. ManofLogos says:

    I do understand. Since when in recent times has our government championed individual rights? Bush signed the UIGEA championed by Republicans Jon Kyl and Bill Frist. They had the support of many Republicans and Democrats. Today, AG Holder, who refuses to prosecute terrorists or cuts them sweet deals, and who does so with the full consent of Obama (hands raised: how many of you voted for this collectivist ideologue who has the soul of Stalin?), uses UIGEA to destroy online poker and individual rights. What would you expect from full-blooded collectivists except the denial and rejection of individual rights, and the elevation of the “common good” or the “state” to supreme moral arbiter? The US is falling apart and Atlas is not shrugging nearly enough. Unless each and every one of you votes for representatives who champion individual rights, not political correctness, not interest group “rights,” not national appeasement, we will get more of the same and it will get worse. This is a wake-up call for those who possess the clarity of consciousness and of conscience to REFUSE to vote for or support anyone, Democrat or Republican, who does not value and place at the highest totem, individual rights. The PPA is a lobbying group that accepts the false premise that the government has a right to regulate what adults do in private. Therefore, the PPA has lost the battle before it has even entered it. Barney Frank, who has consistently and honorably supported online poker, still has no problem raising your taxes, destroying the housing market and projecting it onto others, et al. When Rep. Frank is your BEST advocate (and right now, he is) that is a sad, sad story. Even this article blames Wall Street, rather than the Government, for the financial collapse. And, yes, Wall Street is to blame for those who have supported corrupt government and for those who have gained by it, but the very regulations in place by the government are what made the financial crisis possible. Despite the writer’s best intentions, this article ultimately projects blame onto someone else and says the “gummint better done go get them!” No. We need to reduce the size, power and scope of government and we can start the real party by denying our votes to the miscreants, control freaks, corruptors and various malefactors who presently occupy most of our government’s halls.

  18. Steve Brecher says:

    “…some of the truly destructive crises in our nation like terrorism, drug dealing, and crime?”

    There’s your answer, Linda — the “drug dealing,” I mean. The government’s interference with online (and occasionally, offline) poker stems from the same root as its interference with other victimless crimes. If the government can decide which intoxicants are legal, why can’t it decide which games are?

  19. mssippi_jim says:

    Very good article, most of which I agree with. I do have some understanding of the concern of the U.S. government about millions of dollars being entrusted to offshore interest with no legal recourse for U.S. citizens in the event of problems. What really needs to happen here is regulation of online poker in the U.S., not an attempt to kill it though. Much like prohibition in the 1920’s, this attempt is doomed to fail. One of my strongest objections to the whole mess is the underhanded way in which the UIGEA was passed in the first place. Obviously it did not have enough merit to pass on its own worth without being attached (hidden in) another bill.

  20. Mrs Jones says:

    An extremly thorough cause & effect examination of the shutdown. I agree 100% with you Linda.

  21. happymeal42 says:

    Oh I do understand! This is the new govt way of doing what they plan to do! TAKE AWAY OUR FREEDOM! I am one of those poor people who just won a seat to the WSOP on 4/10/2011 on UB.com. They are now giving me the run around and are not going to most likely pay out the $$ they owe me!

  22. Bobbito says:

    First off, I could not have said anything better than what Manoflogos stated. I applaud you Sir. I realize that now, this problem is no longer of poker but freedom and fiscal responsibility of our country. I will not reiterate what was said by Mano. but will also add, become an Independent voter and email your senators, I have. Thank you.

  23. Al Schoonmaker says:

    I don’t understand either, and I’m dismayed that the DOJ is wasting so much time and money when it and the entire government have much more important issues.

    I hope that things improve quickly, but I am NOT optimistic.

    Al

  24. got2b says:

    Loved the article, you are right on. I just don’t understand why we keep electing folks who are really looking out for themselves, and not their constituants.

  25. The Big Lebowski says:

    Terrific summary of how most of us that love the game feel over these recent developments. It’s hard to imagine what will happen next, or even down the road.

    Thanks for speaking out, and for representing us so well, Linda.
    Bill C

  26. asha34 says:

    I understand that the DOJ has its priorities screwed up — going after Internet poker instead of the myriad of illegal activities that plague us daily. I understand that their values are wrong — cracking down on the perfectly acceptable activity of gambling. I understand that the DOJ has hurt my income, as a poker player and writer. I understand that there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the Obama and Bush administrations when it comes to keeping their hands off of on line poker.

  27. Susan Rhodes says:

    Another great article, although one I’m sure we all wish you didn’t have to write. You’ve expressed how we’re all feeling, and I couldn’t have said it any more eloquently.

    Susan

  28. nick3911 says:

    @rogert3@gmail.com.
    Well you are right to put it in that respect, but I suppose The U>S economy is built on credit and gambling with credit cards is a fundamental libertarian right.
    Only problem to your argument is for us to look were has that got the people of America. A scheme like Credit cards Should be regulated in my opinion. nevertheless I did not suggest poker is only for income , just stating the comment made by the reporter. Can we sell a product to the consumer and pretend its for something else? You can try to politicize the issue, but you cant get away from the fact that gambling on credit bring misery and nothing else.

  29. Suzi Q says:

    While I’m sympathetic, I don’t understand how folks can think that playing poker online is a “right.”

  30. pokerphan1 says:

    Linda, so well written as always. I’ve already gone to play live poker twice and remember why I like online poker so much – lower buy-in, less time, more flexible. Blah. I sure hope this gets worked out quickly. Meanwhile, there’s always TV, movies and phone calls with friends.

  31. jan Fisher says:

    As always, very well said, Linda. As much as this affects me personally, it is nothing compared to how it affects my friends in TV, writing, Blogging and correspondence, publishing, players, and on and on. It is a sad and embarrassing time to be a flag waver…
    Jan Fisher

  32. spcrdplyr says:

    Linda: I could not agree more. But I think you have to look between the lines to get the real reason these actions were taken. The operation of the On-Line Poker sites was not the reason charges were brought, as I read the various pieces of documentation I have seen so far. The reason charges were brought was the ALLEGED shenanigans related to deposits and withdrawals. Please note there are other poker sites still in operation in the US. I certainly am not defending the actions of the DOJ, but in the absence of some financial irregularities (alleged), I don’t see this action being taken.

  33. ManofLogos says:

    @SuziQ — Yes, online poker is “right.” Why? Go back to the Founders, go back to the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers. One school of thought posits “positive rights,” rights granted to citizens by the government. Who pays for these rights? Well, that’s never answered, because the answer is in fact each of us, through taxes. There is no free lunch. Under positive rights, neither you nor I has any right unless the government gives it to us. That’s not freedom, that’s totalitarianism or a recipe therefor. The alternative school of rights, the Jeffersonian one, is that of “negative rights”: You have the right (we’re speaking of adults here, not children) to do anything you want, except for those things expressly prohibited – e.g., murder, rape, arson, etc. — either the destruction of a person or property. Adults have an absolute right to play poker, online or otherwise, under negative rights, but no right whatsoever under positive rights. So, SuziQ, if you’re a Jeffersonian, you have an absolute right to play. But if you’re an Obamanian, or a Bushian, or a McCainian, or a Romneyan, and on and on … you don’t have an absolute rights, and any that you do have can be taken away at a moment’s notice by fiat. Online poker is just the next logical step in a society that worships positive, government-granted rights and that denies individual liberty.

  34. Lucy "Floppy" Kim says:

    Regarding spcrdplyr’s comment that “The reason charges were brought was the ALLEGED shenanigans related to deposits and withdrawals,” if online poker was legalized and regulated, then these ALLEGED shenanigans would not even be an issue.

    And Suzi Q, although I rarely played online poker, it was my “right” to play if I wanted to, just as each of us has a “right” to post comments here.

    Linda, right on! Thanks for posting your thought-provoking article.

  35. Lucy "Floppy" Kim says:

    I found the following two statements very interesting:

    – “All the while, the true malefactors, the ones who brought the country and the rest of the developed world to the brink of financial collapse are still at it – down the street from his offices – on Wall Street.” (Spike the Cat)

    – “I understand that there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the Obama and Bush administrations when it comes to keeping their hands off of on line poker.” (asha34)

    Has anyone seen the documentary “Inside Job”? If you haven’t, I highly recommend you do. It’s about the causes and consequences of the financial crisis of 2008. The current chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, Ben S. Bernanke, is one of the dozens of individuals blamed for the financial collapse, and yet he was appointed the Federal Reserve chief by former President Bush and re-appointed by President Obama. A couple other culprits were appointed to Cabinet positions. Going after online poker? Doesn’t the current administration have bigger fishies to fry?

  36. whocares says:

    Honestly, I dont care. im glad they were shutdown since it was/is blatantly obvious that they cheat and committed fraud. Um shutting down online poker will not hurt but only help land based casinos. you talk about dealers losing money because less ppl enter the big tourney. Dont you think they could just walk over to the cash game area and sit down and deal. simple solution. If you going to post an article with comments about financials…back it up with something other then YOUR opinion. Gambling and everything associated with it is just that..A GAMBLE. all these ppl gambled taking such and such job at such and such mag, online site, whatnot. they gambled and won for a bit and now are losing…is this what you poker ppl call variance. Plain and simple if the facts are true, then they are criminals and should be prosecuted for fraud…which by the way the DOJ is investigating and hence…as you put it…doing their job. So when you learn how to properly present us with news and not your opinion which news is not then maybe I will see things differently…but from reading your post..you sound just like the rest of mainstream media…all fluff and opinion but no facts. And in your opinion, Las Vegas only exists because of online poker. Last I checked they were doing much better before online poker took off.

  37. PPA Buster says:

    Although well written, I think that some of these thoughts are uninformed regarding the whole matter of why the DOJ cracked down on Full Tilt and Stars. The bottom line is that it was FT and Stars’ own greed that brought them down.

    As the FBI report in the case documents, both sites, along with UB, were funneling money to themselves through US players while disguising the transactions as golf ball and jewelry sales, among other things.

    Now I like playing online poker and I feel sorry for those who were making a living by playing at these sites, but part of the blame has to be directed at the sites themselves rather than entirely on the US Department of Justice.

    I wish that Full Tilt and Stars didn’t have to go to such lengths to take money from US players due to the UIGEA. But few governments are going to stand by and not restrict an industry that’s making billions in non-taxable revenue from its residents.

    It’s not merely a direct attack on people’s right to play online poker – although this does get violated in the process.

  38. PokerMama says:

    Linda, your article was great as they all are. I almost hate to post something negative, but I don’t see how “Suzie Q” cannot understand how playing poker online IS a right. I don’t know where she came from, but where we live is supposed to the the “Land of the Free.”

  39. Gabriela Hill says:

    Linda,
    You are an Ambassador of Poker.
    Thank you for all your years devoted to the game we love.
    Thank you for expressing all my feelings in your article.
    I don’t understand either but I have hope, some how I do.
    Gabriela Hill

  40. texasmanster says:

    I don’t know why everyone is so upset over this. First of all these Poker sites are not regulated at all. So if you have a problem you have no recourse. Another thing. How do you know these sites were not on the up and up??? Anything on a computer can be munipulated. And honestly. If you were that stupid having alot of money deposited in these sites instead of going to a live poker room, Well enought said. I have heard more complaints on these rooms than good things. Not being reugulated. I think these sites were and are a promotional scam. Why not go to the live Casinos??? Its better for the US economy and helps the casinos, AND IT’S LEGAL!!! I would much rather be in a place were I can have my hands on my money and not have to rely on some place that could scam me and take it all and not be able to do anything about it. We as poker players should support our local Casinos which will help the American ecoomy instead of some business in Costa Rico

  41. tshiroller says:

    Hi Linda,

    I know you remember me. lol lol. I have to agree with texasmanster. I don’t trust online sites. AT ALL!!! I don’t know anyone that has made a living much less a profit on these sites. You have no way of proving they are not ripping you off. I know from experience. I had a complaint to Poker Stars and vented. Ever since that time. I had amazing amount of bad beats and problems. I think we as poker players should try to legalize it here instead of supporting other countries, if thats what everyone wants. You speak of how bad Vegas is hurting. But with the shutdown of these sites, this will make people come to Vegas and the local Casinos. I would much rather have my business going into the US Casinos than some online site overseas. I think this will show who the serious, and skilled poker players really are, and not being able to rely on sponsored money now. And having to get in there and really play poker with their money. Now that’s see how aggressive they are!!!

  42. illucy2@yahoo.com says:

    Linda is right we are the laughing stock of the world… we hold the WSOP every year and yet U.S. players can’t play their favorite game on-line for even $1. Every year players from all over the word come to Las Vegas to play this game, why… because it’s a game of skill. Now that gas prices have hit $4.00 a gallon I wish I could stay home and play this game. Why can’t our elected officials just do what we elected them to do… have common sense and act in our best interest. Maybe they should grab a deck of cards and find out how fun this game is. Many of our former Presidents were poker players; Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon. I’ve heard rumors that Presiden Obama now plays poker. Is he gambling in the White House? This is like prohibition all over again. Nancy

  43. EX WPT BOOT CAMP STUDENT says:

    Honestly People. Do you really think online poker was for real??? It was a huge marketing ploy to promote a product. If they were on the level they wouldn’t have resorted to money laundering and fraud. That’s what got them into trouble. And thats think about this a moment. How many people do you really think made millions online???? I’m a above averge player and I’m lucky to even place in the money in a tournament. So you have to really be honest with yourself and ask yourself Are all these kids making millions on line??? I would like to see proof and some check receipts. And all the Casinos I play at. I have never met anyone that has made that kind of money online.

  44. EX WPT BOOT CAMP STUDENT says:

    I left one other thing out guys. People or the so called pros or named players are losing their sponsorship. So yeah!!! their free monies is going away. Give me free buy ins and I will support the poker sites too. I say thats go back and play and support live poker rooms. Just like the guys said above. That’s see who the real poker players are. Or if people want online poker and legalize it in the US and regulate it so we know its safe.

  45. Anonymous says:

    I have read this many times I to am very patriotic also served 6 years in the Air Force and I also tear up & stand @ attention when the National Anthem is played. Stand @ attention when flags pass in parades ect I have US flag pins on the lapel of every coat, jacket ect that I own. I now feel like a second class citizen because I enjoy playing poker on line. thank you DOJ

  46. Franco says:

    @ spcrdplyr – The only reasons why the poker sites have to do some tricks in order to process payments is because of the UIGEA. This stupid law doesn’t allow them to do that in transparency, as they requested many times. Players would have not been able to cash out or deposit without those third party payment processors.

  47. Shannon says:

    Perfectly said! I do wonder how PS and FTP thought they could get away with it, and wonder if there were other methods that could’ve been used to get around the UIGEA. But bottom line, they shouldn’t have been required to. I am hopeful for the future. Legalization would bring lots of new players. Would be amazing!

  48. Linda Johnson says:

    Hi Everyone,
    I appreciate all the feedback…both supporting and opposing. I would like to add a few words in response to some of the comments. First of all, a blog is the author’s opinion, it is not meant to be “news.” Secondly, I do not condone money laundering. My hopes in writing this and in all the lobbying I have done in the past is to spur the government to do the right thing by taxing and regulating online poker. It is ridiculous that people still play online and all the money that the US could be generating from it goes overseas. The sites have wanted this for a long time. Thanks again for taking the time to leave a comment! Linda Johnson

  49. ManofLogos says:

    “There’s no way to rule innocent men. The only power government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws.” – Ayn Rand

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