US Gambling Bill - Poker Sites Latest

[scrawnybob]

hi all

The online poker industry is in a state of flux but in the words printed on the cover of the "Hitchikers Guide To The Galaxy"

DONT PANIC

Importantly all the poker sites make it very clear that ALL players cash is safe on their sites and they have said that US players will be notified of any change they make and be able to access their money at any time. We will add statements made by the poker sites & information publically issued by the poker sites as it's confirmed with links to their full statements on the US Online Gambling Bill ...

Please NOTE ... The opinions and legal statements made public by any of the poker sites are their statements and views alone. They are NOT the views or opinions of 4kingpoker.com. 4kingpoker.com does NOT offer any legal advice or encourage anyone to break laws which may apply in their country of residence - Players must check for themselves and comply with any laws applicable in their country of residence. The statements of the poker sites reproduced here are solely for information purposes only & are already in the public domain.

Feedback / offical postions on some of the main sites ... This is NOT a full list, there are alot of poker site offically or unoffically undecided about their position - The list will be updated where possible once statements / information is made public by the poker sites.

Currently open to US online poker players

Poker.com

Mansion Poker

Full Tilt Poker

PokerStars

Ultimate Bet

Bodog

Jungle Poker

Absolute Poker

DoylesRoom

now rejoined US market - Action Poker, Tiger Gaming & PokerInCanada



Closed to US poker players - Withdrawing / Withdrawn from US or not previously open to US players

Party Poker / Party Gaming

Pacific Poker / 888.com

Paradise Poker

PokerRoom

EuroPoker

Hollywood Poker

William Hill

Sun Poker

Titan Poker

Cryptologic Sites - InterPoker & BetFair Poker

All Boss Network Sites - PokerHeaven

PKR 3D Poker

VC Poker

Ladbrokes Poker

WPT online

[scrawnybob]

This is the offical statement from poker.com about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

Poker.com Statement

" All players are welcome at Poker.com ...

Some of our players have voiced concern about the recent legal developments in the United Stats and the decision of some publicly listed poker rooms to close the accounts of all players located within the USA.

We want to assure you that Poker.com is legally regulated and licensed to offer its services to anyone around the world and that your day-to-day experience at the site will remain unchanged in all respects for the forseeable future. All player account finds are 100% safe and secure and you will always have access to these funds.

A government whose politicians use deception to pass flawed laws and chooses not to follow international trade guidelines will not affect our mission to provide a fun place for people from all over the world to play poker.

We hope everyone continues to enjoy playing at Poker.com "

[scrawnybob]

This is the offical statement from Party Poker about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

Party Poker Statement

"After taking extensive legal advice, the Board of PartyGaming has concluded that the new legislation, if signed into law, will make it practically impossible to provide U. S. residents with access to its real money poker and other real money gaming sites. As a result of this development, the Board of PartyGaming has determined that if the President signs the Act (the Internet gaming bill is known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006) into law, the Company will suspend all real money gaming business with U. S. residents."

[scrawnybob]

From an offical open letter on FullTilt Poker about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

FullTilt Poker Statement

"As many people are well aware, the United States Congress recently passed legislation that aims to make it illegal for U.S. banks to process transactions related to online gaming.

We, like all online poker players, are dismayed and saddened by these potential regulations, and are doing our best to determine what these changes will mean to our customers. We are continuing to study this legislation and, until our investigation is complete, believe it would be wrong to comment on how these new rules will impact the ability for players to transfer funds to and from Full Tilt Poker.

In the short term, we assure you that your online experience at Full Tilt Poker will not change. You will still be able to deposit and withdraw money from the site using the same methods and payment processors you have always used, and your money will remain completely safe and secure. We cannot predict how the online poker experience may change in the future, but we do not expect any immediate impact from the legislation, as the banking industry has 270 days to implement new rules after the bill is signed.

It is also important to note that, once signed, the new legislation will not criminalize individuals for playing poker online. Instead, the bill will eventually attempt to prevent the transfer of funds to online gaming. As poker is a game of skill rather than pure chance, we hope that it will not be affected by this new bill. Speculation aside, however, we will continue to work closely with organizations like the Poker Player's Alliance to lobby for an exemption for online poker and for your right to play a truly American game from the privacy of your own home and computer.

While this last-minute congressional move has undoubtedly caused concern among our players, we want to assure you that Full Tilt Poker is legally regulated and licensed to offer its services to anyone around the world and that your day-to-day experience at the site will remain unchanged in all respects."

[scrawnybob]

Offical press release from Boss Network about the US Online Gambling Bill "Poker Ban" - (PokerHeaven is on Boss Network)

Boss Media Press Release

American ban on Internet gambling payment processing in the United States about to become law 2006-10-02 09:26

On Friday, 29 September, a bill that will ban Internet gambling payment processing in the United States was added to another proposed bill on national security, which most likely soon will be passed in its entirety.

As the bill on banned Internet gambling payment processing services in the United States turns into formal law, Boss Media AB will immediately take action to block American players resident in the United States from accessing any such services and software provided by Boss Media.

[scrawnybob]

This is the offical statement from PokerRoom about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

UPDATED 13th October 2006 applies to PokerRoom, HoldemPoker & EuroPoker

PokerRoom Official Statement regarding US legislation

US SAFE Port Act signed into law by President George W. Bush

On 30 September 2006 the US Senate passed the SAFE Port Act which also contains a section referred to as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. The new act primarily affects online payment transactions for games of chance, which have been deemed unlawful under US American law, and aims to prevent these by threatening severe punishment, court sanctions and regulatory action. This statute adds a new subchapter to Chapter 53 of the United States Code stating that online games of chance are primarily financed through credit card payments and money transfers and that new enforcement tools have become necessary for the Internet. Not only sports bets, but also games of chance and lotteries, are affected by the bet or wager definition. The law makes payment transactions related to unlawful online games of chance virtually impossible, listing all payment options affected in detail as is customary for US legislation. In addition, § 5367 also contains a provision about the liability of any company or person involved in such transactions. This also applies to operations owned or controlled by someone who accepts unlawful bets and wagers.

Ongame, one of the companies in the bwin Group is also affected by the bill which was signed into law today by President George W. Bush.

bwin regrets that the US has taken this step which will make it virtually impossible for listed, strictly regulated and transparent operators to offer real money entertainment to US customers. bwin is doubtful whether US authorities will be able to achieve their stated goals - protection of minors and the prevention of gaming addiction - by introducing such legislation. Past experience with restrictive measures to prevent the abuse of alcohol has shown that such prohibition did not have the desired effect, merely driving consumers underground and contributing to the rapid growth of an entirely unregulated black market. The online gaming industry is unanimous in its view that the creation of forward-looking regulation can more effectively address issues such as consumer protection, the protection of minors, the prevention of gaming addiction, or the prevention of money laundering. Such a policy, if properly monitored by the authorities, would be much more effective than this general ban.

Following an in-depth analysis of the situation and extensive legal consultation, bwin has decided to comply with the new legislation and will no longer accept any new US-resident customers for its real money gaming products, effective immediately. The company is working on technical arrangements that will prevent existing customers from accessing its real money games. Until further notice, bwin will only be offering a play money line-up to the US market. The greatly increased risk of prosecution by the US authorities, the considerable pressure on banks and payment providers coupled with the requirements for publicly listed companies leave the company no other option.

For the year 2006 the Ongame customer base also includes some 177,000 active real money customers not resident in the US. In addition, the majority of customers in Ongame\'s poker network are from Europe. In Q2 2006, the former Ongame customer portfolio generated gross gaming revenue of EUR 29.0 million. EUR 9.3 million or 32 percent of the gross gaming revenue were generated from customers not resident in the US. Cumulative gross gaming revenue of the bwin group amounted to EUR 94.3 million in Q2 2006; as leading provider of online gaming entertainment in continental Europe, bwin generated 79 percent of its gross gaming revenue through customers not living in the US in Q2 2006.

bwin customers not resident in the USA are not affected at all by these legislative changes in the United States, and can continue to enjoy the full range of bwin products.

The bwin Group has over 10 million registered customers (including 7 million play money customers) in over 20 core target markets. Operating under international and regional licences in countries like Gibraltar, Kahnawake (Canada), Belize and Germany, Italy, Mexico, Austria and the United Kingdom, the Group has set itself the goal of becoming the number one address for sports betting, games and entertainment via digital distribution channels. The Group offers sports betting, poker, casino games and soft games, as well as audio and video streams on top sporting events like, for example, the German Bundesliga. The parent company bwin Interactive Entertainment AG has been listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange since March 2000 (ID code BWIN, Reuters ID code BWIN.VI). Further information about the Company can be found on its investor relations website at www.bwin.ag.

[scrawnybob]

This is a statement from PokerStars Manager about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

PokerStars Official Statement regarding US legislation

Obviously, there are many unanswered questions at this point - we'll let you know more as time progresses.

However, there are three important things that we can tell you right now:

1. Your money is completely safe at PokerStars.
It's kept in a segregated account at one of the largest banks in Europe.

2. You do, and will, have 24/7 access to your account funds. You will always be able to get to your money.

3. We have not made a decision one way or another as regards closing our American accounts.

The other thing that I can promise is that we'll keep the lines of communication open.

Best regards, Lee Jones ... PokerStars Poker Room Manager

[scrawnybob]

This is the offical statement from InterPoker about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

PartnerLogic / InterPoker / InterCasino Statement

"Due to the imminent passing of the Federal Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act on September 30th 2006, we are no longer accepting wagers from residents of the United States.

We regret to inform you that from 11am EST on 3rd October, 2006, we will be closing all US gaming accounts. Player’s balances, minus uncleared bonuses, will be returned to players within the next 3 - 4 weeks by check and you will cease to earn revenue share from these players in the future.

PartnerLogic and all of its brands (InterPoker, InterCasino etc) will still be operating at full strength in markets outside of the USA. These markets have been our fastest growing in the past two years, and we very much look forward to working with you to grow the UK, Scandinavian, European, Asian and other non-US markets even faster.

In our view, offering online gaming affiliate services is still allowed, so long as you do not earn a revenue share from referring players residing in the US.

[scrawnybob]

This is the offical statement from Focal Click about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

SunPoker, the Sands, Omni Casino

"I'm sure you're aware of the recent developments in US online gaming industry. In short, the US government has passed a law that would prohibit banks, credit card companies, and other financial institutions from processing gambling funds. This controversial act was attached to a popular and completely unrelated bill regarding Port Security early Saturday morning. In this way, the act was passed because representatives were more concerned with the major bill being made law and knew only in the final minutes of the attachment.

It does not make it illegal for US citizens to play online, however drastically affects your ability to enjoy your favorite poker and casino games by making it difficult to send and receive your deposits and winnings.

In light of these events, our software and ECash provider for

Sunpoker.com
The Sands cscasino.com
Omni Casino
CryptoLogic and ECashDirect

have made the decision to no longer service US registered accounts.

Consequently, all accounts with US based addresses will no longer be able to play in the casino or poker room as of 12PM EST today October 3rd.

Players will however be able to log into their accounts and request a withdrawal of their available balance.

All other accounts with non US based addresses will remainun affected.

Currently it is unclear as to the longer term ramifications of these events at CryptoLogic and should the position change, we will notify you.

Our sister casino 49er Casino uses a different provider, Real Time Gaming (RTG) who has not announced any changes due to these new regulations.

Persons from all geographical areas are still able to register new accounts, collect the 100% new player and other bonuses and continue to enjoy their favorite casino games. The preferred deposit method is with NETeller.

[scrawnybob]

This is the offical statement from Absolute Poker about the US online gambling bill "US Poker Ban"

"Absolute Poker Business as normal - Absolute Poker is a privately held business and its executives today issued the following statement:

As the 4th largest online poker company we continue to welcome all Affiliates and their Poker Players! Absolute Poker is absolutely confident in its ability to continue to offer US players the very best in Online Poker with the fastest secure deposit and payout solutions, all new and existing players should be 100% confident in playing with the very best Absolute Poker.

The Safe Ports Act passed by the US Congress on September 30th neither prohibits nor makes it illegal for any US customer to play with Absolute Poker and therefore customers experience at Absolute Poker will not change. Our business continues to run as normal.

We will have continued updates and assessments of this situation, but we are confident again, that you will be able to continue to enjoy all of the offerings at Absolute Poker as you always have"