U.S. Government Seizes Online Poker Domains

[ffxfriek]

On Saturday, the U.S. government decided to seize the domains of several online poker websites, such as: Pokerstars and Full Tilt Poker.

The full article can be read here:http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703702004576269284033243972.html

http://www.isleofman.com/news/article.aspx?article=35183&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Local+News

Has anyone been affected by the seizure? Also does anyone play poker online for money? Does anyone watch their tv shows and have decided to stop watching now? Has the U.S. government gone too far?

I have been affected by this seeing as I was going to start playing for money this summer once the semester was up. But now I must find something else to do. No real crimes have been committed as far as I can tell from teh article and I love to watch the shows as their the highlights of my day. I think the government has overstepped their bounds but I must wait for more details.

 

[Veylon]

The government is merely enforcing the law. Granted, it's absurd that it's illegal to gamble online but perfectly fine in Vegas and any of dozens of reservation casinos, but those sites did conspire to break US law by accepting money of US citizens and the government reacted the way we'd hope it would for other, more important laws.

So, write your congressional representative and see if you can't get the law repealed. Or move to another country, as some of the people in that article say they are doing.

 

[ffxfriek]

The government is merely enforcing the law. Granted, it's absurd that it's illegal to gamble online but perfectly fine in Vegas and any of dozens of reservation casinos, but those sites did conspire to break US law by accepting money of US citizens and the government reacted the way we'd hope it would for other, more important laws.

So, write your congressional representative and see if you can't get the law repealed. Or move to another country, as some of the people in that article say they are doing.

but poker isnt really gambling. if you watch it on tv and or play it. there is really a lot of skill involved. Theres some luck but anything can happen.

 

[HalfChance]

I'm U.K based and use both Pokerstars and Full tilt poker, Why the U.S government thinks it can tell me how and where to spend my money is beyond me.

 

[Zaik]

lol.

Perhaps this is the big plan to "cut the deficit in half by 2012"? Just go around and take people's crap after making it illegal.

Anyway, probably the only reason it's actually illegal is the govt apparently can't measure taxes to take out on income from winning games(same as gambling IRL, but as it says above people are playing like 500 tournaments a week rather than like 5), and you end up with people like the guy above who makes a living without having to pay income taxes.

There's about 90 million better places to look for people avoiding or outright dodging tax issues than online gambling sites though.

 

[Veylon]

but poker isnt really gambling. if you watch it on tv and or play it. there is really a lot of skill involved. Theres some luck but anything can happen.

I'm dying to hear how wagering money on the outcome of a contest is not gambling. I encourage you to speak further on this topic, at length if need be. I have highlighted the topic in which I particularly desire elucidation.

 

[Trolldor]

I remember reading something about this - including the whole money laundering stuff.

 

[darth.pixie]

I'm U.K based and use both Pokerstars and Full tilt poker, Why the U.S government thinks it can tell me how and where to spend my money is beyond me.

Same. There was even a competition a friend was in. I really don't give a damn about the FBI or US laws as long as I don't even live there. So yes, I do believe they overstepped their bounds.

 

[Batfred]

Typical US Government butting in where they aren't wanted. OK, no troops this time, but it's not really any different.

Any legal types on here know where international law stands on this point being that it was shut down world wide and more impotantly places where it is legal?

 

[Nightcraft66]

When a government makes a law, or does anything that effects someone in another country (I live in the UK) just tells me they're taking it a bit too far.
They can't shut down something that is on an international scale, being legal in most countries.
The US Government went and got upset, threw their toys out of the pram and it effected countries abroad... God Bless America. /sarcastic face.

 

[Sarge034]

The government is merely enforcing the law. Granted, it's absurd that it's illegal to gamble online but perfectly fine in Vegas and any of dozens of reservation casinos, but those sites did conspire to break US law by accepting money of US citizens and the government reacted the way we'd hope it would for other, more important laws.

So, write your congressional representative and see if you can't get the law repealed. Or move to another country, as some of the people in that article say they are doing.

but poker isnt really gambling. if you watch it on tv and or play it. there is really a lot of skill involved. Theres some luck but anything can happen.

You mean it's a gamble because anything can happen? Wait, would that not mean it was gambling? Choose your wording better next time. That was too easy. As I see it the government had two options. Shut down the entire site OR gain access to the user information of every user to sort out which ones are in the US. But if you all want the government to have access to your finances and personal information I'm cool with it because I'm not breaking the law by gambling online.

 

[Chaza]

I don't play poker (Have never managed to get it yet) so i doesn't affect me but this is really stupid.

Surely the U.S goverment could have just blocked access to those sites in the U.S instead of ruining the whole worlds fun?