It would be next to impossible, but I wouldn't put it past the DOJ and Congress to take a shot at it. These guys have always historically loved the power trip of being able to dictate to people what they can and cannot do. In the modern world that power has been categorically stripped from them and it pisses them off.
WildBill said:
One of the US government's biggest means of control has been through money control. That includes income tax, not only as a revenue generator, but as a means of tracking money supply. Neteller is a way around having money tracked as people can send money to them without being found out.
Neteller seems to only deal with Sportsbooks, Casinos, and Poker Rooms which would give Congress a reason to ban them from receiving funds from clients in the USA, but if they expanded into more purchase sites such as porn sites, electronics, sporting goods, etc. and begin offering Neteller as a form of payment to purchase online that would create a loop hole and a reason for US clients to have Neteller accounts.
FI
FI
It would be simple to ban Neteller from being linked to any US bank account. There is currently no company Neteller is used for other than offshore casinos, poker and sportsbooks. It is why PayPal is no longer aligned with any gambling business. If I couldn't link my bank account
with businesses like Neteller I would give up offshore poker and sports.
with businesses like Neteller I would give up offshore poker and sports.
There's always the possibilty of the US coming up with some cocamamie plan of enforcement of any thing they want. When they wanted the drug money to stop flowing through Panama, they just invaded the country and threw Noriega, who had helped them in the past, in jail. I guess if they wanted to they could invade Canada and make sure they are under our control. Maybe even make them the 51st state! This would put a stop to NETeller for sure! Only kidding of course, but make no mistake that if the US of A really wants to clamp down on things, they just use their monetary muscle to control things! If they chose to squeeze the Canadian Gov't, do you think that Canada is going to sacrifice a trade embargo, let's say, for the stinkin' 10 million a year that NETeller does in business? I don't think so! :cryingcry
Just a question though, does anyone really think the US government cares enough to do this? I know they COULD do it, but lets be realistic. As many have stated here, there have to be at least 20 out of the 535 in Congress putting in a little action offshore, at least with poker sites. A handful of Congressmen claim offshores are a scourge on society, but not too many seem to rush to join them in that considering this is a no-brainer. After all it would appear no one really votes on a pro-offshore ticket.
Just stating this because I don't think things will ever get nearly as bad as some concoct them to be. The only thing we have dealt with was first Jay Cohen, to show the US could get a conviction thanks to a misguided jury and horrendous judge. Then they used that to shake down some major media companies and threaten others with complete non-sense. To go from a mob-style shakedown to extensive bans on using a money transfer mediums is a huge step. Further they would have to be vigilant about it, because just as a banned site can show up in 15 minutes in another location, money movements are pretty much the same. You would have to have a big staff that went out and did lots of undercover work and research to make a ban even last a week.
Once again not saying they couldn't do it, but realistically would they go to these lengths?
Just stating this because I don't think things will ever get nearly as bad as some concoct them to be. The only thing we have dealt with was first Jay Cohen, to show the US could get a conviction thanks to a misguided jury and horrendous judge. Then they used that to shake down some major media companies and threaten others with complete non-sense. To go from a mob-style shakedown to extensive bans on using a money transfer mediums is a huge step. Further they would have to be vigilant about it, because just as a banned site can show up in 15 minutes in another location, money movements are pretty much the same. You would have to have a big staff that went out and did lots of undercover work and research to make a ban even last a week.
Once again not saying they couldn't do it, but realistically would they go to these lengths?
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems as if nothing is going to happen. At the WSOP, every telecast talks about this guy or that guy who is unknown, but a prominent online player. If there are that many people who are willing to admit that they are poker professionals and play exclusively online, it seems as if online gambling is becoming accepted. Nothing ever happens to these guys, and they have no fear of anything happening. Am I wrong, WildBill?
You are 100% right Illini. I doubt they want to piss people off, but Party Poker and Poker Stars might as well run advertising saying everyone plays with them. No one even thinks for a second if its legal, except it appears New Jersey law enforcement. Even celebrities admit they play on these sites. Not to mention half the World Series field won seats online.
In fact the size of this year's WSOP Championship field will be determined not by TV ratings or the poker boom, but in how Harrahs decides to police buy-ins. Last year things were headed for a sure sellout at 6,600 entries when Harrahs stated they wouldn't let anyone be entered by a third party so many people that won seats online just took the cash realizing they were a major negative EV entering the event. If Harrahs bows to pressure to do that again they will be a lone wolf slowing down online poker, more so than even the DOJ.
In fact the size of this year's WSOP Championship field will be determined not by TV ratings or the poker boom, but in how Harrahs decides to police buy-ins. Last year things were headed for a sure sellout at 6,600 entries when Harrahs stated they wouldn't let anyone be entered by a third party so many people that won seats online just took the cash realizing they were a major negative EV entering the event. If Harrahs bows to pressure to do that again they will be a lone wolf slowing down online poker, more so than even the DOJ.
