US Justice anti Online Poker, actually online everything.
Ask the question, is US Justice anti Online Poker? Answer YES!! There’s no doubting that after the events of Black Friday, the US Justice Department have the hots for Online Poker, but not in a good way.
For a few years now the US market has always been a place that most sites avoided due to US legislation. Stark warnings and a ban on US players was just the start. In the past massive fines were handed to gaming companies that ignored the warnings, but now the gloves are off and the US mean business.
The Black Friday Indictment that shut down some of the most iconic gambling sites. PokerStars, Absolute Poker and FullTilt were the main targets of the US Justice Department and the FBI wich hunt. Allegations were made suggesting that the sites had laundered money and defrauded banks. All in a bid to get round the US gambling laws.
Needless to say, this shocked the industry to the core. The fact that the action taken by the FBI wasn’t legal and that the US had no rights over the dotcom domains. Or the right to actually seize funds for that matter. But, in the true spirit of the mighty USA, they done it anyway and at what cost?
At what cost?
If we disregard the cost to the actual sites and the payback terms and conditions that PokerStars, FullTilt and Absolute Poker will inevitably agree to (PokerStars already payout $100million so far), then the loses are massive. Even more so when you consider that 95% of the US market share disappeared instantly when PokerStars, FullTilt and Absolute Poker were shut out. With those closures went an estimated $200 million worth of marketing and advertising money.
What looked like a pure money ploy from the USA has now turned into a serious witch hunt. US Attorney of Maryland has followed suit and declared ten Poker and gaming sites closed down. All having been indicted and charged with conducting an illegal gambling business and money laundering.
Way to go USA!
A statement from the U.S. Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, “It is illegal for internet gambling enterprises to do business in Maryland, regardless of where the website operator is located.” “We cannot allow foreign website operators to flout the law simply because their headquarters are based outside the country.”
William Winter, Special Agent in Charge of ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Baltimore also commented. “The proceeds from illegal Internet gambling are often used to fuel organized crime and support criminal activity. ICE HSI will work diligently to uncover illicit transactions involving these types of financial crimes. Together, with our law enforcement partners, we will disrupt and dismantle organizations that commit these crimes, regardless of their location, whether here in the United States or abroad.”
It’s a serious stretch of the imagination to actually think that online Poker is funding organised crime. But, the mere mention of it is reason enough for the US to take action and effectively shut down business.
US injustice against online Poker
In a worst case scenario the accused could face five years in prison for operating an illegal gambling business and 20 years for money laundering. Needless to say that the owners of the closed down sites won’t be doing any travel to the US any time soon.
Will it be reversed and the domains freed? Probably, but the damage has already been done. Not just to the sites involved, but to Online gambling in general.
The US have started an online war which they will win against the industries bigger sites that actually adhere to the law. However, they have opened the door for under the radar sites to plague the US players. Something that won’t be as easy to control.
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