By Sebasdess.
I am the folder with interest from virtually the moment where the FBI seized the domain names of PokerStars.com, FullTiltPoker.com and two rooms of the Cereus (AbsolutePoker.com and Ultimatebet.com) network. Since yesterday, I have read hundreds of pages of information. I provided infused science or insider information? Non. But the purpose of this column is to re-establish the facts so that each of you can make possible the more informed decision, in addition to give you my personal opinion.
First, what must be understood by reading the document of charges is that the targeted sites were not seized because they accept the Americans, but rather because they used a fraudulent scheme to process payments and thus circumvent U.S. laws. But each of the targeted sites is indeed legal in the jurisdiction that it was and can operate quite legally.
Then, each site has an obligation to have the funds of players so a separate account. They can use this money to cover their costs. These funds are placed in trusts, and cannot be the subject of a seizure.
Finally, the ".com" are registered in the United States. This is the reason why the .com was seized by the FBI, and not the .net, .eu,. co.uk, etc.
Now, if you take all this, what can I see in our "crystal ball"? What should we do? Are we safe on other gaming sites? What is the apocalypse of online poker? Has just been live September 11 online poker? I will try to answer these questions.
First and foremost, if you play on sites that do not accept the Americans, you are without a doubt safely. For the most part, these sites are listed on the stock exchange and a much more rigid monitoring is done at the level of banking transactions. If you play on a site that accepts the Americans but which has not been endorsed by the garnishee (the Cake network and the Merge network for example), you are at the moment in security, but my personal opinion is that it is better to withdraw funds from these companies. The Cake network has experienced a lot of difficulties lately and became a minor network and many question the robustness of the network: we advise to simply leave this network. You will find several other networks safer than those which still accept the Americans.
If you play on PokerStars or FullTilt Poker, I sincerely believe that your funds are safe and that there is no no panic. Is better not to have his eggs in one basket and remove the excess of your bankroll by caution.
If you play on Ultimate Bet / Absolute Poker, I sincerely believe that it looks not good for this network. They are not at their first scandal closely and it could be really fatal for them. They seem to look only in the short term and announced that they would continue to offer their platform to US players.
It remains that there is that charges brought, and that the guilt of the sites of games and their leaders has not yet proven. Is that they will be recognized guilty? Say that to see the success rate of the U.S. Justice Department, the chances are very high that they are recognized guilty. They have a 95% success rate. And there is also that a big political game is played behind it. A party where there is big money involved. There is a "chance" that airs everything except gambling.
First, the legalisation of poker online in the United States is near. Different gambling sites place their pawn for already a long time. PokerStars/FullTilt Poker made a bad shot (not that it was a bad move in either, but that this association will now turn against them) in Wynn's and Fertitta Interactive and they are now back to square one, but sites like 888 (and their partnership with Harrah's) have already placed their pawn. ZyngaPoker has recently acquired PokerTableRatings (odd that a play money site is now owner of a site like PTR?), PartyPoker and its partnership with Caesar Entertainment, and Washington, D.C., who announced this week he would allow the game online... in short, we are currently witnessing a game of chess, and it is the American Government which is in mode attack.
That said my crystal ball? And well we just live September 11 online poker. Just like September 11, life continues, but the face of online poker has probably just change everything forever. The seized sites will all be fine. There will probably be an agreement to avoid prison, and sites will pay a heavy fine. There is also very likely that PokerStars, FullTilt Poker, AbsolutePoker and Ultimate Bet no longer exist in their present form in the medium term. I do not mean by this that these sites will be failittes of the day after, but I expect instead merger or a sale of all or part of the assets (at least, PokerStars and FullTiltPoker); on the side of Absolute Poker and UltimateBet, is the new company that were acquired have strong enough kidneys? I doubt it.
In the coming months, it is certain that the legalization of gambling in the United States will be a hot topic. I do not believe that no site will be able to replace the PokerStars / FullTilt Poker in the same way as PartyPoker had been replaced in 2006. Probably PartyPoker also plays its own part of chess and tent already to block any opportunity for PokerStars / FullTilt Poker to receive a license... and say that they have good ammunition now!
The situation remains to be followed. To use the analogy of 11 September, let's just say that poker players get up this morning in the wake of September 11 by asking what comes of falling them on the head... lots of questions, few answers...
You can discuss this opinion column by clicking the following link: Chronicle of opinion about entering the FBI of PokerStars, FullTilt and the Cereus network - what should we think?
