What Has the Impact Been? |
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Posted Fri Dec 15, 2006 12:34 pm GMT by lwestatbus
Well, it has been a couple of months now since my old site closed out the US players. I had a pretty seamless transition to PokerStars via NeTeller and haven't had any real impact on my daily play.
The issue seems to have dropped off the news media and even this forum thread hasn't had a lot of activity lately.
So, what has been the practical impact of the ban? How about letting us know about any personal impacts and whether you've heard of any of the following:
1. Prosecution of any site by the US gov't since the ban.
2. Reversals of decisions by sites that originally decided to ban US players.
3. Info on implementing ban provisions by the US gov't.
4. Financial impacts (good or bad) on any of the sites.
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Posted Fri Dec 15, 2006 2:11 pm GMT by vyni
Over the past 2 days, there's been several articles of rising activity in party. Attributed to returning higher limit players: that when they left the US market many non-US higher limit players followed the US crowd to stars, tilt, etc. Reports are that those higher raked players have been returning to party. But overall, those rooms that left the US market have taken massive losses. Party laid off 940 people (approx 40% of their employees). Stars on the other hand has become the new king of the hill in the poker world. Tilt also benefitted, but the largest crowd of migrating player landed on stars.
Future of pacific/888 is in question with several buyout offers, most noteably from ladbrokes. Party has had offers but I dont believe they intend to sell (only they know however). Intresting that amoung those offers was Harrahs. Something smells awful there to me, but would certainly bring hope to regulation in the US. Can't help but think that harrahs is playing dirty, but at the same time there's been talk of at least 2 different companies whose buyout of Harrahs has been being considered.
Globaly, Italy opens up to regulation in January, South Africa is moving to regulation, Russias future is in question, and apparently there may now be an issue evolving in German states.
Another impact I havent followed up on yet is the activity in the WTO. Think there's a few months yet before they're to announce a decision on the proposed sanction (Antigua is looking for rights to royalty free distribution of cds and dvds as penalty for the USs continued violation of WTO rulings. Not sure if it was limitted to cds and dvds or not, will fetch details if WTO rules in Antiguas favor again).
I've heard nothing of prosecution. As to poker rooms flipping sides on the issue, none of the larger establighed ones. There's been conflicting comments on some smaller rooms such as doyles and golden palace (both part of the tribeca network if i recall correctly, which has announced its leaving the us market but doyles/golden were believed to stay in market and possibly leave tribeca).
Nothing will happen in the Us politicaly until next year, and I'm sorry to say but I'm not expecting some big reversal or carveout anytime soon 
Posted Fri Dec 15, 2006 3:19 pm GMT by BeerWench13
| vyni wrote: | | Nothing will happen in the Us politicaly until next year, and I'm sorry to say but I'm not expecting some big reversal or carveout anytime soon |
It won't happen until someone finds a way to regulate it so that Uncle Sam gets his cut. If they can tax it, they will probably reverse it. Our government doesn't like to leave any money lying on the table.
Personally, the ban has had no impact on my play with the exception that I don't get to play PP with party's free money.
Posted Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:02 pm GMT by vyni
Just an update.
Sid forwarded this to me moments ago...
| Sid Lambert wrote: | Internet gaming ban fails in Germany
No agreement on legislation to ban internet gambling was reached at a meeting of the 16 leaders of the German federal states on Wednesday. The meeting was held in Berlin with a view to passing legislation that would prohibit private operators from working on German soil.
However, the leader of the state of Schleswig-Holstein, as announced beforehand, refused to sign the proposal while the representatives of the 15 other states signed it in a ‘circulation procedure’. No final draft resolution was signed or agreed on. In addition, the leader of the state of Lower Saxony said in a press conference that any legislation passed by the leaders of the German states would be presented to the European Commission to examine its applicability.
Munich-based law firm Hambach & Hambach has told eGaming Review that although the regional leaders favouring a ban hope Schleswig-Holstein will eventually agree to prohibitive legislation, Schleswig-Holstein's state parliament “has already decided unanimously and instructed the prime minister (of Schleswig-Holstein) to not agree to the current draft, at least until the European Court of Justice (ECJ) made its judgment in the Placanica case, which is due in February or March 2007”. The Placanica case will decide if European state operators can retain their monopolies, as it will rule on whether EU countries can outlaw operators licensed in another member state.
Konrad Miller, attorney at Hambach & Hambach, added that the ECJ is expected to rule in favour of EU-licensed operators. “The ruling would exceed (the) Gambelli (case) in as far as the question, of whether the national monopoly provisions are infringing EU law, would be answered by the ECJ itself and not being left to the national courts,” he said.
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Posted Mon Dec 18, 2006 6:12 pm GMT by xDiamond_CutteRx
Neteller is still up and running, which means any sites that allow US players are effectively open for them. Neteller previously said they would act as though the Act applied to them, but so far they have done nothing, so they are either waiting for the 270-day waiting period to expire, or they've changed their plans. Until they do, site traffic should remain heavy.
PokerStars and FullTilt are both doing as well as ever, actually better since Party left the US market.
No Poker players will ever be prosecuted under this, because the Act targets financial insitutions, not individuals.
If Neteller stays open, then there is nothing to worry about. If it closes, we either need a carve-out or another third party bank available.
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