So what now?
And so Frist and his compatriot bastards in Congress finally pushed their scheme to make online gambling more difficult through the Senate. The question is, what happens now?
First, it is important to note that, contrary to some of the hyperbole floating around out, even in the mainstream media, Congress has not "banned" online gambling, nor is playing online poker "illegal" as a result of this legislation. If you continue to play, you need not worry that the jack-booted thugs will soon be breaking down your door.
What the legislation does is make funding your poker account much more difficult ... maybe. The bill will require U.S. banks to block you from using your credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers from putting money into gambling sites. No one has yet explained to me how this affects electronic wallet services such as Neteller or Firepay. Neteller and Firepay are not gambling sites, even if their services are used primarily to fund gambling sites. Nor are they U.S. companies subject to U.S. law. So, I'm not convinced that the bill will have any affect on them. Your bank should not be required to block a transaction to Neteller, nor should Neteller be under any obligation to prevent you from putting funds in your Neteller account into any poker site.
But maybe I'm wrong, and if I am, I still think that there will be a workaround in the offing soon. It might require bouncing your money around one or two places in order to get it to a poker site, but it won't be impossible.
Now, this will certainly hurt the poker business, because anything that makes it more difficult to get money to a poker site will certainly hurt business, as there are plenty of technophobes out there who will give up without taking the time to figure out how to fund their accounts. But it won't stop it, and I don't think you will soon see U.S. players disappear from poker sites.
Finally, keep in mind that the bill does not take effect instantly. Financial institutions have up to nine months to figure out how to block transactions. That means the bill will not take practical effect next July, so there's still time to fund your accounts now. That time will give folks like the Poker Players Alliance time to seek an exemption for online poker. Many things could happen between now and then, so all hope is not lost.
While I am on the subject, though, keep in mind that there are a few things you can do to try to fix this mess. First, consider joining Poker Players Alliance to show your support for online poker. They ask for a donation when you join, but it can be any amount, and for as little as $20 you can get a pretty cool t-shirt.
Second, make your voice heard. Write your senators and congressman and let them know you object to this attack on online poker. If you don't know who your senators and congressman are, you can easily find them by visiting the House and Senate websites. (Hint: Every person in the U.S. is represented by two Senators and one member of the House of Representatives.)
Third, find out how your senators and representative voted on this issue and vote appropriately this November. Do not let this action go unpunished!
First, it is important to note that, contrary to some of the hyperbole floating around out, even in the mainstream media, Congress has not "banned" online gambling, nor is playing online poker "illegal" as a result of this legislation. If you continue to play, you need not worry that the jack-booted thugs will soon be breaking down your door.
What the legislation does is make funding your poker account much more difficult ... maybe. The bill will require U.S. banks to block you from using your credit cards, checks or electronic fund transfers from putting money into gambling sites. No one has yet explained to me how this affects electronic wallet services such as Neteller or Firepay. Neteller and Firepay are not gambling sites, even if their services are used primarily to fund gambling sites. Nor are they U.S. companies subject to U.S. law. So, I'm not convinced that the bill will have any affect on them. Your bank should not be required to block a transaction to Neteller, nor should Neteller be under any obligation to prevent you from putting funds in your Neteller account into any poker site.
But maybe I'm wrong, and if I am, I still think that there will be a workaround in the offing soon. It might require bouncing your money around one or two places in order to get it to a poker site, but it won't be impossible.
Now, this will certainly hurt the poker business, because anything that makes it more difficult to get money to a poker site will certainly hurt business, as there are plenty of technophobes out there who will give up without taking the time to figure out how to fund their accounts. But it won't stop it, and I don't think you will soon see U.S. players disappear from poker sites.
Finally, keep in mind that the bill does not take effect instantly. Financial institutions have up to nine months to figure out how to block transactions. That means the bill will not take practical effect next July, so there's still time to fund your accounts now. That time will give folks like the Poker Players Alliance time to seek an exemption for online poker. Many things could happen between now and then, so all hope is not lost.
While I am on the subject, though, keep in mind that there are a few things you can do to try to fix this mess. First, consider joining Poker Players Alliance to show your support for online poker. They ask for a donation when you join, but it can be any amount, and for as little as $20 you can get a pretty cool t-shirt.
Second, make your voice heard. Write your senators and congressman and let them know you object to this attack on online poker. If you don't know who your senators and congressman are, you can easily find them by visiting the House and Senate websites. (Hint: Every person in the U.S. is represented by two Senators and one member of the House of Representatives.)
Third, find out how your senators and representative voted on this issue and vote appropriately this November. Do not let this action go unpunished!
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