Suckers never die, they just exchange places with each other - A proberb
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US makes arrests in a major poker website crackdown
US AUTHORITIES have arrested several key people behind three of the largest online poker websites on charges of fraud and illegal gambling allegedly involving billions of pounds.
Manhattan federal prosecutors revealed that 11 people have been arrested and more than 75 bank accounts across 14 different countries have been frozen.
The websites involved are Pokerstars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. They all face charges under the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which prohibits companies from knowingly accepting payments from individuals involved in illegal gambling.
Some of the individuals charged are key executives of Full Tilt Poker, including its CEO, Raymond Bitar. The company issued a statement defending its staff and calling for their exoneration, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Both Full Tilt Poker and Pokerstars have suspended real money play for US players, but they have assured customers that their balances remain safe. Absolute Poker said it would not alter its US operations, saying that Congress has no control over its payment transactions.
Five domain names allegedly involved in illegal gambling, including Pokerstars.com, have been seized. The websites have been taken offline and replaced with a message from the FBI.
The defendants are accused of tricking and bribing US banks to ensure that money was transfered between bank accounts. Often these transactions use a tactic of disguising payments from US gamblers to non-existent online merchants.
Under the illegal gambling act the accused face up to five years imprisonment and a fine of £154,000, but the courts are seeking £1.8 billion in penalties. µ
Tags: Internet
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Are you serious?
I, as well as many tax paying citizens, work hard for their money. Taking away my right to spend some of it, or all of it for that matter, where I wish is NOT the responsibility or decision of the government of the U.S.A.
There are a few people in government that are upset they cannot control the rest of the world by taxing anything and everything they want.
Online poker is run outside of the U.S. in most situations, and therefore, they cannot control it, so they are doing a run around from the back end to charge these innocent people from their legitimate business.
Technology has changed the times, we need to accept it and embrace it. Online poker sites are fantastic and I for one will continue supporting them. They provide a good source of entertainment and are especially good for those folks who are not mobile or handicapped for instance who cannot walk around casinos. This brings me to the last thought.
If you think for one moment, the government is looking out for "your" best interests, you'd be wrong. There is no reason not to crack down on every casino in the country as they're no different in how they take you're money. If you ban one, you need to ban them all.
Those that didn't kill the king emigrated to America, and they still hold sway in matters of morals ... such as gambling. I remember when my dad had to bail out his mother, after she was arrested for playing bingo at the church hall. Some things never change.
the federal government can't or won't put an end to internet child porn sites but they can shut down online poker....this says something about society
All of the criminals should be prosecuted and imprisoned be they illegal poker players, scumbag criminal politicians, Wall Street Bankers, CEOs of corrupt corporations like Microsucks, InHell, Enron and all the oil company CEOs.
The thieving corporations banks and wall street, with D.C.s blessing have destroyed the world's economy; have precipitated unnecessary hardships, death, poverty on Billions of hard working law abiding citizens of the Earth and " The Law " doesn't even look in the direction of these mass destroyers of mankind.OH NO !!! They go after internet poker players. Are they trying to fill the prisons ?
Not good to do illegal online gambling.
Just in case you thought that being in another country made you exempt from US law.
Let that be a lesson.