If you happen to play online poker at some of the most popular US poker sites, such as PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, or Absolute Poker, you may have been surprised to find the sites under indictment as of April 15th. More specifically, the owners and some employees of these sites were indicted on counts of bank fraud, money laundering, and other illegal gambling offenses, resulting in the seizure of 76 bank accounts in 14 countries until the mess is sorted out. So where does that leave players? While those who already have accounts may continue to use them, they might not have access to funds (those that are in the frozen accounts), and new users will find that they have trouble creating an account. In essence, the doors have been closed on these prominent gambling sites.
Although the Department of Justice has taken the rights of users into account, striking deals with two online poker sites, PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker that allow for player refunds, site representatives are claiming that they lack the ability to follow through on such payouts because their funds are still unavailable. This is bad news for many players. Although some people merely have a little fun money tied up in their online accounts with these websites, others have upwards of six or seven figures riding on the outcome of these indictments. Ouch!
There seems to be little that individual players can do about the situation, but never fear if you are one of the many users caught up in this government action. Remember that there can be no taxation without representation, which means you have a voice and you should use it. In fact, quite a few people have already made a call to arms (so to speak) in the online forum. In particular, the Poker Players Alliance (PPA), a group that strives to protect the rights of gamblers within the U.S., has started a movement to involve players in the governing process by urging them to contact Congressmen, Senators, the DoJ, and even President Obama with their complaints. They recommend doing this not only through the regular channels (phone, letters) but also with modern communication. To that end, their website has links to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and other social networking sites (they even have an iPhone app).
If you’re interested in seeing what’s going on at the PPA or getting in on the effort yourself, you should definitely check out their Take Action page to see how you can get involved. It is reported that upwards of 65,000 people have already sent out letters, emails, and other communiqués to the government and the press to complain about the situation. But even more than that, people seem to be calling for an end to government-imposed bans on the adult sport of gambling. The main thrust seems to be legalization and taxation that would allow otherwise consenting adults to do what they wish with their money (as long as they give the government a cut). And at a time when the country (and indeed the world) is mired in a seemingly unending recession, you’d think the government could really benefit from the additional income.