The US Battle is Lost--What Next?

[Jack Benny]

What's really amazing is, no matter hard we worked to stop this bill from going through, phone calls, letters, etc, they could so casually dismiss us by getting the bill passed the only way they knew how: attaching it to a bill guaranteed to pass. The Port Security Bill could have had an amendment about beating your grandma in it, and it would have passed.

I would say vote out the incumbents, but it seems most everyone doesn't vote anyway--do you, who is reading this now?--or, if they do, they think they're all crooked EXCEPT their guy...

I think what we all need to know is:

What now?

How does the passage of this bill affect:

1) Our ability to continue to run our forums, or websites, for example, that carry affiliate links?

2) Our ability to continue to act as affiliates at all--will collecting our affiliate payments be considered aiding and abetting, and therefore illegal?

3) Our ability to host a gambling oriented forum from a US based machine?

4) Will poker rooms now cancel all affiliate arrangements with US affiliates?

I am, like most of us, too busy with my own forums to find the time to post elsewhere, but this seems to be both the right time and place to post such concerns. I'm starting this as a new topic to give us all a central locatuon for helpful information.

The battle is lost, so how do we continue?

[losercore]

As far I as I see this bill it affects credit card companies and banks.

It makes it illegal for credit card compainies and banks to make transactions with online gambling sites and puts the enforcement on the companies themselves.

I have not read anywhere that online gambling is or well be illegal.

Not very many people use credit cards or banks directley without going through a service like Neteller anymore anyway. The questions is how this may affect services like Neteller?

Advertising poker rooms as affiliates in not even mentioned in the bill that I have seen. They can kiss my ass if they think they are going arrest me for advertising poker sites.

Thank you US Government for protecting me from myself... I don't know what I would do without your expert leadership. I just might not wear a seatbelt when driving and talking on my cell phone while driving in California is now illegal. Good thing I can still eat a double cheesburger while driving and adjusting my radio. Oh wait! They will soon outlaw fatty foods. Remember! We are not smart enough to make proper eating decisions. As Americans we are so stupid. I am so glad there is an expert agency to tell us how we should live. We would be so lost. We should be praising the Government because they care so much about us they want to make sure we don't spend the money we earned the wrong way. How has the world survived for thousands of years before the US Governement came along and protected us from ourselves?

[tomt]

My impression is the same. Playing online poker is not illegal. The effect is on banks and credit card companies. I've also read that this is going to be in the courts for years.
So with a grain of salt or two I'm posting a "WARNING: Online poker may be illegal in your jurisdiction", type of disclaimer on the site, and going about my business.

[edmc]

I heard Neteller & such well developed bacause several credit card companies already had a policy of blocking payments to gambling sites so I dont think it will be a major change other than casual users who cant be bothered setting up an NeTeller account - Either way its not good. I heard Cuba is the new Florida

[PPP]

"The battle is lost, so how do we continue?"

This battle was lost months ago. Anybody who didn't think the bill would pass the instant Frist became involved was just deluding themself, and should ahve instead been preparing for somethig to pass.

What did pass was just about the best bill we could hope for. Certainly not good, but it could have been worse.

The real "battle" has not even begun. The first major battle will be if the government says neteller is an "online gambling site". That seems illogical but if they made rules that way, that is a major problem. If the government instead persues Neteller as a "financial institution" then it would be the entity breaking the law, and they may stop doing transactions, or they might say they are a legal company doing legal business in their jurisdiction.

[adioking]

Oh wait! They will soon outlaw fatty foods. Remember! We are not smart enough to make proper eating decisions. As Americans we are so stupid. I am so glad there is an expert agency to tell us how we should live.

I for one wouldn't mind if they banned fatty foods because at least that would extend the average age of people, whereas money and gambling don't have such a large effect, except people that sit in a chair all day playing. But if health reasons are the reason for any of that, they might as well ban white collar jobs.

[corpfan1]

Why is the "morale" so low here at PAW...everywhere else I am reading that it is the BEST thing/way it could have worked out!

Where is Jeremy to comment? You laying in a ditch bunny?

[losercore]

Originally Posted by corpfan1

Why is the "morale" so low here at PAW...everywhere else I am reading that it is the BEST thing/way it could have worked out!

Where is Jeremy to comment? You laying in a ditch bunny?

I agree Corp. Really this is not that bad from the way I interpret it. It could be way worse...

I'm just pissed that lawslike this pass at all. Regardless of the industry I can't stand the Government telling what to do.

[SmackDog]

I think the useres of PAW are more disapointed in their government then the actual bill that passed. Let's be honest, most of us do not know how to entirely interpret the bill and therefore are just making assumptions based on how it sounds to each of us.

As absentx stated in an other post, keep swimming in the gray until the paychecks stop coming in. For 99% of affiliates don't you think that if any affiliate is going to have problems first it is going to be places like pokerlistings and the likes. So if something does come up, you will have plenty of time to panic then.

Smackdog

[Jack Benny]

Hmmm...someone correct me, but the addition to the Port Security Bill doesn't seem to be ALL of HR 4411--that is to say, the combination of HR4411 and HR 4777--but rather, mostly the ORIGINAL HR 4411, the financial bill, which we've pretty much been dealing with all along...

Anyone? Or is it jusy my bleary eyes?