USA and EU Battle Over Online Gambling:
The United States (USA) and the European Union (EU) are currently battling over the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and possible violations of the World Trade Organization (WTO)
The EU is accusing the US of violating terms established by the WTO regarding online gambling companies operating within Europe.
A formal complaint could be lodged against the U.S. in the near future by the Remote Gambling Association (RGA) regarding the exclusion from the online gaming market in the United States, “It looks very much as if this matter will be sent to the WTO at the end of the commission’s investigation,” said Lode Van Den Hende, counsel for the RGA. This complaint also alleges that U.S. has continued to allow some American-based online gambling entities, like those processing wagers and bets on horse racing, despite the UIGEA of 2006
The U.S. will be looking at millions of dollars in damages if a formal complaint to the WTO is filed.
The RGA also was a firm supporter in the recently passed bill (HR 6870) by Barney Frank which challenged the original UIGEA of 2006 as well as the UIGEA Clarification Act (HR 6663) expresseing strong support for its sponsors for taking positive action to clarify the law.
The EU Commission is expected to conclude its TBR investigation and reach a decision before the end of this year. The decision will determine whether the case will be sent to the WTO for determination, followed by sanctions awarded against the US if the EU wins. However, if (HR 6663) becomes law it will go a very long way to meeting the concerns of the RGA and the EU.
Clive Hawkswood, the RGA’s Chief Executive, said; “We took our case directly to US legislators who have heard our message, understood the inequity of the Department of Justices’ stance, and appreciated both the unfairness in their
enforcement policy and the risk to US priority interests and its reputation if the policy was pursued further. This could be a major step in demonstrating that the RGA rule of law and the integrity of the WTO are still important in Washington.
Although this is a good sign, unless and until the legislation is passed and comes into force, all EU operators who have ever taken business from the US market are potentially still under threat of prosecution and we will be forced to pursue
this matter as far as it needs to go to obtain a sensible solution and fair justice.
As representatives of the EU industry we have nothing but praise for the UIGEA Clarification Act supporters who have acted decisively to rectify an unnecessary and avoidable dispute and safeguard both principles of basic fairness and the trading relationship between the US and the EU.”
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Posted on 17 May 2010 by admin
At the end of February, 2010, the United States Department of Revenue sent a letter to the organizers of the Alaska Hold’em Poker Tournament. The letter stated that the annual tournament was in violation of anti-gambling laws and must be shut down. The tournament organizers did cancel the 2010 tournament, amongst much protest from poker players, online poker reviews, and festival attendees alike.
The annual Alaska Hold’em Poker Tournament has traditionally had no buy in and the winnings go directly to charitable organizations. The tournament champion wins a ring and a trip to Las Vegas for the World Series of Poker, but other than that the game is played as a fun way to raise money for charity. The Fur Rendezvous Festival does hold a charitable gaming license to run the annual tournament, but the Department of Revenue posits that the way in which the Alaska Hold’em Poker Tournament is run might constitute illegal gambling because of the prize package. Fur Rendezvous Festival asked the attorney general for a ruling, but there simply wasn’t enough time to save this year’s tournament.
Meanwhile, police in Twin Falls, Idaho were breaking up a weekly poker game at a local senior living center. About 20 residents had a routine of meeting up every Friday evening to play Texas Hold’em for a $20 buy in. Much of the money was given as monthly charitable donations by the group to the senior center in which they lived. In essence, the folks were socializing, technically in their home, and played poker as a small fundraiser. Yet, instead of the polite letter that the Fur Rendezvous Festival organizers received, this geriatric poker game was invaded by police one recent Friday night. While reports indicate that the cops acted in a respectful manner to their elders, they did stop the game and issue a cease and desist order to the residents. Not willing to give up their fun, the residents met the very next week and have been playing with play money ever since. However, the senior living center has lost a cherished, albeit small, donation income. After all, in many ways it is the thought that counts.
From questioning the charitable gaming license of an annually held event to telling the elderly that they can’t gamble at poker in their own home, recent crackdowns on charitable gambling has some legislators worried. The good news is that they are working to change the laws so that charities and seniors can once again have their games. The Idaho legislature heard about the seniors and is now working on a bill that allows local officials such as police to use their own discretion in enforcing anti-gambling laws. The implication being that the elderly in this case should be left alone. At the same time, the Iowa House State Government Committee is debating a bill that will not only legalize gambling on college sports, it will also allow Iowa residents to play in online poker rooms with real money. The system by which it would happen is a bit complex, but it is still a loosening of the current laws.
Loosening of current laws is good news for poker players. The near future could see a rise in the legality of poker playing, both at tables, and in online poker rooms. This is a good time to read up on online poker room rating and online poker reviews to prepare for the onslaught of new players that will show up if new laws are passed.
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Posted on 08 May 2010 by admin
Playing betting games has been a favorite hobby of people of about every background for hundreds of years. It only makes sense that a hobby that has been vastly common for decades would boom in the time of the Internet. With instantaneous admission to online casinos, gaming fanciers could take part in their most favorite games of technique and fortune, with simply the click of a mouse. Internet casinos were almost entirely sure to be gigantic industries and all types of people were jumping at the change to make a ton of money. However, in some countries, governing body regulations endangered bringing all of the massive internet casino development to a stand still.
As 2006 turned the corner, the United States gambling administration made a reality out of the SAFE Port Act, which was a very necessary bill of statute law protecting the ports of the USA. However, legislators added on an unrelated amendment in the new law, regulating cyberspace gambling. What is now known as the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006 changed the law to make any transfer of currency to online gaming companies a criminal act in the United States. Now that they no longer had the power to utilizeemploy the Web to give monetary winnings to Americans who play on their site, many online casinos were put in a position that they were forced to entirely pull out of the US market, even though a handful continued to serve American players.
A lot of people worried that some of the online casinos that were a favorite with US gamblers could end up closing their doors, halting the growth of the online casino industry on a deep level. The industry stumbled briefly, with a lot of the gambling casinos accounting major losses in the weeks after the passing of the bill. Within just a few months, many of the major online casinos started to steady themselves and grow oncemore. Smaller internet-based gambling casinos with a large United States customer database booked the hardest hit from the law, some having to sell out their businesses. Regardless, within just a couple of calendar months, a lot of of the major internet sites began to steady themselves and grow once more.
In the course of 2008, the number of online casinos and betting institutions were said to have increased by almost 25%, proving that there obviously had to have been enough increase in player visitors that companies were entirely comfortable opening up new internet gaming establishments.
The future for online casinos seems brighter than it ever has been. Expert anaylsts have predicted that over the course of the next couple of years, the online gambling casino industry will likely see an additional 11 percent increase in number of players each year, with the American laws not having the chance to change. In fact, it makes sense to think that that figure could growlikely increase substantially more, should the new leaders in the nation reverse the UIGEA and restore the lawfulness of web-based online gambling in the United States of America. Either way, new online casinos will continue to appear on a regular basis and the top sites will continue to grow in numbers.
Posted on 24 April 2010 by admin
Seeing poker in a legal perspective, it may differ a little bit from the online casino gambling. Online poker is relatively legal and it is regulated in wide array of countries which comprise of various nations within the Caribbean Sea and notably the United Kingdoms. In the place of United State particularly in North Dakota, their House of Representative passed a bill during the year 2005 of February with an aim to legalize as well as regulate online poker cardroom operators and the online poker per see. The primary aim of the legislation is to physically locate the whole operation in the state. It was Nigel Payne who testifed in front of the Judiciary committee that they would have to relocate to the state just in case the bill is made into law.
Nonetheless, the measure was defeated during March 20005 by the State Senate later when the US Department of Justice provided a letter to Wayne Stenehjem who is North Dakota’s attorney general. The letter contains the note that online gaming ‘may’ be regarded as illegal plus the pending legislation ‘might’ in one way or another violate the federal Wire Act. On the other hand, a lot of legal experts were against the claim of the DOJ.
Now, for the latest poker news, many poker enthusiasts will be happy that Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) wisely taken a new route in order to win the battle for poker acceptance by the Congress. It was poker news that everyone is talking about. Basically, he introduced a bill that will not mainly focus on the regularization of online gambling, nevertheless it will be able to earmark the income obtained through the collection of taxes for programs that will serve as an assistance to the U.S. citizens who are deeply in need, financially. Through this means, Rep. McDermott is pleading on his knee that those legislators who have beforehand opposed the regulation will be able to open their eyes not to vote against the bill.
The said Human Resources Act of 2008 (H.R. 6501) will be able to funnel revenue which may be as high as $40 billion in just a span of 10 years. This money will be used for programs that would grant job training for those people who belong to the struggling parts of the economy. Furthermore, this will also provide educational assistance that will foster children. In addition, the said legislation will also tender gambling safety and accountability. In view of this, it is not hard to imagine why the National Council on Problem Gambling approved such legislation.
The credit should be given to the two Democratic leaders in the person of Rep. John B. Larson (D-Conn.) who is a vice chair of the Democratic Caucus and Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), a chairman of the House Democratic Policy Committee. This poker news will surely paint a smile on the faces of people who wanted nothing but to legalize their source of happiness and relaxation; online poker.
Sean Moronse is a professional poker player. Visit his website and subscribe to his free ecourse on how to win using the latest Poker News and poker tournament strategy at http://www.SitNGoGenius.com
Posted on 10 March 2010 by admin
The recession has slashed casino profits and taxes, and it has made the job of regulating Nevada’s casino industry tougher. So legislators said they worried about how budget cuts would affect Nevada’s reputation for casino regulation.
Posted on 07 February 2010 by admin
Backed by the online poker industry, U.S. legislators are gearing up for a big push to legalize Internet gambling before the end of a six-month reprieve, according to a report in the Washington Post. After Sen. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) successfully f…
