Yes, Begged!

The thieves in DC have pulled off a great con! All along, they (Republicans) want to tax the (disappearing) middle class to extinction. There is a very large number of us who have fallen to the depths of begging to be taxed… for the “privilege” of playing Poker online!

Forget about the fact the MILLIONS play online around the world without the albatross hanging around their necks. They don’t have our elected thieves! Forget about the fact that what we do with OUR time and OUR money should be OUR choices. Here! PLEASE Tax us! Please take a chunk of our money! The Gov’t hook is in our mouths… it’s set, and we’re being reeled in!

I don’t know about you, but I’m so tired of the same old song coming out of Washington… Do anything to defeat Obama! Do anything to divide the classes! Do anything to protect the wealthy! Do anything to oppress the poor!

I received an email this week from the “Poker Player’s Alliance” that participated in a conference hosted by the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) to discuss the outlook for licensed Internet poker with state lawmakers, lottery officials, and tribal leaders.

In the report, the PPA states:

“Unfortunately, it is abundantly clear that the states’ sole interest in perusing licensing is to raise revenue, and that should be a concern for players. Public policy centered on maximizing government revenues will never produce positive outcomes for consumers. While revenue is a natural byproduct of regulation, it should first be about protecting players and giving adults the freedom to engage in a game of skill over the Internet, rather than about maximizing the rake by limiting competition.”

We don’t have enough pockets for everyone!

The report goes on: the PPA is a strong supporter of Rep. Barton’s H.R. 2366, the Online Poker Act. H.R. 2366 puts consumers first, while giving states the option of participating in licensed Internet poker.

It is important that we continue making our voices heard in our state capitals. We need to continue paving the way so that each governor makes the right decision here. Let’s all tell our governors and state elected representatives that we want the right to play poker in our own homes on our own computers and that we want them to support federal legislation to enable this freedom.

To make this easy for you, they’ve created an editable letter to send to your state officials. You can get it here:

http://www.capwiz.com/pokerplayersalliance/issues/alert/?alertid=50908541&type=ML

Finally, if you want to get involved, or simply read what others are doing, you can subscribe to the PPA Newsletter here:

http://theppa.org/subscribe/

It seems to me that we’ve been handed the best tool available for getting Online Gambling legalized in the US.

Poker is a great pastime, and we’ve proven that by skirting the law, avoiding the funding restrictions, and ignoring the UIGEA.

… and what did we get? Screwed! Screwed out of our money by unscrupulous, greedy operators of such sites as: Full Tilt Poker, Ultimate Bet, and Absolute Poker. Doesn’t that alone SCREAM for US Regulation? It’s the US Department of Justice that brought those cheating executives down for the good of the whole World… and the good of Poker, Online Gambling, and players everywhere.

I have to say “I told you so”. I’m still against the UIGEA… more so than ever! Can anyone now say that US intervention is wrong? Can anyone now say to the US Gov’t – “Hands Off Internet Gambling”?

Here’s today’s news:
“Last week, the U.S. Justice Department in a civil suit accused several directors of the company behind the Full Tilt Poker website of defrauding thousands of online poker players out of more than $300 million that is still owed to them.

The Justice Department’s civil suit against Full Tilt alleges that in 2010, Full Tilt began having trouble accepting new bets from players, thanks to U.S. efforts to crack down on payment-processing services for online gambling. But the U.S. says that Full Tilt’s owners kept paying themselves millions of dollars anyway, fraudulently depleting the player funds on deposit with the company.”

Re-read that my friends “Full Tilt began having trouble accepting new bets from players, thanks to U.S. efforts to crack down on payment-processing services for online gambling”

“Thanks to U.S. efforts”… so what did the directors do? They went on paying themselves $Millions! Can you say “Madoff”? They all belong in the same prison!

This would not have happened if Bush hadn’t snuck the damn UIGEA into the Ports Protection bill late on a Friday night… (See the whole story elsewhere in this blog). No, instead, we’d have US regulations, US taxes, and US protection – not from ourselves (as the addiction chicken-littles profess) but from thieves operating under the guise of Officers of the Corporations.

So, again I ask you all to get behind the efforts to eliminate the UIGEA for the good of us all (yes – ALL … think what the tax revenues will do FOR us). Contact our hero, our front-man, our point… Rep. Barney Frank D-Mass, and let him know that he’s on the right course, and that you support his efforts to right this wrong!

DOJ says Full Tilt was a global Ponzi scheme
20 September 2011

By Dan Igo

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday that Full Tilt Poker operated as a “global Ponzi scheme” and that its primary owners, including poker professionals Howard Lederer and Chris “Jesus” Ferguson, defrauded the site’s players out of hundreds of millions of dollars.

The DOJ filed a motion to amend an earlier civil complaint against Full Tilt Poker to include “additional allegations, claims, and defendants concerning a fraudulent scheme by Full Tilt Poker and its Board of Directors concerning the misuse of players’ funds,” according to a memorandum sent out by Preet Bharara, U.S. Attorney from the Southern District of New York.

“Full Tilt was not a legitimate poker company, but a global Ponzi scheme,” Bharara said in a statement. “Full Tilt insiders lined their own pockets with funds picked from the pockets of their most loyal customers while blithely lying to both players and the public alike about the safety and security of the money deposited.”

Lederer, Ferguson, former CEO Ray Bitar and Rafael “Rafe” Furst, all owners of Full Tilt Poker, are accused of distributing approximately $443 million to themselves and other owners of the company. The amended complaint alleges that Full Tilt mixed player funds with operating funds, despite public claims to the contrary by the site.

The DOJ said that by the end of March, Full Tilt Poker owed approximately $390 million to players worldwide, including $150 million to American players, but had less than $60 million in its bank accounts.

“Full Tilt Poker allowed players to gamble with — and lose to other players — this phantom money that Full Tilt Poker never actually collected or possessed,” the DOJ said in a memo.

Lederer, Ferguson and Furst were not included in the original April 15 indictment against the founders of Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars and Absolute Poker. Those three sites were accused of bank fraud, money laundering, illegal gambling offenses and violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. All three stopped taking American players shortly after the indictment.

Repaying players has been a totally different matter. PokerStars has paid more than $120 million to American players, and has had no significant delays in paying its international customer base. Full Tilt and Absolute Poker, meanwhile, still owe their players millions of dollars..

The amended complaint claims that Lederer personally received $42 million in company funds, while Ferguson was allocated over $85 million in distributions, but only received about $25 million of this sum.

An unnamed Full Tilt Poker pro received at least $40 million in distributions, while also receiving millions of dollars characterized as loans by Full Tilt. Over $4 million of these loans have not been repaid.

The amendment also states that up until April 2011, Full Tilt Poker continued making payments of up to $10 million per month to its owners, despite the company’s liquidity issues.

Full Tilt Poker’s website stated as of yesterday that players’ funds were “safe and secure.”

The DOJ is seeking $40 million from Bitar, $41.8 million from Lederer, $25 million from Ferguson and $11.7 million from Furst.

(Reprinted from Casino City Times)

I haven’t been able to log in to FTP today, and I heard that Alderney Gambling Control Commission has suspended Full Tilt Poker’s license.

What’s the meaning of that?

Is it Temporary? Forever?

This is all I could find so far: 
http://www.kansascity.com/2011/06/29/2983486/full-tilts-offshore-gambling-license.html

And this:

“Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) has today issued Hearing Notices under Regulation 46 of its Regulations to Vantage Ltd, Oxalic Ltd, Filco Ltd and Orinic Ltd, collectively trading as FULL TILT POKER.

In addition, AGCC has issued Suspension Notices under Regulation 47 to the above named companies requiring them to suspend all operations with immediate effect.

The decision to suspend these licenses follows a special investigation prompted by the indictments unsealed by U.S. Attorney General’s Office in the Southern District of New York on April 15, 2011, during which grounds were found to indicate that these licensees and their business associates were operating contrary to Alderney legislation. The nature of the findings necessitated the taking of immediate action in the public interest.

The venue and date for the hearing will be announced in due course.

Issued by:

André Wilsenach (Executive Director)
Alderney Gambling Control Commission
Alderney,
Channel Islands

Date issued: 29th June 2011”

Read more: http://www.pokernews.com/news/2011/06/breaking-news-full-tilt-poker-license-suspended-by-agcc-10629.htm

My Squidoo lenses were “locked” today. That means taken down, unpublished, hidden away, destroyed, obliterated, bombed, and killed. Know why? Because they were about the Horse races; Kentucky Derby, the Preakness, and one about Las Vegas (and how to save money on your next visit).

Those lenses were labeled by the Squidoo Brainiacs as Gambling.

These were simple lenses of information – that’s all – information. But the Squidoo Fools called the lenses: “Gambling”

Gambling!

How often must I say this? How often must I cry in the dark? What does it take to get through to some people? What must my message be to convince the powers-at-be that:

EVERYTHING WE DO IS A GAMBLE. You’ve seen my writings in the past about Stocks, and Bonds, and Insurance, and what we buy at the Grocery store, and which Mate we choose…. on and on and on and on and on and…

Until ALL lenses are removed (show me one that isn’t about Gambling) then the removal of mine is highly, HIGHLY discriminatory!!!! Perhaps, even illegal.

I look forward to the day when this “Gambling phobia” is challenged in court and made illegal!!!!

I read last week that one elementary school has decided that their student can’t have Easter Eggs… they must only have: “Spring Spheres”. oh brother!

So, if that kind of nonsense gets it’s day in court, then mine must too!

I maintain that one can’t decide on any thing over any other thing without that act being a “gamble”.

What say you?…

Oh, and one more thing: Squidoo? Grow up!

Got 5 minutes? You can make a big difference in the online gambling status of the US… plus, you might win a great prize!

USGamingSurvey.com wants your opinion!

We USA players sit by and watch the rest of the World have all the fun… and the time to make a change has never been better! There’s a new bill; HR 1174 sponsored by Congressmen Barney Frank (D-MA) and John Campbell (R-CA) which is similar to Barney Frank’s bill HR 2267 that will repeal the stupid UIGEA that we laughingly observe today.

So, take advantage of this political climate and “get in and help out”!

Go to USGamingSurvey.com and lay your chips on the table!

Sep 29, 2010:  H.R. 2267

House Committee on Judiciary Granted an extension for further consideration ending not later than Nov. 19, 2010.

They’re busy! They have so much to do! They can’t be bothered with this… THEY HAVE THEIR ELECTIONS TO WORRY ABOUT!

Read the whole story in my earlier post:

Sept 21, 2010: Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act = the enemy

Also read my post from the same day:

What the Hell’s Wrong with this Congress?

You all know I’m a big Obama supporter. That being said, I’m naturally a big Democratic Congress supporter… so what the hell’s wrong?????

Ignoring for the moment ALL the current (popular) complaints, gripes and whines… I’ve got two little (?) issues that are driving me MAD! Mad as in Angry, not insane – LOL

First, why can we find money for the war(s), the bail out of banks that brought it upon themselves to fail (?), car manufacturers too, aid to any and every catastrophe that happens around the World (including our boasting enemy – Pakistan and their recent flood) – YET – we can’t “find” any money to help out our own Americans who have lost everything due to YOU KNOW WHO and the HORRIBLE policies put into place during THEIR administrations (don’t guess – I’m talking about Bush and Reagan – with a little Clinton thrown in for balance (’cause he signed that awful bill that has allowed – no FORCED our jobs overseas).

But I digress… I’m talking about our own unemployed that have exhausted all their benefits and have nothing left – their savings are gone, their homes are gone, their jobs are gone, their hopes too, are now gone! Why can’t this Congress find money for them? After all, they will put it right back into our economy by spending every last dime of it. Unlike the tax breaks for the rich corporations who can now afford to build new factories…. in China!

It seems like a no-brainer to me… but not to the Republicans who bitch about our runaway deficit. It’s so maddening…. they somehow can’t remember that Clinton left office with a surplus!!!! and the subsequent administration (THEIR’S) drove the economy to the ground like a wingless bird! And NOW they bitch!!!!

nuff said… onto number two and the real reason for this rant.

Rep. Franks IS GIVING UP ON HIS GAMBLING BILL!

Oh say it ain’t so, Joe!

Yep, no one in Congress is willing to push this through (or anything else of importance it seems) until after the upcoming election – MANY WEEKS left of that excuse! It seems that there is always another handy excuse to put off any help for us. The last one really pissed me off – they had to go on a month’s vacation for the month of August! Now, they can’t make decisions because they have to protect their own asses because of the pending election (changes?).

And never forget, that the lobbyists don’t take month-long vacations, and they have so much money, they don’t worry about the election. They can pay now AND pay later!

Read about Barney Franks concerns here:
http://www.gambling911.com/gambling-news/barney-frank-not-optimistic-about-online-gambling-bill-092110.html

Keep the faith Brother -

Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006

Overview
May 20, 2010
This document provides an overview of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA or Act), 31 USC 5361-5366, and sets forth procedures for reviewing compliance by financial institutions with the joint rule promulgated pursuant to the Act by the Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (Federal Reserve Board). An identical joint rule is published in two parts of the Code of Federal Regulations (12 CFR Part 233 (Federal Reserve Board) and 31 CFR Part 132 (Treasury)).

If you want to read this piece of crap, you can download it here.

July 28th was a good day!

On that day, HR2267, the gambling bill written by Congressman Barney Franks (overturning the UIGEA) passed through the House Financial Services Committee, and signed on it’s 70th Co-Sponsor, Rep John Campbell, California.

It’s not such a small step either. Before the bill even reaches the House for a vote, we have a great number of Lawmakers ready to vote YES!

While the House Financial Services Committee approved the Internet gambling regulatory bill, it has been now been sent to the House Energy and Commerce and the House Judiciary committees.
If the bill passes those committees, it would go before the House of Representatives. It needs only a majority of the vote, only 148 votes in favor of the bill are needed.
The House is on vacation this month (August) and has a full agenda when it returns in September. Just when they’ll get our bill of course, is anybody’s guess right now.
Add to that, the November election is looming and looking very shaky so that will have a definite dampening effect on when (or if) our bill, which would regulate online gambling in the US by overturning the UIGEA, comes to a vote.
Unfortunately for sports fans, Online Sportsbooks in the US would not be covered by this legislation.
So, let’s hope more co-sponsors sign on. Let’s hope the bill goes to the House for a vote. And let’s hope the outcome is the only fair one – the revocation of that horrible UIGEA.