Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Pokerstars announced today that you can send money through moneygram to them.

Moneygram is a $2.5B company traded on the NYSE based in Minneapolis. Money is deposited at agents (like convenience stores) and then can be deposited to Pokerstars.

I am sure the lawyers for both Stars and Moneygram have looked into this extensively. Thoughts?

http://www.pokerstars.com/poker/real-money/moneygram/

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=MGI

MoneyGram is an international money transfer service. There are approximately 100,000 MoneyGram agent locations worldwide. MoneyGram ExpressPayment is a service offered by MoneyGram that allows you to send cash from any MoneyGram agent location directly to your PokerStars account.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Good to see they are looking into things but looks somewhat complicated and expensive for average joes.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Maybe a little tricky (not too much), but more importantly lawyers for Moneygram (a $2.5Billion U.S. company) must have come to the conclusion that poker is legal. Right?

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Pokerstars should credit people with the transfer fee directly to their account. They make enough off the rake.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

The minimum purchase is $50. Moneygram charges a flat $9.95 per transfer and it is a deposit method only. Hmmmm, is a high cost for the small Fishees.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Maybe a little tricky (not too much), but more importantly lawyers for Moneygram (a $2.5Billion U.S. company) must have come to the conclusion that poker is legal. Right?

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Well, I know for a fact FTP's attorneys feel like FTP is not breaking any laws.

I guess that could be considered the conclusion, although there are a lot of people in DC that will tell you the whole debate over whether to include "games subject to chance" or "games subjected predominantly to chance" in the bill.

We all know now that "games subject to chance" was included, and many have said that was definitely intended to kill the argument that poker is not "predominantly" subject to chance.

Subject to chance just covers pretty much everything.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

I don't understand how epassporte, moneygram, etc. think that serving poker sites is a winner long term. They're very publically flaunting the DOJ's (and most others') interpretation of the law. They must know that the DOJ knows their logos are on FT's and other sites' deposit page.

Are they trying to get in and get out with a profit and playing chicken with the DOJ? Do they honestly think they're not going to get [censored] by the feds?

After neteller, I'd stay far away from poker/gambling sites if I ran epassporte.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

These companies aren't completely stupid and spent alot of money I am sure on legal representation before jumping in feet first.

These guys are a multi-billion dollar U.S. company, traded on the New York Stock Exchange.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

3128 posts, have you learned a thing? Maybe Moneygram doesn't know their service is being used for these purposes?

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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3128 posts, have you learned a thing? Maybe Moneygram doesn't know their service is being used for these purposes?

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Are you serious? Someone enters into a multi million dollar deal without even going to the website of the company they're dealing with? lol.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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3128 posts, have you learned a thing? Maybe Moneygram doesn't know their service is being used for these purposes?

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durka durka durka

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

jeez man 9.95 is pretty steep for $50 wtf

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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jeez man 9.95 is pretty cheap for any large amount of money what it do

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Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Good to see they are looking into things but looks somewhat complicated and expensive for average joes.

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I'll put the over and under at March 1st for Moneygram to still allow transfers to Stars.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Has anyone searched for a moneygram near them? I did, and it found nothing. I can't tell from the search engine whether it only searched my town or nearby towns as well. I put in a few towns near me and still nothing. And I live in a pretty populated part of the country. Useless.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Owl,

You should change your title to "US based company decides to send money to Pokerstars". When was the last time Pokerstars decided to stop taking US based funds?

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Moneygram sure is a die-hard. And hard shall Moneygram dies. Goodluck

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Has anyone searched for a moneygram near them? I did, and it found nothing.

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5 in the city near me. Not that large either.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

My dad used Moneygram last night. I'm telling you fish don't care about the fee. They just want to play cards.

Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't Full Tilt already using these services?

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

And also, $10 on a $2000 deposit is only 2% which you are going to pay using Epassport anyways.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Has anyone searched for a moneygram near them? I did, and it found nothing.

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5 in the city near me. Not that large either.

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Every Wal-Mart from Central PA to Pittsburgh is showing up as a Moneygram location, as well as a lot of grocery stores (both local and national chains).

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

If this moneygram keeps working, then I think thats a good thing. I'm sure lots of fish will be happy to deposit into their pokerstars acct when shopping at Walmart... then they can just get a paper check to cash out. Ya its not as convenient as Neteller, but its alot easier than setting up another ewallet that takes like a month to get everything going and sometimes wants your social security number. Sure, $10 fee on a $50 deposit is pretty steep, but once you deposit more than $200 its not that big of a % hit. I hope other poker sites start allowing this too.

BB

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Has anyone searched for a moneygram near them? I did, and it found nothing. I can't tell from the search engine whether it only searched my town or nearby towns as well. I put in a few towns near me and still nothing. And I live in a pretty populated part of the country. Useless.

[/ QUOTE ] There are 8 in my zip code in Chicago and it appears that at least one mid-major bank (US Bank perhaps not coincidentally) has it available at every branch in the area.

Downside? Neither of the 2 24 hour chains here, Seven-Eleven or White Hen (actually the same company now I think) have it as an option. That limits to a degree the impuslive drunken fish factor.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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That limits to a degree the impuslive drunken fish factor.


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This is not realistic, even with 24 hour service. There will be some premeditation if you have to leave your house to deposit.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Has anyone searched for a moneygram near them? I did, and it found nothing. I can't tell from the search engine whether it only searched my town or nearby towns as well. I put in a few towns near me and still nothing. And I live in a pretty populated part of the country. Useless.

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Don't enter a zip code in your search. That baffled me at first when I only found one in my city. When I removed the zip code more than a dozen were returned.

Onaflag..........

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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more importantly lawyers for Moneygram (a $2.5Billion U.S. company) must have come to the conclusion that poker is legal.

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I wouldn't make that leap. Their clause about gambling
"You may not use the Services to conduct gambling activities or any illegal activity. MoneyGram has the right to terminate your Profile and to refuse to process (or may reverse) any Transfer if it believes, in its sole discretion, that you are using a Service for any illegal or improper purpose"

When you use these services (MG, Western Union), the sender/receiver is usually an individual in a third world country. Its awfully hard for the money services to police that and just as hard for the US government to nail them on it. But, just because it is hard doesn't mean the services believe poker is legal/illegal.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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And also, $10 on a $2000 deposit is only 2% which you are going to pay using Epassport anyways.

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I LOLed

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Maybe a little tricky (not too much), but more importantly lawyers for Moneygram (a $2.5Billion U.S. company) must have come to the conclusion that poker is legal. Right?

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It's arguably legal until the regs come out- after that, it's almost certainly illegal and I expect Money Gram will demand that's its name be pulled from PS's website.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Has anyone searched for a moneygram near them? I did, and it found nothing. I can't tell from the search engine whether it only searched my town or nearby towns as well. I put in a few towns near me and still nothing. And I live in a pretty populated part of the country. Useless.

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Almost every single Wal-Mart has them. You have to be near a wal-mart.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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3128 posts, have you learned a thing? Maybe Moneygram doesn't know their service is being used for these purposes?

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Are you serious? Someone enters into a multi million dollar deal without even going to the website of the company they're dealing with? lol.

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I'm sure someone knows what Pokerstars does, but it's certainly unknown if the right people at this particular company know about the UIGE.

there is now way this lasts for very long.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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And also, $10 on a $2000 deposit is only 2% which you are going to pay using Epassport anyways.

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I LOLed

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LOL FOURTHGRADEMATHAMENTS

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Maybe a little tricky (not too much), but more importantly lawyers for Moneygram (a $2.5Billion U.S. company) must have come to the conclusion that poker is legal. Right?

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It's arguably legal until the regs come out- after that, it's almost certainly illegal and I expect Money Gram will demand that's its name be pulled from PS's website.

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The legality has exactly zip to do with whether the regulations come out. The only people who are going to have more rules to follow after the regulations come out is the banks. That's when they're going to have to deal with gambling transactions. Since the ACH transactions are already cut off I'm not sure there's going to be anything left for them to address.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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LOL FOURTHGRADEMATHAMENTS

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<<< needs a math class

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Any smart money transfer service would, at this time, MAKE SURE IT NEVER HELPED PLACE A SPORTS BET! Funding a poker only site is not illegal right now (because Poker is not covered by the Wire act). When the UIGEA regulations come out, it will be illegal to violate those regulations. That might cause the Moneygrams and epassportes to pull out at that time, we will have to wait and see.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

This is new? I thought you could always use Moneygram. I was looking at Stars last week and thought moneygram was there.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

Seems like western union, but the fee is very reasonable unless it's for micro stakes.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

This is a bit strange, but I don't seem to be able to get to the "moneygram" link in the OP, if I'm searching for it through pokerstars' site (that is, from their "real-money" page). There's nothing in there about "moneygram" (Perhaps it only appear when you approach the site from the US, which I don't? doesn't make a lot of sense...).

I also don't see it in the deposit options when I open up "cashier" in the application.

Am I missing something?

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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Am I missing something?

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Very strange. I figured you were most likely overlooking something, but you're right. You apparently have to know the URL to get to the page. No prob for 2+2ers, but what about Joe P. Donator? Seems kinda silly to have a way to deposit in the US and not have a link to it. Hmmmm.......

Onaflag.......

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

i go to cashier, buy chips, and i see it.

Re: Pokerstars allowing U.S. based company to transfer money to them
 

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i go to cashier, buy chips, and i see it.

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I don't.