[BruinEric]

Add one possible approach I haven't seen anywhere but Party Poker. My first deposit there was using a "phone card" method. First, I used my credit card to buy a phone calling card. Fees were high, I think it cost me $106 for a $100 calling card. My credit card company declined the transaction - so I called them and they released it (apparently this is a common 'purchase' for credit card thieves.) Then, Party Poker accepted the phone card as a deposit.

I think it is possible that similar oddball "mixed-use" (i.e. gaming/non-gaming) approaches emerge as a deposit method, then we have to rely on checks for withdrawal -- perhaps eventually foreign checks.

Maybe next they'll take Shell Gas gift cards, OneCall gift cards, online store "purchases." (i.e., buy this book for $120, get $100 in chips at site XYZ) etc. All are surely violations of the UIGEA, but possibly impractical to enforce.

Also -- maybe we'll see an online e-wallet that is only used for transfers between sites, so there are no deposit or withdrawal methods to be shut down. This will ease money movement and would help lots of players out. That way, if someone wants to move their roll from Site XYZ to Site ABC, they can do so quickly along with a fee. Actual deposits and withdrawals would be done directly with the sites.

I agree this is not good for online poker growth, and if so we should (hopefully) see some site consolidation so player volumes are at playable levels. Certainly in the past year, full ring LHE games have meaningfully changed in style as it is at sites that still accept US players.

This will also make these boards "consumer activist" sites, if it hasn't already, where we have to act as watchdogs against fraudulent sites, lost money, etc. If the deposit method migrates to Cashiers Checks sent internationally, the lost deposits alone will be mega-threads and worrisome risk.