[Mondogarage]

OP is living in a dream world. Given what he accurately said, ("The average recreational player doesn't trust the sites are not rigged. The are unsure of the legality. The don't know if they will be able to get their money out"), everything else is irrelevant.

You're talking about the *recreational* player. It's not relevant whether or not the games are "beatable" or not. It's not the game you're taking on, it's the other players at the table. And with all the strong disincentives for the recreational player to takes risks re rigged sites, inability to withdraw, etc., when there's plenty of bar poker, casino action, and home games to be found, having someone shill to them is meaningless.

OP probably also thinks that a carve-out for poker is a done deal, too. The average recreational player wants to win money, sure, but they also want to play with convenience and trust. They don't want to have to sort through pre-paid VISAs to find one that might work, or hope that a site doesn't close their account, or pray that their withdrawal request actually goes thorugh. That's what makes them recreational players. And given the playing options they do still have...the result is obvious.

I'm thinking OP thinks a poker carve-out is a done deal, too.

Hell, the FBI is even looking into gambling taking place in Second Life. The hard core player will always find ways to play online, but absent clear evidence in their eyes that the game is now safe and legal, the truly rec player is lost to the winds.

The truth is, the game *has* gotten harder. If you want to lie to your friends, to convince them to play, just in order to make the game easier for *you*, then you're not exactly their friend now, are you? You want to recruit fresh fish into the pool? Then get the laws changed.