[tangled]

I think something is being overlooked. If the US does adopt a regulated regime for online gaming, then sites will have to be licensed in some way in order to be part of the system. The US will be looking for reasons to cut out foreign companies so as to give an advantage to the US-based suppliers. One way to do that is to not give a license to any site that did not comply fully with the UIGEA. Also, the DOJ believes that any site that offered gaming in the US, violated other, pre-UIGEA laws. This is why Party is in negotiations with the DOJ now--to get a clean bill of health for later licensure. If Party comes back now, they will be giving up on getting a license if a regulatory regime comes, and they will be throwing away all the time and expense they have spent negotiating with the DOJ. Pray they don't do that because they will then be under the opinion that a regulatory system is not possible.

Remember also, if a regulatory regime does come, all the now, US-facing sites will be locked out, and the other sites that have left the US will have to start from scratch in order to, also, receive a clean bill of health.

That will leave just Party, the 888 group and some novice US sites to carve up a very big pie, making Party's self-imposed exile, in their opinion, seem profitable in the long run.