Offshore Accounts and Poker Sites

[questions]

[ QUOTE ]
This does not rpesent a problem if a U.S. citizen has valid ID. What's the problem here?

[/ QUOTE ]

First, I am not a lawyer, or any other financial expert, just an amateur someone who is interested in recreational poker play.

I think the idea behind concerns about "know your customer" bank legislation stem from the fact that the traditional "numbered" anonymous bank accounts are now, post-9/11, subject to more scrutiny. That is, it is less possible today to have accounts with the same degree of anonymity.

However, my understanding is that "know your customer" does not prohibit banks from setting up accounts for Americans or non-citizens. Additionally, banking privacy laws in some jurisdictions are extremely strict, so left unexplained is precisely how "googling 'know your customer'" will reveal any caveats about opening such accounts.