Drive your double-wide through this loophole

[omgwtf]

The law doesn't actually block U.S. players, it blocks all players while they are in the U.S, including all foreign players who are travelling here. The current trend of kicking US players off the sites is stupid because they will still be allowing foreign players to play (unlawfully) while in the US, and they unnecessarily block US players while they travel outside the country.

What the sites really should do is add a step to the login process where the player "certifies" their playing location, then blocks access to real-money games if the player indicates U.S. It isn't the site's fault poker players lie sometimes, and the site wouldn't be intentionally accepting bets that violate the new law.

Am I wrong?

[MicroBob]

I actually agree with the logic behind this.

If I'm in Canada then the American laws don't apply to me in the same way.
For example, if I'm 19 years old then I can legally drink in most of Canada even though the drinking age in the U.S. is 21.


Technically, if I tell the site that even though I'm American but I'm actually commuting to some internet coffee-shop in Canada or Mexico to play (and I have a non-American bank account too) then I think that site should let me play.

Whether they choose to or not is a different issue of course.
but I think there may be something to this loophole.
I doubt anything will come of it though.

Right now it doesn't look like there will be much to be done to enforce the legislation.
And if that's the case then I think many of the sites will pretty much get to operate business as usual for the most part (fingers crossed).

[iceman5]

The law doesnt "block" players from playing poker at all. It does not make playing poker illegal from the US and it does not make playing poker as a US citizen illegal. The law doesnt "block" anyone

The sites that are blocking US players are doing so voluntarily so why would they give you the option of lying as to where you live or where youre playing from?

[hustalasta]

[ QUOTE ]
The sites that are blocking US players are doing so voluntarily so why would they give you the option of lying as to where you live or where youre playing from?

[/ QUOTE ]

Money. You don't think Party is scrambling to find loop holes already? They may wait and let someone else be the Guinea Pig(s) but I bet if ways are found to get around the law they will exploit the holes. I doubt seriously they are going to just throw up their hands and go... "Oh well, its only over half of our clientelle we are losing".

I'm not saying this particular loophole idea will work but I bet the bigger players who have already dropped out are looking for legal grey areas to get back in.

[Grasshopp3r]

Your IP address indicates where you are connecting from.

[ffredd]

I never thought about it that way. The law is aimed at money transfers from within the USA to gambling sites in other countries. But the sites are now going to block players from the USA. That doesn't make much sense, does it?

[JMAnon]

[ QUOTE ]
Your IP address indicates where you are connecting from.

[/ QUOTE ]

[rcd]

Please explain. Be informed before posting.

[omgwtf]

Yes I know the law targets the site, not the players.

Yes IP traffic can (in general) be traced to a particular locality, but not reliably. Dialup, VPN, etc. can easily mask your true location.

How diligent do these sites really need to be when it comes to preventing play from the US? They are relying almost entirely on the word of the player as it is.

[maurile]

[ QUOTE ]
The law doesnt "block" players from playing poker at all. It does not make playing poker illegal from the US and it does not make playing poker as a US citizen illegal. The law doesnt "block" anyone

The sites that are blocking US players are doing so voluntarily so why would they give you the option of lying as to where you live or where youre playing from?

[/ QUOTE ]
Correct.

Moreover, the law has nothing to do with where anyone lives or signs on from. It prohibits certain transactions between financial institutions and unlawful gaming sites without regard to where anyone involved is located.