UIGEA new positive bill just passed

[Mousey]

from the Las Vegas Review Journal....

EDITORIAL: 'Midnight rulemaking' on Internet gaming

Despite an earlier announcement that it would not issue any new "final" regulations after Nov. 1 except in "extraordinary circumstances" -- and despite concerns raised by the nation's bankers that the proposed regulations will be hard to obey and are not likely to work -- the outgoing Bush administration appears to be racing to finalize rules to enforce a ban on Internet gambling before it leaves office.

Critics also object that the new rules -- designed to ...

Given the current state of the nation's banks and the financial sector in general, it would be hard to imagine a worse time to impose on those institutions an ill-thought-out set of rules which will balloon their compliance costs and expose them to potential fines or prosecution should they fail to divine "legal" from "illegal" transactions (a task better suited to a psychic with a turban and a crystal ball), especially when -- according to all sources -- it probably wouldn't do much to slow down Internet gaming, anyway.

The Bush administration should back off.

[lots0]

I don't thing there is any doubt that we are witnessing one reason why Bush and his cronies have the lowest approval rating of any President in History.

The UGIEA law has so far cost US business untold Millions in lost business and forced Honest operators out of the US Market.

The UGIEA law has forced honest operators out the US Market, leaving US Citizens that want to gamble online in the hands of shady operators and criminals.

All this for what?

All in an effort to force unwanted religious mores down peoples throats...

I hope the NEW and Improved Justice Department under the new President will be more concerned about "JUSTICE" than what my personal mores are...

[maxd]

More on this from HuffPo:

WASHINGTON — The Bush administration is moving in its last weeks to finalize regulations to enforce a controversial law that seeks to block Internet gambling. The move is drawing hot protests from Democratic lawmakers and supporters of online betting.

"This midnight rulemaking will tie the hands of the new administration, burden the financial services industry at a time of economic crisis and contradict the stated intent of the Financial Services Committee," the committee's chairman, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., wrote this week to Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson. ....

[continues at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/1...n_143154.html]

[lots0]

From the Poker Players Alliance...

Dear Lots0,

I have unfortunate news to report. Despite the efforts of the poker community, the opposition of the banks and the recent news exposing inappropriate influence by the White House, today the current administration finalized the UIGEA regulations to be made effective on January 19th the day before president-elect Obama officially takes office. A copy of the final UIGEA regulations and the PPA’s response can be found on our Web site.

I am sure that you share my outrage over this last-minute "midnight rulemaking," but I have not lost my drive to correct this injustice and I call on you to join me and the million strong PPA to help continue our fight. In fact, the Politico Newspaper reports on 11/12 that Congressional leaders are already plotting legislation for next year that will undermine the White House's "midnight" regulations. We must make sure that UIGEA is part of this regulation reversal.

There are 4 things you should do to respond to the government's actions:

1. Call your Member of Congress and let him or her know how disappointed you are by the lame duck administration's implementation of UIGEA and subsequent erosion of your personal freedom.

2. Send an email to the Obama Transition team and tell President-elect Obama that once in office he should immediately turn back the UIGEA and other "midnight rules" issued by President Bush.

3. Help the PPA help you. Become a Premium Member of PPA if you are not already. For only $20 you help us be effective advocates for poker and your membership put us in a strong position to defend your rights. If you are already a Premium PPA member please consider making an additional contribution to our fight.

4. Forward this to your friends and stay updated on the latest developments regarding the UIGEA regulations.

This is not the time to bow our heads in defeat; rather we must continue our efforts with renewed vigor. Thank you for your support and dedication to protecting the game we love.

Proud to play,
Alfonse D'Amato, Chairman
Poker Players Alliance

[jas2587]

From the Poker Players Alliance...

found this site for Pres. Obama, and there isa place for suggestions, idea's, and stories

His site:
http://change.Gov

He is taking some so these and going to change them when he takes office.
http://change.gov/page/s/contact
check it out.
Thanks LilJohn for the link


Cindy

[Casinomeister]

Don't forget this page:
http://www.casinomeister.com/US_congress.php

It needs updating from last week though.

[jetset]

FULL SPEED AHEAD FOR UIGEA REGS (Update)

Implementation is January 19, 2009 with compliance by banks to start December 1st 2009.

Ignoring pleas from interested parties that included the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Treasury officials have rammed the supporting regulations for the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act through regardless, setting January 19th - the day before the official departure of the Bush administration - as the implementation date.

The financial services industry, reluctantly pushed into enforcing the controversial regulations has until December 1st 2009 to comply with the requirement to halt all "illegal online gambling" financial transactions from players in the United States.

The 66 page rule, published mid-week by the Treasury, relies on financial institutions "performing due diligence" on corporate customers to ensure they're not processing online gambling transactions.

Although the regulations have still not delivered a clear and unambiguous definition of "illegal Internet gambling", a Treasury statement noted: "For purposes of the rule, unlawful Internet gambling generally would cover the making of a bet or wager that involves use of the Internet and that is unlawful under any applicable federal or state law in the jurisdiction where the bet or wager is initiated, received, or otherwise made."

Online players, internet freedom advocates, opposing politicians and the financial and banking industry itself have all criticised the regulations for a lack of precision, and there has been widespread condemnation of the additional burden it places on the US financial industry.

Nevada Representative Shelly Berkley, who has the support of the American Gaming Association in proposing an independent study of the Internet gambling phenomenon, commented: "The clock is ticking on President Bush's prohibitionist crusade against Internet gaming and that is clearly why these flawed regulations are being forced on the financial services industry at the very last minute."

Earlier this week, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., had asked the Treasury not to move ahead with the regulations at this point, saying it would "burden the financial services industry at a time of economic crisis" and pointing out that a change of political administration that may have a different approach was imminent.

"This midnight rulemaking will tie the hands of the new administration, burden the financial services industry at a time of economic crisis and contradict the stated intent of the Financial Services Committee," Frank said.

The new regulation also failed to define unlawful Internet gambling, Frank said, "leaving it to each financial institution to reconcile conflicting state and federal laws, court decisions and inconsistent Department of Justice interpretations when determining whether to process a transaction. Furthermore, some of the information needed to make this determination would likely be unavailable to banks because customers or financial institutions in foreign jurisdictions will likely be unwilling or unable to provide it."

Frank has tried to overturn the UIGEA with a proposal for a regulated US Internet gambling industry, which was narrowly defeated in committee. He has more recently attempted to force Treasury drafters into more clarity, an initiative which claims that the law did not offer a clear definition of Internet gambling, instead referring to existing federal and state laws, which themselves provoke differing interpretations.

Banks and other financial institutions have complained they are being forced into a law enforcement role when Congress could not even define what conduct it was trying to prevent.

But not everyone was disturbed by the abrupt publication of the regulation in the waning days of the Bush administration. Arch-online gambling opponent and Alabama Republican Representative Spencer Bachus welcomed the publication of the new regulations in a statement in which he said: "No longer will the offshore gambling interests benefit from anyone turning any computer into a casino that is available every minute of the day." Bachus has exerted considerable and prolonged political effort over the years to ensure that American players would not have the choice of gambling online.

The rule issued this week to implement the 2006 UIGEA requires "U.S. financial firms that participate in designated payment systems to establish and implement policies that are reasonably designed to prevent payments to businesses in connection with unlawful Internet gambling," the Treasury Department said in its statement.

According to the Treasury Department, during the public comment period of the proposed UIGEA rule, "about 20 commenters, almost all of them depository institutions, noted that notwithstanding the Agencies' efforts to craft a reasonable rule, the proposed regulation would be unduly burdensome and would result in compliance costs greater than any offsetting societal benefits.

"Several of these commenters stated that the rule would adversely affect the competitiveness of the U.S. payments system, and that the Agencies should be cognizant of the potential for the Act and similar laws to cumulatively cause capital flight and erode the U.S. dollar's status as the world's reserve currency."

The Treasury Department says the comments were taken into consideration, but says it believes "that flexible, risk-based due diligence procedures at account opening, such as those set out in the final rule, present the best option for balancing these two interests."

The UIGEA itself is currently being challenged in the US 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals on "void for vagueness" grounds, by iMEGA (Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association).

[catrina m]

This seems to be a draft of the final one

http://www.scribd.com/doc/7916861/UI...ambling-111208

[catrina m]

Bush and his pals have did irrepairable damage to our country. They are just some really self serving ignorant assholes.



http://www.marketwatch.com/news/stor...1EE19BE3800%7D

[Mousey]

From the Kansas City Star...

Oops. Did Congress accidentally legalize cyber gambling?


Federal regulations issued Wednesday to enforce a law passed two years ago by Congress aimed at outlawing internet gambling might achieve precisely the opposite effect.

Faithful to the broad strokes of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, the Treasury department’s controversial 121-page rule exempts intrastate cyber gambling that is authorized by sovereign states or tribes, and sanctions online wagering under federal interstate horse racing gambling laws.

The rules also exempt individual gamblers from enforcement, baring the government’s regulatory teeth only at commercial gambling companies that ....