Why ban Canadian players???

[jetset]

V.I.P.COM NORTH AMERICAN BANS HAVE ONLINE GAMBLERS CONFUSED

Surprise announcement has Canadians in particular puzzled

This week's surprise announcement by the reputable VIP.com group has players and industry observers alike trying to figure out what the corporate marketing strategy could be.

A + rated VIP.com and its sister books are no longer accepting new clients from the United States and Canada, says the company.

Canada-based users will have access to their accounts until April 1st but new deposits will not be accepted. But existing U.S. customers that have deposited in the past may continue to use their accounts as normal. Phone wagering will no longer be offered in what seems to be a move to reduce the risk of US action under the Wire Act in that country, however customer service by phone will continue as normal.

VIP Poker, a popular site on the Microgaming Poker Network, is affected by the decision and joins the ranks of poker rooms no longer accepting new U.S. and Canadian players. The poker information portal PokerListings.com was told by a Microgaming poker spokesman that the decision by VIP was an individual company policy that was "...mostly because of the new law they [USA-UIGEA] implemented."

One of the most puzzling aspects of the new VIP group restrictions is that the ban seems to apply to all Canadian players but new U.S. players only, with existing U.S. players still able to withdraw, deposit and play as usual. Affiliates, who received similar notifications, seemed equally confused this week. Canadian clients will apparently have until April 1st to wind up their VIP.com affairs, which at least enables players to extract their account balances in an orderly fashion.

VIP.com has reportedly been uncharacteristically slow in paying out players and affiliates in recent weeks, a situation partly explained by the turmoil in the third party financial processing industry following UIGEA and the Neteller US shutdown.

Some light was thrown on VIP.com thinking in later statements by CEO Alistair Assheton, himself a respected and experienced industry executive, who told the media: "We’ve taken the steps to close down telephone betting, a largely unprofitable business for us representing 2.5 percent of our business, and yet [taking up] 20 percent of our staff resources.

"We’ve also turned our business towards our existing player base, and are stopping new registrations from the USA and Canada – both in an effort to ensure we can continue to offer a high quality service to our existing players.

"Many players have been with us for many years, and we intend to be able to continue serving them for many years to come. We’ve taken the choice to allocate more of our resources to them, and to stop taking US and Canadian new accounts while the legal uncertainty rages on. We intend to carry on with business and to give our customers everything they have come to expect from us."

Assheton emphasised that VIP.com will still accept new international gamblers outside the US and Canada.

The Curacao-based VIP group was part of the US-facing companies in the Leisure and Gaming plc group, a London-listed public company that had to shed its US-facing companies for a dollar in the wake of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the United States last year.

[jenn1381]

*scratches head* This is a very confusing move. Perhaps they are anticipating that Canada will follow suit with the US, which wouldn't surprise me in the least - but for now, we are still the land of the free damnit, and why the hell are we being cut off when it's perfectly legal here to gamble? I seriously hope this is not a trend that continues.

[happygobrokey]

i beg to differ. canada would have no reason to prevent its citizens from gambling, nor did america. canada is all about being progressive.

we treat our sick without costing them all their worldly possessions. our cops have a snapping fastener over their guns and afaik must carry them unloaded, and there are lengthy protocols for when a cop can draw and use his firearm. it's been decades since we've sentenced a criminal to be put to death. we let two men get hitched if they feel they want to. heck, smoking pot was even legal in my area for all of like three weeks.

the only way canada would consider banning gambling is if forced to do such by america. albeit we do have right-wingers on the hill right now, but we are still very liberal and for all intents and purposes our private affairs are not scrutinized or infringed upon by our government.

interesting to note: 'liberal' and 'liberty' share a root, however, in america 'liberty' is the cornerstone of your ideology, yet 'liberal' is used as a derogatory insult.

[nicaragua]

heck, smoking pot was even legal in my area for all of like three weeks.

Smoking pot might technically be illegal in Canada, but it's not like anyone ever gets in trouble for it. Cops around here (in BC) certainly don't care.

[jenn1381]

Only time cops care is if they wanna confiscate it for a party that night.. lol

[jerrylee]

Smoking pot might technically be illegal in Canada, but it's not like anyone ever gets in trouble for it. Cops around here (in BC) certainly don't care.

though I heard on BBC world news that Canada was cracking down at border crossings this year. Even an American arrested in 1975 in Washington state was turned back after officials pulled his record, citing they don't want criminals to come to Canada. Ha ha some people would beg to differ on legality of pot though.

[lojo]

I'll jump on this northbound derail
It's been a hassle to go north with the slightest misdemeanor for at least ten years in my experience.

I liked BC; a girl I met there was 'on the dole' because her husband was in jail. She lived in a nice house, her and the kids were taken care of medically, she was given a job with schooling, and there was no shame in it, she was proud of her efforts and being able to raise the kids right. When her old man got out, they gave him a chainsaw, a truck, and a job. He never went back. True succesful society.

Was at another friend's house and a Mounty came by to give her a message. Outside the front door was a plant taller than me. He said under his breath, 'you might want to pull that up now I've seen it'

I live in a small town with 20 local police, 15 county and a couple of troopers. The crime rate is ridiculous. Up there a Mounty covers it all, like one per district or whatever they're called. Almost zero crime.

A few years back New York had a staggering murder rate, Toronto on the other hand, a similar sized city, had a total of 7 killins. Amazing.

Canada, whatever you're doing, you're doing it right. Don't follow the US lead too closely, keep that three or four year buffer up so you can take what you like and reject the rest.

Couple of things I didn't like was the 50% crown vig on US corporations, the fact that asian dishwashers were welcomed but a US businessman had to fight to get in. Did like the 'crows nest' rail subsidies, the water in Revelstoke, the people that were friendlier than Montanan's and the purple buds.
Beer and cigarettes were too expensive and the whole GST tax sucked. But a stop on the way at the reservation for several cartons and a stop at the autoparts store for a few gallons of brake fluid and antifreeze made bartering up there a breeze.

Okay, I'm hoppin off.

Go MapleLeafs and Canucks!

[happygobrokey]

thanks lojo, i think...

yes we pay taxes through the nose, but it's worth it to have all the government-operated services we have. plus we can drink at 19!

and the reason for american businesses being rejected or highly taxed is to preserve our own economy and prevent america from usurping our society and using our land and resources to exploit us. nothing personal, but you guys do sometimes call us a 51st/52nd state. we gotta look out for our own interests.

but it's all relative; if you grew up in america im sure you stand by the things they do as well. myself, i like a young drinking age, strong beer, a lenient pot policy, cheap/free health care, arguably a better treatment of minorities and homosexuals, absence of a patriot act, an electoral system that produces a clear winner and allows for a new election any time there is non-confidence. these are the great things i like about canada. bummer we have to drive like 60 mph on every highway, but speeding is acceptable deviance...

[lojo]

thanks lojo, i think...

yes we pay taxes through the nose, but it's worth it to have all the government-operated services we have. plus we can drink at 19!

and the reason for american businesses being rejected or highly taxed is to preserve our own economy and prevent america from usurping our society and using our land and resources to exploit us. nothing personal, but you guys do sometimes call us a 51st/52nd state. we gotta look out for our own interests.

but it's all relative; if you grew up in america im sure you stand by the things they do as well. myself, i like a young drinking age, strong beer, a lenient pot policy, cheap/free health care, arguably a better treatment of minorities and homosexuals, absence of a patriot act, an electoral system that produces a clear winner and allows for a new election any time there is non-confidence. these are the great things i like about canada. bummer we have to drive like 60 mph on every highway, but speeding is acceptable deviance...

You all got it going on, no doubt. Of course I love my country! And your's too! And der Nederlander's.
What pissed me off in a business sense was that I was introducing an industry that is now thriving, but I got cut out. (As much to do with less than honorable $backers in the states that sold out to a gmbh and my overseas broker as anything else.) But the hurdles were ridiculous and yip, sure, you bet; associates of my Canadian 'sponsors' are raking it in now and I'm working in the trades here. (but I'm not bitter)

I was a fool, I instructed and trained the required people and trusted that business was as different up North as the people were. I learned my lesson. Bidness is bidness. Eff the sharks and cut-throats. I'll never operate that way. It's easier on the soul to walk away from chacanery than participate.
(Really, I'm not bitter)

Another thing I loved was your forest management; The forests were actually managed! The old growth harvest plan was amazing. They predicted and legislated(?) a period of no harvest so that old growth would be an 'eternal' resource. Gotta love that. Hope they're sticking to the plan.

Sometimes I wish there was an unpopular war in the States. I would go North young man, go north!

[Mousey]

V.I.P.COM NORTH AMERICAN BANS HAVE ONLINE GAMBLERS CONFUSED

Surprise announcement has Canadians in particular puzzled

.................

One of the most puzzling aspects of the new VIP group restrictions is that the ban seems to apply to all Canadian players but new U.S. players only, with existing U.S. players still able to withdraw, deposit and play as usual. Affiliates, who received similar notifications, seemed equally confused this week. Canadian clients will apparently have until April 1st to wind up their VIP.com affairs, which at least enables players to extract their account balances in an orderly fashion.

.......

But no one has explained why the casino is shutting out Canadians entirely. It just doesn't make sense....