CNBC WANTS TO KNOW ABOUT ONLINE GAMBLING PAYMENTS

25 July 2008

How effective has the ban on financial transactions been?


How effective has the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act been? seems to be the question that broadcaster CNBC is asking this week.

In an article on Internet gambling, writer Darren Rovell noted that it’s easy enough to bet online. But collecting your winnings isn't a sure thing.

Years ago, Rovell wrote that the government was never going to stop online gambling run by companies with fifteen different names in countries outside the United States. His view has changed, and he wrote this week that the U.S. government was coming closer to halting the pastime by effectively crippling Internet online gambling payment systems.

"First, it became hard to get your money to the online books," Rovell explains. "The credit cards bowed out. Next was Paypal. Then went Neteller and Firepay."

Rovell zeros in on Zip Payments as an example, claiming that player message boards have been "lighting up" with complaints about no or slow payment and bounced cheques. When he tried to obtain a comment from Zip Payments there was no response - his call went to a message service and was not returned.

Bodog is examined, too. Rovell says that complaints about Bodog's sportsbook activities include the firm telling its clients that instead of the five to 10 business days to withdraw their money, it will take closer to 40 business days. Once again, obtaining a company perspective proved impossible when calls placed to Morris Mohawk Gaming Group, which owns the North American license for Bodog, were not returned.

Rovell is intrigued by how pervasive the payment problem has become, and he invites Internet gamblers who have received rubber cheques or have been told that payment would take more than a month, to share their stories by emailing sportsbiz@cnbc.com.

All e-mails must include full name details of the incident. Names and identification of any sort will not be used in the story.

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