It's weird all over. It's been reported that this winter has been 2 degrees warmer than usual. That's a fact here since this is the first winter without snow in years. I mean nothin'. And the flowers are beginning to bloom! What the hell is up with that? We live in strange times, eh? Nevertheless, the strangeness of our days is not keeping me focused on what is important right now: this newsletter. So join me for the next few minutes and delve a bit into some good reading.
"It ain't over till the fat lady sings" is a good ole American saying (from obscure origins, possibly from an impatient church-goer in some Baptist church in the American deep south) which exemplifies American determination and the will to never give up during trying times.
These are trying times for US players - and I'm afraid that - that fine strong lady is starting to belt-out her aria in high soprano. In other words, it's about over for the US player. Sure, there are still casinos that are willing to take on US players accepting their bets, but what we are seeing are most casino groups dropping out of the market. The casinos are leaving the market mainly because it's become too difficult to pay US players when they (the players) win. There are very few payment options left. And it's only a matter of time that it's not worth bothering with anymore.
This brings on a new caveat - even if a reputable casino brings you (the US player) on with open arms, will they - can they pay you if you win? Perhaps everything is fine at the moment with your casino account, but things are changing and changing fast. I would caution players from making any more deposits for now - unless of course money doesn't mean much to you, and you don't mind playing a waiting game.
I'm sure we'll be seeing some ingenious money exchanging ideas in the near future - again I caution you against participating in these schemes. Perhaps it's time to take a break from online gaming for a while. Need ideas on what to do? Just ask me, I've got a bunch.
A couple of ideas: check out the cool Video Slots and Poker games at Leading Edge Designs and Videopoker.com. Dying to play some Texas Hold'em or Five Card Draw? Teach it to your friends or kids. I taught my boy poker last year (as illustrated in an article published in Bluff magazine). We used Legos for chips. I beat his pants off - unfortunately he went crying to his mom. Did you know that Hoyle's official rule book on card games lists Blackjack and Poker as "Fun and Family" games? Food for thought.
Learn to throw darts. Hmm that don't do it for ya? Buy a cheap acoustic guitar on eBay and learn some cool sing-along songs for a summer campfire. Chicks dig this (guys do too). Or how about taking up amateur astronomy as a hobby. Every week I'll suggest new things to do with your free time. Woo-hoo!
But fear not US player, Casinomeister will remain viable for you (don't you dare unsubscribe, you!). There will still be the Bierfest where you can win FREE BEER or CASH by answering cool trivia questions that are totally unrelated to gambling. I'll send the cash to your Paypal account instead of Neteller, by the way. And of course, you can keep up-to-speed on the happenings within the US and abroad concerning your capabilities on playing. Casinomeister will still consider the US player an integral part of the gaming community.
FOR EVERYONE ELSE
Hang on - it's going to be a wild ride for a couple of months as many of your favorite casinos "back-up and re-group" after getting nailed so badly by the big bad boogie man. Unless of course you patronize the casinos that never permitted US bets; they should be unscathed. But with most everyone else, there may be cash-flow problems that slow things down a bit. It's a turbulent time - but in a few months everything should be cool...so stay mellow.
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We had a blast last week at 32Red Poker!! Two hours of laughs and great poker action with members of Casinomeister's forum. If you haven't joined our tourneys, you are really missing out on some good times. Join our forum and keep an eye out for the next one. It'll probably be during the first week of March sometime.
A man and woman had been married for more than 60 years. They had
shared everything. They had talked about everything. They had kept no
secrets from each other except that the little old woman had a shoe box
In the top of her closet that she had cautioned her husband never to
open or ask her about. For all of these years, he had never thought
about the box, but one day the little old woman got very sick and the
doctor said she would not recover.
In trying to sort out their affairs, the little old man took down the
shoe box and took it to his wife's bedside. She agreed that it was time
that he should know what was in the box. When he opened it, he found
two crocheted dolls and a stack of money totalling $95,000.
He asked her about the contents. "When we were to be married," she
said, "my grandmother told me the secret of a happy marriage was to
never argue. She told me that if I ever got angry with you, I should just
keep quiet and crochet a doll."
The little old man was so moved; he had to fight back tears. Only two
precious dolls were in the box. She had only been angry with him two
times in all those years of living and loving. He almost burst with
happiness.
"But what about all of this money? Where did it come from?"
Oh," she said, "that's the money I made from selling the dolls."
ANOTHER HIATUS IN NETELLER SAGA
US Attorney's office still undecided on whether to indict Isle of Man e-wallet founders.
If readers thought that the February 14 court date set in the case against Canadian Neteller founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre would produce new information they were disappointed. As USA Today reported, the waiting game for thousands of U.S. patrons with money tied up in the Isle of Man based online payment service currently under federal investigation just got longer.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York extended the deadline until March 16 to decide whether to indict the co-founders of Neteller, an Internet money-transfer service popular among gamblers. Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre were arrested in January on a charge of conspiracy to transfer funds with the intent to promote illegal gambling
For U.S. customers of the site, it was another delay in their efforts to retrieve their money, which remains in Neteller segregated accounts until the legal issues are resolved.
Neteller says U.S. authorities have frozen access to about $55 million in U.S.-based accounts.
"As a result of the restrictions placed by third parties, court-ordered seizures and related legal concerns, (Neteller) is unable to make payments to U.S. customers," says a posting on the company's website.
FBI agent Neil Donovan has said funds are being held in court as potential evidence. He did not provide a timetable on when customers may get their money back.
Dear Reader,
