Why Does RIVAL Play With Fire?

[Roanan]

AS I've mentioned a few times since I joined CM, I'm a poker player, not a casino player.
Although I am extremely knowledgeable on all games and the operations of brick-and-mortar casinos, I have limited knowledge on the online operations.

The UIGEA is a draconian piece of legislation that has likened online gambling operations to terrorist organizations. Assets have been seized, owners have been arrested, etc.

Even under these kind of conditions, many casinos, especially the Rival ones, aggressively pursue the American player, yet at the same time, Canadians are banned.

Although there are a few laws in Canada regarding online gambling, they are not enforced because no one cares about them.
Even the British Columbia Lottery Corporation operates an online gambling site and just recently upped it's weekly maximum to $10,000.

So would someone please explain to me why Rival would risk operating against police-state tactics, yet shun the gambling loving pacifists to the North?

 

[nisosbar]

Because you guys have access to Microgaming - we don't.

 

[vinylweatherman]

The worth of the American market is probably worth the risk. It seems the focus of UIGEA is on asset seizure, and disruption of transactions. Laws against gambling over the internet itself exist only in a few states, the rest rely on interpreting the old "wire act" as though the internet is a "wire". The original "wire" referred to in the act was the landline telephone, way back in the 1960's, long before personal computers, let alone the idea of the internet.
The US asset seizures are an attempt to make the costs of operating in the US market so high that casinos can no longer make money, and so will cease operation.

Canadian laws, where they exist, seem to be more specifically applicable to internet gambling, even though they are not enforced.

There is a strong belief that the secretive owners of the company behind Rival are Canadian citizens, and whilst they can keep out of the US, they would have to leave Canada were the laws to be enforced.

The Rival ban on Canada followed rumours that exposed these secretive owners as being Canadians. By the "knee jerk" reaction of banning Canadians, they have only strengthened the credibility of these rumours. Banning Canadians means they will no longer risk arrest should Canada begin enforcing the laws, but COULD if the US asked them to be extradited, and Canada agreed.

The Kahnawake are deemed to be part of Canada according to the Canadian government, yet they freely operate a gambling server farm, and offer gaming licences, because they argue that they are an independent first nation state, and not subject to Canadian gambling laws. I am sure these would be a prime target for extradition to the US were Canada to cooperate, because shutting down Kahnawake would seriously dent the ability of casinos to target American players. EU licenced casinos are NOT allowed to offer services to US players, or indeed to players of any country if this means breaking that countrie's laws.

 

[nisosbar]

As I understand it, the Kahnawake are an indigenous nation of the Americas, territorially part of Quebec, but operating as a sovereign state. While in the US, that would effectively mean nothing, in Canada, they try to respect that diversity.

 

[jetset]

AS I've mentioned a few times since I joined CM, I'm a poker player, not a casino player.
Although I am extremely knowledgeable on all games and the operations of brick-and-mortar casinos, I have limited knowledge on the online operations.

The UIGEA is a draconian piece of legislation that has likened online gambling operations to terrorist organizations. Assets have been seized, owners have been arrested, etc.

Even under these kind of conditions, many casinos, especially the Rival ones, aggressively pursue the American player, yet at the same time, Canadians are banned.

Although there are a few laws in Canada regarding online gambling, they are not enforced because no one cares about them.
Even the British Columbia Lottery Corporation operates an online gambling site and just recently upped it's weekly maximum to $10,000.

So would someone please explain to me why Rival would risk operating against police-state tactics, yet shun the gambling loving pacifists to the North?

There are strong indications that the principals behind Rival are resident in Canada (if you do a search of Casinomeister forum and Casinomeister News you will see previous threads/reports on this - especially the T2Marketing litigation.)

That being the case, the company is probably very cautious about any sort of Canadian footprint and has therefore positioned most of its licensing and online gambling corporate structure in the Netherlands Antilles.

 

[NASHVEGAS]

There are strong indications that the principals behind Rival are resident in Canada (if you do a search of Casinomeister forum and Casinomeister News you will see previous threads/reports on this - especially the T2Marketing litigation.)

That being the case, the company is probably very cautious about any sort of Canadian footprint and has therefore positioned most of its licensing and online gambling corporate structure in the Netherlands Antilles.

Give them an A+ for effort.