FBI Cracks Down on Online Poker

[Tupac Shakur]

Yet another blow against American freedom...

Executives at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker have been charged with bank fraud and money laundering.

The FBI shut down three of the largest poker websites Friday in what appears to be the largest crackdown on illegal online gambling to date.

Eleven executives at PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker have been charged with bank fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling offenses. Prosecutors are seeking to immediately shut down the sites and recover $3 billion from the firms.

FBI shuts down poker sites in major online gambling crackdown

FBI shuts down Internet poker sites

Obama: Worse Than Bush on Bull**** Gambling Moralizing, Too

[Hauldren Collider]

[giblets]

If they're guilty of bank fraud and money laundering why shouldn't they be prosecuted?

[David Floyd]

Because they did neither. The federal government passed a law to prevent Americans from playing poker online. This law, by the way, exceeds federal authority. In response, poker sites simply started using foreign banks. There is nothing sinister about that.

[giblets]

So the federal government doesn't have evidence that people committed bank fraud, but is charging them with bank fraud anyway?

[David Floyd]

It is a tortuous interpretation of bank fraud. They should be going after the banks, not the sites who use the banks.

For example, once my bank stopped allowing direct debits to poker sites, I started using prepaid debit cards. Am I guilty of bank fraud? No, as no fraud was intended or committed. But the FBI would likely argue that I did commit bank fraud. It's stupid. They are simply trying to find a way to prosecute a victimless crime, which is only a crime because of religious idiots in this country.

[DaShi]

This one is pretty open and shut.

[David Floyd]

Of course it is. That doesn't mean that it isn't a victimless crime.

[Zoetstofzoetje]

this is a big blow to online poker indeed. strange too consider other politicians in washington were about to legalize it.
all part of their game. i'm not going to c/r the river.

[Ben Kenobi]

Religious idiots like me, eh?

I don't have a problem with online gambling, and I hardly think Obama qualifies as a 'religious idiot'.

Seems to me the government just wants a cut of the action.

[David Floyd]

Did I blame you for it BK? But yes, religious idiots ARE the reason for anti-gambling laws, just like they are the reason for laws that restrict drinking on Sundays and the like. If the government wanted a piece of the action, they would legalize and tax it. Just like they do booze and cigarettes.

[Hauldren Collider]

If someone is stupid enough to throw their money away on something why the hell shouldn't we just let him? A fool and his money are soon parted and I see absolutely no reason to prevent this. Stupid people paying the price for their stupidity is what enables smart people to be rewarded for their wisdom.

[David Floyd]

Keep in mind that in online poker, someone wins. The House always wins, of course, but given that a poker table involves 9 people competing against each other, the fool loses and the solid player profits. Why the government should prevent this is beyond me.

[SlowwHand]

There are no restrictions on drinking on Sunday, David. They don't sell liquor at package stores on Sunday, but beer and wine are sold. Bars are open. Or is that what you meant? It just came out sounding stricter than it actually is.

[David Floyd]

Yes there is. In Texas bars and restaurants can't serve beer or liquor before noon unless they also serve you food. Also, as you noted, liquor stores are BY LAW required to be closed on Sunday.

Tell me that those statutes are NOT a result of what I would term "religious idiots".