Pinnacle Woes

[Jeff P]

I must have really pissed somebody off at Pinnacle. Either that or they're really having problems over there.

I sent them a request to re-grade a pick 3 ticket from the cancelled AQU races from Thursday's card that they graded as a losing ticket. I asked them to re-grade it as a cancelled ticket. They've denied that request and I fired off another email asking them to take a second look at it.

Today, my account has an obvious mis-grade of a large (for me anyway) winning ticket. It's a straight win bet so it shouldn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. I fired off an email to them (my tone was not the least bit soothing.)

The result? Right now my account shows a ZERO balance.

So I called them and asked "WTF is going on?"

I was told that they are having computer problems, that this is some technical difficulty.

This is more than a bit scary to me.

Is anyone else out there having trouble with them?

[kingfin66]

Why do you have to tell me this now? Dang, I was just pondering making a deposit to play the Sunshine Millions Classic.

[penguinfan]

Let me know if this is not resolved in a timely manner.

I can most likely be of some assistance if things don't get straightened out. Pinnacle is one of the top books on the net and one of the best funded as well. Above all don't worry.

Post here again in a few hours if things are not straightened out.

If you prefer (and I do actually) you can send me a PM and we can trade e-mails to work on this privatly. I wil lbe around my laptop the rest of the night unless I head out to the OTB around 7:00

Penguinfan

[cj]

I just logged in after reading this (a little scared after hitting some nice bets the last two days in the War Room!) and found all is OK. That said, I'm making a withdrawal, NOW!

[Jeff P]

All,

They just got my account straightened out a few minutes ago. All in all, I was out of action for about 45 minutes.

Scary as hell to be sure.

And yes, I'm taking a little out of the account just to be on the safe side.

[Figman]

With the feds now looking at ALL offshore wagering, you guys are "playing with fire!"

If these places are precluded by the US Government from doing business with US residents, don't expect your deposits returned.

[Kreed]

GREAT POINT. I wouldn't keep more than a few hundred in P until the air
clears. BTW, why aren't refunds credited automatically ... are they using
a 386 puter?

[Memogram]

How could the federal government stop a foreign company from doing business over the internet with a US customer? The US government has no authority or standing in regards to enforcing anything to a foreign business.

[mikekk]

On the other hand, I bet a bunch of Pik3's at HOU last nite, Had a couple of late (gate?) scratches in the 2nd and 1st legs of 2 tickets. It got refunded into my account as soon as the result was posted.

Given that the first one was already a loser (I didn't have the winner in the first leg and the scrtach was in the second), getting some coin back felt GOOOD!

Mikekk

[andicap]

How could the federal government stop a foreign company from doing business over the internet with a US customer? The US government has no authority or standing in regards to enforcing anything to a foreign business.

Exactly. World Trade Organization ruled recently the US could NOT stop people from betting through these off-shore organizations. So unless that ruling is somehow overturned, the government has no basis in law to prevent people from using them.

[Dick Schmidt]

Andy and Memo,


Maybe the US has no control over an offshore government, but it sure has control over your butt. They can charge you with illegal gambling even if it is legal where the bet is placed. And if the IRS gets involved, you don't want to be there. The good news is that the govt. usually moves slowly, and gives a good warning. Keep an ear to the ground.

Dick

You can find more trouble than you can possibly immagine as near as your nearest tax office.

[ElKabong]

Lot of ways you can get screwed by Pinny, the feds, or any offshore book.

-If Pinny (or any offshore book) has to grease palms to stay in business where they are and a new "regime" of sorts is in power, things change.

-As Figman says, the feds are interested in offshore dealings & books. Any one of you guys get busted, are you going to keep quiet as to who else bets offshore and do time, or do you rat out others on the net to save your ass?

-"The US govt can't 'do that'"....Tell that to us who think the Patriot Act is borderline unconstitutional....This administration, just as teh one before it, does whatever the hell they want.

I hope they (govt) don't look into offshore gambling but if they did, they'd have their hands full. I'd think they have better stuff to do, but this is a society that looks down upon what we do on a daily basis (bet horses). Don't expect any public sympathy for us degenerates if/ when the chitstorm rains down.

[penguinfan]

Elkabong, I wasn't going to get into this discussion at all, but since you brought up the Patriot Act my interest is peaked. You are exactly right about it, it is the devil reguardless of what our Christian friends would like you to believe, and yes it can bit the Pinnacle horse player in the ass anytime the gov't wants to. I doubt they WOULD bother, but because of the creation of the Patriot Act they COULD, before that it would have been near impossible to get busted playing offshore. At the govt's discression alone (no more innocent till proven guilty) they can decide you are laundering money through Pinnacle and supporting terrorism and you go to jail, and I don't think it even goes to trial, they would have your ass in a sling so bad you would just take a deal to reduce the punishment, it really has come to that. Otherwise just pay your taxes and all should be fine.
What is funny is so many christian leaders of our time spend so much of their congregations contributions pushing for things like the Patriot Act and yet have no idea what it really entails, I swear when the Anti-christ arrives on the scene he will promise tax breaks and to rid the world of gambling and abortion and the christians will vote him into power themselves, short sighted mororns.

[BillW]

Penguinfan,

The Patriot Act didn't make gambling illegal in this country. It's been that way.

[JustRalph]

Andy and Memo,
Maybe the US has no control over an offshore government, but it sure has control over your butt. They can charge you with illegal gambling even if it is legal where the bet is placed. And if the IRS gets involved, you don't want to be there. The good news is that the govt. usually moves slowly, and gives a good warning. Keep an ear to the ground.
Dick
You can find more trouble than you can possibly immagine as near as your nearest tax office.

Dick........great post! I am told by two different lawyers and the office of my local Congresswoman that offshore gambling is just plain illegal in the U.S. under two different laws. The Congresswoman's office said this a few years back. But they clarified that if the business is "based out of the U.S." whatever that means...........it may not be illegal.

The point about the IRS is very valid. Ask Al Capone. I have a secretary who works for me in my new office. Her direct deposit paycheck stub had a note in it from the IRS this week. They have seized all but $158 bucks a week from her check. This is a battle over taxes and filing from 1997, that she no longer even has a copy of. She is flabbergasted. She went off the deep end over the weekend due to the pressure and the fighting with the IRS. The last I heard she was throwing stuff at her husband in the front yard of their home yesterday. I am going to be short in the office this week................

[penguinfan]

Penguinfan,

The Patriot Act didn't make gambling illegal in this country. It's been that way.

I don't think you got even close to the point I was trying to make Bill, I am well aware of what the Patriot act did and did not do, unfortunatly most Americans are not., especially the ones who were so gung ho for it.

[Tom]

So what does it have to do with this thread??? Beside your obvious bias against Christians that is. :kiss: MA

[rrbauer]

Dick Schmidt wrote:
"They can charge you with illegal gambling even if it is legal where the bet is placed."

Comment:
Federal statutes on "illegal gambling" are aimed at the bet taker, not the bettor. In this case the bet taker is outside US jurisdiction.

As to the IRS, if you document and report ALL of your gambling activity regardless of where it occurs, they have no beef. However, if you have incomplete records (either on purpose or otherwise) that leaves it open to them to do their own brand of "reconstruction" which is done to serve their purpose, not yours.

My last audit was two years ago and I was told to bring records to support the "gambling income" entries and some stock-related transactions. When I showed up, pushing a dolly with three large cartons of documentation, organized chronogically, the guy looked at and reconciled my entries for two days and said he didn't need to look at any more. For the stock transactions, it turned out that I failed to make some entries that were in my favor, so I got a refund adjustment!

In my experience with the IRS I would much prefer a 1:1 meeting with an examiner than trying to resolve issues via the phone or the mail. But none of this is to make light of their power which, as has been mentioned, can be brutal if they think you're hiding stuff or making it up.

[penguinfan]

So what does it have to do with this thread??? Beside your obvious bias against Christians that is. :kiss: MA

The thread kinda got twisted into who can be busted for off-shore gambling, thats how the Patriot act got brought up, it can and has got people in trouble for doing things that prior to it's conception would have not been in trouble for, and these are things that do not threaten national security, but the loophole act is what it is. As for my "obvious bias against christians", well I have an obvious bias against any group of people who will foreward their own adgenda at the demise of the rest of the population, christians certainly fit this description. I personally have nothing against the christian belief, just the short sightedness of any person or group of people, in this case it happens to be the christians that are misled and misinformed, which in my experience is not a difficult task...........

[cryptic1]

The U.S. has a law outlawing trade with Cuba. A number of Canadian
companies trade with Cuba (its not illegal here). The U.S. prosecuted
Canadian executives of these multinational companies for their illegal trading.
The Canadian companies had some operations in the states. When the
executives crossed into the U.S. to oversee their U.S. operations they were
arrested and charged. They had to pay fines etc.
Many countries claim extra-territoriality rights, the U.S. being one of
them. It wouldn't surprise me in the least that they would prosecute U.S.
citizens for gambling offshore if there is a law that is breached. The tax
department would have no problems prosecuting if you can't show the
appropriate documentation or you didn't include your winnings in your return.

cryptic1

[Tom]

Pengiune...we tend to get grouchy when muslems attack our cities. We find protecting thier rights not very high on our list or things to do.
Uninformed....I think not. We live in houses, not caves.

[penguinfan]

Wow, Tom you too this thread from the Patriot act allowing you and I to be prosecuted for betting offshore to protecting our cities from Muslims, and I thought I ran this thread off topic. That thought process is exactly what I am talking about, the current administration tell you "Patriot act good" and you drink the Kool-aid. The fact is the Patriot act has done nothing but get grandma searched at the airport while akmehd is not searched because we don't want to be guilty of profiling, score one for the Patriot act I guess as Grandma is no longer a threat because of it. Face it, you took exception to my comment about Christians and want to defend that position when in reality my comment could have been directed towards any group of short sighted single adgena people and it would have been OK. Continue to drink the Kool-Aid, but remember who told you so when the shit hits the fan.

[BillW]

So what does it have to do with this thread???

That was my point. Discussing how evil the gov't is for enforcing our laws belongs in the "O" zone (off Topic).

Bill

[Tom]

P - I thought I was clear-I did take exception to your racist remarks. I am not talking aobut the Patriot Act- I am talking about YOU. So enlighten us, who are the chosen ones who ARE informed?

But do it in Off Topics, where biased, uninformed statements are welcomed.

[penguinfan]

P - I thought I was clear-I did take exception to your racist remarks. I am not talking aobut the Patriot Act- I am talking about YOU. So enlighten us, who are the chosen ones who ARE informed?

But do it in Off Topics, where biased, uninformed statements are welcomed.


Christianity is now a race? Tom, you are losing me at this point, so much so that I will give you the last word here and not comment further except to say the informed people are those that choose to be. Racist, really Tom.