DOJ and HSI

[highnote]

A colleague of mine said he tried to withdraw money from his betting account -- I assume it is offshore. He doesn't know what will happen to his money. Here is what is posted on the homepage:

[benzer]

The feds have been going after these types of websites in the last few months. I googled the site and it clearly states that it is non-parimutuel.

This could be where they have run afoul of the law. I don't know, I've never used that site. I do know this and that is that legal horse race wagering in the US. has been based on the parimutuel system since before me.

I don't know for sure if the gov. will be giving any money back. Normally once taken it's hard to get back, or it will take a lot of time.

[highnote]

I don't know, I've never used that site.

What site is it?

[benzer]

What site is it?
ehorse.com

When I checked it was still online. I don't know what happens when logging in.

[Tom]

Nice to see the Feds putting their time to such good use.
Way to go, boys!

[highnote]

ehorse.com

When I checked it was still online. I don't know what happens when logging in.

So did the feds sieze it and then release it? Because I just went there and it looked normal. I haven't used the account in ages, but was still able to log in. I hope the feds don't seize the $1.74 that is sitting in my account!

That would place them right up there with either Xpressbet or Brisbet (can't remember which) who closed my account and didn't send me the balance of my account. Ibetx closed my account and didn't send me my balance. A company called inter-bet(s?).com went out of business and owed me about $50 which they did not send me.

With this track record I have learned that I should never keep more in a betting account than I am prepared to lose in one fell swoop. In other words, I only keep in the account the amount of money I would be comfortable losing on my largest bet.

Gambling entails risk, but so does using a ADW.

"Risk" is the chance of losing money that can not be recovered.

[witchdoctor]

Nice to see the Feds putting their time to such good use.

Like this?

http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp

[highnote]

Like this?

http://emergency.cdc.gov/socialmedia/zombies_blog.asp

I'm glad to see someone in the gov has a sense of humor. In this case, using a little humor to get the point across that you should try to be prepared for any emergency whether it is a natural disastor or a ;) zombie attack.

Stratfor.com has a good list of things to do to make sure you are prepared for an emergency.

[Dick Schmidt]

I too have a small account with e-horse that I haven't touched in years. Looks to be just fine, website working like I remember. Maybe it was another website, as I fail to see how the Feds could seize a website in Costa Rica. It is almost impossible to block access to any website (ask the Chinese) and they can't go in and physically take over the servers in another country.

Dick


"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamedof." -- Confucious

[highnote]

I remember learning in law class about "the long arm of the law".

Dick, I like your signature line! :ThmbUp: :D Guess it's time to change mine.



I too have a small account with e-horse that I haven't touched in years. Looks to be just fine, website working like I remember. Maybe it was another website, as I fail to see how the Feds could seize a website in Costa Rica. It is almost impossible to block access to any website (ask the Chinese) and they can't go in and physically take over the servers in another country.

Dick


"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamedof." -- Confucious

[Tom]

I got this about ehorse today.....


Dear valued eHorse customer,

We have an important announcement regarding the eHorse domain name (web address). In the past, you have been able to use www.betehorse.com (http://www.betehorse.com) and www.eHorse.com (http://ehorsex.switchboxapp.com/api/t/8VWkDwY73YuZeNg0kucZljQ%7E%7E/8BFDx88EV7N7pYszbl9oZfg%7E%7E/8Hs_7FbU-8KE%7E/8EboG0ybj-kncu2Dn5TWw8Q%7E%7E/8VWkDwY73YuZeNg0kucZljQ%7E%7E). eHorse no longer has ownership of betehorse.com. We will only be using www.eHorse.com (http://ehorsex.switchboxapp.com/api/t/8VWkDwY73YuZeNg0kucZljQ%7E%7E/8BFDx88EV7N7pYszbl9oZfg%7E%7E/8Hs_7FbU-8KE%7E/82WTOuiaNCwhbfMKjCXaA9Q%7E%7E/8VWkDwY73YuZeNg0kucZljQ%7E%7E) going forward.

Other than that, things at eHorse are business as usual. Player account balances and information are safe and secure.

[highnote]

Who owned betehorse -- ehorse.com? Why did the feds sieze it? Where is the server located? Why is ehorse.com still online? betehorse.com looks like it was located in Costa Rica. How can feds sieze it?

I found this link:

http://www.aboutus.org/BeteHorse.com


BeteHorse.com - An online horse betting service based in San Jose, Costa Rica edit this microsummary

Registrant:
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
US Immigration Customs Enforcement
40 South Gay Street Suite 300
Baltimore, MD 21202
US
Phone: +1.4109623469
Email:


Title edit eHorse.com - online horse betting services

Description edit About Us

eHorse.com is a non pari-mutuel horse betting service dedicated to delivering the thrill and excitement of racetrack betting through the convenience of the Web. From the latest odds, payouts and entry information, eHorse.com provides its clients with all of the information they need to make a smart bet online. Members can place secure bets on over 75 tracks and see the results of the wager immediately after the race has been declared "official". No waiting, telephone calls or hassles. In addition, eHorse.com provides its members with full online accounting to verify account balances and winnings.

eHorse.com is a safe, secure, and easy-to-use system that makes betting the ponies a fun pastime again. Pick a race and from your home or office, using your PC, you can ride home a winner today. eHorse.com offers everything the sophisticated horseplayer requires and several features available nowhere else.

eHorse.com believes that the Horseplayer deserves to be treated better. Finally, a no nonsense program that does just that. Now you can get cash back just for playing your horses with eHorse.com.

-----

additional info:

Contact edit Manuel Francis

Bird Rock
Costa Rica 100

Additional Information edit Related Domains edit
•BetBobbyLabonte.com
•BetJeffGordon.com
•BetJimmieJohnson.com
•BetMarkMartin.com
•BetRickyRudd.com
•BetSterlingMarlin.com
•EHorse.com
•Horizon20.com
•LasPalmasCasino.com
•TurfAndSport.com
•TurfExperts.com
•TurfNsPort.com
•Xtreme-horse

[PaceAdvantage]

The Feds seized the Full Tilt and Poker Stars websites

http://www.fulltiltpoker.com/

http://www.pokerstars.com/

If you go to either of these sites, you see the DOJ notice on the screen, but the sites do appear active nonetheless.

Even though they are located in another country, the Feds CAN block access to players who reside in the USA with ease, correct?

Both the FullTilt and PokerStars websites are hosted offshore...

[highnote]

Usually Poker Players Alliance puts out an email about the progress they're making in getting online poker legalized. I haven't heard a thing from them. They had Senator D'amato lobbying for them.

Anyone know what's going with PPA?

Can you still play at Poker Stars and Full Tilt? I have an old account with Full Tilt, but haven't used it in well over a year -- probably two. I always got bored with the game after about 30 minutes.

[PaceAdvantage]

US players can no longer sit at any real money tables at both FTP and PS...not because they can't access the sites or the software, but because FTP and PS have instituted this restriction after being "seized."

[highnote]

You know what really pisses me off is that the Feds are saying even if a U.S. citizen is outside of the U.S. they can not play online poker.

F**K them. Who the F**K are they to tell me what I can and can't do when I am not on U.S. soil as long as I am abiding by local laws?

I'll tell you another thing that pisses me off. U.S. companies who do business outside the U.S. have to pay a 50% tax for repatriating their money (bringing their money back to the U.S.).

So what do the companies do? They leave the money overseas and build their businesses there.

Do you realize that business in this country has grown by 50% since 2001?

Do you know why you don't see it? It's because U.S. companies have to keep their money overseas in order to avoid a 50% tax!!!!!!!

The U.S. is losing jobs because our government is just plain stupid.

How many high tech jobs have we lost because our stupid politicians can't pass a simple bill to regulate online gambling. Unless it's horse racing.

Hey when are the feds going to start shutting down the betting sites for Xpressbet, NYRA, DRF and all the other online horse racing betting sites?

Friggin' morons.

How much longer are U.S. citizens going to tolerate this?

How much longer will foreign governments tolerate the actions of the U.S. gov?

[highnote]

US players can no longer sit at any real money tables at both FTP and PS...not because they can't access the sites or the software, but because FTP and PS have instituted this restriction after being "seized."


So the U.S. gov can go into a foreign country and sieze servers and domains?

What if the Chinese government doesn't like Facebook? Are they allowed to come over here and shut them down?

If I ran Full Tilt or Poker Stars I would be like FU. I'd make it my life's mission to make it easy for U.S. citizens to deposit funds.

Online gambling is disruptive technology. It pisses politicians off. I love it!

[PaceAdvantage]

Like I stated above, the restriction on US players sitting at real money tables was done voluntarily by FTP and PS as far as I can tell.

If your account was registered using a US address, you can't sit at a real money table. Ask FTP and PS why they chose to go that route.

Could it have something to do with certain famous poker players (and US residents) who have deep financial stakes in these companies (guys like Howard Lederer and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson are much more than simple pitch men for FTP...)

[highnote]

This is a great story for an investigative journalist.

Who is behind this push to crack down on online poker sites? Is it some bureaucrat at the FBI or DOJ? Is it a politician? Is it the brick and mortar casinos? How about the Native American Indians?

What is the real reason online poker is being targeted?

I have read online poker is being targeted because of money laundering. OK fine, but why aren't other countries cracking down? I assume their citizens on a percentage basis are laundering as much as U.S. citizens.

Also, money can just as easily be laundered at the racetrack or casino. Why aren't those shut down? Hell, money could be laundered through Wal-Mart.

Online poker has been around for years. Why now all of a sudden are these sites being raided? If it has taken 10 years to bring charges then I'd say a lot of taxpayer money has been wasted.

Here's an idea -- how about stop wasting taxpayer money and start investing in America.

It seems like there is more to this story than is being told.

[highnote]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/money_co/2011/04/three-largest-online-poker-sites-indicted-and-shut-down-by-fbi.html

In 2006 Congress passed a law curtailing online gambling. Most of the leading sites found ways to work around the law, but prosecutors allege that in doing so they broke the law.

“These defendants concocted an elaborate criminal fraud scheme, alternately tricking some U.S. banks and effectively bribing others to assure the continued flow of billions in illegal gambling profits,” Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan, said in a statement.


Defendants allegedly concocted an elaborate scheme and tricked some U.S. banks. Awww... poor banks. As Kojak used to say, "You're breaking my heart."

Hey, how about giving these poor little tricked banks a f**king bailout. I mean, they are so innocent. :lol:

Sounds to my like Preet Bharar has a hard on to be the next Rudy G.

Hey wait... Preet says they bribed banks to engage in criminal fraud. Hmmmm. Which banks took bribes? I hope none of them are U.S. banks! Probably not... probably just foreign banks that the U.S. banks want to put out of business. :D

[PaceAdvantage]

You also have to remember US Banks were being duped by some of these companies in that they were allowing US players to fund their accounts via US Bank credit or debit cards, and the charges were being submitted as "purchases" of non-existent goods and/or services.

For instance, I could go into my FTP account, tell them to deposit $200 into the account via whatever deposit method they have on their site that will take my debit card, and the charge shows up on my statement as a purchase of goods from some online "front" store saying I bought a golf club or something like that...

That was part of the story. I also read where representatives of these companies went to US banks to establish merchant accounts or something of that nature, again, under false pretenses. I also read of one group that almost was successful in BUYING a local bank with the sole purpose of freely allowing these fradulent transactions with the main intent being the thrwarting of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

What is happening now was bound to happen sooner or later. Were the FEDS supposed to look the other way with this kind of bank fraud going on? What kind of message would that send, especially after what was "allowed" to happen in 2008 to the banking system?

We're talking a LOT of money here...

[highnote]

Like I stated above, the restriction on US players sitting at real money tables was done voluntarily by FTP and PS as far as I can tell.

If your account was registered using a US address, you can't sit at a real money table. Ask FTP and PS why they chose to go that route.

Could it have something to do with certain famous poker players (and US residents) who have deep financial stakes in these companies (guys like Howard Lederer and Chris "Jesus" Ferguson are much more than simple pitch men for FTP...)


Good points.

[highnote]

These are all good points. However, the Feds looked the other way for 10 years of the housing bubble. The banks even used the term "Liar Loans" for crying out loud. How much more fraudulant can you get -- and this fraud nearly brought down the economy worldwide!

So what if you send $500 bucks through a bank card system and it's billed as golf clubs. If it was legal in the first place then there would be no reason to lie. The system is set up to encourage lying. Billions of dollars of revenue can be generated with online poker without bringing down the financial system. Just legalize it already.

You also have to remember US Banks were being duped by some of these companies in that they were allowing US players to fund their accounts via US Bank credit or debit cards, and the charges were being submitted as "purchases" of non-existent goods and/or services.

For instance, I could go into my FTP account, tell them to deposit $200 into the account via whatever deposit method they have on their site that will take my debit card, and the charge shows up on my statement as a purchase of goods from some online "front" store saying I bought a golf club or something like that...

That was part of the story. I also read where representatives of these companies went to US banks to establish merchant accounts or something of that nature, again, under false pretenses. I also read of one group that almost was successful in BUYING a local bank with the sole purpose of freely allowing these fradulent transactions with the main intent being the thrwarting of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA).

What is happening now was bound to happen sooner or later. Were the FEDS supposed to look the other way with this kind of bank fraud going on? What kind of message would that send, especially after what was "allowed" to happen in 2008 to the banking system?

We're talking a LOT of money here...

[bigmack]

I'll tell you another thing that pisses me off. U.S. companies who do business outside the U.S. have to pay a 50% tax for repatriating their money (bringing their money back to the U.S.).

So what do the companies do? They leave the money overseas and build their businesses there.

Do you realize that business in this country has grown by 50% since 2001?

Do you know why you don't see it? It's because U.S. companies have to keep their money overseas in order to avoid a 50% tax!!!!!!!

The U.S. is losing jobs because our government is just plain stupid.
Spread the word. Simpletons like NJ, mosty & hcap go with trailer park reasoning.

This thing is big. Corps are rewarded for going overseas and keeping said 'rewards' overseas!!

I heard someone on here talk about Ireland being in trouble because they cut Corp Tax. :lol: THAT shows the ignorance.

The solutions at this point are easy. Pull the plug on this rotten golfin', nerd, telepromtin', geek; and roll in anyone able to let us shine again.

Let business grow again. Let jobs swell again.

Send BOCare to, The Supremes - Next Week!

Up or down vote for resolution.

Uncertainty is BAD for bidness.