I certainly wasn't implying there is some kind of risk of getting your money stolen. But instead of planning on opening accounts upon accounts as a backup plan, is it not 100x more logical to open up a single, legal, safe, offshore bank account that you don't need to worry will hassle you over your transactions?


A side question to anyone: Can you use moneybookers while in the US (if your moneybookers account is registered abroad and you bank abroad) or does it check for IP log in info?

Of course it is. We had this discussion last week which ended with the question, "What offshore bank?"

I think it is probably better to discuss where, rather than just specific banks, but last time I tried to do that, I was for some strange reason flamed for it as if it shouldn't be posted in public, so I guess I don't want to share what I know only to get yelled at.

This might sound crazy, but can you send moneybookers $$$ to a US bank account? I mean according to their site you an add a US bank account. If your primary bank and residence with them are outside of the US, can you then add your US bank and send funds to it that way? This would seem to easy to be true, but hey, might as well ask..

I was looking at this, this morning. I don't see why not. Still seems like the risk would be there for the US bank to close our account. Would be less fees involved though cutting out a middle bank. Also if I'm actually in the US, I'd much prefer a US acct. get closed than one of my Canadian.

I will ask MoneyBookers about this

Does anyone know how long cashouts to the US will be allowed?

If we could still do wires to our US bank accounts that would solve the cashout problem, dont know what stars would think of that though.

Cool, report back. While it seems like it could be possible, this one seems a little 'too easy' and so my gut just expects bad news on that front.

They may allow wires to the US for a decent chunk of time, but you cannot change your residence and still wire to a US bank so that won't work.

This is not possible

fwiw I have a moneybookers merchant account in my name that is used for business for DC, and its connected to a US bank. We have had issues periodically where they think we are doing "gambling transactions" and temporarily block our ability to withdraw, then I explain that we aren't a poker site, we are just a US business that sometimes receives payments from non US poker sites / customers and they have allowed that.

Thanks for the input. It sounds like they DO operate in the US and just try to prevent gambling biz within the US.

Do you think this means you couldn't even withdraw $$$ from an ATM located within the US if you are residing abroad and have their ATM card?

I asked MB about wiring to a US bank account and this was their response. I also included my response back to them. I am glad that I asked them, I would rather do this the right way or not do it at all. If MB isn't going to work, I'd rather find out now rather than later. More updates to follow...

Thank you for getting in touch with us.

As you might know, gambling from the US is strictly prohibited and so is the withdrawing of gambling profits into a US bank account.

Moreover, your account is registered in Canada, and this will need to be verified.
To verify your account, I will kindly ask you to provide me the following document:

1. A CERTIFIED copy of your Passport (no driving licence, health cards,
etc...).

2. A CERTIFIED copy of Canadian residence permit

3. A CERTIFIED copy of Address Verification (Only bank statements showing
transaction history or Utility Bills allowed issued in the last 3 months) Business address are NOT accepted at all (i.e suites, P.O Box etc...)

All the document required must be certified by a Canadian authority such as a Registered Notary /Embassy/ High Commission or Consulate or local municipality official/ a local police department.

Thank you for your valuable cooperation in this matter.


Hello,

Yes I'm painfully aware of the US government's stance of gambling. They took my job and my passion away in an instant. I am a poker player and have been for seven years. I had to leave the country in order to continue doing what I love and that's why I'm in Canada.

I have all of the documents except a Canadian residence permit. The Canadian government does not consider poker or gambling a profession and therefore does not require me to have a residence permit. I had a long discussion with the Canadian border patrol regarding this when I moved here and he said it was not necessary.

Sincerely,

Oh wow. That is awful news. Not the part about not being able to wire (no surprise) but about needing to verify your residence in Canada with all three of those pieces of info. What are your limits if you don't do this? What is the maximum withdrawal limits you can have without having to provide an official residence permit in Canada?

I don't know, I'd guess they won't allow me to have an account without that documentation. We'll know shortly, I will post here.

How do you certify all of those things? What does certifying a passport even mean? Wtf

I think you just go to a notary and get it stamped, I don't think it's that hard, just another headache. Unnecessary too since I've already verified my bank account and address with them.

I understand their position though with all that's going on now: the DOJ shutting down all these sites, setting up fake payment processors and employing undercover agents. The timing is awful.

Generally means photocopying it and getting it signed by a lawyer or some other notary like some bank people or something. It isn't that hard of a thing to do, but being able to provide a resident permit is going to be a deal breaker for people in Canada as that is no simple or short process.

Even if you married a Canadian tomorrow it'd still be a long process.

The question is, how high can you get your limits without sending in that info?

I emailed Poker Stars as well to see if there are plans to give us any more cash out options.

I opened another account on Party Poker (Party told me to do this), and there are nine withdrawal options. I just signed up for a goplay mastercard which took less than two minutes. You can withdraw to the card, have your money in minutes, and use the card anywhere Mastercard is accepted including doing cash advances.

PokerStars needs something like this.

Yeah, nice info. Keep us posted on the MB situation.

yikes...sounds like bad news. Canada = fail without moneybookers or something comparable, unless Im missing something.

^^^ Australia where its at mate ! Move into my pad

http://www.coldwellbankerpropertyaus...&f_st=1&f_ps=3

Wow will they even cash out your money without that residency thing?

I opened a moneybookers account.. Sent my money to them and the accepted it without a problem (obv). And then when I tried to cashout to my bank it said I had to either verify through a Canadian credit card (don't have one yet) bank account or address.

I thought they would just deduct like $10 from my bank account to verify it. Nope. They said I had to send them a wire transfer (WTF?) I printed out the page with the info necessary to send them a wire transfer. My bank (TD Canada trust) said that it didnt have most of the info required for a bank wire and that it would cost $30 to wire to the US but since this was germany it might be closer to $50. Why we would have to send a bank wire I have no clue, no other sites I've ever used have had to go by this method.

So I had them send me the letter to verify by my address. I had to leave canada for a week for a wedding, so when I get back in a few days if the address verification isn't sufficient to let me cashout I guess it's gg money which would be utter bull****.

I can't believe how tough it is to cash out. The money is there it's in our names, the bank accounts are in our names, the money came from a poker site that is in our names. If we did steal the money we stole it BEFORE it was put in moneybookers so why they care I dont know but this is pretty ridiculous.

I think you'll be able to withdraw, I have done a bunch of withdrawals and a couple deposits with them by verifying my address and bank account. I did one yesterday after they asked for all this additional verification and it was processed. But you'll be limited to something like 15K per 90 days unless you can get a VIP account.

I haven't heard back from MB since I replied to their email yesterday morning and they haven't put any restrictions on my account. I have a feeling my email was escalated and they're trying to figure out what to do. We'll see but it doesn't look good for me at least. I think the potential is there for this to happen to anyone though (asking for all that additional verification) particularly if a ton of new poker players start opening MB accts.

It is all ridiculous, it makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong when clearly I'm not.

Can you go from Moneybookers to different sites like Party/IPoker, then cashout via alt method?(after plenty of play of course) Or do you have to first send MB deposits back to MB?

I didn't realize poker stars cashed out to MB in USD. They wont send checks in USD so I thought MB would be CAD as well but it wasnt. Moneybookers does a pretty brutal exchange fee. They said I can close my current account and open a new one in USD then I can just cash the USD out to my bank and take the exchange rate from my bank. It's not as good as PS's exchange rate but way better than MB. Money bookers took 1,000 USD and gave me 950 CAD. At the time the exhchange was something like 100 =97.6 or thereabouts. I'm just glad I only did 1k to test it and not a larger amount.

Good info. I made the same mistake and opened a CAD$ account though haven't done any conversions with them. I was planning on opening a 2nd US$ account if/when they upgraded me to VIP but this sounds like a better way of doing it.

what a joke. what does getting a VIP account involve? im about to email them and explain my situation as a moving poker player who'll be there for only 6mo, who ALSO wants to cash out large amounts often. hopefully i will have some good news.