Originally Posted by Jesse Jacobs
Let me start by saying that this is a lurker account I set-up to protect my identity and the identity of my brother-in-law. I have been about a once a day poster on twoplustwo for a couple of years now, and I’m a successful recreational player. I have not put any money online, post Black Friday.
I have a brother-in-law, who works in the Office of Enforcement Operations, for the DOJ.
While visiting my sister this weekend, my brother in law had some pretty interesting things to tell me regarding online gambling. I should also note that he told me several times that the DOJ was actively investigating internet gambling, including poker (which he does not play, and assures me they consider gambling), and that the events of “BF” would eventually, inevitably happen. I only halfheartedly believed him, or that they could ever put a case together, even if they wanted to. (see Calvin Ayre) He mentioned it rarely for a couple of years, usually after some processor had been seized, berating me a little about being an enemy of the state, in that halfhearted but still law enforcement, arrogant, dickhead kind of way. Other than a few processors being seized, nothing had ever really materialized. Daniel Tzvetkoff was the huge break.
This weekend he told me that they are still very aggressively going after online gambling sites, and even went as far as to name Sportsbook.com (which is attached to the Merge network). He said there is a lot of pressure coming down regarding the enforcement of anti-online gambling legislation. He said poker sites that also have sports books are more at risk, BUT added something that I thought to be some-what good news.
He believes that legislation allowing online poker and certain types of online lotteries are going to pass very soon, but he says before that can happen they HAVE to push out the sites that have been/are operating illegally. They either leave willingly—like Bodog, or they will face the same fate as PS, FTP, UB, and to a lesser degree Party.
His exact words: “They are likely very close to legislation. There is more incentive to aggressively push out these illegal sites, and soon. I think you will see another round of indictments by the end of the year.” Also when I asked him if they lurked forums for information, he just laughed and said, “what do you think they don’t know how to use google?”
He asked me if I had still had money on any online sites, and advised that I either get it off asap, or only have what I wouldn’t mind losing.
I only hope this posts adds to the already long list of reasons why you should be wary of any online gambling site right now, and keep your balances to a minimum. If this year, the DOJ does shut down the kind of sites that are still operating in the U.S., I doubt you will see your balances.