PokerStars withdraws from South Africa and Hong Kong - May 2018 - Poker News

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PokerStars withdraws from South Africa and Hong Kong - May 2018

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05-24-2018 , 06:31 AM

Josem

human chemical weapon

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 18,189

Sadly, PokerStars will "withdraw the option of real money play for residents of South Africa and Hong Kong from Wednesday, May 23."

It's sad for residents of those places.

Some interesting bits:
a) No mention of Macau yet. Seems weird that Hong Kong would be prohibited, but not Macau.

b) They've said - of what I've seen so far - is that this affects "residents" of those two countries. This is weird wording, as other prohibited jurisdictions (eg, USA) also have prohibitions on visitors as well as residents. Maybe they'll continue to allow players who are visiting HK or SA to play, I don't know.

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05-24-2018 , 07:05 AM

Emanresu

banned

Join Date: May 2018 Posts: 190

gg razluca

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05-24-2018 , 09:13 AM

anuj22

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 2,170

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josem

Maybe they'll continue to allow players who are visiting HK or SA to play, I don't know.

They have updated their prohibited jurisdiction page. As per the FAQ, you won't be able to play if you're visiting these two countries.

https://www.pokerstars.com/poker/roo.../south-africa/

https://www.pokerstars.com/poker/roo...-faq/hongkong/

No withdrawal from China which is interesting.

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05-24-2018 , 09:25 AM

tytythefly

journeyman

Join Date: Dec 2012 Posts: 377

This is such a strange time for poker and us who are in the community. This game has gone through the damn ringer and still is. Poker taking it on the chin from every country. One day, this game will be allowed to play, for everyone, globally linked in the same pool. Until that day, WTF is going on?

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05-24-2018 , 09:38 AM

Josem

human chemical weapon

Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 18,189

Quote:

Originally Posted by anuj22

They have updated their prohibited jurisdiction page. As per the FAQ, you won't be able to play if you're visiting these two countries.

It's so annoying that PokerStars stops me from viewing those pages (I'm a person with an IOM-registered account, who is physically in Italy, accessing the internet from a UK-roaming mobile).

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No withdrawal from China which is interesting.

This implies that it is unique to Hong Kong - two possible catalysts here:
a) the deal last week to promote poker through Asia with Stanley Choi
or
b) Tang Hao's very large ownership stake of the company

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05-24-2018 , 12:48 PM

Gzesh

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 7,640

Why South Africa , and why at this point ?

(It's a decent market if multi-channels will be allowed.)

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05-24-2018 , 10:09 PM

earthpoker

newbie

Join Date: Dec 2017 Posts: 40

if it tastes like chicken keep on licking if it tastes like trout get the **** out.

unfortunately in hong kong and south africa it tastes like trout. pokerstars has told them to get the **** out.

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05-25-2018 , 12:47 AM

anuj22

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 2,170

Quote:

Originally Posted by Josem

It's so annoying that PokerStars stops me from viewing those pages (I'm a person with an IOM-registered account, who is physically in Italy, accessing the internet from a UK-roaming mobile).

Yeah, same here. Ever since ps.in got launched, I cant browse other licenses web pages without using a VPN.

Opera browser provides free unlimited VPN tho but not sure if they support VPN for IOS and Android.

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05-25-2018 , 01:36 AM

Jay Why

adept

Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 1,053

The South African economy is very weak due to all the fraud and corruption, so the government is stopping money draining away from the country by banning online poker and so stopping its poker players losing money online to foreign poker businesses.

It therefore siphons players into playing at casinos, where the government can tax.

I lived there for a year, and it is illegal to play online poker in South Africa. Pokerstars is being responsible by blocking players there, instead of letting players have the freedom to break the law and be sent to prison.

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05-25-2018 , 06:02 AM

#10

Uhrenknecht

Pooh-Bah

Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 3,896

let there be btc.

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05-25-2018 , 08:29 AM

#11

yasuo

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 2,105

Playing pokerstars in hong Kong was dumb anyway

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05-29-2018 , 08:44 PM

#12

roymunson888

grinder

Join Date: Jul 2017 Posts: 627

less players is better
f stars

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05-31-2018 , 02:23 AM

#13

Ankimo

old hand

Join Date: Dec 2010 Posts: 1,996

Quote:

Originally Posted by yasuo

Playing pokerstars in hong Kong was dumb anyway

Why?

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05-31-2018 , 04:08 AM

#14

yasuo

veteran

Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 2,105

It is not that hard to get access into the Chinese app games in hk

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ankimo

Why?

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06-01-2018 , 12:08 AM

#15

wheatrich

Carpal \'Tunnel

Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 21,239

Quote:

Originally Posted by tytythefly

One day, this game will be allowed to play, for everyone, globally linked in the same pool.

Nope.

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