2007 has been an action filled year for online poker players, in fact it’s been quite the roller coaster for gamblers internationally, both off and on the tables.
NETeller Freezes US Funds
Days after the DOJ arrested co-founders Stephen Lawrence and John Lefebvre, you will remember NETeller freezing U.S. deposits, some online gamblers recall that incident more than others. The total amount frozen came to $150 million.
NETeller returned US gamblers funds to them in July of 2007, NETeller dropped the US Market like hotcake’s.
2007 brought with it Congressman Barney Frank’s IGREA
In the early spring of ’07 the online gambling world made a friend in Congress. Mass. Congressman Barney Frank went public against what he called one of the “stupidest laws” ever passed. He has since proposed HR 2046 also known as the Gambling Enforcement and Regulation Act (IGREA). IGREA seeks to license and regulate online poker and online gambling in the USA and repeal the UIGEA. As of the end of the year this proposal has garnered 45 Congressional co-sponsors and is on its way to a solid base of support.
Bodog.com Domain Seized
Many online poker players, with cash in their accounts found a dead website upon visiting bodog.com. A patent infringement claim filed by 1st Technology LLC. filed against a shocked Bodog.com resulted in a history ruling from a Washington State Judge that awarded a $49 million judgment in favor of 1st Technology LLC. Bodog’s website registrar (a company like Godaddy.com) was further ordered to take the website down. It took close to two days for Bodog to move the website to a temporary home online, NewBodog.com before their eventual moving into their current home at BodogLife.com
Calvin Ayre said, “We are fighting this dispute and are confident that we will win.” Though everything is back to normal and bodoglife is where the action can be found for Bodog poker, casino and sportsbook players, the dispute over the Bodog copyright is still going on.
iMEGA sues over UIGEA
iMEGA finally saw it’s day in court, and as reported by 4Flush, was able “to argue that the UIGEA was unconstitutional and violates the rights of citizens in the U.S. to gamble in the privacy of their own homes.”
The Internet Media Entertainment & Gaming Association (iMEGA), according to their website, “was founded in 2007 as a professional association dedicated to the continued growth and innovation of the Internet. We seek constructive engagement with government at the Federal and State levels to ensure that the challenges of this still nascent medium are addressed with the full participation of the people and companies that have built the Internet into the powerful influence on society it has become.”
The case is being tried in Trenton, N.J. and presided over by U.S. District Court Judge Mary L. Cooper. The first decision was delayed and as of this writing, the online gambling world is still awaiting a decision.
Europe and the United States cut a deal in regards to Online Gambling.
The official settlement was released as:
“A bilateral agreement which provides EU service suppliers with new trade opportunities in the US postal and courier, research and development, storage and warehouse sectors, the US also made concessions in the testing and analysis services sector.”
Antigua & Barbuda WTO Decision
The small Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda has been fighting a legal battle against the US government since 2003. The UIGEA provided legal fuel to the fire. After winning their case with the WTO, negotiations between the countries began. Antigua looking for $3.44 billion in compensation and when the U.S. countered with $500,000, the case went to arbitration.
The arbitration panel, after several delays, made public their decision awarding Antigua and Barbuda won the right to violate copyright protections on goods like films and music from the United States for a total of $21 million a year.
Remote Gambling Association
The Remote Gambling Association, representing European Internet gambling companies, filed a compliant with the WTO. As report by 4Flush right before Christmas, the complaint states,
“the U.S. discriminates by prosecuting foreign gambling companies. The claims argues that by threatening and prosecuting criminal cases that enforce penalties and forfeitures against foreign gaming companies all the while letting domestic gaming operators continue to operate normally (those that offer racetrack betting primarily) is both discriminatory and violates WTO rules.â€Â
This complaint forces the EU to investigate and if the find that the US had acted discriminatory, can again negotiate with the US or present a case to the WTO.
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