Gambling Ban - Would it be possible....

joshuadalton · #1 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 10:47 AM

To have a Canadian friend set up an account for you to play with? I know that the IP would give away your location, but could this be a way around the "system"?

hachkc · #2 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshuadalton

To have a Canadian friend set up an account for you to play with? I know that the IP would give away your location, but could this be a way around the "system"?

Correct me if I'm wrong but the current ban has to do with funds transfers which is only a concern if the money is flowing to or from a US based account. As long as the money doesn't "cross" the border I'd guess you would fine. I believe online gambling has always been illegal but just difficult to enforce which is my they are targeting the financial side now.

Just think, folks offshoring their money to Canada.

Disclaimer
I am simply stating my personal opinion which is based on no legal training, information or any similar factual basis. If you are basing your decisions on my opinions then you are most likely going to get screwed in the end. Find a lawyer, its safer.

Matthew · #3 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hachkc

Just think, folks offshoring their money to Canada.

Bank of New Hampshire was bought out by Toronto Dominion many months ago and changed the name to TD Banknorth. Still a Canadian company - would that count?

BTW - I've never played on-line so I got no dog in this fight.

hachkc · #4 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew

Bank of New Hampshire was bought out by Toronto Dominion many months ago and changed the name to TD Banknorth. Still a Canadian company - would that count?

Yep as you have to abide by us laws in order to provide banking services in the US.

dad604 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthew

Bank of New Hampshire was bought out by Toronto Dominion many months ago and changed the name to TD Banknorth. Still a Canadian company - would that count?

BTW - I've never played on-line so I got no dog in this fight.

It still would have to operate under US regulations as long as it is within the USA.

jdunford · #6 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 05:05 PM

I have a TD account (in Toronto) and if you opened a Canadian account through TD Banknorth, you could transfer funds from your US account to your CAN account. However, it would still be tied to your "home branch", which would be in the US... so you'd still be bound by US laws... unless you somehow moved your "home branch" to Canada (i.e. briefly moved to Canada by proving your new mailing address, etc., opened an account, then moved back to the US).

In the end, it's just easier to become Canadian!

JM · #7 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by joshuadalton

To have a Canadian friend set up an account for you to play with? I know that the IP would give away your location, but could this be a way around the "system"?

The place you try to play at would most likely detect your IP is within the US and not let you login

hachkc · #8 (**permalink**) 10-02-2006, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JM

The place you try to play at would most likely detect your IP is within the US and not let you login

shadesofgrey · #9 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 03:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JM

The place you try to play at would most likely detect your IP is within the US and not let you login

Not true.

Definately true, if you directly connect. however, there are plenty of methods for masking your IP address / internet traffic. The first of which that comes to mind is TOR = The Onion Router.

Basically TOR works by sending traffic to a random router, which in turn sends that traffic to another router, so on and so forth until 20 random routers later & the fact no logs of traffic are kept - you have a "randomized" IP address for the traffic you're sending.

I dont know if i'd want to pay money for online poker when my packets are bouncing all over the globe & have a good chance of timing out, but point is, where there is a will - there is a way & the US is fighting an up hill prohibition here.

Someone "WILL" find a loop hole for this vague law.

If the online companies were working hand in hand with the US, i would be afraid. But for some reason I am sure the online poker sites are not going to willing cooperate with the US = unless you have some court order go to hell US enforcement. We will see.

I dunno, i've circumvented chinese firewalls before (videoconf between shanghai and us). VPN w/ TOR = hell to track the data over the net.

Devilboy · #10 (**permalink**) 10-03-2006, 05:51 AM

PokerStars and most other sites will not work over TOR but there are plenty of VPN proxy servers available that will do just fine. Should cost you around $10 per month. I doubt they will restrict by IP though - too many false positives. Just lie about your residential address when you sign up and you'll be good to go.

Also payment processors like FirePay that has no US office will continue to do transactions for you as they don't have to abide by US laws, soo I don't think it would be hard to get money to your favourite poker site. It may be harder, but not much. Payouts, again just use FirePay or whatever and you're good.

FirePay / NetTeller has many legitimate uses (paying for your auction goodies etc.) so the US can't ban all transactions with them and they can't tell what happens to your money once you transfer it to your FirePay account.