Cyber Criminal

Since the passage of the unpopular Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) many US online bingo players have been confused as to the legality of online bingo and the funding methods left available to them.

Several of the major players in this business such as Neteller have been prosecuted for activities that are perfectly legal in their own countries resulting in heavy fines and settlements with the US government. To avoid similar prosecutions several companies have swiftly pulled out of the US market suffering substantial monetary losses.

These companies include, Neteller, Citadel, My Citadel, InstaDebit, FirePay, Central Coin, and Pre Paid ATM.

Already several startup payment processors have started to appear but they lack the longevity and credibility of the older established firms. Put quite simply these new companies do not have a history to substantiate their claims of services provided. One of the unintended consequences of UIGEA is the appearance of payment processors who may or may not be honest and above board.

We have done some research and found several reliable payment processors that are still available to US online bingo players.

Of course one of the simplest methods to fund deposits and withdrawals from online bingo sites is an offshore bank account. This is not a popular method due to the amount of paperwork involved and balance requirements. What follows is a list of companies that still have the courage to serve US players.

Click2Pay- If you already have an account the will process your deposits and withdrawals but they are not accepting new accounts from the US. http://www.click2pay.com/

ePassporte-They are accepting US players and accounts can be funded with, A valid bank account, credit or debit cards. https://www.epassporte.com/

eWalletExpress- They are accepting US players. Accounts may be funded by, basic checking, Xpressfunds, 900pay, bank wire and money order. https://www.ewalletxpress.com/navaho/app

900pay-Currently accepting US players this service is one of the more unusual funding methods. This service allows deposits to online bingo sites and the transaction appears on the client’s phone bill. Just click the link and follow the instructions. http://www.ecashdirect.net/ecash/900pay.html

UseMyBank-This unique service allows players to use their banks existing online bill payment service. All that is needed is a valid e mail address and telephone number. http://www.usemybank.com/

Immediate Deposit-This service allows the player to use their visa or Master Card to purchase a calling card which can then be used for casino credits. This method is good for deposits only. Another method must be used for withdrawals. https://secured.immediatedeposit.com/Prod/Faq.jsp?ID=1

Western Union-One of the oldest methods. There is some confusion with the status of gambling transactions. Check for current information. http://www.westernunion.com/index_consumer.asp?country=US

MyWebATM-This is a brand new company providing funding for online bingo and accounts are accessible at most ATMs. Since this is a new service many bingo sites and casinos do not offer this funding option yet. http://www.mywebatmcard.com/

Wire Transfer-One of the oldest and least known deposit methods. The only drawback is the length of time it takes, typically 2 to 5 days.

Add-Funds-A new service that allows US players to fund their online bingo accounts with their credit cards. It is essentially another service where clients buy phone time to be exchanged for credits at the site they choose to play at. http://www.add-funds.com/

FedEX-Players may fund accounts via FedEX. This involves sending cashiers checks or bank drafts to the site operators.

PIN Debit- This new service allows players to link their PIN Debit to their personal bank accounts both checking and savings. Winnings can be transferred to bank accounts using this service. www.PINDebit.com

Some of the companies providing these services are new and their reliability has not been established. Players need to do careful research when looking for an account funding solution.

Unfortunately US players are finding it increasingly hared to fund accounts directly using their credit cards. Most CC companies and banks have a code that denotes a gambling transaction and given the current atmosphere in the US that transaction is likely to be declined leaving the player in limbo. For the time being third party services seem to be the best solution. Keep right on playing and good luck!

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Did you ever wonder what kind of person would think up a travesty like the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006? (UIGEA) The underhanded tactics used to ram this bill through congress have been thoroughly covered by this author and many others. But what about the people behind this law? What kind of people are they and how and why do they think the way they do?

The bill had 3 or 4 main sponsors the main three being Bill Frist, John Kyl, and Bob Goodlatte all Republicans. Of the lot Bill Frist takes the cake for sheer hypocrisy and criminal activity. While Mr. Frist was making decisions about how law abiding Americans could spend their money he was involved in one of the largest Medicare and Medicaid scams ever to be perpetrated on the American taxpayer. Mr. Frist was already an extremely wealthy man when he came to congress. His family owned the Hospital Corporation of America the largest for profit hospital group in the United States. Over billing, kickbacks to doctors, and outright abuse of the system resulted in a fine of 630 million dollars in a settlement reached with the Department of Justice. In a sweetheart deal arranged by members of the Bush administration not one person served jail time. While ripping off the taxpayer Mr. Frist constantly engaged in ‘family values’ rhetoric designed to pander to a tiny minority or religious extremists. Before this scandal occurred Mr. Frist was caught insider trading and dumping stock before it hit the fan for his family’s corporation. Of course he was never prosecuted. And who can forget his long distance diagnosis of Terry Schiavo. His long distance diagnosis of Schiavo drew the ire of medical ethicists from around the globe. This is a guy who thinks gambling is immoral? Fortunately for the United States he is no longer in office but it will take years to undo the damage done by UIGEA.

Next we come to John Kyl of Arizona. To this day Mr. Kyl is pushing for stricter enforcement of UIGEA. He recently sent a letter to Bush urging him to increase enforcement of UIGEA. A closer look at Mr. Kyl reveals a lot. Mr. Kyl has a long standing relationship with the racist and anti Semitic John Birch Society as evidenced by his opposition to a Martin Luther King holiday in Arizona. He opposed funding for more armor on HMV’s to make them safer for those troops serving in Iraq. What is mind boggling is the fact that in 2002 Mr. Kyl sponsored a bill that would prevent internet jamming or censorship by other countries and then introduces a draconian bill that censors the internet in the United States. Of course organized crime was ecstatic over the passage of UIGEA because it allows them to assume their old role as the main providers of gambling in the US.

And then there’s Bob Goodlatte. While Mr. Goodlatte doesn’t like gambling much he accepted campaign contributions from the horse racing industry. When several journalists pointed out that Goodlatte had received $40,000 from the horse racing industry Mr. Goodlatte made a public show of giving the contributions back. He then proceeded to establish what he called a ‘good fund’ which accepted contributions of $15,000 from the horse racing industry which Mr. Goodlatte did not give back. In keeping with his peculiar ‘family values’ he voted to deny care to those too poor to afford the co pay for treatment under Medicare. Oh yeah, he wants to privatize one of the few government programs that actually works, social security. Another shining example of those who want to dictate morality to US citizens.

Fortunately for the American public Mr. Frist is no longer in congress and his presidential aspirations have been quashed forever. It boggles the mind to imagine what a Frist administration would be like. On the other hand both Kyl and Goodlatte are still in congress pursuing their nightmarish agenda. Just recently Kyl sent a letter to Bush urging him to rigorously enforce the regulations in UIGEA. Goodlatte continues to be active promoting right wing causes and legislation. So far none of the presidential candidates have stated a clear position on online gaming. Inquiries to several candidates of both parties drew generic responses that totally dodged the questions asked. The most effective way to affect change is through members of congress. Believe it or not most representatives and senators pay attention to what their constituents say and past legislation has been influenced by well orchestrated campaigns organized by relatively small groups of issue oriented citizens. Let your representatives know how you feel about the restrictions placed on your right to engage in an activity that harms no one.

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