Legality of Online Poker

hackers238 · #1 11-07-04, 01:23 AM

I remember numerous threads about this in RGP, and I want to hear what people have to say.

I live in Massachusetts where it is illegal to gamble. Is it legal for me to gamble online, as long as that online casino is not run inside of Massachusetts? And If it is illegal technically, is it something that the cops will come to my house and arrest me for?

2Tone · #2 11-07-04, 01:30 AM

... seems to know what he is talking about, though the answers are frustratingly vague. It's certainly not something I would worry much about though?

Where in Mass? I grew up outside of Worcester. Wormtown rocks!

hackers238 · #3 11-07-04, 01:36 AM

haha, Westminster MA, a little town near Leominster. I commute to Worcestor Mon-Fri though!

Penguinfan · #4 11-07-04, 08:50 AM

I have said this at numerous other forums, and may have put it in a thread here as well, but all I would say is pay the taxes on your winnings and don't worry about the rest. I have been called very colorful names for this advice, but in the doubtful event you do get prosecuted for off shore gambling (in my case the winnings are from sportsbooks and horses) they will look into your financial dealings and if you can't prove you lost money then the IRS will get involved in a hurry. My favorite example of this is Pete Rose, he didn't violate some grey area of the law, he flat out broke federal statutes, and quite a few of them, but what did he serve time for? TAX EVASION and nothing else. If you think sticking your local bookie will get you in trouble, brother you haven't seen anything yet.
I can argue that this is a good idea simply because if you ever get a pyout via check from an offshore outfit the majority of them do have accounts in the US and the check you get wil from a US bank, I have got several and know this is the case, there is a paper trail. Pay the taxes on any winning you would normally claim and don't even think about the rest.

GeoffM · #5 11-08-04, 04:33 PM

Due to the legal confusion associated with where the bet is being placed as to where the bet is being received, it is currently not legal or illegal, but rather in the gray area. Let's just say the FBI won't be breaking down your door any time soon to throw you in jail.

eddo31 · #6 11-09-04, 02:33 AM

yeah, i dont think that nailing individual online players is the fbi's biggest priority right now. if it is, then that might just give me another reason to move to canada. pay your taxes, and everything will be fine.

i also live in mass, and i am just curious,. but do you know exactly what types of gambling are prohibited? can you have a home game with no rake? not that the feds are going to bust up any of my games, but i would be interested in knowing.

GeoffM · #7 11-09-04, 08:39 AM

Hey, I'll tell you what, if you move to Canada, I promise you won't have to pay taxes on your gambling winnings. Isn't that reason enough to move up here.

Oh, and you also should know that if I were ever to win one of those massive powerball lotteries (I think Canadians are allowed to win them), I would get exactly what the prize amount is, not some 60% that the winners usually take home. Anytime a Canadian goes to Vegas or anywhere else in the U.S., we can apply for and receive any taxes that were taken from that prize from your government. Gotta love those international laws

.

Heck, I just thought of an idea, if anyone on this board wins powerball, find out if Canadians are allowed to win it. If we are, could have a nice extra sum of cash waiting for you at the very modest price of $20M US.

BlibbityBlabbity · #8 11-09-04, 08:44 AM

There is a long line to get in though, after the post-election rush to Canada

hackers238 · #9 11-09-04, 10:28 AM

haha thats hilarious while being an awesome plan. But even if an American recieved a "gift" of the rest of the winnings, they would still have to pay taxes, no? Unless of course that 100M was under the table...

GeoffM · #10 11-09-04, 10:50 AM

Tell ya what, I'll smuggle the money across the border to you free of charge in $1 million increments, a few times a week. I'll buy a house in Niagara Falls and drop it off to you at any desired location

.

2Tone · #11 11-10-04, 07:16 PM

Check out

What scared me the most is not that somehow the cops would come knocking on my door, but the possibility of it being harder and harder to fund accounts.

"3. Several large banks, including Citibank and Bank of America, may end EFTs to and from "gambling" sites, including poker, citing among other things money-laundering concerns and the Patriot Act."

It's still a maybe, but that would cripple IGM-Pay, which would really suck. I wonder how NetTeller would be classified.

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jdiana86 · #12 11-12-04, 04:07 PM

I use IGM-pay also. Hopefully it will keep working. Otherwise its drive to stop and shop and send out a WU(western union)

lightfungus · #13 12-11-05, 02:52 AM

Glad this hasnt happened yet.

kmb13592 · #14 12-11-05, 10:29 AM

About a month ago there was a 60 Minutes piece about online gambling about a month ago. It was somewhat of an investigation about why the United States does nothing about online gambling even though it is completely illegal. So I do believe it illegal but I don't think you have anything to worry about.