Many P5ers have posted about payment problems.  While the causes of this specific issue are not yet known, IMO there will always be risks associated with federal and state authorities going after various aspects of online poker.  This includes states trying to block sites, feds enforcing UIGEA (with its unclear applicability to poker) and federal financial laws, and other potential actions. [EDIT: We can now confirm that the Feds have frozen our funds]

I'm not sure why some here used to think state and federal governments would just ignore us.  They will not.  The status quo is inherently unstable.  The idea that the U.S. will indefinitely permit offshore sites to offer services to Americans while prohibiting onshore companies from doing the same is simply ridiculous on its face. The idea that domestic gaming companies, lotteries, and horse racing interests will just sit back and watch is even more ludicrous. 

I hope this will serve as a wake-up call for us to fight back hard.  Will you join me in standing up for our rights?

Here's what I'm thinking.  Please post your opinions on these and add to them, but let's all plan to stand up for our rights:

• If you've not done so in the past 30 days, please send the PPA letters to Congress and Obama right now.
  
• Call your Congressman and Senators on Monday morning and demand your rights.
• If you haven't yet, join the PPA (or upgrade).
• I need you all on Poker Legislation.  Will you post there at least twice per week?  A very active PL forum is WAY +EV for us. If you help, we'll have this jamming and it will be the go-to place for all things related to poker rights.
• Join me on Twitter.  I have over 22,000 followers and we'll be pushing plenty of poker rights issues through this network.  There are a lot of people on Twitter who don't play poker but who care deeply about Internet freedom.  We can reach them, and they will stand with us.  We blasted Minn. Gov. Pawlenty rather successfully with viral Twitter alerts.  We'll continue to do this with other targets.
• Participate in actions like the call to Rep. Bachus.
• Let's bring in more folks to help with the fight.  After all, the Internet belongs to all of us, so everyone should wish to do their part to keep it free. Click here to Twitter an announcement to review this thread (good promotion for P5s as well).
  
• Please post your commitment here on this thread.

already fixed

cjcut:

already fixed

Though a bill with the gambling wording was previously debated and passed by the House of Representatives,^[4][5][6] the SAFE Port Act (H.R. 4954) as passed by the House on May 4th (by a vote of 421-2) and the United States Senate on September 14th (98-0),^[7] bore no traces of the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act that was included in the SAFE Port Act signed into law by George W. Bush on October 13th, 2006.

Thanx GWB.  Thanx.

Dear vjpconst1,

We were recently informed by one of our check providers that their bank
account has been frozen.  As a result, the following check cannot be
cashed or deposited at this time:

Transaction ID: XXXXXXXXX
Amount: $XXXX
Mailed date: "May11, 2009"

We are in communication with the provider to establish the exact
circumstances, and find an immediate solution.  We appreciate your
patience in the meantime and will provide a further update by end of day
Monday.

Please accept our sincerest apologies for any disruption this has caused
you.

Best Regards,

Eduardo
PokerStars Payments Department

vjpconst1:

Though a bill with the gambling wording was previously debated and passed by the House of Representatives,^[4][5][6] the SAFE Port Act (H.R. 4954) as passed by the House on May 4th (by a vote of 421-2) and the United States Senate on September 14th (98-0),^[7] bore no traces of the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act that was included in the SAFE Port Act signed into law by George W. Bush on October 13th, 2006.

Thanx GWB.  Thanx.

TheEngineer:

vjpconst1:

Though a bill with the gambling wording was previously debated and passed by the House of Representatives,^[4][5][6] the SAFE Port Act (H.R. 4954) as passed by the House on May 4th (by a vote of 421-2) and the United States Senate on September 14th (98-0),^[7] bore no traces of the Unlawful Internet Gambling and Enforcement Act that was included in the SAFE Port Act signed into law by George W. Bush on October 13th, 2006.

Thanx GWB****Edit**** and 317 D-Bag Congressmen.  Nice Work!.  Thanx.

The House passed HR 4411 by 317-93.  It was worse than UIGEA, as it amended the Wire Act to make it clearly applicable to the Internet (including poker).  It was watered down and tacked onto the Safe Ports Act as UIGEA.  The Safe Ports Act that passed does contain UIGEA (it's right at the end).

vjpconst1:

Thanx GWB****Edit**** and 317 D-Bag Congressmen.  Nice Work!.  Thanx.

vjpconst1:

Just want to thank you engineer for all the hard work.  Please keep it up! 

i want to play online poker for a long time. let's get this figured out

tobyfunk:

i want to play online poker for a long time. let's get this figured out

This all comes down to the suits in DC not getting their cut,,,plain and simple.  If the boys running the show in Washington would get off their asses and pass some legislation to just regulate and tax the money transactions that take place between online gambling sites and players, things would be more stable and legit.  If the IRS can come up with a way to file your taxes online, it shouldn't be that difficult or take that long to set something up where we wouldn't have to put up with this bs.

mine just bounced... but i cashed it at a local mini-mart next to where i work.  The owners normailly dont cash checks but they said that they trusted me. I guess they prolly will get the news anytime now.....    SIGH VWP STARS

 Awesome thread Engineer. I'll do my part.

feltmelter:

mine just bounced... but i cashed it at a local mini-mart next to where i work.  The owners normailly dont cash checks but they said that they trusted me. I guess they prolly will get the news anytime now.....    SIGH VWP STARS

obv I support the initiative, and bought PPA membership in the past (probably need to renew), but... is there any real progress being made?  I mean, Obama certainly hasn't indicated that he will be a catalyst to any propagation... so we have Barney and some ancillary reps talking it up... but is there really any evidence that progress is occurring?

and ty for your efforts btw...