More Criticism on Expose: 2
Online casinos have been a heated topic for the last couple of years. The
actions of the popular online poker sites, Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet have
had their run through the rumor mill. Not to mention that they have had plenty
of exposure for the cheating that they were accused of. The recent expose aired
by the popular news program, Sixty Minutes has had its share of criticism due to
the bold statements that they made about the online poker industry being illegal
in both the United States and Canada. What the program did not clarify to its
viewers is that the online casino industry is legal; transferring of funds from
a US bank account directly to an online poker site is what is illegal. If a
player wants to play poker they would easily be able to do so by using a third
party website to transfer funds.
The editorial writer for the Toronto Star, Chris Tessaro commented on his
feelings of the online casino expose recently. He believes that the lack of
regulation in the United States and Canada is what allowed the highly publicized
scandals from Ultimate Bet and Absolute Poker to occur. He went on to say that
those websites have no accountability for their actions as a result of not
having any regulations for online casinos. He then said that there is nothing
illegal to worry about in that realm if you know the basic rules. In the article
he also adds that he believes that with regulation will come accountability for
actions that are not in the favor of the players or the online casino industry.
Tessaro says that the Kahnawake Gaming Commission does not do enough to hold
online casinos accountable for their shady dealings. He had plenty to say about
the protection of the person behind the cheating at Absolute Poker, who many
believe was the former CEO Scott Toms. Tessaro wrote: "....who many believe was
behind the actual cheating. Perhaps this is due to an inability to garner enough
hard evidence to mention his name, but that didn’t stop the show from
(rightfully) throwing Ultimate Bet owner Russ Hamilton under the bus. Hamilton
was involved in this fiasco right up to his not inconsiderable waist, and it was
good to see the reporters drag him into the floodlights." Tessaro’s article
finished off by interviewing online casino poker players whose interviews were
not aired in the special.
The final lines from the online casino editorial were as such: "So, the question
on everyone’s mind is a simple one: was the 60 Minutes segment good or bad for
poker? The jury is still out, but the answer really seems to be ... neither. The
piece illuminated an ugly piece of poker news, but it really didn’t say too much
about the industry as a whole. They did point out that, without regulation,
there is nothing to stop this from happening again. Perhaps their piece will
drive a movement towards safeguarding players with some simple regulation."
Online casinos will surely continue to both thrive as an industry and as a
highly debated topic.