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Maryann Guberman has been a writer and editor with many gaming publications, including Sports Form, Card Player, Poker World, Player's Panorama and Systems and Methods. She also has written and edited numerous books on gambling.

May 17, 2008

Online Money Transfer Services Stop Serving

In the early 1980s, Wendy's fast food advertising campaign created a catch phrase that swept across the world. Their TV commercial, dreamed up by an ad exec named Joe Sedelmaier, featured three obviously elderly women fussing over a huge burger bun with very little meat inside. One crotchety old lady (Clara Peller in real life) finally indignantly asked, "Where's the beef?Ó

The commercial hasn't aired for nearly 25 years but the phrase lingers and from time to time transmogrifies to other arenas.

Where it's at today is in the minds of online poker players who often have to ask, "Where's the money?Ó

At the point where Americans learned about and began to participate in online gaming, cyber companies cropped up to make the transfer of money as easy as biting into a Wendy's burger. The infamous Neteller, arguably the most recognized name in the business tempted all comers with its promise, of 24/7 support and instant transfer of money to your favorite site. They did an admirable job from all reports, until 2007 when the founders were cuffed and carted away on charges of laundering money and all funds were frozen.

Closely tied to the Neteller debacle and perhaps the harbinger of what was to come concerning funding online accounts, players from the U.S. discovered in 2002 they could not use a PayPal account to transfer money to their favorite site. PayPal, owned by eBay, claimed its agreement with Visa and MasterCard precluded them from allowing electronic transfers to online gambling sites. Interestingly, in 2006 the auction/payment processor praised Rep. Bob Goodlatte for his efforts to prohibit by law the right of Americans to gambling online.

Next to bite the dust was the highly regarded FirePay. In October, 2006, the company announced it would give U.S. customers ten days to complete any transactions with its company. Those ten days would immediately follow President George Bush's signing of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act.

Shortly thereafter, Moneybookers cut the cord between the United States and offshore sites. In January, 2007, Click2pay ceased its services in January, 2008. Next came ePassporte, a company that claimed the Department of Justice forced the issue.

So there's a lot going on in the backrooms and hallways of cyberspace, a lot of pressure being brought to companies that want to help residents of the 50 states spend their gaming money offshore.

It seems as if the banking and credit card systems have taken the government's ban on financing offshore gambling habits to heart and forced the closure of numerous thoroughfares leading to the cyber tables.

And now there's a new hassle in one of the remaining methods for depositing money in your poker account. Echeck, used by the top rooms, is under assault by its users for slow (make that no) pay.

Alas, as time goes by, funding a poker account becomes more difficult and that's probably as it should be. Not only are our ports save, thanks to the $4 billion Safe Port Act, but also, our banking and money transfer system is safe because of the UIGA.

What's up for grabs, however, is the American individual who continues to seek methods of getting money into his or her online gaming account. Surely we've protected the companies who handle our money but have we protected us from our own habits, desires, wants, and yes, addictions.

Not only has the bill not done that, but also, it hasn't stopped us from gambling online.

Where's the money? It's still flowing out. Now the question becomes, will it every flow in?