Poker Stars and US players

Pokerstars and US players

Throughout the post April 15 debacle, PS has behaved admirably, returning funds, and complying with DOJ wishes.

However, apart from the FAQs, there have been no updates since about April: my US friends are completely in the dark…

I’m an expert in corporate strategy, and even in the face of uncertainty it is important to retain customer relationships.

A monthly update – even 2-3 lines - such as

‘We continue to work with the DOJ…

‘We have made a proposal to the DOJ to…

‘No clear timetable for return…

‘We have a hearing on x date to explore y…

That sort of thing builds trust and loyalty.

Im sure the issue is complex, but I'd love to recommend what should have been done years ago - negotiate a settlement with the US government that makes happy the tax authorities, and legislators concerned with moral hazard.

-        Aid US tax authorities by reporting US player income (some sort of 1099 as issued by banks)

-        Reinforce the notion of very strong ‘no minors’ and ‘no non poker gaming’ safeguards

-        Don’t take credit cards (at first), this reinforces the safety notion that ‘dad’ can’t quietly go broke by gambling on the family credit cards

-        Develop superior money laundering safeguards

-        Offer to pay corporate taxes on % of income generated in the US (PS operates through US subsidiary)

-        Plead ‘mea culpa’ to the charges, pay the fines and move on – you are aware how much you are losing in US income monthly..

As the best run of the sites, the above should be trivial.

PS is simply the best poker site by a great margin... Lets get you back operating ASAP.