Online poker players have been celebrating since the anti-online-gambling rider attached to the defense bill was swatted down recently, and with good reason. It was a significant victory for us. We're a wildly diverse group that social conservatives in Washington decided to marginalize without ever considering that they might find themselves up against any real opposition - all in the hopes of winning a few votes in November. It's good that we're celebrating, but we shouldn't be resting just yet. This fight isn't over. I got proof in my email this morning.
When I woke up I had this message from online poker room/casino William Hill in my inbox, titled "Closure of Your William Hill Account":
William Hill plc has taken a decision to withdraw our online casino and poker services from all existing US clients and will refrain from offering them to US residents in the foreseeable future.
We regret to inform you that we have therefore suspended your account and you will not be able to access our casino or poker room in the future. You should also note that we do not take sports bets from US residents.
[...]
You will be able to withdraw any outstanding balance by accessing your account through our online homepage.We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your loyal custom and support of William Hill.
Yours sincerely,
William Hill Online
This isn't too troubling to me. I haven't played with William Hill in quite some time, and even then it was infrequently because my schedule doesn't mesh well with the Euros who frequent the site. It also isn't a particularly new development - plenty of other online sites have closed the accounts of US residents in the last few months. But William Hill's action is the first US account closure that I know of to occur since our foes tried to sneak anti-gambling legislation through without a fight.
And that's the significant part. William Hill's action signals that the smaller offshore sites still don't feel comfortable putting their necks out because there's still a chance that the US powers that be will come after them in the near future. That chance is the omnibus spending bill that will be up for a vote before the end of the legislative session. Conveniently enough for our foes, that falls just before the mid-term election, a time when vulnerable representatives will do almost anything to ensure re-election.
It ain't over 'til it's over, kids. If you're already involved with the fight to keep the social conservatives from taking away your favorite hobby, stay active. If you aren't yet involved, there's never been a better time to join up.
