Off Shore Gaming Association

The NFL preseason started last weekend with the Hall of Fame game and now there is a full slate of pre-season games this weekend, right through the first MNF game of the season. And your favorite sportsbooks are also gearing up for football season with website updates and new bigger and better bonus offers than in previous years.

This week BetED launched a brand new website largely based on user feedback and input. The new site features improved graphics, a crisp, clean new look and a streamlined betting center. The company has also expanded the ‘Clubhouse’ section of the website with in-depth previews, special members-only contests and added columnists aimed at satisfying the real sports fan. BetED told us that this site will enable them to offer more odds on more teams, leagues and events than ever before. “If you can bet on it, we’ve got it,” a company spokesman stated.

Over the last month or so Hollywood Sportsbook has finally moved into the 21st century with a new look website, packed with fun features. This is the first site update we have seen from Hollywood in at least 5 years but it look like it was worth the wait. Updated last month, the website features a slick look, unique content and stats, new casino games, a new poker platform and the Hollywood Hotties! The sportsbook is also getting ready for football with cash bonuses, a new loyalty program and upcoming free contests.

This is the time of year that many books create huge offers to attract players for football and the bonuses are beginning to pile up. However, players are urged to read the fine print of any offer before sending any money. An accounting firm must have travelled to the Caribbean and Latin America as offshore books have really crunched the numbers to ensure that the bonus structure in 2010 is also sound business-wise. Where many books used to offer big bonuses with 4, 5, or 6 time rollover, now any bonus in excess of 50% is almost a guaranteed to have a rollover in excess of 10 times. We also are seeing many offers that increase with the amount of deposit a player sends offshore. But, keep in mind, this will also increase the amount of rollover or the amount of times that the deposit+bonus must be wagered before collecting the bonus can become a reality.

Still, there are some great offers out there and for a true player, the rollovers are easily achievable for anyone who wagers consistently throughout the football season. And one book even asked for our input for an exclusive offer.

The offer that OSGA had some input with is over at Badlands. They asked us to provide input from our call center and email database. We gladly assisted them to come up with an offer based on player feedback and Badlands just released a 25+25 bonus exclusive to OSGA visitors. The offer includes both a LIFETIME 25% free play bonus on deposits of $100-$5,000 with a low 4x roll over. That means that as long as you are a Badlands customer you will get a 25% free play bonus on EVERY deposit made I excess of $100. In addition, one of the biggest player peeves is the high cost of payouts. Badlands addressed this need in this exclusive bonus package with lifetime $25 Flat Payout Fee for payouts via check! We are very happy that Badlands sought our advice to come up with something that addresses players wishes. Though this may not be the biggest offer out there, it is an offer that will last a lifetime.

The BetPhoenix brands are offering the “Early Bird Special” – up to 60% bonus based on the size of the deposit. The offer consists of half of the bonus in cash and half of it in free play. For example, if a player deposits $1000, he gets a 20% cash bonus and a 20% free play to use. The bonus amount (and rollovers) increases with larger deposits. Similar offers can also be found at BetMania and WagerChief. WagerWeb also offers up a bonus that grows with the size of deposit. At this Costa Rican book you can receive up to 100% free play if you are willing to send at least $500. The offer can work for smaller players too as a deposit of $25 – $250 will get new players a bonus of up to 50%. And BetOnline also gets into the act with their progressive bonus structure. Players can start with as little as a $50 and get a 10% free play with only a 3X rollover. The bonus gets bigger as the deposit increases until a player sending $2000 or more can grab a 45% free play with a reasonable 8X rollover.

Not to be outdone, 5Dimes is offering the most free play we have ever seen from them with their “50% Plus” bonus program. New Player deposits from $100 to $400 will receive a 50% Free-Play Reward, up to a total of $200 in Free-Play. Here’s the Plus… if the deposit amount exceeds $400, and is up to $2000, it will also qualify for an EXTRA 20% Free-Play Reward.

It’s shopping season, so we urge players to check our Sportsbook Bonus page, which gets updated as new bonuses are released. We tell players ever year to make sure that the offer is not just a big bonus, but also features requirements that they are able to fulfill. Good Luck shopping!

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Mainstream media seems to have gotten into the Internet gambling arena with reports abounding about the ‘victory’ for Barney Frank, et al. in Wednesday’s advancement of H.R. 2267, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act. There has been extensive press on the passage of this bill out of the House Financial Services Committee with headlines that blare “Online Gambling Could Become Legal” and “House Panel Passes Measure to Legalize Some Internet Gambling”.

Whoa there! This bill is far from passing anything except for a committee vote. Though this is a serious step in the right direction towards legalizing and regulating online gambling, this small victory is like a win in April for a MLB team. There are still many games to be played and many battles to be won for H.R. 2267. There will be many hurdles and many more hearings before H.R. 2267 becomes anything more than ‘Barney Frank’s gambling bill’.

The biggest thing that shows the road ahead is long and winding was from the vote on Wednesday was when Frank mentioned, when questioned, that he would like to position his bill alongside a bill that outlines what taxes and revenues his Internet gambling bill may generate. Frank, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said that he would not be moving H.R. 2267 forward unless it is “married to a revenue bill”! Frank is referring to Rep. Jim McDermott’s Interenet gambling ‘Internet gambling tax’ bill, H.R. 2268. However, while Frank’s billl has significant support with 70 co-sponsors, McDermott’s revenue-generating legislation has only 5 co-sponsors and has not seen any movement since it was introuced alongside Frank’s bill last year.

Most likely H.R. 2268 will head down the same path as H.R. 2267 with a series of hearings, followed by a vote. But, this will not happen until after the Congressional recess, which lasts until Labor Day. By September candidates up for re-election will be busy trying to keep their jobs and will most likely have little time or enthusiasm for any forms of gambling. The really unfortunate news is that if nothing is done with this bill before the end of 2010, Internet gambling will be shelved and a new Congress will have to take up the issue all over again – from square one.

But the biggest problem I see with Barney Frank’s bill moving forward is that even if the bill does get a full House vote and passes, it will then have to go to the Senate, where Sen. Menendez from New Jersey has his own ideas on Internet gambling. He introduced S.1597, the Internet Poker and Game of Skill Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act of 2009, in August of ’09 and his bill has fallen flat, with no co-sponsors and no movement. It figures that Frank’s bill and Menedez’ bill would have to find some common ground before the Senate would vote. The chances of all of this happening in the last 4 months of 2010 are an extreme long shot, not even worthy of a $1 wager.

Still, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act, introduced by Frank back in May of 2009 has made significant headway towards becoming law. The fact that seven Republicans saw the light and said ‘aye’ with bipartisan spirit, is a fantastic step. That the bill passed through committee overwhelmingly with a 41-22 Yes vote is outstanding. After getting shot down in a tie vote around this time last year, the two-thirds margin shows that lobbyists and common sense and maybe a bit of greed for government coffers are beginning to take hold.

We will keep our eyes and ears to the ground on this piece of legislation but I doubt that we will see much from H.R. 2267 again this year. However, I am very confident that Barney Frank will introduce similar legislation in 2011. Hopefully, Franks 2011 version of the ‘Internet gambling bill’ will include the amendments added this week. Such a bill would get immediate bi-partisan support and whiz through the phases of bureaucracy that took H.R 2267 fifteen months to navigate. One thing is for sure, the issue of Internet gambling is here to stay. For 2010? The recent press and attention that Internet gambling is getting could not have come at a better time. After all, football season is right around the corner.

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In 2006 the United States Congress decided to make the U.S. Financial system the enforcement for Internet gambling with the passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). But, the new law would not be put into effect until the rules that the banks would be forced to follow were finalized. They were finally supposed to be implemented by December of last year, but Rep. Barney Frank and the House Finance Committee were able to block the implementation, at least for another 6 months. Well, six months is up and June 1 is the new date for banks and payment processors to block all transactions associated with ‘illegal online gambling’.

One of the biggest sticking points for Frank and the banks was what constitutes a payment to an ‘illegal’ online gambling operator. After all, no one in this administration or any previous ones has been able to actually define what that ‘illegal online gambling’ is, and thus banks and payment processors really do not know which transactions to block. The fear amongst Frank and his legislative buddies was not only the cost to financial institutions (always a biggie when you have the ear of the banking lobbyists), but the fear that any suspected transactions, including legitimate ones, would be denied.

The OSGA has been getting swamped with inquiries as to what would happen come June 1. We have been telling players since the passage of the UIGEA, that the movement of money for the purposes of gambling online, except for U.S.-based horse racing sites and lotteries, is illegal because of the 2006 law. We also have spoken with online gaming companies worldwide who tell repetitive horror stories, usually involving getting money back to players in the States. In reality, the banks are already doing more due diligence on ‘suspected’ transactions. We have reported on many companies that process money back to U.S. players which have been shut down and had funds confiscated for several years. As it turns out, the effects of this law have already been felt, and it’s not yet June.

Last week we got a disturbing report that a player had his debit card shut down by his local bank. Apparently, he had made several deposits with an online gaming operation located off of U.S. soil. These transactions were identified as illegal and his debit card was shut down, I guess so that he could make no further deposits with it. This is quite alarming, as it was not the transactions that were blocked, it was the players debit card that was shut down. His account remained open, but his card was shut down.

This may be an example of the frustration that the banks are going to have with ambiguous rules and regulations. Unfortunately for everyone, the UIGEA makes financial institutions police, judge and executioner. They will simply block first and ask questions later. In New Hampshire and North Dakota, overblocking led to denial of legal online lottery purchases several years ago. The blocking of legitimate transaction is one of the biggest arguments against the ambiguous UIGEA. Yet, who can blame the banking system? They will be fined if they process money to/from an Internet gambling house, even if they just missed a check or debit.

It is important to keep in mind that the UIGEA was not written to go after any player sending money offshore or receiving payouts from gaming companies. Instead, it enforces steep penalties on financial institutions for allowing ‘illegal Internet gambling’ transactions to occur.

The same player continued to have bad luck at his bank. The same week as the debit card incident, he went to the bank to deposit a check he had received for a payout from the same book. The bank claimed that the check was bad, and was looking for additional information. Instead the customer checked with the book, found out that the check was indeed good and simply asked the bank to redeposit it. Of course, the check cleared. And of course . . . once it did . . . the player opened an account at another bank.

This player’s story and his particular bank may be an isolated incident, or this case may be the tip of the iceberg. No one can be 100% sure. But this one occurrence should show players at Internet sportsbooks, casinos and poker rooms, that these regulations are making a real impact, implemented or not. Though we believe that the online gaming companies that service U.S. players are always one step ahead of the long arm of U.S. law, you can never be too safe with your money. Players should take care with how they are sending and receiving money and now, more than ever, keep an eye on balances.

If you have had a problem with your bank and the UIGEA regulations, please add your comments below.

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On Wednesday the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on Senator Jim McDermott’s (D., Wash.), latest revision of an online gambling tax bill introduced in 2009, H.R.2268. For over a year this bill has sat around while Internet gambling grows and state and federal coffers dwindle. The hearing engaged much of the same rhetoric that we have heard since the passage of the UIGEA in 2006, but this discussion was more spirited than many Federal hearings, perhaps, because this one was focused on the money.

And Big Money is what was being discussed. How ‘bout $42 billion over ten years! That is the figure that was thrown out early by Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), who had to leave almost immediately after his testimony to take care of slightly more important national issues, like legislation designed to boost bank lending to small businesses. 40-plus billion is a huge number and is predicated on McDermott’s complex tax scheme involving operators paying a 2 percent tax on customer deposits, a one-quarter percent tax on wagers and the tax generated from gamblers who would now pay on their winnings in the form of a 1099 at the end of the year from their favorite online casino.

A good deal time was spent exploring the deposit tax. Several senators could not fathom that there would be a tax when making a deposit. They likened this as to a tax when a consumer ‘walks into Sears to buy a refrigerator with $1000 in their pocket’ and is taxed, whether a purchase is made or not. This line of archaic thinking came from multiple sources at the hearing. Finally towards the end of the hearing McDermott brought some sense to the argument noting that gamblers are not the ‘type of people’ to leave their money in the account. “That money to be deposited will be gambled”, said McDermott.

Even though this was supposed to be a hearing on the tax bill, it quickly turned into the usual point-counterpoint on the rewards/evils of online gambling. Opinions were all over the place with some legislators hitting on points that seemed to have nothing to do with the taxation of Internet gambling. Job creation, problem gambling, and the who, what and when of regulation were discussed. Advocates made legitimate arguments while opponents brought up much of the tired commentary that led to the current prohibitions.

Once again Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), architect of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act (UIGEA), brought up the suicide of a constituent. Though these stories are sad, the constant reminder of them brings to mind Tipper Gore saying that heavy metal music and Ozzy Osbourne prompted kids to kill themselves and others in the 80s. Rep. Wally Herger (R-Calif.) wanted to know at the outset why there was “even a hearing being held” when 317 legislators voted for the UIGEA. He did not reveal that the UIGEA was attached in the 11th hour to a homeland security bill that was pretty much a slam-dunk for passage.

Clearly Herger is obviously an opponent, as is Goodlatte, who spent a good deal of time being grilled by regulation advocates including, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). However, Goodlatte takes a unique approach when being questioned. When asked, he punts and allows State’s rights to play defense for him. The questioning of Goodlatte went something like this. Q: Bingo. Goodlatte: States rights. Q: Poker. G: State rights. I think if it were up to Bob Goodlatte, we would have no Federal Laws, the states should be able to regulate every aspect of life.

There are clearly lines being drawn between supporters of Internet gambling and those that think the current prohibition is the best way for the country to go. Rep. Blumenauer commented that after the UIGEA legislation “people are still playing” and Rep. Linda T. Sanchez (D-CA) said that we are doing nothing more than “taxing what is already going on offshore”. Rep. Shelley Berkely (D-NV) added in that she supports legislation and regulation, but cannot give the OK to this tax bill. I guess Las Vegas thinks they pay enough taxes already. There was talk of limiting funding to political campaigns via gambling proceeds and whether the IRS will need more people and what about the Tribal Nations and their gambling? Clearly this is going to take some time . . .

Here are a couple of my favorite quotes from the two and half hour hearing.

Danny Davis, (D-IL) (neutral): “I think freedom of choice is a real concept.”
Sanchez, (D-CA) (for): “Today we are talking about a revenue stream.”
Earl Pomeroy, (D-ND) (against): “We can’t gamble our way back to a balanced budget.”

These three quotes are a microcosm of the realization that Federal legislation for Internet gambling is still a long way away from any type of resolution. The two sides are so far apart they cannot even get together on the most important aspect of legalization and regulation, at least as far as the government is concerned – how to collect the money. As long as legislators like Bob Goodlatte keep bringing up letters from States Attorney Generals and the sports leagues and the FBI and is allowed to put them into the record (again and again) then the road is long and uphill for legalization in the U.S. In the meantime, U.S. gamblers keep playing, offshore companies continue to benefit and the American consumer is the one who loses.

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I guess that gambling on sports is OK after all. At least as long as the proceeds can be used to help fill State coffers. We attended the recent sports betting hearing in Atlantic City and I gave a presentation to eight New Jersey senators who are looking to add sports betting at Atlantic City casinos and racetracks in an effort to prop up both faltering industries. The meeting emphasized one thing for sure, New Jersey is going full bore after this one and any opposition had better have thick skin.

The NJ Senate held a public hearing on Monday that was, as expected, lightly attended. After all it was the day after Easter Sunday AND it the eve of the NCAA Championship game. Neither of those conditions are going to get gamblers out of bed at 11AM to listen and add their views.

Still, in addition to our testimony, the side for adding sports betting was well represented. Industry advocates included Joe Brennan from the Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association (iMEGA), the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce, the local unions and the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horseman’s Association. All testimony was well received by the Senators, who all appeared in favor of the bill.

Though our own testimony revolved around the fact that the government should be insuring the safety of its citizens and offer regulated Internet Gaming and sports betting, the bulk of the testimony went after two things that are certainly hot button items in any state – jobs and revenue.

It appears that several other states are hopping on the sports betting and Internet gambling bandwagons. Now that New Jersey is making waves with its potential law changes, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and other states have bandied about the idea that all of this gambling is not bad, but instead is a revenue source. Washington Democrat Jim McDermott has brought the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act (HR 4976) back with several new amendments and the American Gaming Association (AGA) has even changed its stance. The AGA has now come out publicly this week with the statement that it is “open to the concept of legalized US gambling sites.”

Perhaps, as I stated in Atlantic City, it is because the Internet gambling industries in many of these remote places are big business for those areas. In some countries, such as Costa Rica, Malta and Antigua, online gambling companies employ thousands of people and are actual industries, contributing to the country’s GDP. And, in places that do real regulation, a huge tax revenue is generated from online gambling companies.

Apparently, Senator Ray Lesniak has made the leap from the current prohibitions to the realization that, since New Jersey is already the Vegas of the East Coast, this industry would fit all of the necessary criteria for moving his agenda forward. Lesniak said at the hearing: “I continue to find it ridiculous that adults in New Jersey and 45 other states cannot legally bet on sporting events, while citizens in four states essentially maintain a monopoly on legal sports betting.”

He was quite vehement to opposition presentations and at one point made every head in the room turn. That was when he stoically questioned Joseph Tyrell, representing Harrah’s. Tyrell said that Harrah’s was in opposition to the bill! He claimed that this bill would give voters ‘false hope’ and that they would be voting for something that is currently illegal. Lesniak hit the roof raising his voice, while causing quite a stir during the otherwise subdued proceedings. “Are you saying that I have introduced legislation that is illegal?”, Lesniak asked. He went on to say that the voters of New Jersey are ‘not stupid’.

If you use your corporate BS to reality translator, you can see that Harrah’s is basically saying that they do not want to extend any of their vast political capital when NJ still has to defeat the Federal Government in a PASPA suit. The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) is really at the crux of the entire sports betting legal situation. As recently as last year, the court upheld PASPA, even restricting it further in the case against Delaware. If Senator Lesniak is successful in overturning PASPA, you can guarantee that Harrah’s will suddenly jump on the bandwagon.

The NFL, as expected, played the PASPA card. In addition, Representative Tim McDonough offered up the usual rhetoric on ‘integrity of the game’. He went on to say that the game of football was not created for betting purposes and that this would do nothing to ‘take street level bookies off the street’. He went so far as to tell the panel that they would not be willing to spend the time, effort and money to fight PASPA.

Lesniak bellowed out “What Cost?”, turning the spokesman for the league into a retreating safety on a Tom Brady/Randy Moss bomb. Again, Lesniak hammered him adding in that he is willing to do the legal work for the suit pro-bono and, similar to Delaware, the casinos would be paying costs, not the state. “There is no cost to us”, stated Lesniak firing a salvo that the NFL would be the ones who are going to have to work hard and pay to stop his legal efforts.

The rest of the panel of Senators took shot at the NFL saying that professional sports are already tainted with the off-the-field problems of star athletes, doping and even the NFL’s involvement in lotteries. I am 100% sure that Mr. McDonough wished he had stayed in bed. Still, having attended several of the Delaware hearings last year this is not their best effort. With each subsequent hearing in Delaware more, and more powerful, attorneys showed up for the NFL. If the bandwagon continued to fill, tell the high-profile lawyers to fire up their first-class plane tickets and head to Washington.

Senator Lesniak does appear to be on a mission and is unyielding in his efforts. He fiercely attacked opponents’ arguments and the Federal Government for controlling what can and cannot be done in New Jersey. It about time that the other 46 states in the Union to stand up and ask why sports betting is allowed in the other four. I am sure that if New Jersey gains traction against PASPA and Senator Lesniak’s legislation makes the ballot in November, many other states and probably even gaming companies will follow his lead and jump on the bandwagon.

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Yes, college basketball frenzy is everywhere. When did “bracketology” become a word anyway? Everybody has bracket predictions and #1 seeds and Cinderella’s. But the real madness is in the wagering. The pools, bracket contests and dizzying amount of games to wager on starting next weekend make this a favorite time of year for casual fans, office workers and . . . sports bettors.

And, this is also the final shot that many players take at their favorite gambling outlet until next football season. It is also a last gasp for online sportsbooks who often suffer through the doldrums of summer and baseball. Thus, sportsbooks offshore offer March Madness bonuses and bracket contests galore. Here are a few of the most interesting ones we have seen.

Sportsbook Bonuses:

Madness can define a couple of the offers that are currently being offered by some very reputable sportsbooks. Bookmaker has an offer that is hard to beat with a 25% sportsbook bonus, 175% casino bonus and 100% poker bonus, all generated from a minimum single deposit of $300! WagerWeb is doing something a bit unique by tying their bonus into the tournament field. They are offering up 64% free play bonus on a minimum deposit of $100. At 5Dimes players earn a 50% Free-Play Reward on deposits from $100 to $400 PLUS an extra 20% on any amount over $400 up to 2Dimes.

And if you are looking for a cash bonus they are out their as well! Neither of these two outfits are doing anything above their normal cash bonus, but that is because the offer is so substantial every day. Sportbet will give players 50% cash on money transfers, wires or check deposits. And BetJamaica give out their standard $100 for $100; Just send in $100 and get a $100 free play bonus.

With all bonuses beware of the restrictions that may be applied to your deposit. The terms rollover is often used. The rollover is the amount times you have to play through your initial deposit plus bonus. Usually, the bigger the bonus; the bigger the rollover. If you take a free play bonus, use it for a straight bet only. Taking a $100 free bet on a four team parlay could create over a thousand dollars additional action required.

March Madness Contests:

If you are looking for a FREE contest, look no further. Pre-registration for the 9TH annual OSGA College Basketball Pick ‘em is underway. This year the grand prize is our biggest ever. OSGA members are eligible for a $1000 Grand Prize. Become an OSGA member to increase your prize pool. In addition to the Grand Prize, the contest offers several hundreds of dollars in free betting accounts courtesy of BetOnline and BetJamaica, more cash and a computer monitor as prizes. Everybody has a chance to win as players who miss the top slots are eligible for a consolation prize of a $10 - 2-team parlay at JustBet. Sign-up for Free Today.

Its ‘Million Dollar Tourney Madness’ at BetJamaica, with over $21,000 in cash prizes or even a $1,000,000 bonus prize available if anyone hits the lottery-like odds and gets all 63 games correct. Not to be outdone with large prize offerings, SBG Global has their annual $500,000 Madness of March Contest. Diamond Sports is offering their version called the “Road to the 2010 Championship Bracket Contest”. This contest is unique in that you get an entry for every $100 deposited – more entries, more chance to win. There are two contest that you can get into that do not involve pcicking every game in the tourney. Bet Phoenix is running a Sweet 16 challenge, where, in a similar model to the Diamond contest, all active BetPhoenix accounts will get 1 free entry, and additional entries will be given for every $200 deposited. And JustBet waits until the final weekend of the Big Dance to get players involved. Their Final Four contest must be completed before the first tip-off but the results are arrived by correctly identifying the four tournament finalists (no point spreads).

So get your tournament prospects lined-up early. There is something for everyone from a free contest here at OSGA to a 300% bonus or million dollar contest at your favorite online sportsbooks.

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