My Take: Workarounds Are Worth It

My offer still stands... If anyone wants to meet me in Buffalo the weekend of October 13th-16th, I'm going to get a mailbox in Canada. I'll gladly forward your mail to you in the USA if you leave me the key.

One of my predictions came true: It is much easier to bet on sports now than play poker. I knew many poker sites would cut bait.

I need all of those poker sites back. Forget the fish population. I want my rakeback back. Remember, rakeback is a piece of what the house makes and the house always wins. Add bonus to rakeback and even a losing player makes a profit. So if all the fish are gone I should still come out ahead. (Besides, the majority of the hi-lo players are European anyway.)

As for the workarounds, you'll need a non-USA address to play unrestricted online. I'm getting a Canadian UPS Store mailbox. It's easy for me - I live right by the border. However, if you can make one trip a year to an international destination it can work for you too. (Just have them hold all your mail.) It's well worth the $75 USD/year to play at any site you choose.

What about banking issues? It starts and ends with Neteller. You MUST get the Neteller debit card. This will allow you to cash out to an ATM should Neteller decide to stop EFT's to US banks. Some have suggested that Neteller allows ATM deposits now but I haven't researched that option yet.

When you have your mailbox and your Neteller card - update your Neteller and poker site addresses to the mailbox address. (optionally, remove your US bank account.) Assuming IP addressses are not blocked, you're all set.

I also looked into international banks. Although it's not easy to get an international bank account from the US... it can be done. I found some Canadian and Puerto Rican options. However, it appears Neteller will play ball with US customers so the debit card will cover things.

I see a lot of financial opportunities here for the proactive players. Many will sit on the sidelines until it all sorts out.

Football Lock of the Week: NCAA, Texas A&M (-2) @ Kansas. NFL, Rams (-3) @ Packers. Possibly no Favre. After getting swept last week, I'm due to get a sweep back. [2006 Record 4-5]