Home / Poker News August 2011 / The Poker Grapevine – Poker Refugees
The Poker Grapevine – Poker Refugees
Posted by: James Carter. - Wed, 2011-08-17 00:22
The ripples of the Black Friday indictments have still not settled for the online poker world. Players who had made a living playing poker online at sites like
PokerStars, before the infamous DoJ moves, are still cornered, looking at a variety of more or less desperate options to make heads and tails of the situation.
Enter Poker Refugees, a fittingly titled service which is looking to help professional players currently based in the US re-locate to countries where playing poker online is legal. This particular service was founded by Kristin Wilson, a former professional surfer who is currently engaged big time in the Costa Rica real estate scene. The destinations currently covered by Poker Refugees include Canada and Panama besides Costa Rica of course. The fees charged by the company are rather reasonable too: players have to pay a one-time fee of $1k to become members. From there, they have to cough up $750 per person or $1.5k for a family. The assistance offered by the company covers advice on opening a foreign bank account, country guides, access to a relocation specialist and help with renting an apartment or a home.
In other news:
online poker may be just one step away from being legalized and regulated in California. The push is apparently on to get State Legislature to pass Sen. Lou Correa’s Senate Bill 40. The California Online Poker Association is currently pushing a series of TV and radio ads, asking the public to throw its support behind the legal initiative. The ads are focused on the extra budgetary revenues that the passing of such a bill would provide. The law would also protect California’s online poker industry from the Nevada-based gambling interests.
The native tribes oppose the legislation which they see as a threat to their livelihoods. They have issued statements urging the legislature not to adopt the measure.
According to the tribes, many fiscal, technical and legal questions need to be addressed before the passing of an online poker bill.
