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Minnesota Moves to Block Online Poker
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May 4 - Online poker players in Minnesota may find themselves in the frustrating position of trying to access their favorite sites, only to find that entrance is blocked.
The state's Department of Public Safety sent an official to eleven Internet Service Providers and telephone companies, warning them not to allow the transmission of information about online gambling to Minnesotans as this contravened state law.
"Attached is a list of online gambling sites and telephone numbers that are available to your Minnesota customers," read the letter, under the letterhead 'Alcohol and Gaming Enforcement'. "This gambling is illegal within Minnesota. The federal statute requires upon notice by a law enforcement agency (our division is a state law enforcement agency), that you do not allow your systems to be used for the transmission of gambling information. We are therefore requesting these enterprises not be allowed to transmit gambling information to your Minnesota customers."
Companies such as Comcast and AT&T were sent the list that seems to be a random assortment of poker and casino sites, including some that don't accept US players as a policy such as Party Gaming and Titan Poker.
However, online poker sites that regularly accept US players, including Bodog and Full Tilt Poker appear on the site.
PokerStars, the one site that makes a proud statement of accepting US players, ironically, does not appear on the list.
The decision, of course, was slammed by groups across the board. Joe Brennan Jr., chairman of IMEGA, said: "When Mr. Willems [director of the Alcohol and Safety Enforcement] expresses his intention to extend his 'program' to thousands of other sites, just what kind of sites will he be targeting? And will he be making the determination which sites are 'legal' and which are 'illegal'? Because as far as we can tell, there is nothing in Minnesota or US Federal law that makes these gaming or any other sites 'illegal', just their opinion."
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