Pokerstars online poker site reacts to credit card clampdown

2/8/10 - The clampdown by Mastercard and Visa - allegedly on grounds that some online gambling operators are falsely coding transactions as non-gambling activities - last week has received a fast response from Pokerstars, the world's largest online poker site.

In a statement from the poker company this week, it has clarified its position regarding credit card payments from US-based customers, making clear that it does not re-code ‘7995’ online gambling transactions - and abhors the practice, using other legitimate payment channels availble to its US customers.

“Pokerstars does not, nor ever has engaged in the practices of mis-coded credit card transactions," the Pokerstars statement emphasises. "We have therefore been unaffected by any crackdown by Visa or MasterCard to close down such mis-coded processing accounts.

“We allow the issuing bank to decide whether the transaction should be approved or declined according to the correct coding of that transaction as 7995.

"The only way that Pokerstars is affected by credit card declines is when issuing banks in the United States (or indeed any other country) decide that they will decline 7995 coded transactions. In such instances it is company policy to provide the player with an alternative payment method.”

Meanwhile US player reaction continued to be critical of the moves by Visa and Mastercard, especially in light of current moves to leglse online gambing in the United States, and the postponement to mid-year of the implementation of the UIGEA regulations halting online transactions with online gambling companies.

B3W's white label poker growing - 02/03/2012 : Online poker software developer B3W's venture into the white label poker market with an all-inclusive product has paid dividends, according to the company, which this week reported that in six months four fully integrated poker rooms had been signed up for its Poker Pack Network.

Betfair public affairs manager speaks out for regulated online gambling - 02/03/2012 : Tom Tuxworth, public affairs manager for the listed British online betting group Betfair, told a South African parliamentary portfolio committee studying the possible legalisation of online gambling that prohibition only drives would-be internet punters to offshore and unregulated websites.

Suzan Smith, problem gambler blows 400k of bosses money - 02/03/2012 : A compulsive online gambler who stole almost GBP 400 000 from her employer was sent to jail in Norfolk, UK this week after a judge criticised her for stealing not only the money but a part of a decent man's life.

NEW IPAD APP FROM BETFAIR - 02/03/2012 : Betfair plc launched its next generation iPad App into the Apple store Friday, announcing that the bespoke native application is a marked enhancement from previous products and is the first to come out of Betfair’s development office in San Francisco

Boxing behind Betfair's latest sponsorship - 02/03/2012 : Betfair is the newest title sponsor of the Matchroom Sport Prizefighter series in a partnership deal that will deliver the online betting exchange branding rights across the ring and provide its customers with expert analysis and in-depth fighter interviews.