US Player To Player Transfers Stopping

10/29/2012 :  MORE HASSLES FOR U.S. POKER PLAYERS
 
Merge network's latest p2p rule unlikely to be popular
 
The US-friendly Merge poker network has confirmed exchanges on internet poker message boards speculating that it is to discontinue player-to-player financial transactions with effect from November 1 2012.
 
The move, which short-circuits a useful informal facility used by many US players to receive payment via players based outside America, is unlikely to be popular.
 
Some Merge operators have claimed that the decision to discontinue the service was made without consulting them first. One such operator claimed on a message board: "…as of November 1, Merge will be removing all players’ ability to send p2p transfers from the poker client … this is a decision taken by Merge, and one we were not consulted on.”
 
In a statement confirming the new rule, Merge gave little detail on its motivation, saying only that its decision was not taken lightly and has involved detailed consideration of a ‘number of factors'.
 
The company had come to the conclusion that the move to discontinue the p2p practice was in the best interests of both Merge and its operators, the statement explained.