The End of eWalletXpress in the US

Thanks to the playground bully also known as the US government, American poker players (and casino members, bingo players and sportsbook users) have officially lost yet another popular payment method. Last month, US users of eWalletXpress started having trouble making deposits and withdrawals at their preferred online gaming sites. Initially, eWalletXpress dismissed these issues as “technical difficulties.”

This weekend, though, it was revealed that their difficulties were actually with the US government which served the company a federal warrant and then immediately started to seize funds. In an effort to stop the seizures, eWalletXpress immediately cut off service to its American users, offering them the following explanation:

“We regret to inform you that we are no longer able to continue service at this time due to a federal warrant issued to seize our funds.”

Thus far it is unknown how much money the United States has seized from eWalletXpress accounts, but as of today US citizens visiting the service’s site don’t even have the option of signing up for an account, regardless of what they would use it for. We contacted eWalletXpress’ payment support department, and they reassured us that American players will still be able to withdraw their remaining account funds per the usual terms, assuming no transactions are currently pending. What they neglected to mention is that players whose funds were involved in the recent seizures may never see their money again.

A number of popular poker rooms were affected by the sudden change, including all sites supported by the Cake Network and all facets of the Bodog empire, which until now had recommended eWalletXpress as a preferred payment method for its American members.

If the eWalletXpress incident plays out like previous seizures, then a long legal battle is likely, even though eWalletXpress immediately complied with the terms of the warrant. The company could be facing any number of fines, and will likely have to pay those fines, prove their compliance, and complete legal negotiations which have historically stretched out over months and even years before it will be able to return its clients’ seized funds. It’s a debacle that could very well affect all facets of the company – not just its American users.

While online players from and in the United States still have many depositing options, one wonders how long it will be before they are also targeted. It’s a clear reminder that even though public opinion of online gambling is overwhelmingly positive, and new online gambling legislation is on its way at both the state and federal levels, the UIGEA still hovers like a dark shadow over the entire industry and its millions of US supporters.

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