Why Canada?

Earlier this week I reported that the Neteller Plc Group announced that they will no longer process transfers related to online gambling sites on behalf of customers residing in Canada or Turkey.

It's easy to understand why Neteller took the action they did in Turkey. The Turks enacted some new legislation making online gaming offlimits there.

But why Canada? The Canadian government did nothing to change it's posture regarding online gaming, and Canadians have been moving money into and out of online gaming site via Neteller since the day Neteller began operations, and they've been doing so with no heat whatsoever.

A visit to Neteller's web site and their FAQs was less than helpful, as you'll soon see from this verbatim quote:

Why did NETELLER make this decision? NETELLER decided to cease online gambling transactions for Canadian members due to increased uncertainty about the status of certain activities related to online gambling in Canada.

So what does this mean in plain English? I'm not sure. The key phrase, "uncertainty about the status of certain activities related to online gambling" doesn't tell me anything.

Was there a gun to someone's head?

Were threats made? And if so, to whom? And who made them?

Did the US Government pressure Neteller into this action as a precondition for dropping charges against former Neteller driectors and founders Lawrence and Lefebvre?

Did the Department of Justice lean on the Canadian government and ask that they pressure Neteller?

There's something behind this decision and I'd like to know what it is. But I'm never going to know as long as the underlying reason is couched in such terms as, uncertainty about the status of certain activities related to online gambling in Canada.

Give me a break, please. Or give me the reasons in plain English. Either one will do.