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Bounched eCheck. Online Gambling Debt. Please Help!

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lc04112

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington State

I am worried and need a lot of help/advice.

About four to five months ago, I had some trouble with a few bounced eCheck deposits I made on an online poker site. I deposited about six $1,000 deposits and two or three of them were returned and unpaid, as I did not have enough money in my bank account. Because of that, my bank returned the deposits and therefore caused a negative balance in my poker account that I could not pay back.

Online gambling is illegal in the states. Well, at least it is in Washington State. It may not be specifically enforced, but it is still not allowed, from what I know. The company is also based in Canada.

As I wasn't given any notices, except from the poker site specifically, stating the status of my negative account balance, I was not worried about the money I owed. However, just yesterday, I received a PHONE CALL from a company called "Debt Alliance Corporation" based out of Montreal, Canada. He told me that there was fraud investigation going on regarding my account, and he also asked me my name and to answer questions and confirm my identity. I refused and told him I was at work and hung up the call. During the call, he also threatened to report the matter to the "authorities" if I did not resolve the matter.

I would like to know what possible outcomes can come about if I decide to ignore this matter and ignore his phone calls. I just received a call as I was typing this post and also have a voicemail from him that I have not yet checked. I would like to know if this can be sent to a collections agency and be reported onto my credit on experian, equifax, or transunion. I am one who would like to keep my credit as high as possible, as I have been working to build it to buy a home in the future. I have never made a late payment in my life.

Also, by reporting to the authorities, can I be taken to court? Another question is, am I already sent to a collections agency because the guy who called me is from "Debt Alliance Corporation" in Montreal, Canada?

Things to consider are:
Both the online poker site and "Debt Alliance Corporation" are based in Canada.
The amount that he mentioned about the amount I owed is exactly $1000 off, as they forgot to consider a deposit that ended up clearing.
Online gambling is illegal in Washington State, and the company is allowing me to conduct in "illegal activity."
He threatened to report me to the authorities, and I am being harassed day to day by his phone calls.

Please help me and offer me any advice possible. Should I not worry because of these considerations? I really do not want my credit to be affected one bit and do not want to deal with any legal implications such as going to court.

Thank you in advance for all the help!

-LC
 


Antigone*

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Washington State

I am worried and need a lot of help/advice.

About four to five months ago, I had some trouble with a few bounced eCheck deposits I made on an online poker site. I deposited about six $1,000 deposits and two or three of them were returned and unpaid, as I did not have enough money in my bank account. Because of that, my bank returned the deposits and therefore caused a negative balance in my poker account that I could not pay back.

Online gambling is illegal in the states. Well, at least it is in Washington State. It may not be specifically enforced, but it is still not allowed, from what I know. The company is also based in Canada.

As I wasn't given any notices, except from the poker site specifically, stating the status of my negative account balance, I was not worried about the money I owed. However, just yesterday, I received a PHONE CALL from a company called "Debt Alliance Corporation" based out of Montreal, Canada. He told me that there was fraud investigation going on regarding my account, and he also asked me my name and to answer questions and confirm my identity. I refused and told him I was at work and hung up the call. During the call, he also threatened to report the matter to the "authorities" if I did not resolve the matter.

I would like to know what possible outcomes can come about if I decide to ignore this matter and ignore his phone calls. I just received a call as I was typing this post and also have a voicemail from him that I have not yet checked. I would like to know if this can be sent to a collections agency and be reported onto my credit on experian, equifax, or transunion. I am one who would like to keep my credit as high as possible, as I have been working to build it to buy a home in the future. I have never made a late payment in my life.

Also, by reporting to the authorities, can I be taken to court? Another question is, am I already sent to a collections agency because the guy who called me is from "Debt Alliance Corporation" in Montreal, Canada?

Things to consider are:
Both the online poker site and "Debt Alliance Corporation" are based in Canada.
The amount that he mentioned about the amount I owed is exactly $1000 off, as they forgot to consider a deposit that ended up clearing.
Online gambling is illegal in Washington State, and the company is allowing me to conduct in "illegal activity."
He threatened to report me to the authorities, and I am being harassed day to day by his phone calls.

Please help me and offer me any advice possible. Should I not worry because of these considerations? I really do not want my credit to be affected one bit and do not want to deal with any legal implications such as going to court.

Thank you in advance for all the help!

-LC
Have you contacted Gambler's Anonymous?

Oh and if he threatens to contact the authorities, tell him to bring it on.
 

antrc170

Member
Online gambling is not illegal (in general, and not with poker) unless you are involved in the gaming industry or have interest in the internet site you gamble at, even in Washington state. Second, if the company is based out of Canada there is little they can do to you here. They can bar you from Canada (damn the luck), or hire a US firm and buy lots of money to recoup a couple of thousand from you, not likely.
 

Zigner

Senior Member, Non-Attorney
Online gambling is not illegal (in general, and not with poker) unless you are involved in the gaming industry or have interest in the internet site you gamble at, even in Washington state. Second, if the company is based out of Canada there is little they can do to you here. They can bar you from Canada (damn the luck), or hire a US firm and buy lots of money to recoup a couple of thousand from you, not likely.
:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:
 

Antigone*

Senior Member
Online gambling is not illegal (in general, and not with poker) unless you are involved in the gaming industry or have interest in the internet site you gamble at, even in Washington state. Second, if the company is based out of Canada there is little they can do to you here. They can bar you from Canada (damn the luck), or hire a US firm and buy lots of money to recoup a couple of thousand from you, not likely.
Really, mkay:rolleyes:
 

lc04112

Junior Member
Thank you for all your feedback. About the Gambler's Anonymous, I appreciate that as well. However, I am far from ever gambling again. I've learned my lesson and plan to go along with my steady living/income. Thanks again. If anyone else has anything else to contribute, please feel free.

So are they able to send my debt to a collections agency in the states and have it be reported on my credit report?

I appreciate everyone's help! Much thanks.
 

StephenH

Member
The weird thing about internet gambling is that your are often dealing with international laws. Often the websites are set up where gambling is legal (and such the servers are hosted there). Many of these sites run out of Canada, the Caribbean Islands, South America, Europe, or other countries. When you login from a place where gambling is illegal (such as many US areas except in Nevada, New Jersey, or some indian tribes) you create a legal gray area.

As to being potentially being sued for the debt in the USA, this could possibly happen. As to a criminal case, I am not sure this could be pursued against you under Canadian Law but I know there are no debtors Prisons in the USA.

Since this is an international matter I would recommend consulting with an attorney.
 

CSO286

Senior Member
Glad to see you should not have any problems.....
I have a similar problem with online poker. I have begun to seek Gamblers Anonymous as well. However, I recently was in a frenzy trying to recoup what I have lost and I made a transfer to one checking account to another for 10,000... I withdrew the money before it cleared and put 2 thousand dollars into my poker account 5 days in a row kept loosing with a vengeance to get back on and try again.

The deposit for 10,000 bounced and they were about to call the police and file lawsuit, I convinced them to let me pay it down, I have paid back 3,500 but have no way of repaying the remainder in the timeframe they want it back in so I am so scared they are going to file suit and call police, I can pay back about 500$ a month now with some bigger payments now and then but I just dont know what to do, I cant get a loan for that much and I only make enough money to scrape by as it is.

I need help :(
Please start your own thread.
 

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