On January 2nd 2014 Skrill, formerly known as Moneybookers will pull out of the Canadian market. This is a shock move by the popular online payments processor as there is no law in Canada that bans any type of online gaming transactions. There are some banks that have no gambling types of clauses in their terms and conditions however this is to avoid any possible issue that may arise with their US subsidiaries. This is another blow for Canadian online poker players and comes shortly after Titan Poker stated that they were pulling out of the market, only to reverse that decision at the last moment, and no-one appears to be any wiser as to why first Titan, and now Skrill are making these moves.
In an email sent to Skrill users it was stated that, “We would like to inform you that, having reviewed its operations, Skrill has reached a decision to cease processing gambling payments in Canada. Payments to gambling merchants will no longer be processed from 2 January, with payments out discontinuing on 31 January.”
Many Canadian poker players have taken to forums to discuss the issue and not one player has found news of changes in legislation, or even proposed changes in legislation that could have provoked Skrill into making such a move. Many players use this method, as the ease of both deposits and withdrawals is simply perfect for online poker, and players who have contacted their rooms with questions have as yet had no reply, leading many to believe that the rooms themselves are none the wiser as to why this is happening. The plot thickens!