# Why is Russ Hamilton perpetrator of the Ultimate Bet online poker scandal not in jail? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 14, 2012, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799 "2012-02-14T06:46:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![ExcitedIdiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ea5d25/32.png) [@ExcitedIdiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExcitedIdiot)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799/41 "2012-02-18T02:03:00Z")
> [@anson2995](#): > > You’re entitled to that opinion. But cheating at a game of chance does not meet the legal definition of fraud set out [in the US Federal statutes](http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/part-I/chapter-47). So, how can police bust three card monte scams? That’s just cheating at a game of chance. ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2012, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799/42 "2012-02-19T02:24:29Z")
> [@ExcitedIdiot](#): > > So, how can police bust three card monte scams? That’s just cheating at a game of chance. Because it’s not a game of chance. It’s just a con. Aside from that, unlicensed gambling is illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Herf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Herf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Herf)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799/43 "2020-09-06T22:24:17Z")
I bet the IRS would love to hear about this. There should be a nice paper trail. Assuming Hamilton didn’t pay taxes of course. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799/44 "2020-09-07T22:11:08Z")
I would assume in the intervening nearly decade since the last post 🙄, statute of limitations is almost exhausted. ---
**Author:** ![Herf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Herf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Herf)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2020, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799/45 "2020-09-07T22:52:57Z")
Except if they determine that your under-reporting of income was fraudulent. In that case the IRS can audit you forever. No statute of limitations. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2020, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799/46 "2020-09-08T11:06:18Z")
He’d have to have been an absolute moron to not report the money to the IRS, given that his “winning” was not only a matter of public knowledge, but publicized. Mind you, him being an absolute moron is not a point that I am prepared to reject. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-russ-hamilton-perpetrator-of-the-ultimate-bet-online-poker-scandal-not-in-jail/612799.md?page=2)