Open question for RCC re: Congress Net Gambling Crackdown

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Fri May 26, 2006 7:43 pm

Those who are not familiar with this issue can find more here or by Googling for it.

WASHINGTON -- A House panel voted Thursday to crack down on the $12 billion Internet gambling industry by applying federal prohibitions to games like online poker, blackjack and roulette.

The legislation would amend the 1961 Federal Wire Wager Act to explicitly prohibit online gambling. It also would outlaw electronic transmission of funds to pay for gambling bets, give law enforcement agencies authority to block such money transfers, and increase penalties for violation of the law.

Although the Justice Department has taken the position that the Wire Act already prohibits online gambling in the U.S., there is disagreement about that. Most of as many as 2,300 online gambling sites in existence are overseas.

The bill approved by the Judiciary Committee would "prevent offshore fly-by-night gambling businesses from violating the laws of all states," said sponsor Bob Goodlatte, R-Va. He said spending on the sites had skyrocketed.

What these self-righteous fuckers want to do is kill online gambling. While dozens of countries have taken the sane route (legalization and regulation), the U.S. seems headed toward the insane route (illegalization and crackdown). I don't pretend to understand the implications of this bill, but I know it's not good for those of us who enjoy online poker. RCC, could you possibly sum up what's going on for us and give us some idea of whether or not online poker is doomed to wither and die?

RCC · Post by **RCC** » Fri May 26, 2006 8:46 pm

Been going on for years. The end has always been near.

Congress has to make some noise about online gambling now and then, but usually the realization that all they are going to do is enable the development of untrackable cybercash calms them down... The demand for this will still exist, and promise of capital will bring innovation as to how money works and is transferred. Sooner or later the U.S. would have to act like China or give in.

Meanwhile the war on terror just got much tougher...

Then there is that the DOJ has consistantly said that if implimented an online gambling ban will be prioritized w/r/t enforcement just ahead of the laws prohibiting the removal of mattress tags. They have better things to do, like keeping the price of illegal drugs high.

Plus most of the gaming companies seem to be wanting regulation, and there actually is a lobbying group for the poker industry...

RCC · Post by **RCC** » Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:20 pm

....or maybe some dipshits will sneak it in as part of a war on terror bill.

shemp · Post by **shemp** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:14 pm

RCC wrote:....or maybe some dipshits will sneak it in as part of a war on terror bill.

...nah that could never happen!