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Congress to outlaw internet gambling
Gambling is already illegal in most parts of the USA. That is, except the state lotteries, which have the lowest expected return of any gambling game. What a sham. For years, gamblers were forced to play over the net. This is legal because the internet books are located "offshore", outside the country. However, this introduces additional, and completely unnecessary risks. If your book screws you over, there is basically nothing you can do, because it’s not subject to US jurisdiction. The law has thus penalized American players, and hurt American gambling industry.

But it gets worse. Congress is about to pass a law which would make it illegal to gamble over the internet. The bill has already passed in the House of Representatives, and has passed in a Senate committee with flying colors. Senate is scheduled to vote on the bill this month.To protest this outrageous violation of personal rights, fill out a petition at Internet Gamblers for Internet Freedom. Some info from the site:

... Representative Jim Leach, a Republican from Iowa, and Senator Jon Kyl, a Republican from Arizona, have introduced H.R. 21 and S. 627 respectively, unjustly titled the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Funding Prohibition Act." ...

A U.S.-based licensed and regulated Internet gaming industry would "suck all of the oxygen" out of an off-shore industry without U.S. licenses.

Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) put this well in hearing when he said, "If people in the U.S. have a choice between betting at Offhshore.com or Caesar’sPalace.com, they are going to go to Caesar’s every time. The marketing potential of U.S. branding, combined with the confidence that players would feel with a U.S. licensed entity would allow U.S.-licensed operators a substantial advantage.

In sum, licensing and regulation of Internet gaming is the best way to ensure appropriate consumer protections, appropriate protections against money-laundering, and an appropriate revenue stream to U.S. jurisdictions. Efforts at prohibition are unlikely to achieve any of these.

Posted by: Alex 2003-09-09
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=18513