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-Short Attention Span Theater-

Congress to outlaw internet gambling

2003-09-09

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 itâs 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 CaesarâsPalace.com, they are going to go to Caesarâs 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

#4 I wasn't suggesting you do so, FS. Just noting an inconsistancy. Carry on...

Posted by: mojo 2003-9-9 10:30:31 PM

#3 No offense mojo, but were I to dedicate any portion of my regular schedule to addressing "outrageous violation(s) of personal rights", I would probably spend my time on the following MORE OBVIOUS violations:

1) Unconstitutional restrictions on gun ownership;
2) Taxation of hard-working and LEGAL citizens to provide welfare and other funds to those who are NOT in this country legally;
3) The unconstitutional "war on drugs" (which selectively decides that companies such as Seagrams, RJ Reynolds, and Liggett may manufacture and distribute as much addictive material as they wish but declares other chemicals illegal).

Posted by: Flaming Sword 2003-9-9 7:43:45 PM

#2 I'll put it on my list to do things after I finish my municipal Capital Improvement Plan funding requests at work. Anyone stupid enough to do internet gambling, giving their credit cards away to some offshore sleaze-co deserves to part with their money.

Posted by: Alaska Paul 2003-9-9 6:54:27 PM

#1 This still doesn't explain why Congress thinks it has the POWER to outlaw internet gaming. The laws of the states rule here, which is why you can legally gamble in Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi, etc., but not Montana or Rhode Island.

It's a state-by-state thing, and Congress has no jurisdiction since gambling is never even mentioned in the US constitution - so quite obviously, it could NOT have granted this power to Congress.

My guess is they'll try and shoe-horn it in under the "Interstate Commerce" clause again.

Posted by: mojo 2003-9-9 6:33:28 PM

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