Forum Moderators: phranque
Virginia Rep. Bob Goodlatte will reintroduce a bill this week that would prohibit Internet gambling, a fast-growing industry valued at about $12 billion, a spokeswoman for Goodlatte said on Tuesday.Goodlatte, a Republican, first introduced legislation to ban online gambling nearly a decade ago. In 2000, his bill had strong support in the House but was unexpectedly defeated due in part to efforts by Republican lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who represented gambling interests, according to the spokeswoman.
The previous version of Goodlatte's bill would make it illegal to use the Internet for gambling and give law enforcement officials the authority to stop credit card payments to offshore Internet gambling sites.
So if this guy has his way someone can be thrown in jail just for making a bet online. Typical government intrusion in the private lives of its citizens.
What is the big deal with someone gambling online anyway?
Makes no sense to me.
What is the big deal with someone gambling online anyway?
outlaw gambling that they don't get a cut of.
Governments are no different than the Mob. They don't care what you do as long as they can have a piece of it.
So then why dont they just add extra taxs these online companies?
To legally operate in the U.S., you need to register for an online gaming license (just like offline casinos do). Licensed gaming sites display a special graphic on their site with their license number, are subject to auditing and compliance (just like offline), and pay taxes on their revenue. Consumers have an organization to complain to for any irregularities. Non-licensed gambling sites will be illegal in the U.S.
This may also alleviate the fears of many credit card processors- as far as I know, most will not work with online gambling sites.
The worst part of all of it is they don't want to outlaw gambling, they want to outlaw gambling that they don't get a cut of.
Exactly. Cannot agree more.
Governments are no different than the Mob. They don't care what you do as long as they can have a piece of it.
So true. It's quite nauseating actually.
I am not a lawyer, and this is not legal advice....But my understanding is that it's already illegal for a US citizen to place a bet *by wire*, i.e. via phone or digital network -- unless they are in a place like Nevada that may allow state residents to gamble at the online sites of that state's casinos while present within that state's borders.
Please note I'm NOT an advocate or supporter of these kinds of laws. Even though I don't gamble online, I do believe folks should be able to.
Heck, I think they passed a law around 1950 outlawing poker players crossing state lines to gamble in "illegal" poker games (i.e. home games).
As for affiliate/advertising income from casinos, I recall hearing The Sporting News agreeing to a multi million dollar "settlement" (i.e. fine) for running advertisements for online casinos.
From what I recall, the governments stance was if a casino paid the publisher based on how many people the advertisment brought in, the publisher was deemed as some sort of "contributing accesory" to the "crime" of "internet gambling".
From the Land of the Free,
Louis
The more legistlation that passes into law that restricts people from doing mundane things -- gambling online, smoking outdoors, looking at porn, driving with a car radio on, etc, the closer we get to a critical tipping point in our society -- the point where ordinary people who are otherwise respectful of authority and subservient to restrictive government edicts spontaneously encircle the lawmaking establishment in much the same way that the conspirators within Caesar's senate encircled him on the fateful day his tyrannical rule came to an end.
Sooooo I wonder when GI joes gonna come knocking uninvited at number 10?
If this passes, it also signals the U.S. government's intent to simply accept the economic sanctions authorized by the WTO.
