Online Gaming to be outlawed?

[LeeRyder]

very bad and sad news for many here I am sure.. heads up!

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,202983,00.html

WASHINGTON — The House passed legislation Tuesday that would prevent gamblers from using credit cards to bet online and could block access to gambling Web sites.

The legislation would clarify and update current law to spell out that most gambling is illegal online. But there would be exceptions — for state-run lotteries and horse racing — and passage isn't a safe bet in the Senate, where Republican leaders have not considered the measure a high priority.

The House voted 317-93 for the bill, which would allow authorities to work with Internet providers to block access to gambling Web sites.

Click here to see how your representative voted.

Critics argued that regulating the $12 billion industry would be better than outlawing it. "Prohibition didn't work for alcohol. It won't work for gambling," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass.

The American Gaming Association, the industry's largest lobby, has opposed online gambling in the past but recently backed a study of the feasibility of regulating it.

The Internet gambling industry is headquartered almost entirely outside the United States, though about half its customers live in the U.S.
...click link above to read the entire article

 

[007]

It's technically already illegal in most states. The fact is that most online casinos are based offshore and can't be directly regulated by the US government. The only way to stop them from operating in the US would be for ISP's to specifically block access to them, in which case things could get very interesting...

 

[LeeRyder]

you mean like this?

The House voted 317-93 for the bill, which would allow authorities to work with Internet providers to block access to gambling Web sites.

 

[whydna]

007 is right.

However, many credit card companies (based in N.A) are banning them for use on these gambling sites. TD Bank in Canada is one example that no longer allows there cards to be used for this purpose.

However there is always workarounds as I see on partypoker, you use your credit card to buy a "phone card" - this phone card, affiliated with party poker will exchange your card for poker credit, etc.

 

[NameYourself]

The only way to stop them from operating in the US would be for ISP's to specifically block access to them, in which case things could get very interesting...

Censorship of the web. We're also dealing with ATT and other providers wishing to charge website operaters just to allow their customers to view our sites at a fast vs. slow speed, and unfortunately in some cases (not allowing competitors sites to be accessible at all - this has already happened). So what ever happened to freedom of the web, "net neutrality" as it was called?

What is bothersome to me is not the debate on gambling itself, but how it is being suggested that things should be regulated at the level of having all ISPs block your computer's access to what sites/content can come into your home. There's another country out there which censors what their people can and can't view on the web, thus shaping their behavior and perception of the world around them. Is this really the best route for a democratic country to take? There has to be less "controlling" ways to go about solving this problem.

Obviously this is only for the blocking of one type of site throughout the country, but at the same time it sets the stage for further use or abuse in the future. Basically it comes down to freedom of the web, and while I agree that gambling can have a negative effect because some people can't seem to control themselves, it certainly should not grant the power to regulate which sites can / can't be seen or heard by the people. But also on the issue of gambling itself, should all sites like partypoker.net just now redirect you to your state's local lottery site so you can gamble there instead. This issue seems troublesome and I hope the issue of HOW it is regulated gets raised for intense debate in the Senate.