Internet Gambling Crackdown - American Hypocrisy is Always a Safe Bet

[camoor]

A week ago, David Carruthers, the urbane, 49-year-old British CEO of BetonSports PLC, was campaigning to legalize, regulate and tax Internet gambling in the United States.
Today, he is sitting in a Fort Worth jail cell.
...
According to the Department of Justice (DoJ), BetonSports in 2003 had 100,000 active players who placed 33 million wagers worth $1.6 billion through the company's Web sites.
More than half of those wagers came from Americans.
Because of that, Carruthers is in the slammer facing enough charges to make a mob boss nervous, including racketeering, conspiracy and fraud.
"Efforts to prohibit online gambling in the United States have failed repeatedly," Carruthers said last week. "Congress should focus its energy and resources on viable solutions through regulation to protect consumers and to control underage and problem gambling."
Carruthers' comments came within hours of the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelming vote to do just the opposite: ban Internet gambling in the U.S. ...


It's nice to know that the government for the "land of the free" is taking an ever-increasing role in deciding what I can do with my hard-earned.

[wageslave]

It's nice to know that the government for the "land of the free" is taking an ever-increasing role in deciding what I can do with my hard-earned.

ditto

[Pookymeister]

Chris Moneymaker isn't going to like this...

[trq]

It's nice to know that the government for the "land of the free" is taking an ever-increasing role in deciding what I can do with my hard-earned.

I assure you, they'll be real enlightened on this topic as soon as they figure out how they can take a cut.

[Brak]

I wouldn't think you'd be one to support flows of money going off shore.

[Ace-Of-War]

Right.

If you're going to throw your money away at least have the common sense to play the state lottery. At least then the money goes to your state.

[Michaellvortega]

Lets shut down Church bingo, that's gambling.

[elprincipe]

lottery = tax on people who are bad at math

And I agree with whoever said the government will be fine with Internet gambling once it figures out how to tax it.

[camoor]

I wouldn't think you'd be one to support flows of money going off shore.

Not sure if you're talking to me...

If you are - I'm totally fine with it, but I think the US gov't should take a reasonable cut for taxes.

[Brak]

Not sure if you're talking to me...

If you are - I'm totally fine with it, but I think the US gov't should take a reasonable cut for taxes.
Agreed.

[vietgurl]

Right.

If you're going to throw your money away at least have the common sense to play the state lottery. At least then the money goes to your state.

I actually know someone who's a couple hundred thousand dollars up since he started playing poker. He wins at least a few hundred everytime he plays online after work and whenever he goes to Reno, he comes back a few thousand dollars richer. Of course he's also lost money but he's still richer than when he first started playing.

[Drocket]

I wouldn't think you'd be one to support flows of money going off shore.

That's why we need to legalize gambling entirely - so we don't NEED to use offshore casinos. I've played at different online casinos a number of times, but if I had a choice, I'd pick a US-based and regulated casino in a heartbeat. I'd feel a LOT more secure depositing money in a casino monitored and regulated by US entities than some random casino located in the Eastern Democratic Republic of the United Isles of Indo-Pakistania, or some other god-forsaken place I've never heard of. And the US government gets its share of the money - its a win/win situation for everyone.

Well, except for the religious fundimentalist who believe it should be illegal to have fun. But fuck them.

[camoor]

I actually know someone who's a couple hundred thousand dollars up since he started playing poker. He wins at least a few hundred everytime he plays online after work and whenever he goes to Reno, he comes back a few thousand dollars richer. Of course he's also lost money but he's still richer than when he first started playing.

It's funny - everyone I know who plays online poker tells me that they're up "a few hundred bucks". :lol:

[GuilewasNK]

Sometimes the government just needs to leave things be....dammit.

I never placed an online bet but people should be able to do what they want with their money. Why the hell do they think people gamble? Everyone wants more money. We sure as hell aren't going to get it through lower taxes and there are no guarantees in the job market unless you get yourself $80,000 in the hole pursuing a PhD, or are born into money.

[camoor]

...Everyone wants more money. We sure as hell aren't going to get it through lower taxes and there are no guarantees in the job market unless you get yourself $80,000 in the hole pursuing a PhD, or are born into money.

You forgot
- Government workers
- Unions (google "job bank")
- Welfare

[Ace-Of-War]

I actually know someone who's a couple hundred thousand dollars up since he started playing poker. He wins at least a few hundred everytime he plays online after work and whenever he goes to Reno, he comes back a few thousand dollars richer. Of course he's also lost money but he's still richer than when he first started playing.

That may be so. If it is than he is by all means an exception. In general you are throwing your money away, the odds are stacked against you even if you are playing in one of the legit online casinos. The casino always comes out ahead and the house always wins no matter how you do individually. These rackets wouldn't stay open if they lost money. So maybe your friend is doing well, but for everyone of those folks there are at least 12 others that are just as unlucky as he is lucky.

[GuilewasNK]

You forgot
- Government workers
- Unions (google "job bank")
- Welfare

Seriously.

One of the main reasons I am trying to get into teaching is because it is a goverment job.

Also, we forgot internet porn. :roll: