85% of Americans against Banning Online Casinos | Gambling

85% of Americans against Banning Online Casinos | Gambling
by NoLuckNeeded member ttwna2k for NoLuckNeeded.com --->Digg this?


85% of Americans are against Banning Online Casinos
The worldwide phenomenon of online casinos has been gaining momentum rapidly for some time but if two bills are passed in the Senate, the breaks will surely be applied to online casinos.

The first bill to be passed by the house judiciary committee - the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act – would effectively ban online casinos in the United States by giving police the means to block transmissions and by outlawing the transfer of funds for gaming purposes.

The second bill – Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act would ban credit card companies from performing transactions between players and online casinos.

Despite the two bills being supported by the house judiciary committee and many others, there are those who believe that by banning online casinos this is an infringement on the rights of American Citizens, to choose how they spend there free time.

There is another bill waiting in the sidelines that will enable the online casinos industry to be studied and the possible option of regulating and licensing the industry.

Many support groups of this study believe that an outright ban now is too hasty a decision to be made without getting the facts straight and understanding this complex issue. These opponents of the ban also feel that the bills, that will potentially ban online casinos, are uneven as they will allow for bets to be made on horse racing, fantasy sports betting and lotteries.

The worldwide online casinos industry generates between $12 and $15 billion a year with over half of that figure coming from American Citizens and while many feel that Americans need to be protected against rogue offshore casino sites, it is still up to the individual to choose how they spend their hard earned cash.

As it stands, American citizens have the potential to blow their weekly food budget on lottery tickets or are able to sit in a dark house because they lost their electricity bill money down at the Indian casino, so why should gambling in online casinos be any different?

There is the issue of underage gambling in online casinos which does give cause for concern. A teen has better prospects of stealing their parent's credit cards and supplying false information to enter online casinos, than trying to enter a land based casino with a fake ID.

Washington State has already put these potential bans into practice by banning online casinos outright in their state, but this ban has already proved to have taken a step too far. One online poker information site was closed down because it advertised a link to online casinos. The Seattle Times was also advised to stop running their regular poker column which means that this ban could infringe Americans right of freedom of speech which is bordering on the ridiculous.

With 85% of Americans against banning online casinos, it is hoped that the Senate will decide to take a more moderate stance and regulate the industry rather than take away freedom of choice.

Free speech advocates speak out about online casinos and laws
Most people know that the online casinos industry is always undergoing scrutiny and heavy debate, especially by law makers in the United States.
The online casinos industry was a $12 billion dollar a year venture last year and the advent of new online casinos, along with regulation changes, tax rules, and new online casinos regulations, is expected to boost overall economic productivity in the United Kingdom, according to a new study about online casinos and land based casinos, and the gambling entertainment industry in general.
But in the United States, online casinos remain illegal. Now, Washington State just made it illegal to play poker at online casinos in such places like Seattle, Spokane, and Olympia.
The state’s governor Christine Gregoire, has not only taken it upon herself to outlaw online casinos, she's also made it a felony with the same punishment given to child predators, second offense drunk drivers and drug dealers.
Director of the state's gambling commission, Rick Day, recently warned the Seattle Times.
"My suggestion to you is to remove from your paper any advice about online gambling and any links to illegal sites," Day said.
Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad if not for the fact that Washington State citizens are encouraged to gamble in that state's various Indian land based casinos and the state lotteries, not to mention you can bet horses online. So why not online casinos? What’s so different about online casinos from betting on horses online?
Freedom of speech will ultimately take center stage as a result of this new law and one of the top online casinos news site wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see the ACLU get involved as they have with states such as New Mexico, which attempted unsuccessfully to block its citizens from accessing online casinos via internet service providers.
The Seattle Post Intelligencer editorial board has suggested in a recent editorial that "Washington legislators would do well to retool their new online casinos law before the courts do it for them."

The law, which took effect June 7, seems to unjustifiably threaten free speech rights.

It makes it a felony if someone "knowingly transmits or receives gambling information" online. That's casting an unacceptably broad net.

What is the state's compelling interest in outlawing Internet gambling, as the federal government already has done? Can any state law really protect its citizens foolish enough to trust their fortune -- and their credit cards -- to clandestine croupiers?

The state's more logical, if cynical, vested interest is in preserving market share for its revenue-raising games, such as Lotto, or in protecting its home-grown tribal gambling industry.

A survey conducted revealed that nearly 78% of the news readers believe Washington State should not outlaw online casinos.

Thanks for the article, I gets so angry with our government reading this kind of stuff. They are trying to control every aspect of our lifes, and the only way they will ever be ok with online gambling is if they are making money too. This has nothing to do with worries over underage gamblers, or protecting the citizens, this has to do with state lotteries and state run casinos not making as much money. And the US government not making any money off the deal.

You hit the nail on the head. The Feds want their take and the individual State Leaders have massive amounts of pressure from land-based casinos to make online gambling illegal.

Have you ever heard the phrase - "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em"?

Land-based casinos could venture into the online game to cater to those of us who prefer to stay home in our jammies and relax.

Its a slippery slope when the government can step into our homes and decide where "we the people" should spend our cash. What's next? Smoking in our homes, pornography, alcohol, and God knows what else THEY decide is illegal or immoral?

These are the same people who provided access to wire taps and turned the other cheek when it came to torture and false imprisonment for someone who "looked" like a terrorist or received phone calls from "questionable countries". Its really scary.

BUT - its a new day my friends and the constitution is alive and well and, fortunaletly, we have a fairly liberal-minded Congress and Senate who, I believe, will not trample on our most sacred of documents.

We have the power. Write your local Congressman or Senator - share your thoughts and express your outrage. The last election should have proven to all of us that we DO have a voice.

Just my opinion.

Thanks for listening

Rae

TDTAT:
Gambling News - Barney Frank, standalone gambling legislation in April 2009
Barney Frank will introduce "standalone" gambling bill
April 8th, 2009 complied, edited by the GPWA

WASHINGTON, D.C. , USA - reported by Gaming Intelligence:
"Continuing his efforts to dismantle the anti-online gambling legislation passed by the Bush Administration, Congressman Barney Frank will introduce a bill which would establish a licensing and regulatory framework for online gambling operators before the end of April as a standalone bill."

"Barney Frank, Chairman of the US House Financial Services Committee, told The Hill congressional newspaper last week that the bill, Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2046), would be a standalone bill despite the fact that Republicans added the legislation on the back of a vital port security bill in the 109th Congress.

"Commentators have suggested that the decision to introduce the bill as a standalone bill would make it even more difficult for it to pass through Congress. Congressman Frank said however that it would be 'inappropriate' to follow the Republicans' path. "That is not my intention. It would be a mistake. I want to do this with hearings, discussions and votes," Frank told The Hill.

"...Jeffrey Sandman, spokesman for the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative which backs Frank's bill, told The Hill: 'We welcome a standalone bill, which would allow for a thorough discussion of all the issues relating to regulations and consumer protections.

"'The excitement over Congressman Frank's bill is that it would create an environment that would protect American consumers and include safeguards against underage gambling and compulsive gambling, which don't exist right now,' said Sandman..."
http://www.house.gov/frank/
http://www.barneyfrank.net/

I have written and voiced my opinions many times, I understand that Barney Frank wants to regulate online gaming, and he has many supporters including myself on this issue. I would rather the government regulate and tax online gambling, than to keep raising taxes on other things. Our country could use the money that it would make from online gaming, and it would definitely help out our economy at this time. And most of all, maybe they could quit raising taxes on all of us cigarette smokers. $7-$10 a pack of cigarettes, absolutely insane. Sorry I get worked up on stuff like this. I could vent and vent, and never be done.