Online gambling gets a black eye
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nf/20060218/tc_nf/41711

Legislation focused on cracking down on the thriving business of online gambling was introduced in Congress this week to tighten existing laws that outlaw the practice in the U.S.

The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, sponsored by Reps. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and Rick Boucher (D-VA), would update the U.S. Wire Act, which prohibits gambling over telephone wires, to cover use of the Internet to operate a gambling business.

The bill not only forbids a gambling business from accepting payments made by credit cards and electronic transfers, but also includes an enforcement mechanism to address gambling operations, located offshore, that use bank accounts in the U.S.

"For too long our children have been placed in harm's way as online gambling has been permitted to flourish into a $12 billion industry," Goodlatte said in a statement. "The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act brings the current ban against interstate gambling up to speed with the development of new technology."

Matching New Tech

The bill would allow federal, state, local, and tribal law-enforcement officials to seek help from Internet service providers to remove or disable access to Internet gambling sites that violate the act. In addition, the bill would boost the maximum prison term for a violation of the Wire Act to five years from two years.

Similar legislation has been introduced over the years, but has been thwarted consistently by notorious gambling lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

The U.S. Department of Justice has contended that companies offering online gaming to U.S. residents are in violation of existing federal laws, including the Wire Act, the Illegal Gaming Business Act, the Paraphernalia Act, and the Travel Act.

Despite the claims made by the Justice Department that Internet gaming is unlawful in the U.S., the lack of clear legislation regarding the practice has meant that there have been few legal cases brought against gambling operators.

In the MasterCard International case in 2002, a federal appellate court concluded that the Wire Act does not prohibit nonsports Internet gambling.

Online gaming company PartyGaming, which operates PartyPoker.com and StarluckCasino.com, has said that state and locals laws that prohibit or restrict online gaming and related services are a violation of the "dormant commerce clause" of the U.S. Constitution, which provides that state and local regulation of interstate activities is an impermissible restriction on interstate commerce.

The BBC has reported that the new legislation could run afoul of a World Trade Organization ruling last August that the U.S. cannot block offshore online gambling sites.

Place Your Bets

It is no secret that online wagering is a multibillion-dollar business, and that most of the illegal activity originates in the U.S. PartyGaming, which reported revenues in excess of $600 million in 2004, said 88 percent of that money came from the pockets of U.S. customers.

"Gambling is illegal in the U.S., and there are many different state laws regulating it, but all of the online gaming businesses are located overseas, where the government has no jurisdiction," said Yankee Group analyst Michael Goodman. "How will this new law be enforced? Will the government track the online activities of the millions of people involved in online gambling?"

Still, Rep. Goodlatte said that illegal online gambling adversely impacts the economy by draining dollars from the United States and serves as a vehicle for money laundering.

The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee

This won't go anywhere.

At the same time we're chastising Google & Yahoo for censoring for china, we're going to ask our own isp's to censor gaming sites?

i think they mean censor "american" gambling sites that ignore the rule, ( although that doesnt make much sense when they could just arrest them )

exactly. but if they can prove gambling sites fund terrorist.. guess how much bigger this will be than eavsdropping? :thumbsup

we got to get Dick Cheney and his shotgun busy again.
couple of fuckers need shooting.


the real funny part is when
Still, Rep. Goodlatte said that illegal online gambling adversely impacts the economy by draining dollars from the United States and serves as a vehicle for money laundering.

who would know more about money laundering than a US congressman?
ROFL!

Much like with Google, I ain't worried...

They wont be censored.. YOu just wont be able to deposit money to them is all.

how sad people will have to go to casino's and support local buisnesses, gotta love it the world is buying america and we wanna spend our money in their countries...who is really winning?

The reason they dont like it is they arent getting a piece of it.

No reason to be alarmed they try this every year. In the end it will not even get to the desk to get signed.

"For too long our children have been placed in harm's way as online gambling has been permitted to flourish into a $12 billion industry," Goodlatte said in a statement.

Well, don't know about his statement... But I guess he wants this instead? http://www.collegehumor.com/pictures/139422 With online gaming that kid could have been in bed... LOL

"For too long our children have been placed in harm's way as online gambling has been permitted to flourish into a $12 billion industry,"

Its always about "protecting the children" with these people. :disgust :BangBang:

Yeah, what the FUCK does this have to do with children?

They just want the tax money:2 cents:

Most are ran out of the country, I don't think we will see much if any difference. And they could be moved out of the US just as easily if needed.

If anything they will shoot their selves in the foot by not having the money coming in be spent on marketing and business services.

Uhm.. err.. what the fuck? :helpme

God, this is total BULLSHIT!!

Why not ban tobacco or fucking alcohol or something. :disgust

give it time, once the us figures out how to tax, it will be a go

Interesting. They crack down on online US gambling sites, so the owners set up shop overseas and offshore sites spring up all over,... then the US gov't wonders why money is being filtered OUT of the USA. It ain't rocket science.

It's obviousy something they would be better off regulating rather than going on yet another useless crusade to "stamp it out for the sake of the children".

Is this fucking ridiculous or what? What "children" are in harms way because of internet gambling? Unless Junior has his own credit card and neteller account that his parents don't know about he's not gambling.....not to mention where's Junior going to get the money to gamble with????

Every time the ridiculous right wants to keep people from doing something that violates their so-called moral standards they use protecting our children as the excuse.

If they really wanted to "protect our kids" they wouldn't have sent them to Iraq to die.

I remember the Kyl Bill that tried to do this roughly 8 years ago. With Abramoff out of the picture, this bill might have a higher chance of succeeding.