Originally posted on 09/12/2014:

Quote Originally Posted by jtoler View Post
Never, and you cant thank George W. Bush.
Bush had nothing to do with it besides signing a port security bill with UIGEA tacked on to it. The main culprits in the UIGEA and the threat of confiscation was the workings of Marty Gold, working on behalf of the NFL. Gold and the NFL wrote the bill (why do you think there's a written exemption for fantasy football?), and Gold was an advisor for Frist, who ultimately got it through. For years, the man who kept anti-internet gambling off the legislative docket was Jack Abramoff, and when he became indicted and disgraced, the vultures swooped. Many of the top Covington and Burling lawyers who represented the NFL are in the Washington power elite, including the NFL's former attack dog, Eric Holder. The NFL is terrified of a point shaving scandal killing the golden goose, and they pull out all stops to keep internet gambling illegal. All one has to do is read the required lobbying disclosures to see that the NFL is STILL spending over $1 million a year lobbying against internet gambling. Really sad that the powerful and sleazy NFL was able to get PokerStars booted out of the US market (collateral damage). The free market innovations and the livelihood of many people were squashed just so a bunch of multi-millionaires can feel better.

The NFL has powerful friends in both political parties, so it's not a partisan thing. However, with the new NBA commissioner publicly stating that he's open to sports betting, and the NFL's Goodell on the ropes after the Rice fiasco, we might see some modifications on the legality of online sports betting. Trouble is, just like we've just seen in the UK, special interests and government will regulate and tax it to the point that only high-vig monopolies either state controlled or state friendly will be allowed, so even if it eventually is permitted, they'll keep low margin customer friendly shops like Pinnacle on the outside most likely. As always, the customer gets screwed, and true free market freedoms are denied.