USA Today on "Easing Internet Gambling Restrictions"

[ritehook]

A story from yesterday's USA Today, bylined by Mike Bambach, noted not one, but three bills in the Congressional hopper that would do just that.

One is the Skill Game Protection Act, brainchild of Robert Wexler (Fl). It's for poker players, and has poker playing ex-NY Sen Al D'Amato pushing for it. He appearss to be one of the over 800,000 members of the Poker Players Alliance.

Rep McDermott of Washington has something called the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act of 2007.

And then, of course,there is Barney Frank's bill (named almost the same as McDermott's, but with the word "tax" deleted), which is the best known.

What the USA Today writer said about it in a tagline is: "The Bill would continue the prohibition of Internet gambling on college and pro events."

Pretty much says it all. The poker players will throw the sports bettors into the fires, as a sacrifice to the gods of morality, just to have their way.

[SBR_John]

With all the scams running rampant by Sportsbook.com, SBG and others something needs to be done. The US cant sit by and let their citizens be mugged by these online thugs.

[jon13009]

If the US anti gambling laws are really there to appease the wishes of the sports leagues (NFL, NBA,MLB) then those bills that allow poker should go through in some form with the efforts of the PPA.

Frank's bill is the most alarming to me because the "opt-out" clauses for the leagues and the states would pose a serious threat to US on-line sports gambling as we know it.

Look at all the ads for the poker___.net "not a gambling sites." Do you think the US government would allow that front to go on if they really cared about stopping on line poker.

The ironic thing is with the revelation of the Absolute Poker scam (super accounts that reveal the cards to house players), who in their right mind would want to gamble significant funds at any on-line poker site.

At least if you bet on sports the crooked acts of officials and players can be seen with your own eyes.

On-line sports bettors in the US have no one to look after their interest, and everyone looking to stop it.

My hope is that the US govt leave things the way they are, but given the NFL, NBA and MLB's determination to squash all on-line betting in the US - that is not likely.

[JBC77]

With all the scams running rampant by Sportsbook.com, SBG and others something needs to be done. The US cant sit by and let their citizens be mugged by these online thugs.

John......you think they care? I just assume they are glad to see people getting robbed. Sorta like, "we said it's illegal, so thats what you deserve kinda thing."

[durito]

If they eased the rules on Poker, you'd think it would make it easier to fund sportsbooks.

[capitalist pig]

Im watching it on the news right now, the poker people got the act together. They are threating to use their 800k votes for other people if the law isnt changed.

My local news channel is doing a online survery on whether it should be legal or illegal. I live in a pretty conservative area, but id bet more than 70% still say make it (poker) legal. I will post the results tommorow evening after the results are in.

later

[tblues2005]

capitalist I sure would like to see that poll, I think that the poker people have gotten their plans are made out and sooner or later there will be some type of regulation done on this, I wouldn't be surprised if the U.S. made a deal with the countries that have the toughest laws on the online casinos somehow and negotiate with them but I still believe it will be the next president being in office before that is done. I do believe that the U.S. should have access to these companies so Americans are not getting ripped off by ones like sportsbook.com and SBG, and have them regulated somehow, I would say make them put a huge bond up to operate in the U.S., something like say in the range of $10-$50 million dollars of a bond and issue a license to them and just work with the countries like Antigua, Costa Rica, and those that have made it legal.

[WileOut]

For the life of me I cant understand why Barney Frank allowed for those opt outs in his legislation. What was he thinking? Surely he had to know that the leagues will opt out. I guess he was just thinking about the poker players. Who knows.

[idontlikerocks]

if we as sports gamblers want the major leagues and ncaa on OUR side , we must first form ourselves into a politically recognized group, elect a well known individual as our spokesperson, and then boycott every product marketed during the television and radio broadcasts of these sporting events. none of our laws concerning sports gambling will change unless someone on the other side of this issue takes a hit to the pocketbook.

[louisvillekid]

what i don't understand is, i read all this stuff about the professional sports leagues don't want sports gambling. then why do all the big pro leagues keep expanding into foreign markets. they play games on foreign turf to expand viewers, they get foreign players to broaden their appeal. and it is legal for most people outside of the US to gamble on sports. i don't get it.

[DrSlamm]

professional sports leagues DO want gambling but want to be against it.

You think that without gambling / fantasy sports anyone would give a shit about the NFL?

[capitalist pig]

capitalist I sure would like to see that poll

Here is the link to the poll, unfortunatley I had the numbers ass backwards so far. It seems 70% dont want it legal.

later http://www.wjhg.com/

[jjgold]

Most people are against internet gambling

[Rollins08]

My prediction is that things will never get better for internet gambling.

[abacus30]

It's a religious thing for the masses... most in the U.S. (and muslim countries too) fundamentally feel that God believes gambling is wrong and thus it should be illegal. Therefor we're fu*ked.

[Seattle Slew]

Exactly. It's just a public relations position to please the Congress.

professional sports leagues DO want gambling but want to be against it.

You think that without gambling / fantasy sports anyone would give a shit about the NFL?

[jon13009]

I think the NFL (and oher sports leagues) likes the fantasy league concept and condones gambling on the NFL to take place in a legally limited scope (Vegas.)

However, to say that the NFL, NBA, MLB would condone on-line legalized betting just to appear "honest" to the public is a bit off base to me.

Their only concern is to make sure their sports are clean then market it to the public, and they have actively worked against any effort to legalize on-line gambling.

"“Our sports organizations would very strongly oppose any effort to legalize any online sports gambling,” Martin Gold, a lobbyist at Covington & Burling who represents the National Football League (NFL), stated in a letter sent by e-mail to the offices of Financial Services Committee members.

“We would also oppose any legislation that would legalize and regulate non-sports gambling online, because we do not believe that differential treatment of sports gambling and other gambling online would be sustainable in the current environment,” Gold wrote.....

The letter, was signed by five major sports organizations, including the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball (MLB)."

Source:

http://thehill.com/business--lobby/sports-leagues-mobilize-against-franks-gaming-bill-2007-04-30.html

Yes people see this as hypocritical, and yes the leagues must take this stance to appear legit, but if the leagues really didn't care about on-line gambling, I really don't think the Anti-Gambling act passed last year would ever have been introduced.

With out on-line fantasy football or on-line legalized gambling, the NFL would do just fine. People would bet on it among themselves, place bets in Vegas or with a bookie, and have their own leagues outside the internet.

Legalizing on-line betting in the US is something the sports leagues do not want, and they are going to do what it takes to stop it. A bunch of hypocritical moralists don't have the clout or balls to get a bill like the UIEGA passed through a rider on a Anti-terrorism bill at 4am. Moralists would have wanted the thing to be put up font to pass on its own merits.

Someone with a lot of money, a serious agenda and power pushed that thing through in the shadiest of manners.

Vegas wants on-line gambling (if they could control it), Organized crime might be a player, but are they really going to go to guys lie Kyl or Frist to do so? Who else is left?

[BuddyBear]

As bleak as the situation is in the Untied States, you still can get money into these offshore books and they still pay you. That's all that counts. Let the religious wackos--and there are plenty of them in the Congress--think whatever they want. All i know is that I am betting on games this weekend, next weekend, next month, next year. and as long as I have money.....

I think Thomas Jefferson said it best...A little rebellion never hurt anyone.