Congress Passes Bill to Curb Online Gambling

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[Lunatic Fringe]

It Was Snuck Through on the Back of Port Security Bill

It took a backdoor move by the Senate Majority leader, but the bill designed to curb online gambling in the United States has passed.

Sen. Bill Frist helped get the Internet gambling ban attached to a defense bill designed to boost security at nation’s ports. The bill passed Saturday.

The bill calls for banks to work with the federal government to stop transactions between customers in the U.S. and offshore gaming companies. The bill makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make transactions with online gambling companies.

The bill considers online poker a form of gambling. Recently, online poker sites have worked harder to expand its customer base outside the United States, where about 80-percent of online poker players live.

The bill will not target player but does call for prison time for people who run online gaming companies. Banks that don’t comply by the bill may also face punishment. A representive from the Independent Community Bankers of America testified to the House that its members will have trouble enforcing the act.

The United States is moving in an opposite direction concerning this issue compared to the rest of the world. The United Kingdom recently moved to tax and regulate online gambling sites, and the European Union had made it clear that it considers online gambling a product that should be allowed to be freely traded.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Regardless of how you feel about Internet gambling, I think this goes way beyond the authority of the Commerce Clause.

[antiRepublicrat]

Pick what this is about:

a) Election time grandstanding on morality
b) Protecting people from evil online casinos
c) Protecting the lotteries from competition
d) Eliminating something where the government doesn't get its cut

Hint, it's not b.

[jeremiah]

Protecting Indian casinos from competition. The organized crime finance and run operations, are always good for a few million bucks for the "critters".

[taxesareforever]

You left one out:

Protecting Indian casinos. Lots of payback by Congressmen here.

[kingu]

Protecting Indian casinos from competition. The organized crime finance and run operations, are always good for a few million bucks for the "critters".

Where do you get that from? Is there a federal law that prevents card rooms from opening? No. There isn't.

And there are far more non-Indian card rooms than reservation gambling establishments, and since most reservations are about fifty miles from nowhere, why would this help Indian gaming? In Los Angeles, for example, there's four major card rooms, yet this is supposedly some victory for reservation casinos a hundred miles away?

Been seeing this pat response too often.

[UncleJeff]

Seems politically stupid to me to sneak this in just before the election. There are a couple dozen million players who are also voters in this Country, and by using this backdoor means to get it passed now rather than wait for the lame-duck session it lets the Democrats hang it securely around Republican's necks.

With as many races looking to be as close as these are expected to be this will likely alienate a lot more voters than it pleases, voters the Republicans can't afford to give away.

[stephenjohnbanker]

That and no tax revenue from overseas operations : )

[stephenjohnbanker]

ROTF!

[stephenjohnbanker]

Correct

[UncleJeff]

Those "overseas operations" have been begging to be allowed to relocate to the States and taxed and regulated fairly. They figure their increased revenues would more than offset the costs.

There's literally billions in tax revenue being refused.

[stephenjohnbanker]

I was unaware of this, thanks.

[stephenjohnbanker]

""Put bugs in their ass, gas in their nose and nuke 'em 'til they glow in the dark." "

ROTFLMAO!

B U M P

[Mike Darancette]

The same thing the government did to Indian Cigarettes.

[UncleJeff]

An old Chemical Corps motto from the late 70's-early 80's ;)

[cynwoody]

You left one out:

Protecting Indian casinos. Lots of payback by Congressmen here.

'Rat response:

• Protects Jack Abramoff's clients.
• Violates the right to gamble.
• Evidence of Christian right influence.
• Slimy to sneak it onto a non-germane bill.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Internet casinos will just offer gamblers pre-paid debit cards (with the companies' name on them) or some type of purchase order wired to an off-shore account.

The legislation is already obsolete, as both the casinos and gamblers will find loopholes big enough for a tractor-trailer to go through. But that doesn't stop the busybodies from beating their chests and proclaiming victory.

[baystaterebel]

Morons....

They have pissed off a huge swath of 20-30 male voters for nothing. Idiots

[taxcontrol]

Hmmm, I see an opportunity here for someone overseas to set up a "bank" ... not governed by US law, that will accept wire transfers and then issue credit cards to the people in the US.

Online Bank of UAE / Electronic Bank of Moscow / etc.

Feel good laws like this just create more markets in shadier parts of the world.

[mugs99]

Sen. Bill Frist helped get the Internet gambling ban attached to a defense bill designed to boost security at nation’s ports. The bill passed Saturday

Yeah, good ol' Bill Frist just protecting "American Values".

The same Bill Frist who took bribe money from Jack Abramoff.

The same Bill Frist who, along with his wife, are the only trustees managing a family foundation, Hospital Corporation of America. HCA was the subject of a decade-long Federal investigation into double-bookkeeping and suspected criminal fraud involving the bilking of Medicare, Medicaid, and Tricare.

The same Bill Frist who is under investigation by the SEC for insider trading.

The same Bill Frist that the FEC fined $11,000 for hiding $1.4 million dollars.

The same Bill Frist that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington singled out as one of the most "corrupt" members of Congress.

The same Bill Frist who just took a liberty from me.
Shall I vote Republican in November? I think not!
.

[jwh_Denver]

"issue credit cards to the people in the US."

They've been doing that for awhile now. This law is absolutely meaningless.