I don't know if anyone here plays or watches poker on tv. I have been playing poker for years, and I think what's going on is bullsh$t. Here are a few links with more details on this. http://www.saveonlinegaming.com/hr49543.pdf -> HR49543 - Safe Port Act Basically this law doesn't make online gambling "illegal", it makes it illegal for banks, credit card companies etc..etc to transfer money to offshore gambling sites/portals. For more info you can check out twoplustwo.com. Here is a reply I recieved from David Vitter: Dear Mr. XXXXX, Thank you for contacting me in opposition to legislation that will prohibit online gambling. I appreciate hearing your concerns on this important issue. As you may know, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act has been introduced to update regulations governing Internet gambling. These regulations would prohibit players from placing online bets with credit cards, electronic transfers, and checks. Much of this legislation is also targeted at preventing Internet gambling from being used for money laundering. While I understand your concerns about this legislation, state attorneys general, professional and amateur sports leagues, and the Department of Justice all agree that some federal legislation is needed to clarify federal law that Internet gambling businesses are illegal. The anonymity of internet gambling can provide a haven for criminals. I am also concerned that there are currently no mechanisms in place to prevent children - who make up the largest percentage of Internet users - from using their parents' credit card numbers to register and set up accounts for use at Internet gambling sites. I have consistently opposed gambling, and I believe this legislation is needed to address the explosive growth in Internet gambling. Although we may disagree on this particular issue, I sincerely appreciate hearing your opinion. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about other issues important to you. Sincerely, Senator David Vitter United States Senator P.S. Please visit my webiste to sign up for E-Updates and receive regular email updates from me on the issues important to Louisiana families ========================================================= Now it's time for my rant. I think this is bullSH$t. This port security act has NOTHING to do with poker/gambling. This piece of legislation was added last second by some dumbass politician because he knew this was "must pass legislation". While I agree with the port security act and think that this country needs that, I find this to be a stupid move by our government to remove more of our freedoms. What gives the government the right to tell me how I can spend my money? It's okay for millions of poeple to throw away there lives in vegas or at local casino's. But with the price of gas, I cannot stay home and play my online poker tourneys? Isn't this a free country? This prohibition will not work and even the people who do not play poker need to rise up and say something about this. Everytime we turn around, more and more freedoms are being taken away from us. When will it stop? I remember last year we use to be able to go to numerous bars around the bayou here and play in $10-$20 tournaments. No one got rich and it was a fun thing to do from time to time. Now we can't even have pedro tourneys in bars around here and that's been happening since anyone can remember. What is so wrong with hard working folks wanting to go to a local bar and play poker/pedro? Why can't we stay at home and play poker online? To me this is bullsh$t. I pay my taxes, I am not funding terriost. How long until the government tells us what we can or cannot do? Will it eventually cost us to use our own bathrooms? Or to send an email? Alot of people laugh at that, however, daily your freedoms are being removed from you. These kind of tricks used to (kill an industry) ban poker/online gambling should be illegal. If you do not know it, these same kind of tactics were used to install Income tax. If you research that, income tax was never suppose to be more then 3%. Now what do you pay? Last thing I want to say for now is read this qoute from George Washington - "When the government stops working for the people, the people need to rise up and take the government back". Viva-LA-Revolution
I don't gamble on-line, but think this legislation is assinine -- and completlely predictable. The government would rather you play state lotteries or line the pockets of the special interests that own them all anyway. What a joke.
The government should leave it alone. They should, however, make it illegal for espn to show the crap on tv. Even watching curling is better than that garbage.
Gambling is bad if it's online. All other forms of gambling is good. You gotta love big brother, don't you? Moral of this story. Give huge amounts of money to politicians before you start your unregulated business. You'll have a much better chance of surviving when they decide to regulate it.
I guess it all comes down to the fact that these corporations spent billions of dollars to make the desert wasteland in Nevada an Oasis and now they don't want people staying home and gambling. You gotta come eat there buffets, watch the stupid shows and ofcourse they hope that daddy losses the retirement fund and the kids college money while mommy and Jr are sleeping. Gimmie a break, I feel like moving to Costa Rica or something...
I don't blame the casinos, I blame the politicians. It makes sense for businesses to try to limit competition, as they are in the business of making money. What doesn't make sense are the politicians doing as they are told by casinos in exchange for large political contributions and kickbacks. But that is our political system. Man, I need to run for office to get some of this free money. An added bonus is sex with young females.:hihi:
Or young males... :nope: o: The key is that a bill that's being passed should have some sort of Topic or Title. Having something added to a bill that has nothing to do with it and it being "must pass legislation" is bull. Like I said in my first post, that's how they got us with income tax (income tax was originally never suppose to be more then 3%) it's also how they installed the banking system which by the way alot of people were against, because a banking system "controlled" by the government is never good for the people. I could go on and on, but what really pisses me off is that unless uncle sam or some politicians are getting thier cut, then its illegal or bad. Same thing with Marijuana. The politicians don't want to legalize it cause the powers that be already get a cut and control it. Guess my point here is this! LEgalize poker online and offline - Legalize weed Drop income taxes back down to 3% Re-organize the government... Vote for me
I love this line from the Senator.. The anonymity of internet gambling can provide a haven for criminals. I am also concerned that there are currently no mechanisms in place to prevent children - who make up the largest percentage of Internet users - from using their parents' credit card numbers to register and set up accounts for use at Internet gambling sites. Umm, isn't a pissed off parent looking at their credit card statement and realzing lil junior just gambled away a G-note a pretty good mechanism in place? Every time congress takes away a right, they always find away to make it "For the children". Because, hey, if you oppose it you must hate children, right? The downside to this is it will make well regulated, publicly traded, corporate on-line casinos lose business, while driving it away to the shady fly-by-night operations that are run by organized crime. This was Frist's baby, but rather than have an honest debate on it he attached it to a Port Security bill, because, cmon, who wants to say they voted against "Port Security" in an election season. I am so disgusted with the Republican *******s in Congress. Too bad the Democrats are bigger morons or I'd consider voting for them.
i do not play poker online, but friend of mine told me his partypoker.com account was suspended because he is american. meanwhile, the foreigners can conitinue to play. poor foreign guys, their government doesnt care about them enough to protect them from freedom.
