4 ms·

While I'm not at all surprised to see this happening, I'm still astonished that the USA continues to try to stamp out gambling through legislation. I remember g

While I'm not at all surprised to see this happening, I'm still astonished that the USA continues to try to stamp out gambling through legislation. I remember growing up being astonished at the number of references on USA TV shows to illegal gambling; I've never once come across it in the UK. I love cricket, but there's been a persistent series of match-fixing and spot-fixing allegations for years, almost exclusively originating from illegal south Asian (primarily Indian) bookmakers. The legal markets haven't been the source of this sort of problem at all. Much as I might not like gambling, there is a persistent human desire for it and the evidence seems to be that banning it, as so often, exacerbates rather than minimises harm. The US government should stop trying to hold back the tide on this.

ericb 16y ago
The casino lobby would prefer that online gambling didn't exist. Therefore, since these online companies are not in the US and have no lobbyist money in play, they have no standing. Voter preference, individual rights, domain name sanctity, jurisdiction, shortsightedness with regard to keeping control of TLD's, futility of the fight, all have no bearing when uncontested lobby money wants something, and doubly so when states think it will mean more tax dollars in their pockets.
- davepeck 16y ago
  It's not quite true that these companies have no lobbying presence in the USA. The Poker Players Alliance operates out of Washington DC and represents all of the companies indicted today.
- ikono 16y ago
  PPA aside, what's interesting is that PokerStars just announced a partnership with the Wynn recently. I don't know that it's the US brick and mortar casinos that are behind this.
- dhughes 16y ago
  Actually the company I (a minion stuck in the cogs) work for is a government run lottery that set up a division called Digital Interactive Gaming just to design and build online a gambling website.
damoncali 16y ago
The US doesn't so much try to stamp out gambling as to regulate/profit from it. I suspect the dim view of online gambling stems from the fear that they cannot control it effectively.

ericb 16y ago

The casino lobby would prefer that online gambling didn't exist. Therefore, since these online companies are not in the US and have no lobbyist money in play, they have no standing. Voter preference, individual rights, domain name sanctity, jurisdiction, shortsightedness with regard to keeping control of TLD's, futility of the fight, all have no bearing when uncontested lobby money wants something, and doubly so when states think it will mean more tax dollars in their pockets.

davepeck 16y ago
It's not quite true that these companies have no lobbying presence in the USA. The Poker Players Alliance operates out of Washington DC and represents all of the companies indicted today.
ikono 16y ago
PPA aside, what's interesting is that PokerStars just announced a partnership with the Wynn recently. I don't know that it's the US brick and mortar casinos that are behind this.
dhughes 16y ago
Actually the company I (a minion stuck in the cogs) work for is a government run lottery that set up a division called Digital Interactive Gaming just to design and build online a gambling website.

damoncali 16y ago

The US doesn't so much try to stamp out gambling as to regulate/profit from it. I suspect the dim view of online gambling stems from the fear that they cannot control it effectively.