Update on internet gambling ban.

[WayneChung]

hey savage-think about our boy uncle phil and the big sport services-they will not be able to get their kickbacks from the offshores they tout when their clients lose on their bum picks-they will have to do something novel for a change to make money-WIN !!

[robby_morini]

They will go after the banks that handle these transactions. E-checks, wire transfers, and any other method of funds transfer will be the first step. Many banks have pretty much shut down credit card transactions. Larger banks have entire departments devoted to monitoring credit card activity through offshore casinos.

This will effectively shut down companies like Middleton Financial, Citadel, and many other entities set up to handle these transactions. Once they put the onus on the banks, we are all screwed.

Banks are one of the most regulated industries in our country. When the feds say jump, they ask how high?. One more piece of regulation will not bother them. This really does worry me.

Another election year smoke screen

[savage1]

It will be pretty hard to shut down Western Union where the funds are sent to a person in another country from that of the Offshore and/or prove what the money is intended for.

[savage1]

hey savage-think about our boy uncle phil and the big sport services-they will not be able to get their kickbacks from the offshores they tout when their clients lose on their bum picks-they will have to do something novel for a change to make money-WIN !!

Yeah-Uncle Phil will have to sell more of that College Preview Issue and/or sell more subscriptions to Power S weep to make ends meet if the offfshores are effectively shut down.

[JimmyBlaze]

I use Moneybookers to deposit and withdrawal. It is a third party payment processor. Congress can't ban sending your money to third parties. They act as a liason to the sportsbooks. They might ban direct payment via credit card to the books but I don't do that anyway. This is a bunch of chest beating and won't accomplish a damn thing. The online sportsbooks will thrive better than ever in spite of what some dickheads in Washington want to legislate.

[savage1]

Personally I think while at first it may be a little more difficult to bet on the internet, there are a lot of sharpies out there who eventually will think of a way to make it virtually impossible to control/eliminate internet gambling short of taking away people's computers and phones.
Personally I would at the very least love to see a national referendum on online gambling;let the people decide what is right or to take it a step further, let each state decide via a vote of the people.

[hacker197]

If They Were Going To Ban It Should've Done So A Few Years Ago

[larryonion]

GuYS WE AT TIMES ARE THE MOST IGNORANT COUNTRY IN THE WORLD-IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE IF THEY BAN THE NET,PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GAMBLE,THEY HAVE BEEN TRYING TO CRACK DOWN ON WHORES FOR A LONG TIME ALSO-LAST I HEARD -THEY ARE STILL SELLING CUNT-WAKE UP AND SMELL THE MOTHERFUCKING COFFEE-LEGALIZE AND TAX ONLINE POKER AND SPORTS BETTING AND CURE THE NATIONAL DEBT PROBLEM IN ABOUT 10 YEARS-POLITICIANS WAKE UP-BANNING THE INTERNET IS NOT GOING TO STOP COMPULSIVE GAMBLERS-DO YOU THINK THE ILLEGAL BOOKMAKERS ARE NOT GETTING WHITE STUFF ON THEIR LEGS FROM THIS LEGISLATION,NOT TO MENTION VEGAS-GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK-HOW CAN OUR NATION'S POLITICIANS BE THAT STUPID ? PS-I HAVE WORKED WITH PEOPLE WITH ADDICTION PROBLEMS FOR 20 YEARS-TAKE THEIR POT AWAY FROM THEM AND THEY WILL GO TO PILLS-GAMBLERS ARE NO DIFFERENT-WHY DON'T THEY WORK ON RECOVERY ISSUES-THATS WHERE THE HOPE LIES-SINCERELY DOCTOR J.

Nail on the head - why drive it underground...Because the republicans are once again courting the fringe religous right and their "ethics" for the midterm elections. Oh, so are centrist democrats...

[BettorsChat]

Nail on the head - why drive it underground...Because the republicans are once again courting the fringe religous right and their "ethics" for the midterm elections. Oh, so are centrist democrats...

Democrats will not pass this bill. It's mostly a republican thing and has been for years. R-Kyle and R-Mcain etc.

[BearDown]

I hope EVERYONE takes the time to write your Rep. on this issue. I just did, follow the link at the bottom in the original message. PLEASE! Thank you.

[savage1]

What I find hypocritical about this is that legislators want to ban internet gambling; yet the only reason the tons of sports services which operate legally in the US is because they say the information and picks are given out for newsmatter material only.
Yeah right-someone is going to call a sports service and pay $50 just to find out the picks because he is curious and/or that he going to travel all the way to Las Vegas Nevada(the only state where sports gambling is legal) to actually play the games.
Could it be that legislators don't care in any event about the sports services in any event because if online betting is outlawed, sports services will become extinct anyways because no one could play the games anyways.
Oh yes, I suppose the legislators could always conclude there is a "remote" chance that if someone looked hard enough, he could find a local guy who might take the action, but because locals are so "few and far between" they don't count anyways.
Meanwhile in essence the legislators are saying "lets just focus on eliminating online betting for now;the (crooked and ILLEGAL) sports services are none of our business anyways as the picks are for newsmatter only, and local bookmakers, well there are not enough of them around to worry about."

[Spearit]

Update- Bill passes by wide margin.


Congressional Legislation :broom:

'To prevent the use of certain payment instruments, credit cards, and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, and for other purposes. '
Bill # H.R.4411

Original Sponsor:
Jim Leach (R-IA 2nd)

Cosponsor Total: 36
(last sponsor added 05/11/2006)
3 Democrats
33 Republicans


About This Legislation:

5/26/2006--Reported to House, amended, Part II. (There are 2 other summaries)
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 - Amends the federal criminal code to prohibit persons engaged in the business of betting or wagering from knowingly accepting credit, electronic fund transfers, checks, drafts, or similar instruments, or the proceeds of any other financial transaction in connection with unlawful Internet gambling (this prohibition is defined by this Act as a "restricted transaction").
Directs the Secretary of the Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to prescribe regulations to identify and block restricted transactions and transmissions of wagering information. Grants financial organizations immunity from civil liability for blocking transactions which they reasonably believe are restricted transactions.
Grants U.S. district courts original and exclusive jurisdiction to prevent and restrain restricted transactions. Authorizes the Attorney General or any state attorney general to institute proceedings to prevent or restrain a restricted transaction.
Imposes fines and/or a five-year term of imprisonment for violations of this Act. Authorizes a court to enter a permanent injunction prohibiting an individual convicted of a violation of this Act from engaging in betting or wagering activities.
Authorizes the prosecution of otherwise exempt financial transaction providers, interactive computer services, or telecommunications services that have actual knowledge and control of bets and wagers and that operate, or are controlled by an entity that operates, an unlawful Internet gambling site.
Calls for the U.S. government, in deliberations with foreign governments, to: (1) encourage cooperation by foreign governments in identifying whether Internet gambling operations are being used for money laundering, corruption, or other crimes; (2) advance policies that promote international cooperation in enforcing this Act; and (3) encourage the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering to study the extent to which Internet gambling operations are being used for money laundering purposes.
Directs the Secretary to report to Congress annually on deliberations between the United States and other countries on Internet gambling.




The part that get me is the last section, WTF?

Calls for the U.S. government, in deliberations with foreign governments, to: (1) encourage cooperation by foreign governments in identifying whether Internet gambling operations are being used for money laundering, corruption, or other crimes; (2) advance policies that promote international cooperation in enforcing this Act; and (3) encourage the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering to study the extent to which Internet gambling operations are being used for money laundering purposes.

[Spearit]

July 11, 2006)—The U.S. House passed a bill Tuesday would keep gamblers from using credit cards to fund their on-line wagering and that could block access to gambling Web sites.

The law would spell out that most gambling is illegal on-line.

But the measure is not considered a high priority in the Senate.

One expert says for gamblers, the Internet is like "crack cocaine."

"You just click the mouse and lose your house,” said business professor John Kindt of the University of Illinois.

The bill does have the support of some conservatives and anti-gambling groups, but among them, some complain it's not wide ranging enough, and that the bill should also include such things as online lotteries and horse racing.

Other critics warn it's impossible to police the Internet, and it would be better to regulate and tax the online gaming industry.

[Blackbeard]

i read yesterday that they estimate 1 billion people will die from cigarette smoking in the next century

a few compulsive morons lose their house gambling

does gambling ever kill people like tobacco does??

this country is retarded, filled with religious fanatics who have their hands up the politicians ass, manipulating them with threats of losing votes

when are all these old school religious right cunts going to die off already and let us live

[savage1]

i read yesterday that they estimate 1 billion people will die from cigarette smoking in the next century

a few compulsive morons lose their house gambling

does gambling ever kill people like tobacco does??

this country is retarded, filled with religious fanatics who have their hands up the politicians ass, manipulating them with threats of losing votes

when are all these old school religious right cunts going to die off already and let us live

Ha-fat chance they will ever ban smoking. Perhaps like the warning on cigarettes, what should be done instead with gambling is a simple warning on all internet gambling sites that gambling may be injurious to your financial well being and that gamblers can and do lose money(I can dream I guess).