Don't underestimate the player

[jetset]

DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE PLAYER

"Congress failed to understand that Internet gamblers are exceptionally resourceful, fiercely independent and technologically savvy..."


All In magazine writer Lena Katz launched a scathing attack on the U.S. Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act in the publication this week, explaining why companies with the grit to stay in the American market would succeed despite the Act's attempts to dislocate financial transaction systems.

Katz writes that since President Bush signed the UIGEA into law in mid-October, many popular Internet gambling sites have voluntarily blocked U.S. gamblers from real money games. However, other sites are continuing to advertise, promote and host real money games.

"In passing the Act, Congress failed to understand that Internet gamblers are exceptionally resourceful, fiercely independent and technologically savvy," Katz opines. "A determined poker player will be able to play cash games online, despite this ill-conceived law.

"First, gambling on-line is not a crime in the U.S., except in certain states. It’s a misdemeanor in seven states and a felony in one," Katz writes, pointing out that ironically these states themselves benefit from billion dollar legalized gambling industries, presenting a face that is arguably a matter of hypocrisy, tax avarice, cronyism, corruption, and/or political contributions.

Describing the Act as a major attack on Americans’ Internet rights, Katz predicts that when the Act is actually implemented, the United States will go from “zero” blocked Internet sites to approximately 2 000 sites initially, before tens of thousands of hypertext links to online sites are required to be removed or disabled.

"The Act deputizes “Interactive Computer Services,” which include: internet service providers, search engines, libraries and education institutions to screen in real time the surfing activities of approximately 100 million U.S. users in order to block about eight million recreational web-gamblers," she says.

"Interactive computer services will each choose and contract with commercial net-filtering technology companies. The Act requires the Justice Department to provide to interactive computer services up-dated lists of “to be” censored sites.

"With the passage of the Act, the U.S. joins with such other stalwart states as Iran, China and North Korea in mandating Internet censorship."

[Casinomeister]

..."With the passage of the Act, the U.S. joins with such other stalwart states as Iran, China and North Korea in mandating Internet censorship."

Makes you sick, don't it?

[bonustreak]

Yes it makes me very sick!!

[dominique]

pointing out that ironically these states themselves benefit from billion dollar legalized gambling industries, presenting a face that is arguably a matter of hypocrisy, tax avarice, cronyism, corruption, and/or political contributions.

That makes me even sicker.

[Chatmaster]

Describing the Act as a major attack on Americans’ Internet rights, Katz predicts that when the Act is actually implemented, the United States will go from “zero” blocked Internet sites to approximately 2 000 sites initially, before tens of thousands of hypertext links to online sites are required to be removed or disabled.

This is a major cause of concern for any website owner in the world. Bush and his slaves are definately acting against the WTO once again, the moment they do this. The freedom of the internet are being chalanged and I think if someone is man enough and this bill ends up in court, we have the making of a very intereting ruling on our hands. My question is this, how long will operators allow this to take place before we have our first court case to chalange UIGEA, and will the WTO ruling for Antiqua have an influence on such a ruling or is the legal system in the US also ignorant towards the WTO?

I see an interesting 2007, a very interesting one.

[SKUNX]

This whole thread makes me want to puke . I am ashamed to be an American with IDIOTS like that running the country .

[Belmonty]

Bush goes to war in the name of democracy, but doesn't practice it at home...