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. Its 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."
"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. Its 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."
