Actually, the Senate had a chance to adopt the House version of the bill, which would have effectively banned Internet poker, but chose not to. Congress can "clarify" the law, as well as bar excessive use of "quotations", but Internet poker is currently not illegal, even with passage of this law, and there are many questions about the legality of this legislation, both in regards to one's personal liberties and international trade law.
The bill defines gambling as the act of staking something of value on "a sporting event or a game subject to chance"
UH-OH, I guess that day-trading of stocks, or in fact any buying or selling of stocks, is now illegal online. It has always been the best and biggest gambling game in town. But all good things must end, especially in post-9/11 America. Poker now, day trading next, then the rights of assembly and free speech if we are not careful.
Pretty odd that online you can play an always-losing game for entertainment (e.g., click here to see a naked lady performing for $29.99) but it is now illegal to play the one game where you can actually consistently earn a living and feed your family (e.g., click here to bet $4 that your aces full of kings will win).
It is also pretty funny how they can claim that games of intelligent risk-taking like poker, are "gambling" and detrimental to society, when in fact intelligent risk taking is the basis of capitalism (a game of sorts, with winners and losers on a grand scale!!!) and the essence of survival and prosperity in the modern world.
One more freedom flushed down the drain by Bush in the name of the WAR ON TERROR and/or saving us from ourselves.
I wonder how many more thousand barrels of oil per day will be burned by poker players driving to distant casinos, and how many of them will die when bird flu strikes, when they could have saved gas and stayed safe playing online at home.
Personally, I'll drive to the nearest poker casino 2x as much as I already do (playing online half the time now)...and thereby donate an extra $2500 to the Saudis, but I would prefer to stay at home and let them eat their oil.
The bill should have at least grandfathered in any pros who actually declare and pay tax on their consistent winnings.
I agree that Poker is a game of skill. This is plainly evidenced by the fact that some people are better at it (consistently) than others.
If it were strictly a game of chance, everyone would eventually win and lose at about the same rates. They don't.
The problem is the wording of the law. It plainly states "a game subject to chance". Note...it says "SUBJECT TO"...not "entirely comprised of".
As anyone with a beating heart can tell you, there is an element of chance in poker. You can't predict what will flop or what cards you will be dealt. This is where poker is "a game subject to chance".
The poker gaming sites just got plain greedy and blew it. They have nobody to blame but themselves, and I'll tell you why.
All gambling is illegal in my state in the US. But, the state runs a gambling operation it calls a "lottery", of which about 1/3 was earmarked for education - so that makes it OK.
It is evidentally not "a game subject to chance" if you most certainly will lose every single time you play. But I digress...
Had the greedy morons at the online gaming houses donated 1/3 of the US income (probably a lot less) to education (or whatever...) there is NO WAY (nope, not a chance in hell) that this legislation would have ever passed.
If its one thing a politician won't give up, it's money to burn.
Who has looked at their software and made sure it is not rigged? Good luck collecting your winnings if you were to catch them cheating! You have to be a real addict to play for money on a webpage!
Reputable sights(Party Poker and Full Tilt) have refunded money to players who were victims of cheating or collusion on their servers. You should get your facts straight before posting such drivel.
Poker is a game where skill will always prevail over chance.
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You can argue that poker is a "game of skill", but still, there is no getting around the fact that it is "subject to chance".
And, I'm sure congress intended to include poker, so they can always go back and "clarify" the law.
happen.
It's always a good laugh when some company like this stands up
and says legislation doesn't apply to them because <insert
excuse here>.
Charles R. Whealton
Charles Whealton @ pleasedontspam.com
UH-OH, I guess that day-trading of stocks, or in fact any buying or selling of stocks, is now illegal online. It has always been the best and biggest gambling game in town. But all good things must end, especially in post-9/11 America. Poker now, day trading next, then the rights of assembly and free speech if we are not careful.
Pretty odd that online you can play an always-losing game for entertainment (e.g., click here to see a naked lady performing for $29.99) but it is now illegal to play the one game where you can actually consistently earn a living and feed your family (e.g., click here to bet $4 that your aces full of kings will win).
It is also pretty funny how they can claim that games of intelligent risk-taking like poker, are "gambling" and detrimental to society, when in fact intelligent risk taking is the basis of capitalism (a game of sorts, with winners and losers on a grand scale!!!) and the essence of survival and prosperity in the modern world.
One more freedom flushed down the drain by Bush in the name of the WAR ON TERROR and/or saving us from ourselves.
I wonder how many more thousand barrels of oil per day will be burned by poker players driving to distant casinos, and how many of them will die when bird flu strikes, when they could have saved gas and stayed safe playing online at home.
Personally, I'll drive to the nearest poker casino 2x as much as I already do (playing online half the time now)...and thereby donate an extra $2500 to the Saudis, but I would prefer to stay at home and let them eat their oil.
The bill should have at least grandfathered in any pros who actually declare and pay tax on their consistent winnings.
If it were strictly a game of chance, everyone would eventually win and lose at about the same rates. They don't.
The problem is the wording of the law. It plainly states "a game subject to chance". Note...it says "SUBJECT TO"...not "entirely comprised of".
As anyone with a beating heart can tell you, there is an element of chance in poker. You can't predict what will flop or what cards you will be dealt. This is where poker is "a game subject to chance".
The poker gaming sites just got plain greedy and blew it. They have nobody to blame but themselves, and I'll tell you why.
All gambling is illegal in my state in the US. But, the state runs a gambling operation it calls a "lottery", of which about 1/3 was earmarked for education - so that makes it OK.
It is evidentally not "a game subject to chance" if you most certainly will lose every single time you play. But I digress...
Had the greedy morons at the online gaming houses donated 1/3 of the US income (probably a lot less) to education (or whatever...) there is NO WAY (nope, not a chance in hell) that this legislation would have ever passed.
If its one thing a politician won't give up, it's money to burn.
Talk about blowing a golden opportunity.
There is no "computer" player in online poker, so dealing "bad" hands would affect everyone equally.
They make their money by taking a percentage of each hand. Now ****.
Oh if you have myspace check out www.topcodez.com
Poker is a game where skill will always prevail over chance.