Net gambling halted in Missouri

A Missouri judge today issued a temporary restraining order barring U.S. Lottery, an online gaming firm, from offering its gambling services in the state.

The order was issued against executives of the Coeur d'Alene Indian tribe, where the computers that run the lottery are based, as well as UniStar Entertainment, which manages the site, and its parent, Executone.

Although online gambling has grown in popularity, it is difficult to regulate the ages and nationalities of the participants because of the anonymity the Web offers. Thus, it is also difficult to know whether credit card information given is safe or to verify what kinds of odds are offered on the sites.

According to the office of Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon, a Missouri teenager was able to open an account on the lottery site and gamble online.

The order, issued by Madison County Circuit Judge Stanley J. Murphy, prohibits the defendants from either offering any gambling in Missouri or concealing that online gaming is illegal in Missouri. Riverboat gambling is legal in Missouri.

U.S. Lottery features games where participants gamble online for real prizes. The tribal courts in the Idaho tribe have previously upheld the practice.

U.S. Lottery executives could not be reached for comment.

I say - big deal. They might plug one or two holes before the dam breaks...

That's all this sort of legislation is, plugging a few holes before the dam breaks... Online gaming is legal an here to stay.

Online gambling is basically legal. It's going to be more and more mainstream over the next few months.

Antigua, a Caribbean island nation of 67,800, won its WTO case against the U.S. in November. Internet companies in Antigua, which developed online gambling to boost a tourism-dependent economy rebuilding after a series of hurricanes, handle a quarter of online bets in the global industry. - from http://www.ch4nce.com/story/2005/1/12/71136/8026

It looks like they're going to legalize it and tax it to help recover from budget shortfalls.

Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro predicts casino taxation and the contested use of video-lottery machines will be key issues this year in the fast-growing world of California gaming. He said the dispute over the legality of the video-lottery machines, which have put the Pechanga and Morongo tribes at odds with Gov. Schwarzenegger, will likely shift to the courts.

- from http://www.ch4nce.com/story/2005/1/7/20592/88885