INTERNET GAMING RULES FACE LONG ODDS
Posted on March 5, 2008 - Filed Under NEWS
Seems that residents of the United States will face a prohibition that can be compared to the dry law of the 1950s, this time it’s regarding internet gaming sites and the collection of the gains.
Cindy Skrzycki in her Washington Post column presents a very grim future towards a final ruling regarding the total banning or a more tight watch over internet gaming sites and their interaction with US banks and account holders.
In her article, however, Mr. Frank Fahrenkopf Jr., who is currently the president and chief executive of the American Gaming Association, seems quite careless since the US citizens have a history of disobeying any prohibitions they consider ridicule.
The main problem is the diversity on gaming rules from state to state inside the country and the fact that most of the revenue generated by these gaming sites goes to companies offshore.
On the Hollywood poker website, Michael Bolcerek, president of the Poker Players Alliance asks that this game is not included in the gaming prohibition since “it is a skill game where you can influence the outcome throughout the hand”
However it is going to be quite a close call and most likely it will be something that will be inherited to the next presidential administration since the election race is at hand, leaving gamers all over the US helpless to do or say something on the matter.
This is not the first time Senate and the moral coalition of Focus on Family, Moral Majority and Christian Coalition have tried to stop internet gaming all together making it illegal and forcing banks to stop the movements of their account holders.
Seems that banning internet gaming sites and forcing the banks to stop and ban all movements through credit card purchases, money transfers and issuing checks to online gaming sites will be applied to only some games of chance.
But there is still no definition as to what makes a game one of chance or of skill and abilities and which ones will be ok to game on and where should be the websites based in order for US citizens to participate in.
With the possibility that the issue ends in this administration or as soon as the next one takes place, big overseas companies have ceased their business activities with the US citizens, leaving many assiduous participants angry and frustrated.
The truth is that there is not light at the end of the tunnel for this prohibition and, indeed, where there is a will there is a way and hopefully the legislative powers will come to an understanding soon to the excitement of all US gaming fans.
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