Tomorrow, the House will vote on HR 4411, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 A PDF of the proposed legislation is available here: http://www.govtrack.us/data/us/bills.text/109/h4411.pdf I strongly encourage everyone to make your congressman aware of your feelings on this bill. Here's a contact form you can use to be sure your message gets to the right place: http://www.house.gov/writerep/ If you want online tournaments to be a reality, you need to take action now. Tell your congressman that online casinos should be regulated and taxed, not prohibited. Remember, this vote is scheduled for TOMORROW, Tuesday July 11th.
Contacting your Congressman They may not get your email in time, but if you call their Washington office and leave a message, someone will hear it.
What are the implications? Hi How likely is this bill to become law? If it does what will the impact be on internet-based gambling? Will the effects be felt outside of the US? What are the loopholes (there must be some)? Cheers Reachy
Online Gaming There are always loopholes, that's why we have lawyers. What is disturbing about the Bill, is the number of exemptions........online lottery sales, and interstate betting on horse racing,( got to have that tax revenue stream). A Congressman from Florida wants to add dog racing and jai alai to the exemption list. How do you explain horses, but not dogs? If you add jai alai, that would pretty much cover all sports betting....... Wait, I know.....let's allow everything but table games. John Kindt, a business professor,(which means he must be an educated man), calls the INTERNET "the crack cocaine" of gambling. "You just click the mouse, and lose your house." That might be the most stupid statement I've heard in a long time. As for you Reachy, the only effect would be the loss of choices to play online, due to some of the sites shutting down, which may mean the other sites might offer "worse" games to play, to try to recover the lost revenue from the "Yanks"
I think this bill is likely to pass the House today, where a simple majority is all that is required. When it gets to the Senate it will take a 2/3rds majority and the bill's chances of passing are lower. Anyone interested can watch the debate live on CSPAN right now. DirecTV channel 350, or check your cable listings.
Watch it live.... On CSPAN (Dish network channel 201) you can watch the - US House of Representatives hearing about the internet gambling bill "LIVE".
Well, the House passed the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act handily. Now it's on to the Senate for another chance to stop it. And, my previous post about the Senate requiring a 2/3rds majority was a mistake. A simple majority works there as well. I'll post more after this bill is scheduled in the Senate. All is not lost yet. Bills have passed the House before only to be defeated in the Senate. Let's hope this year is a repeat of past years in that respect.
Special offer to Kenneth. Another reason to be a Canadian right now. Need an address? You can transfer your winnings to my account for safekeeping. :joker: :joker: :joker:
In the US Senate the minority rules! True, but you were not entirely wrong. The Senate rules provide unlimited debate and lacking unanimous consent a cloture vote, requiring a 3/5 majority, must be taken to end debate. Thus a minority of 41 senators can block a bill (or a supreme court nomination) by not allowing it to come to the floor for a vote. --jr
Co-Sponsors of the Internet Gambling Prohibitation Is your Congressman among these??? COSPONSORS(35), ALPHABETICAL [followed by Cosponsors withdrawn]: (Sort: by date) Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 11/18/2005 Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] - 11/18/2005 Rep Barrett, J. Gresham [SC-3] - 3/15/2006 Rep Bass, Charles F. [NH-2] - 11/18/2005 Rep Blunt, Roy [MO-7] - 3/1/2006 Rep Boehlert, Sherwood [NY-24] - 11/18/2005 Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] - 3/15/2006 Rep Dent, Charles W. [PA-15] - 11/18/2005 Rep Ehlers, Vernon J. [MI-3] - 11/18/2005 Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] - 11/18/2005 Rep Franks, Trent [AZ-2] - 12/8/2005 Rep Gilchrest, Wayne T. [MD-1] - 11/18/2005 Rep Gillmor, Paul E. [OH-5] - 11/18/2005 Rep Hooley, Darlene [OR-5] - 12/8/2005 Rep Inglis, Bob [SC-4] - 2/15/2006 Rep Kennedy, Mark R. [MN-6] - 12/8/2005 Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] - 11/18/2005 Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] - 11/18/2005 Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] - 11/18/2005 Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 1/31/2006 Rep Osborne, Tom [NE-3] - 11/18/2005 Rep Pence, Mike [IN-6] - 11/18/2005 Rep Petri, Thomas E. [WI-6] - 2/15/2006 Rep Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16] - 11/18/2005 Rep Ramstad, Jim [MN-3] - 11/18/2005 Rep Rogers, Mike (MI) [MI-8] - 11/18/2005 Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] - 12/8/2005 Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 3/1/2006 Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] - 5/11/2006 Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] - 12/8/2005 Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 2/14/2006 Rep Walsh, James T. [NY-25] - 11/18/2005 Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] - 3/1/2006 Rep Wicker, Roger F. [MS-1] - 1/31/2006 Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 2/14/2006 Rep Akin, W. Todd [MO-2] - 11/18/2005 Rep Bachus, Spencer [AL-6] - 11/18/2005 Rep Barrett, J. Gresham [SC-3] - 3/15/2006 Rep Bass, Charles F. [NH-2] - 11/18/2005 Rep Blunt, Roy [MO-7] - 3/1/2006 Rep Boehlert, Sherwood [NY-24] - 11/18/2005 Rep Bordallo, Madeleine Z. [GU] - 3/15/2006 Rep Dent, Charles W. [PA-15] - 11/18/2005 Rep Ehlers, Vernon J. [MI-3] - 11/18/2005 Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] - 11/18/2005 Rep Franks, Trent [AZ-2] - 12/8/2005 Rep Gilchrest, Wayne T. [MD-1] - 11/18/2005 Rep Gillmor, Paul E. [OH-5] - 11/18/2005 Rep Hooley, Darlene [OR-5] - 12/8/2005 Rep Inglis, Bob [SC-4] - 2/15/2006 Rep Kennedy, Mark R. [MN-6] - 12/8/2005 Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] - 11/18/2005 Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] - 11/18/2005 Rep McCaul, Michael T. [TX-10] - 11/18/2005 Rep McCotter, Thaddeus G. [MI-11] - 1/31/2006 Rep Osborne, Tom [NE-3] - 11/18/2005 Rep Pence, Mike [IN-6] - 11/18/2005 Rep Petri, Thomas E. [WI-6] - 2/15/2006 Rep Pitts, Joseph R. [PA-16] - 11/18/2005 Rep Ramstad, Jim [MN-3] - 11/18/2005 Rep Rogers, Mike (MI) [MI-8] - 11/18/2005 Rep Shadegg, John B. [AZ-3] - 12/8/2005 Rep Shays, Christopher [CT-4] - 3/1/2006 Rep Souder, Mark E. [IN-3] - 5/11/2006 Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] - 12/8/2005 Rep Upton, Fred [MI-6] - 2/14/2006 Rep Walsh, James T. [NY-25] - 11/18/2005 Rep Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [FL-20] - 3/1/2006 Rep Wicker, Roger F. [MS-1] - 1/31/2006 Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] - 2/14/2006
I just wrote Sen. Jon Kyl who is one of the main supporters of the bill (I'm a constituent of his). I'm sure I'll get a reply, albeit surely a genreic one, and I'll post it here when I do.
This is funny stuff... Jon Stewart over at the Daily Show, on the topics of Net Neutrality and Online Gambling: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DClkE64nFDY
Funny or sad? Sometimes I don't know whether to laugh or cry at the inept people who are our elected representatives. Then I think about those who elected them and that conundrum continues to the next level. Ken, I'm going to be ahead of the curve and start up HorseRacingTournaments.com right now. That'll take the place of this site when the government gets through pissing in our Corn Flakes. :joker:
I didn't realise that all you guys were breaking the law So internet gambling is already illegal in the US? You've even started arresting people now... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5189906.stm Cheers Reachy
Placing bets on sporting events over phone lines across state borders has been illegal in the US since the 60s, when the Federal Wire Act was passed. However, there is no federal law prohibiting casino-style gambling. Some states have individually passed laws against it though, most recently Washington State. The legal situation in the US is a mess.
Is it spreading? Received this Email link from 3 of my so-called friends who have all delighted in telling me that it is all over for me on the gaming net and that I should come back to the real world. What do you think? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5189906.stm Andy Ps I know Reachy has already posted this. Should we be worried?
By Keith Regan www.EcommerceTimes.com Part of the ECT News Network 07/18/06 11:45 AM PT The indictments against BetOnSports and its principal officers allege violations began as early as 2001 and continued into this year. Specifically, the company was charged with breaking the Wire Wager Act, which has prohibited other major betting sites operating in the UK and elsewhere from entering the U.S. market. Uniting Fault-Tolerance with Redundancy: Discover how Dataside was able to deliver a secure and reliable secondary load-balanced data center site to meet the needs of a major financial institution. With debate over the regulation of online gambling continuing in Congress, law enforcement sent a clear message that existing laws would be aggressively enforced Monday by seeking the arrest of both the CEO and the founder of a leading online sports betting site. David Carruthers, CEO of BetOnSports, was arrested, and an arrest warrant was issued for Gary Kaplan, the company's founder. UK-based BetOnSports takes the majority of its business from U.S. customers. Possible Prison Time The two men face a range of charges -- some of them felony offenses that carry potential prison sentences -- including racketeering, conspiracy and fraud. Another nine people have been arrested or are being sought by authorities in the case, and the U.S. Department of Justice said it will seek court-ordered forfeiture of some US$4.5 billion worth of cars, computers and other assets belonging to those being charged. In addition to the individual charges, a federal judge in St. Louis also issued an injunction ordering BetOnSports to stop taking bets from U.S. Internet users, and the FBI instructed four telephone companies to stop providing services to the company. "Illegal commercial gambling across state and international borders is a crime," said Catherine L. Hanaway, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. "Misuse of the Internet to violate the law can ultimately only serve to harm legitimate businesses. This indictment is but one step in a series of actions designed to punish and seize the profits of individuals who disregard federal and state laws." The timing of the sweeping action underscores the tensions around the online gambling debate. So far, lobbyists have held off Republican-led efforts to pass a law banning most forms of Internet gambling -- with exceptions for horse racing and state-run lotteries -- labeling such efforts an election-year stunt meant to appeal to conservative voters. The arrests are a reminder that online gambling is considered illegal, though law enforcement has largely looked the other way in the past, and what few attempts have been made to enforce the laws on the books have run into international complications due to the off-shore operations status of the companies involved. Ripple Effect Monday's legal action was felt by investors in London, where many gambling sites are traded publicly. Trading in BetOnSports was halted Tuesday after losing 17 percent in trading the day before, as word of Carruthers' arrest began to spread. BetOnSports is one of the largest public betting companies, having reported handling $1.77 billion worth of bets for the fiscal year that ended in February, with profits of just over $20 million. While Carruthers remained in custody as of Tuesday morning, authorities were seeking Kaplan, who rose to fame as the founder of the betting site after setting up gambling operations in Costa Rica in the mid-1990s, following a previous arrest on gambling charges in the U.S. The BetOnSports indictments were handed down June 1, and a judge unsealed them Monday following Carruthers' arrest. Also facing charges are Kaplan's brother and sister, and several other BetOnSports executives. Three Florida-based companies and the principals from each are facing charges as well: Direct Mail Expertise, DME Global Marketing and Fulfillment and Mobile Promotions. The indictments allege violations began as early as 2001 and continued into this year. The alleged violations include breaking the Wire Wager Act, which the Department of Justice noted has prohibited other major betting sites operating in the UK and elsewhere from entering the U.S. market. The Justice Department alleges that Kaplan failed to pay federal taxes on more than $3.3 billion in wagers taken from the United States and seeks forfeiture of Kaplan's assets to recover those taxes. It also charges that bets were taken from undercover agents based in St. Louis. The Florida companies are charged with providing BetOnSports with the equipment used to complete its bet-placing and payout processes. To keep the operation going, the defendants allegedly engaged in "a pattern of racketeering," including "repeated mail fraud, wire fraud, operation of an illegal gambling business and money laundering," the Justice Department said. Global Issues Ahead? In the past, the World Trade Organization (WTO) has sided with Caribbean-based Internet gaming sites the U.S. has sought to shut down, saying the U.S. is being inconsistent in allowing a patchwork of state and national laws to govern gambling. Currently, horse race wagering is viewed as exempt from a 1930s-era law banning telephone-based betting, for instance, and the existence of state lotteries, the WTO argues, means the U.S. can't ban similar offerings which originate outside the U.S. The U.S. has been on a divergent path from most of the world, where Internet gambling is being embraced and, in some cases, heavily regulated, said Christiansen Capital Advisors analyst Sebastian Sinclair. "There is an argument that regulating is a more effective tool than a ban, and the law enforcement problems that come with enforcing a national law internationally are obvious," he noted. Global operators of Internet gaming sites have targeted the U.S. market despite the risk of prosecution because the market is massive, especially in the sports book arena, and the Internet is well established as a commerce channel, continued Sinclair. "The risk has always seemed minimal, but now we know that can change quickly," he added.
Online Bet This legislation is likely, as it has in the past, to die a quiet, decent little death from neglect in the Senate. You can bet on it.