My sincere apologies to all for my insistence that lotteries and horse racing were excluded.  I simply read the sentence incorrectly, and really screwed it up.  I have taken out the bullet point in the beginning of the story that wrongly stated that lotteries were not included.

Note that the bill is still VERY bad for people who like to play the lottery, because it tries to block access to state lottery alternatives online.

Here is a link to a fantasic site that offers everything you'd want to know about the bill:

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=h109-4411

Thanks Todd!

Mike, since the banking industry seems to be the steam roller behind this bill then it doesn't look good for online gamblers.

Banking industry is no doubt the lobby behind recent bankruptcy law changes, also recent credit card repayment tightening so this legislation looks like the third big wheel on the steam roller.  All makes sense to me.

However, one question is whether debit cards fall under the same category as credit cards, also do bank drafts fall under the category of wire transfers?  Don't have a clue on either.

konane

I would imagine debit cards will fall within that frame...aren't they somehow linked to the VISA/MC system?

If I understand correctly, most banks will not allow their credit cards to fishy sites in their eyes anyway, such as online gambling, porn, etc. So I kind of wonder why they are pushing for this. I would almost say that it's the land-based casino lobby, who probably is pushing for a cut in the action.

 I think at least part of this was caused by some of the shyster operators who opened up offshore sports books early on in the days of the internet, set themselves up to take credit cards, and then never paid a winning bet and closed up shop.

There was also a 60 Minutes report on a (read one) poker site, owned by an American  in the Bahamas, that's taking oin $12,000,000 a year.  

Times how many offshore gambling sites and that = a lot of lost taxes.  

 When the river boat casinos came to St Louis, bankruptcies went up 400% - and that's with "brick and mortar" casinos. So it's not too hard to fathom that some people can get themselves in way to deep sitting home and playing online.

ct

I saw that report on CBS. That is one of the "smaller" books as well. Imagine what the Big Guys like PartyPoker are pulling in a year?

So true!  We have choice.  We were created as creatures with a choice.  I choose to NOT vote for the legislators who oppose my opinions.

i read that too.seems like all these forces together might give this bill enough of a push to pass.i'm going to be honest i think the whole party is over.it was fun while it lasted.i made nearly 5 grand since todd introduced betslips here in february so its gonna hurt pretty bad

I hate to hear that...

You nailed it!!

Does this mean that we will no longer be able to play at betslips.com?

U.S. House passes Internet gambling ban
By UPI Staff
United Press International
July 13, 2006

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- The U.S. House has overwhelmingly backed a bill to ban most forms of Internet gambling and require banks to block payments to offshore* Web sites.

UPI article, continues here:
http://www.gopusa.com/news/2006/july/0713_gambling_ban.shtml

 *Notice that word again, offshore...

 I really think that is a major cause of all this.

Official Title: To prevent the use of certain payment instruments, credit cards, and fund transfers for unlawful Internet gambling, and for other purposes."

Somewhere in the bill, I'm sure, they give the definition of "unlawful Internet gambling" and the "other purposes" (possibly terrorist related?).  I personally don't think something like betslips.com qualifies as "unlawful".

I have been doing some hard thinking on the whys and wherefores of this issue.  Hear me out on this. 

The credit card companies are already scared pea green over rising balances.  The reason why families are coping with high gasoline prices is the fact that many are putting their gas on Visa/Mastercard and NOT paying off their charges.

Online gambling is an extension of this fear.  Gambling increases during hard times as families struggle to make ends meet.  Many gamble on their credit cards, run up the balances and NEVER pay them off.  Once again, the pea green factor comes into play.

Playing on your credit card is pretty dumb, anyway.  That really needs to stop.  You really shouldn't play on credit and I agree with this part of the bill.

The real issue is blocking access to Internet sites. The Net is the most significant advance in human communication since movable type and it would be a shame to mess it up over online gambling.  Like the camel with it's nose under the tent, pretty soon the camel is under your bed. 

We should write our Senators and let them know how we feel and email the ISPs to let them know they will lose business if they kow tow to federal legislation that would block access to gambling sites. 

The wise thing would be to legalize and regulate online gambling of all types, ban credit card use and collect any taxes.

Everyone wins if we follow this approach.  "The children" are protected, "the morons" cannot run up their credit cards on a whim and the government makes millions on gambling profits.  The credit card companies can change from pea green to dark green again, the church groups have been thrown their sop and the pigs in Congress have more pork to pass around.

Most importantly, we have the option to play online or not.

It is a choice issue more than anything else.  I don't smoke, but I don't want to ban smoking.  I don't drink, but I don't want to ban drinking.  I play a little online, though.  Everyone is entitled to at least one vice. 

Orangeman