Gamblers who prefer their laptops to blackjack tables won't like what Congress is doing. On Tuesday, the House plans to vote on a bill that would ban credit cards for paying online bets and could padlock gambling Web sites.
The legislation would clarify existing law to spell out that it is illegal to gamble online.
To enforce that ban, the bill would prohibit credit cards and other payment forms, such as electronic transfers, from being used to settle online wagers. It also would give law enforcement officials the authority to work with Internet providers to block access to gambling Web sites.
Some opponents of the legislation say policing the Internet is impossible, that it would be better to regulate the $12 billion industry and collect taxes from it. The online gambling industry is based almost entirely outside the United States, though about half its customers live in the U.S.
Other critics complain that the bill doesn't cover all forms of gambling. They point to exemptions they say would allow online lotteries and Internet betting on horse racing to flourish while cracking down on other kinds of sports betting, casino games and card games like poker.
"If you're going to support legislation that is supposed to 'prohibit gambling,' you should not have carve-outs," said Andrea Lafferty, executive director of the conservative Traditional Values Coalition.
Other conservative and antigambling groups are supporting the legislation, sponsored by Reps. Bob Goodlatte, R-Va., and Jim Leach, R-Iowa.
John Kindt, a business professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has studied the issue, calls the Internet "the crack cocaine" of gambling.
"There are no needle marks. There's no alcohol on the breath. You just click the mouse and lose your house," he said.
Congress has considered similar bills several times before. In 2000, disgraced lobbyist Jack Ambramoff led a fierce campaign against it on behalf of an online lottery company.
Online lotteries are allowed in the latest bill, largely at the behest of states that increasingly rely on lotteries to augment tax revenues.
Pro-sports leagues also like the bill, arguing that Web wagering could hurt the integrity of their sports.
The horse racing industry also supports the bill because of the exemption it would get. Betting operators would not be prohibited from any activity allowed under the Interstate Horseracing Act. That law written in the 1970s set up rules for interstate betting on racing. It was updated a few years ago to clarify that betting on horse racing over the Internet is allowed.
Greg Avioli, chief executive officer of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, said the mention of horse racing in the bill is "a recognition of existing federal law," not a new carve-out.
He said the racing industry has a strong future in the digital age and acknowledged the bill would send Internet gamblers to racing sites. "They'd return to the one place they can bet legally," Avioli said.
That's what some critics say is unfair.
I should probably steer away from these topics, they tend to get me riled up and flustered. I"m usually hard to get riled up.
Jimiam
Plus, you know it might make me a mite nervous. Plus, ever since they let me out ot the "nervous hospital" they said don't get nervous.
Ha ha ha ha, I'm so darn funny!
Jimiam
I think banning credit cards from being used will make it hard for gamblers to play, but I'm sure there will be ways around this.
John Kindt, a business professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has studied the issue, calls the Internet "the crack cocaine" of gambling.
"There are no needle marks. There's no alcohol on the breath. You just click the mouse and lose your house," he said.
Whatever. The government doesn't care if you lose your house. They're just upset because they want a piece of the pie and are losing millions in taxes.
I think banning credit cards from being used will make it hard for gamblers to pay, but I'm sure there will be ways around this.
John Kindt, a business professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who has studied the issue, calls the Internet "the crack cocaine" of gambling.
"There are no needle marks. There's no alcohol on the breath. You just click the mouse and lose your house," he said.
Whatever. The government doesn't care if you lose your house. They're just upset because they want a piece of the pie and are losing millions that they never see.
[The government doesn't care if you lose your house]
You are right.
Do not pay your real estate taxes within a time frame and they will sell it out from under you in a skinny minute.
Put you out in the street. they will
If passed, I smell plenty of legal challenges probably all the way to the Supreme Court. Maybe the senate will kill or at least table it indefinitely.
I'll bet those sites will post a "Play Agreement Declaration" message where the player will have to check the "Agree" before they play, then pay via "Tel-Check", money orders or even FedEx Cash to the address that will be posted below. ROFLLLLLLLLLL
are they going to tell us we can't send a money order to the gambling sites. NOT
Ron Paul is one of the few elected officials with any sense. Not just for this, but for his positions on many things. I'll be sad to see him go. If our "benefactors" want to enforce something, try our southern border. If they want to "stamp out" something, try Osama. Ahh, but that's too much like REAL work.
This is another crazy idea that won't fly. If it does and they manage to shut down gambling web sites, they should also block all "adult" sites, too. Porn is more destructive than online gambling.
Orangeman
If this bill gets passed they should stop advertising the U.S. as a free country where the people decide how things are done. BobP
This is shameful and unconstitutional. Should any form of regulation of the Internet be imposed by Congress, gambling or otherwise, then I say what's to stop Americans from using ISP's that originate outside of the US?
Implementing an ISP based in a Costa Rica, Grand Cayman or Geneva is TOTALLY possible. There are only about 10 backbone networks in the world and ISP's rent connections from those companies and sell the service to us. Anyone can start an ISP. I'd like to see them just try and regulate that! Or are they going to tell me I can't shop overseas too!
WHAT LOSERS. How about spending time on something a little more prudent, like GAS PRICES or the WAR maybe.
Irregardless of what they do,we shall and will find a way to play if we want,my father has been dead for several yrs now and I'll be damned if they are going to take his place and tell me what I can spend my Us Dollar on.
I bet it is just the casino lobby trying to protect their interests. I think it is a bunch of BS. If it does pass there will be many legal challenges.
It seems a lot lately that the government of the US is really trying to restict the rights of the people. It is kind of actually scary....we need to get rid of the Republican majority in the fall before we lose anymore rights.
Brad
the united states is lost in a lot of different ways.think they'd want to block something like child porn or fight crime.but no this is very important.the whole country has been heading in the wrong direction for a while.too many important decisions made by the wrong people........