[JCTC]

Honesty and fairness are crucial in many other industries, take for example the investment world. I work in the brokerage/investment industry. In our business, large transaction are done on people's word, and a breach of trust destroys everything and can be catastrophic to the general public's in many ways, both directly and indirectly.

There have been scandals in the mutual fund world in the past few years that have had some very serious implications, including the public's movement of enormous amounts of money and crippling some of the industry leaders in the mutual fund world. This has caused the government taking an even larger role in policing the industry (in good productive ways, and in ways that are not good as well).

You have a good point that the gaming industry may see many people move away from online gaming (especially with many more live poker options).

In my opinion, this is why the industry should be legalized and moved to US locations which can have protections that can't be had in Costa Rica, etc.

Originally Posted by jamby

Online gaming is completely different from other industries and can't be equated to them. Gaming, by it's very nature, must be perceived to be honest and fair to all comers to be accepted by the masses and this is what online gaming sites were able to achieve in this new-to-Internet world of ours. I fear they've lost that now and doubt seriously that a full recovery can take place. I'm not suggesting gaming sites will go away, just that they won't be accepted by the masses any longer, i.e. not advertised as heavily on mainstream networks.

[hachkc]

Originally Posted by PhilTheThrill14

Show me specific articles of law that state I can't gamble online and I'll start beliveing that it's illegal.

To my knowledge, WA is the only state with a tough stance and a specific law concerning online gambling. Its actually a felony if the find that you are gambling online while in WA.

http://www.wsgc.wa.gov/faq/internet_gambling.pdf

[hachkc]

Originally Posted by JM

Because regulation gives you a false sense of security. Think of all the things that are regulated here now (guns, drugs, alcohol, banks, stock market, food) and then think of all the problems that still occur with those things despite their regulation. It won't make it any more secure from cheaters, it will just be one more thing the government gets its hands into that it can screw up, screw over, or get screwed by or more likely all of the above.

But now you may have a legal recourse in the event that something happens.

[ipgyst]

I believe Louisiana has had the wisdom and foresight to make playing online poker a felony as well. Do you think a politician wakes up one morning and says to himself/herself "Hey I think we should make laws we cannot possibly enforce today."

The feds trump the states, even if that power isn't listed in the Constitution, mostly because the feds do a million things that aren't specifically listed in the Constitution, so what's one more. The feds said the drinking age was 21, some states disagreed, but not for long. The feds say marijuana is illegal, some states disagreed, but not for long. So if Congress says "online poker is now legal and winnings are taxable and here are the rules and laws and regulatory structure etc. etc. etc." then it will be a green light, and some states may disagree, but not for long.

[PhilTheThrill14]

"Gambling is illegal, agreed?"

I absolutely 100% disagree.

"The United States Government isn't going to make gambling legal everywhere because the law was written before online gaming exited, agreed?"

I can't answer that - law evolves and changes. Are you saying the US Government won't change just because?

"Everybody knows that currently only sports betting online is illegal. If you read the thread (or even just the post you responded to), you might have known what I was talking about. "

So which is it? Is online sports betting iollegal? Is it legal? I though all gambling was illegal? Now I'm getting confused.

"Again, in case you somehow missed it- the entire time we've been discussing what happens if the government tries to regulate online poker."

In order to regulate it my friend - there need to be specific laws written pertaining to online poker - please show them to me.

The reference material you posted was irrelevant. I'm sorry. It was somewhat outdated and in no way addressed the specifics of online gambling.

[jbones]

Originally Posted by PhilTheThrill14

"Gambling is illegal, agreed?"

I absolutely 100% disagree.

"The United States Government isn't going to make gambling legal everywhere because the law was written before online gaming exited, agreed?"

I can't answer that - law evolves and changes. Are you saying the US Government won't change just because?

"Everybody knows that currently only sports betting online is illegal. If you read the thread (or even just the post you responded to), you might have known what I was talking about. "

So which is it? Is online sports betting iollegal? Is it legal? I though all gambling was illegal? Now I'm getting confused.

"Again, in case you somehow missed it- the entire time we've been discussing what happens if the government tries to regulate online poker."

In order to regulate it my friend - there need to be specific laws written pertaining to online poker - please show them to me.

The reference material you posted was irrelevant. I'm sorry. It was somewhat outdated and in no way addressed the specifics of online gambling.

Deleted, and rewritten more thoughfully (kindly).

[PhilTheThrill14]

Originally Posted by jbones

Phill, you're either very stubborn or exponentially more stupid.

gambling in general is illegal. The only legal forms are listed in the article I linked to. Is it ok for you to open up your own casino tomorrow? Of course not, nh.
I am absolutely saying that the government isn't about to make gambling legal everywhere because of online poker- if they were planning to, why haven't they years ago?
Specifically, as stated in the linked US gov article, only online sports betting is illegal at this second, because the poker laws are still up in the air (heard of uigea)? OBVIOUSLY their need to be laws to regulate something, why can't you understand we are discussing the future.

I'm going to drop this here and probably shouldn't have even made this post, because I'm only laying out facts most people already are aware of (and definitely should be if they play poker online). I've already said it all in several ways that I'm sure anybody could understand yet you continue not to, whatever.

Edit: didn't even catch the last sentence of your post the first time, now I'm sure you're not just stubborn. DO YOU LIVE UNDER A F***IN ROCK PHIL???

I am stubborn. I am not stupid. I do not live under a rock.

Your post contained innacuracies and I responded. Sorry about that.

I have read much literature regarding online gambling and it's legality. That document you posted (from 1997?) is worthless. Sorry.

Let's just drop it for now before you call me any more nasty names. I might cry.

[jbones]

What literature could you have possibly read, a coloring book? You are totally clueless as far as (online) poker legislation, and you continue to prove it!

Outside of Brick and Mortar casinos, gambling is illegal in virtually every state in this country. It's beyond me how you continue to disagree with this, because to me this statement is as clear as saying the sky is blue. Simply everybody knows it. Do you think you're in another country when you're playing online?

Online sports betting is, at the moment, the only explicitly illegal form of online gaming. Just because there's no article that says "online poker is against the law" verbatim does not change the fact that we live in a country where gambling (outside of regulated B&M casinos which aren't exactly all over the place) is illegal. As I've pointed out over and over although it seems everybody already knows it but you, any legislation that would apply specifically to online poker is still up in the air. Again, the UIGEA comes to mind.

The document I linked to is irrelevant? The current, comprehensive article from the US Government about what sort of gambling is illegal and what is legal, is irrelevant? Care to explain? If you're seriously clueless enough to suggest that it's irrelevant because it doesn't say anything specifically about online poker, then I'm sorry for how confused you are.

In order to regulate online poker, of course there will need to be a new bill that applies explicitly to online poker. Don't you think that by the time online poker is regulated, this will exist? Do you see why it doesn't exist right now?

The facts are laid out, with evidence. if you honestly still want to ignore them, have at it.

[luckychick]

Originally Posted by jbones

What literature could you have possibly read, a coloring book? You are totally clueless as far as (online) poker legislation, and you continue to prove it!

Wow.

Originally Posted by jbones

The facts are laid out, with evidence. if you honestly still want to ignore them, have at it.

I must be as stupid as Phil, because they are not clear to me at all - at least not as you have presented them. I seriously was curious as to what you could teach me, but I have to say you're losing credibility fast. All your link said to me is there are clearly forms of legal gambling. hachkc was the only one to post a useful link, imo.

[Nexttime]