E-Commerce Times Talkback

Re: Internet Gambling - Time to Accept the Inevitable?
Posted by: ECT News 2001-03-26 21:37:07

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Playboy's flashy new online casino will be launched
in Great Britain, and due to the unreasonably
stringent gaming laws in the U.S., safeguards will
be put in place to prevent any bets from being
accepted from this side of the pond.

That's unfortunate, since the online gambling market
is currently estimated to be a US$1.5 billion dollar
industry, and one that promises to grow to about $5
billion within just a few years.

Re: Internet Gambling - Time to Accept the Inevitable?
Posted by: Joe 2001-08-08 01:21:01 In reply to: ECT News

If there was a law that was finally passed to allow internet gambling in the USA, would those who are now currently up and running a site in the USA be in past violation and would they be fined and/or prosecuted? Would they have to pay taxes on their previous winning?

Re: Internet Gambling - Time to Accept the Inevitable?
Posted by: RegulateIt 2001-04-02 15:21:15 In reply to: ECT News

There should be regulation to ensure people aren't getting ripped off by unscrupulous web sites (fair payoffs etc), otherwise adults should be able to waste their money gambling online if they want to. There is just too much effort these days to protect people from themselves. Personally I think gambling is a bit of a suckers game - the house always wins in the long haul, or there wouldn't be a 'house'. But if people enjoy themselves spending their money this way, then why not?

Re: Internet Gambling - Time to Accept the Inevitable?
Posted by: M. Albert 2001-03-26 21:51:11 In reply to: ECT News

Dear Paul:
Here we go again! Legistlators, realizing that their morals and personal restraints are far more in control and mature than their constituents, are aggressively trying to prevent USA citizens from gambling online. How presumptuous! Both Senators Kyl's and Goodlatte's state actively market state lotteries to the communities they serve (the worst-odds legal bet any American can make)...to say nothing of the parimutuel and Native American gaming the states of Virginia and Arizona allow. Yes, a gaming commission of some sort is needed to ensure that wagers are paid off to winners...other than that, the government has no business controlling online gaming activity. Why is gambling continually and unfairly singled out by holier than thou elected officials? Surely, positive reaction in opinion polls and keeping their in-state casinos and other gambling activity in the chips has nothing to do with it at all.
Michael Albert

Re: Internet Gambling - Time to Accept the Inevitable?
Posted by: Jeff 2001-03-27 10:03:13 In reply to: M. Albert

I'm in complete agreement. The US government's attitude toward online gambling seems somewhere between parochial and pathetic.

Perhaps its that they simply haven't found a reliable way to tax online winnings the way they can tax lottery winnings. Or maybe its a fear of having the state lotteries compete with private enterprise in this arena. I'm not much of a gambler (my money gets invested in Happy Meals for my kids), but given a choice, I'd prefer a roulette table or sport bet to the state lottery.