Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast
Results 1 to 25 of 34
  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    12,207

    * Internet Gambling about to be BANNED in the US

    WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Most forms of Internet gambling would be banned under a bill that received final U.S. congressional approval early Saturday.

    The House of Representatives and Senate approved the measure and sent it to President George W. Bush to sign into law.

    The bill, a compromise between earlier versions passed by the two chambers, would make it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.

    Democrats had accused Republicans of pushing the bill to placate its conservative base, particularly the religious right, before the November 7 congressional elections.

    "It's been over 10 years in the making. The enforcement provisions provided by this bill will go a long way to stop these illegal online operations," said Sen. Jon Kyl, an Arizona Republican and a chief sponsor of the measure.

    Full story at http://today.reuters.com/news/articl...1_%5BFeed%5D-2

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    12
    The vBulletin Fans Network
    former Jelsoft Staff Member
    DeskPro Team Member

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
    Posts
    4,240
    Interesting to see how differently countries handle things like this. In the UK gambling laws over the last few years have gone the oposite direction completely with them being relaxed more and more. One of the biggest changes being the removal of tax on gambling. We will soon be getting a few "super-casinos", although I think it is limited to something like 3, rather than the 50 or so that were originally planned, but I'm sure after time we'll see more pop up.

    Is an online gambling ban something people in the USA actually want?
    Steve

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    12,207
    The ultra-religious right (bible thumpers) is a big funding force behind the GOP. Elections are near.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
    Posts
    4,240
    Just looking over the article again they actually mention a few British companies... is this not more a ban on helping foreign companies make money by forcing people to play in real world casinos so the government there gets a cut?
    Steve

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2000
    Location
    Alberta, Canada
    Posts
    3,146
    Personally, I think it's a good thing to get rid on online gambling.
    If only they would do the same with Porn.
    PotentProducts.com - for all your Hosting needs
    Helping people Host, Create and Maintain their Web Site
    ServerAdmin Services also available

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2002
    Location
    Orlando, FL
    Posts
    12,207
    Yes, sex is evil. But killing people in foreign countries is not.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Liverpool, England, UK.
    Posts
    2,571
    About time they did this in the UK as well ... the amount of people that are becoming addicted and getting into tens of thousands of pounds of debt as a result is increasing all the time.

    For once, America has taken the lead in something worthy, a lead that others should follow imho.

    Xcellweb.net - Quality Web Solutions That Work!
    █ Web Hosting | Web Servers | Shoutcast | Domain Names

    Providing High Quality Web Solutions Since July 2002!
    AgilityHosting.net - UK & European cPanel Web Hosting

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Aug 2002
    Location
    London, UK
    Posts
    9,039
    Quote Originally Posted by Website Rob
    Personally, I think it's a good thing to get rid on online gambling.
    If only they would do the same with Porn.
    But it wont get rid of it... Casino's will just go elsewhere.

    We've been getting lots of enquiries from gambling sites and i guess its due to the above.
    Matt Wallis
    United Communications Limited
    High Performance Shared & Reseller | Managed VPS Cloud | Managed Dedicated
    UK www.unitedhosting.co.uk | US www.unitedhosting.com | Since 1998.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
    Posts
    4,240
    Quote Originally Posted by Xcellweb Matt
    About time they did this in the UK as well ... the amount of people that are becoming addicted and getting into tens of thousands of pounds of debt as a result is increasing all the time.

    For once, America has taken the lead in something worthy, a lead that others should follow imho.

    Plenty of people enjoy gambling and do so responsibly (myself included). If we got rid of everything that *some* people end up ruining for the others we would all be sat around staring at a wall, but then even that would be banned as we would all get fat.

    Surely if anything should be banned for causing problems it should be alcohol or smoking rather than gambling.
    Last edited by Vortex-Steve; 09-30-2006 at 09:29 PM.
    Steve

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Liverpool, England, UK.
    Posts
    2,571
    It doesnt mean they are going to stop free gambling site, just paid sites Steve. A good friend of mine enjoys playing online gambling games, I think he plays at 888.com, but they have a free version, which seems pretty good and comprehensive and carries a virtual winnings etc... He plays the free version and has never touched the pay version, as at the end of the day, its all a con, you never beat the caisno, especially in an online game, which could easily be rigged by the operator.

    There are real casino's, which promote sensible gambling (a lot of this is admittadly due to existing laws) and make it hard for somebody to become addicted without close family and friends knowing.

    Xcellweb.net - Quality Web Solutions That Work!
    █ Web Hosting | Web Servers | Shoutcast | Domain Names

    Providing High Quality Web Solutions Since July 2002!
    AgilityHosting.net - UK & European cPanel Web Hosting

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2002
    Location
    Under the sea
    Posts
    4,208
    Quote Originally Posted by Xcellweb Matt
    It doesnt mean they are going to stop free gambling site, just paid sites Steve. A good friend of mine enjoys playing online gambling games, I think he plays at 888.com, but they have a free version, which seems pretty good and comprehensive and carries a virtual winnings etc... He plays the free version and has never touched the pay version, as at the end of the day, its all a con, you never beat the caisno, especially in an online game, which could easily be rigged by the operator.

    There are real casino's, which promote sensible gambling (a lot of this is admittadly due to existing laws) and make it hard for somebody to become addicted without close family and friends knowing.


    Not true, I know a few people that win alot of money in online poker.

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
    Posts
    4,240
    Gambling with real money is 90% of the fun though. For example playing poker with virtual money is never the same as real money, you take totally different risks and play totally differently.

    The main kind of gambling I do is on sports anyway, and doing that with virtual money is kind of pointless! I like to sit and watch knowing that a goal either way could be paying for all the beer I've just been drinking!

    I know that there are people out there that get themselves into problems, but I really think there are much worse things available that we should worry about first.
    Steve

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Liverpool, England, UK.
    Posts
    2,571
    Maybe so, but I bet over the years they have spent almost as much as they have made, if not more, before they have got their big win.

    Dont forget, a casino is there to make money, simple as. The way they make their money is out of the user, nobody else.

    Hence, the only winner, is always the casino. Yes some people scoop a luck big one every now and again, but the casino will always make a profit, because most people are not going to see a win of any particular value to them.

    People like to think the casino's are there to help them make money, they forget at the end of the day, the casino's are businesses, making millions, in fact some are making billions, every single year without any problems.

    Show a casino like the mirage that you have a six - seven figure sum back balance, and you will be treated like the Queen, luxury hotel, luxury meals, all inclusive trips and transport, unlimited use of the casino, even a personal advisor in many cases, all for nothing... there is a reason for this - they want to have that money from your account.
    Xcellweb.net - Quality Web Solutions That Work!
    █ Web Hosting | Web Servers | Shoutcast | Domain Names

    Providing High Quality Web Solutions Since July 2002!
    AgilityHosting.net - UK & European cPanel Web Hosting

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Southern California
    Posts
    1,124
    Quote Originally Posted by Vortex-Steve
    Plenty of people enjoy gambling and do so responsibly (myself included). If we got rid of everything that *some* people end up ruining for the others we would all be sat around staring at a wall, but then even that would be banned as we would all get fat.

    Surely if anything should be banned for causing problems it should be alcohol or smoking rather than gambling.
    Online gambling is too dangerous. It's one thing to go down to the casino, it's another to do it in the comfort of your own home. It really does ppse a major problems for the families of people easily addicted to such things.

    Beside, Indian Casinos are Cool
    Sarcasm, the 6th Ponyman of the Apocalypse.
    Please do not inquire about Tim, the 5th Ponyman.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
    Posts
    4,240
    I've actually just done my tax return for this year within the last few weeks so was going over all my bank statements. I was up a few hundred quid over the year which isn't too bad, and was actually quite nice to see! The way I look at it though is that even if I go play poker for a few hours and lose maybe £20 or £30 I have enjoyed that time. I would probably spend a similar amount on a night out anyway so I'm doing it more for the enjoyment. If I'm up and the end of the night that's just a bonus.
    Steve

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Liverpool, England, UK.
    Posts
    2,571
    Steve, I gamble on sports, football and Golf mainly, but these are not considered as Casino games are they?

    I also play the lottery, £3 every Wednesday and Saturday and the odd flutter on EuroMillions when im feeling lucky lol, but again, I dont consider this to be along the same lines as online gaming companies.

    Online gambling companies should really have enforced responsible gambling, doing credit checks on users for instance and capping them on that, or what the lottery does which is only accept debit cards, so its a bit more hassle to use credit cards (yes you can pop along and withdraw the money and then put it on your debit card, but you cant at 2am when you get the urge to play a big). Maybe they should just cap users full stop?

    They won't do this though, because as I said in my previous post, they want all your money ... and still more!

    I know I probably sound like a Killjoy, I don't intend to be one, I just feel with the extremely high and ever-rising levels of debt currently in the UK, someone needs to start taking control of users.

    Don't forget, debts of the magnitude caused by addictions to gambling, not only leave the person in severe debt and wreck their life, but it also breaks up families, wrecks everyones lives around them and sometimes causes people so much strain and stress that they take thier own life.

    Okay, so it could be argued that people need to take responsibility for thier own actions and there are more important things money and time could be spent on. But if this is the case, why do the government freely hand out methadone to herorin addicts? Its supposed to get them off, but never does (im talking from personal experience, people who have been on methadone for 10 years+ and still use street heroin), most of them just go and sell it and still continue to use street heroin. Yet, nobody bats an eyelid about the amount of money and time wasted on these fools.

    Xcellweb.net - Quality Web Solutions That Work!
    █ Web Hosting | Web Servers | Shoutcast | Domain Names

    Providing High Quality Web Solutions Since July 2002!
    AgilityHosting.net - UK & European cPanel Web Hosting

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Feb 2002
    Location
    Reading, England
    Posts
    4,240
    Steve, I gamble on sports, football and Golf mainly, but these are not considered as Casino games are they?
    As far as I can tell this is a ban on all Internet based gambling, one of the companies hit is BETonSPORTS which sounds like it would be sports rather than casino gambling.

    Just looking at my Willhill account there is a new message saying:

    Pending clarification of the scope and enforceability of the Wire Act and applicability of state and federal laws as regards online gambling by US citizens, William Hill have taken steps to cease accepting casino and poker business from clients with a US address or US issued credit cards.

    Such steps are already in place to prevent Internet sports betting by US domiciled individuals.
    Maybe they should just cap users full stop?
    Most companies do put a cap on your spending. It's been a while since I joined a new betting site as I already have quite a few accounts with most of the big sites, but I'm pretty sure at least Willhill and Betdaq both mentioned limits on signup. With one of them I also remember being able to chose a limit (up to a point) so that there was no way to deposit more than you wanted to/felt you should. Of course that doesn't stop you just going to another site and playing more, but it is something.
    Steve

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    here and there
    Posts
    767
    Quote Originally Posted by Website Rob
    Personally, I think it's a good thing to get rid on online gambling.
    If only they would do the same with Porn.

    OMGWTFBBQ!!!!!!!1111oneoneoneeleven
    Dedicated Servers, Virtual Machines, Colocation, BGP & IPs
    objx.net - AS33333 - Salt Lake, Utah
    awknet.com - AS17048 - Los Angeles, California

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    O HI O
    Posts
    295
    US goverment is a strange creature. They want to put a ban on internet gambling, but in my state (Ohio) they are voting on whether or not to make casinos legal. Simply a ploy to keep money in the United States.
    How many web hosts does it take to screw in a light bulb?

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Aug 2003
    Location
    Camp Pendleton, CA
    Posts
    207
    Online gambling is not banned. The Bill only makes it illegal for US Banks and Credit Card companies to transfer money directly to fund online gambling. It just makes it harder for people to use their money to gamble online. However, 3rd party payments systems are still out there. US based ones might get affected by this law, but foreign based ones will not. Neteller for one is based in Isle of Man and is subject to UK laws, and there is no way that US government can shut them down right now. I expect more to pop-up really soon.

    Online gambling is not a threat or something evil. It is as fun, and for some as addictive as real life gambling. The majority of people gamble for fun, and only for the few it becomes bad habbit. The Bill is lobbied by US casino owners, because it hits their pockets. It is sad for me to see that my government is actually trying to pursue online gambling industry, rather than regulating it.

    Talking about fairness, most major online casinos are fair. Based on my personal experience, more fair than real ones, where pit bosses have a say on an outcome of a game in some situations.

    Have a nice day, and let the Lady Luck be with you.

    PS. Time to look for UK based hosting.
    █ █ █ Andy :: andyconservative@gmail.com
    █ █ █ HowToCasino - Play Casino Smart
    █ █ █ How To Casino Forums - www.howtocasino.com/forums - All the Casino Talk

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Newport Beach, CA
    Posts
    2,923
    Quote Originally Posted by Vortex-Steve
    Just looking over the article again they actually mention a few British companies... is this not more a ban on helping foreign companies make money by forcing people to play in real world casinos so the government there gets a cut?
    The truth is the real reason for this is because there is way too much money changing hands that the govt can't make anything on. So they simply banned it. That has been the MO of our govt for as long as I can remember.
    Show your reciprocal links on your website. eReferrer

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Dec 2002
    Location
    chica go go
    Posts
    11,876
    Aren't republicans supposed to be against government controlling business?

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Jun 2003
    Posts
    1,739
    Quote Originally Posted by Xcellweb Matt
    or what the lottery does which is only accept debit cards

    I would bet real money on the reason the lottery only accept debit cards is the fact that you are unable to do chargebacks with a debit card when you dont win.

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
    Location
    Goleta, CA
    Posts
    5,566
    Quote Originally Posted by ub3r
    Aren't republicans supposed to be against government controlling business?
    Only when it affects a corporation they either run or hold stock in.

Page 1 of 2 12 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •