Casino Says Online Gambling Isn't Actually Online
from the jurisdictional-questions... dept
Online gambling remains illegal in the US, though, many casinos keep hoping to change that. Of course, as with anything when it's legal in some places and illegal elsewhere, someone will start to figure out loopholes around the laws. Already, many offshore online casino operators get much of their business from the US, but plead ignorance, saying that if something's online, it's online, and they can't stop Americans from playing there. Now, Foxwoods, the huge casino in Connecticut is trying another tactic. It put up an online gambling promotion, letting people play slot machines and card games online -- which would certainly seem to go against the law. However, the folks at Foxwoods claim it's perfectly legal because the actual action takes place on the casino property -- not on the website. There's no action that can be taken on the website that can impact the outcome of the game. Basically, people are putting their money down, and a surrogate is playing the actual game (legally) at the casino. At least, that's the casino's defense. State regulators, on the other hand, disagree and have demanded Foxwoods shuts down the site (which it appears they have). Still, it does raise some interesting questions about where certain actions take place. Is the situation really all that different than giving money to someone to go put in a slot machine at the casino while you stayed at home?
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I think you got it wrong
see: http://www.casinomeister.com/news/july2005.html
quote "The management at Foxwoods claim that Playaway is a game and not gambling.
Foxwoods Playaway games will allow people to play in the privacy of their homes. Players buy tickets on the Foxwoods casino premises that come with an access code that they can use to log in and play from home via the Internet.
However the results of the game are already predetermined by a computerised drawing that takes place on the casino premises.
Foxwoods spokesman Arthur Henick, says, "Nothing the player does from his or her computer can impact the outcome of the game. Unlike illegal offshore internet casinos, no financial transactions of any kind ever take place on the Internet. There is no betting...and no pay out via the medium."
Players may only redeem winnings in the regulated setting of the casino. "
so.. you have to be physically at Foxwoods to purchase a ticket, which is essentially a "scratch off" ticket. Instead of physically scratching off to reveal the pre-determined result, you log in, and after a pretty light show the result is revealed. Then you have to physically GO BACK to Foxwoods to get your winnings.
now, if Foxwoods was smart, they would have patented "a method of conveying a predetermined bet result via a secure website" and then collected royalties when the Connecticut lotto implements it.
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Re: I think you got it wrong
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