Congress Moves Forward On Putting Online Poker Players In Jail

from the no-bluff dept

Wed, May 3rd 2006 11:40pm — Mike Masnick

Those students who are upsetting professors by playing online poker while in class may have a bigger problem to deal with: five years hard time. We've mentioned this before, but many Americans who play online poker insist that the only ones at legal risk are the operators of online poker sites. The current law is ambiguous on this (and ambiguous on whether or not poker is considered "gambling"), but the Justice Department has made statements claiming that players of online poker and similar online games involving better could be committing crimes. To help clarify this, some Congressman have put forth legislation that makes these things illegal (subject to five years in jail). The bill in question has now been approved by a Congressional subcommittee. Similar bills have been put forth before and failed to get anywhere, and this one has a very long way to go before it becomes a law... but you have to wonder about any piece of legislation that would turn so many people into criminals overnight. Meanwhile, financial institutions are opposing the bill, noting that it would require them to get involved in trying to stop customers from gambling online -- an enforcement job they don't want. However, those same financial institutions are probably happy to note that the bill carves out an exemption for buying and selling stocks online -- which some people (often reasonably) do view as a form of gambling.

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95 Comments

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throbi, 4 May 2006 @ 1:12am

So what?
...did I already tell you?

I live in China and I don not care! :-)
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Bill, 4 May 2006 @ 1:35am

Jesus, USA is becomming such an opressive place, everything is illegal, cant even play poker in the privacy of your home, cant smoke in public, pff, Bush and these losers are voted in by you, what a mess of a country
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Pesti, 4 May 2006 @ 2:39am

USA preschool??
I guess we're just not bright enough to think for ourselves,
or so it seems according to our government....or maybe there's to many people employed by the privately owned
prison systems in this country that might be out of a job if we were allowed to decide for ourselves how to handle what ever vices we might have. Then again theres always
the idea that some of us might get a hold of a little bit of money here or there that they won't know to tax us on,
God forbid!!! are we ever gonna get too tired of it!!..Yep,
I agree us Americans are turning into a bunch of apethetic
wimps!!!!!!
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chris, 4 May 2006 @ 3:51am

take and take
republicans were for smaller government I thought. hmm oh and to the person from China.. type the word reform in you next message.. I dare you. you won't be posting anything on the net for a long time. Good government there too...
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 4:32am

this shit is getting rediculous man, we have to stop putting morons in office in the united states
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Searcher619, 4 May 2006 @ 4:54am

The Blame Game
I love how people try to blame the politicians or "Big Gov" for the mess we are in. Sorry but we are doing this to ourselves. We vote these conmen into office. We tollerate broken promises. We don't mind very much the they are bought and sold like any other comodity by special interests. Today's America is a pathetic shadow of it's former self. The people have no back bone. They bend over quite easily and then ask for more. They live for the next sound bite. Thinking for themselves is asking too much from them. Some blind people say we are heading to another civilwar/revolution. I find this HIGHLY unlikely. You would first need a population that gave a damn.
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MikeT, 4 May 2006 @ 5:05am

Goodlatte is an ass
Here's his OpenSecrets profile. Take a look at the 6th District of Virginia. You won't find a whole lot of his donors anywhere near there, especially the ones who are tech or media. The NoVA politicians are the only ones with an excuse to take SOME of these dollars...
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sumed, 4 May 2006 @ 5:10am

Re:
Unfortunately, the morons are the only ones running. The real issue is (you have to think like these weasels to understand them) the real issue is that its, not lotto, or gambling they can get they're hands into, i.e. TAX! So, if they can't get a cut then, you my boy are going to jail.
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August West, 4 May 2006 @ 5:19am

Morons in action
Don't cry about these morons, get involved. I was so pissed at George Bush (#41) that I went door to door for Clinton. It was very uncomfortable for me, but I just handed out literature and basically said that I did not like going door to door, but felt strongly enough to do it and so would they please vote for this guy. These people have their head so far up their own butts they don'y know how NOT to be idiots. We have people dying overseas where we need not be, we have soccer moms driving obscenely huge SUV's, nobody carpools, we are going to use up ALL the worlds oil, no alternative energy sources are being developed at a practical pace, and these guys are debating over ONLINE POKER?!? Our only choice is to fire them. Vote, people, vote. One vore can make a difference. Look at the Bush vs. Gore election.
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Angry Rivethead, 4 May 2006 @ 5:39am

Geh!
Democrats...Republicans...

Democrats censor your speech because it may offend someone.
Republicans want to censor your speech because it offends god.

See gambling is where dems and reps agree...its too hard to tax the income.

Its kind of funny how things work...30 years ago, you could go to jail for being gay. Now you can almost go to jail for NOT being gay. Go figure.

The whole thing is rediculous.

All I want to do is:

Gamble. If I loose my shirt, its my fault.

Not have bars close at 2am

I want to be able to say the F word at work without getting fired.

I want to not be obstructed while driving by some psuedo healthnut on a bicycle that won't get off of the traveled portion of the road.

I want to buy alcoholic beverages at any store that opts to carry such things.

I don't want to be punished for someone else's shortcomings : i.e. Responsible firearms ownership. I shouldn't denied the right to defend myself because some hoodrat robbed a convenience store. I shouldn't be required to flee a confrontation by a criminal...unless someone wants to pay the full recovery costs including intangibles or replacing my vehicle, my wallet, or anything else that is being stolen, including one's dignity when one is required by law to cower.

Not pay taxes on things I already own: Property tax. Being taxed repeatedly for just pure ownership is just silly. Especially after I retire...seriously, haven't they blown enough of my money on stupid crap over the last 65 years to make me exempt?

I'm not quite so sure its because of the morons in office. The sad part is they reflect the majority of the (voting) Americans that put them there...Everyone I talk to thats politically active are usually all "GAMBLING IS BADDDD" or "GUNS ARE BADD" "WEE NEED TO TAX MORE BCAUSE EDUCATION NEEDS MONEY BECAUSE MY KID IS RETARDED AND THEY COULDN'T MAKE HIM UN-RETARDED BECAUSE I CAN'T GET IT THROUGH MY HEAD THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN BE AN ASTRONAUT WHEN THEY GROW UP"

I PARTICULARLY like the ones that complain aboujt the rich, brag about being poor...then blame it on me for the $50,000 worth of creditcard debt...all because they couldn't show up for work, had 747732 kids and just HAD to have a NEW car and put spinning rims on it.

That is all for this rant.
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Howard, 4 May 2006 @ 5:47am

Don't blame me...
...I voted Libertarian.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 5:53am

Ahhh, yeah - I see..

Make online gaming illegal - so you can sell more lottery tickets and draw more people into the casinos, that are taxed heavily, I'm sure.

Get a clue government - keep your nose out of the free market. if anything can screw the market up bad, it's the government.

So arrest some pedophiles, terrorists, murderers, or rapists and quit worrying about some joker blowing his money on online gaming - it's his problem.
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I am always right, 4 May 2006 @ 6:04am

Re:
Thank you and I am glad that I am not the only one thinking that. Lawmakers are bored out of their minds and need something to do everyday so how do they spend their day while earning ridiculous amounts of money?...by making stupid rules and laws that are just obscene!
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Wolfger, 4 May 2006 @ 6:11am

Hypocrisy
Gambling is legal in the casino, but not online? Because they know online gambling takes our money overseas. But they have no problems with our jobs going overseas. Or the parts sourcing for our major manufacturers. Business can send money overseas in the name of increasing profits, but for people to send money overseas in the name of entertainment is just wrong I guess.
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Somebody's Biatch, 4 May 2006 @ 6:23am

Internet Jail!
Heck, they should just make the whole internet illegal...that way they can protect us from ourselves...no porn, no gambling, no piracy, etc.....they would have to build special jails just for people who have ever listened to music they downloaded while kicking back playing a poker because the ones that are full of real criminals......IE. Murderers, rapists,bank robbers....are allready overcrowded and full (And some of them still have internet access!).
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Josh, 4 May 2006 @ 6:23am

Re: Voted In
Actually, only the people who live in swing states vote anybody in. In places like South Carolina, everyone might as well be an ultra-conservative because of the electoral college.
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I am always right, 4 May 2006 @ 6:23am

Re: Geh!
YOU ARE MY HERO!!!

not joke, I feel the same way about everythign you just said and I couldn't have said it any better.

I am tired of seeing people getting married and have kids making minimum wage...wtf??? get yourself established first before having kids that you can't support!

I want the right to own a firearm WITHOUT PAYING TAXES!!! wtf is this BS??? if thats so then why don't they makeus pay taxes for lets see: my chef knife, baseball bat, cordless drill, chainsaw, ...get my point?

There are a lot of stupid people who make life a living hell for the rest of us...like how I love the law in Virginia Beach, VA that women can't wear thongs...I wonder who made that possible. *sigh* this gets me so depressed...I am going back to work before I start posting a 100 page long comment.
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Marc, 4 May 2006 @ 6:31am

Re: take and take
good one chris! i agree that our govt is out of control, but that guy in china must be high to open his mouth.
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mark, 4 May 2006 @ 6:35am

hmm...
I bet you'll vote next time, hippie!
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Marc, 4 May 2006 @ 6:40am

Re:
yeah, we are chasing down kids for stealing mp3's while terrorists are running free and planning more madness
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Jake Buck, 4 May 2006 @ 7:05am

If you changed the results of the last two elections there would be no difference in the type pf moronical people we'd have running this country. It seems that to be considered for office you must be a douchebag. Our whole government is just a support network for idiots, with the sole exception of Senator McCain. Revolution is the only answer at this point. Vive!
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defeated?, 4 May 2006 @ 7:11am

they only want to make it illegal because it's not being taxed. Whatever. You know I find it interesting reading these posts daily and people rant about the injustices of the American Gov't. (myself included) I know, I know, we vote them into office. Honestly, since Clinton the options have not been appealing for me. During the last election I was so confused about who to vote for I could bring myself to vote for either of them. I didn't want either to take office. And in all fairness we DON'T have that much of a choice when it comes to voting because the media, corporate America and branches of the government decide who our choices are AND THEN we get to vote. This government is NOT a democracy. And I've known this for quite some time. The thing is now, I have so much I want to say to Bush and Rice, and I have no voice. I don't know where to begin. I have so many questions and then I want to express to the people of this once-great country, WHY ARE WE ALL SITTING HERE WAITING TO BE MULED IN THE DIRECTION "THEY" DEEM FIT? First Afgan, then Iraq, now Iran. Is no one reading the news about Iran and the nukes. They don't even have the technology to make a nuke warhead yet and Bush and Rice are pushing for sanctions and if not they are "considering" military action (although they won't come out and say it yet). I feel like I'm living the past six years all over again. For anyone who doesn't know~ Iran has enriched uranium to 4.8 per cent in the recent months. They would need to enrich the uranium to 90 per cent purity to make a single nuclear warhead. (which side note I think it's disgusting that the prez of this nation cannot even pronounce nuclear properly!) They would also need about 50,000 more high-powered centrifuges to attain that goal. Which cannot be attained without other coutries "noticing." Here comes the Bush and Rice regime... Our government is lying to us, decieving us into supporting their agendas. I don't know why I'm ranting about this when the story is about poker. I'm just wondering... how long, what is it going to take? How helpless do I believe I am and the rest of us believe we are that we cannot do something. Who, and when can we all get together and march in millions to the White House and tell the "Rulers" of the "Free World" ok, we have had enough. Our government declares that we are a democratic society and yet we all speak in whispers. Out of fear?!? What? What is it going to take for the Millions of us disgusted to shout out and proud that we are not Mules and that the phucking president and all of them work for US, the people. We the people. Ugh, I'm so pissed off at the state of this country right now I can't even work.
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kerry, 4 May 2006 @ 7:12am

Re: Geh!
WELL PUT
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 7:20am

voted for who?
i voted for gore in 2000..
but im from texas, in a heavily republican area.. my vote was worthless

not to mention in the last two elections there has been alot of evidence of tampering and inaccuracy.. i dont think bush fairly won either election

in 2000 a recount of florida PROVED he lost, the supreme court GAVE him the presidency unconstitutionally..

in 2004 we were using voting machines that dont allow a recount and are easily hackable.. the only evidence they provide shows people voting weeks before elections and 'bulk' votes in some areas where tons of votes appear at once.. i dont know how 1000 people can vote in 1 minute

the machines are easily rigged and cant really be checked, the CEO of the company providing the machines garenteed bush the election, and has now stepped down admist tons of other criminal investigations
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 7:43am

Re: Geh!
I hate to break it to you, but there are just as many farm boys with "747732" kids eating up the government's money as there are "hoodrats" with "NEW" cars. Try not to come off as such a close-minded idiot and maybe your opinion will matter more.
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Anon, 4 May 2006 @ 7:46am

Defeated ?
I remember reading a book (the title of which escapes me) some years ago that suggested that elections be declared null & void in those areas where the votes counted represented less than 50% of the voting population, the reason being that the results did not reflect the will of the majority

Maybe it's time to persuade people not to vote ?
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Anwar, 4 May 2006 @ 7:48am

It seems to me
It seems to me that you lot(Americans) have asked for this to happen.

You elect them, you bitch whine and moan when they do things. you throw a hissy fit when they do not.

Can you not see that they are just trying to save you from your own stupidity.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 8:02am

Re: Re: Geh!
"I'm not quite so sure its because of the morons in office. The sad part is they reflect the majority of the (voting) Americans that put them there...Everyone I talk to thats politically active are usually all "GAMBLING IS BADDDD" or "GUNS ARE BADD" "WEE NEED TO TAX MORE BCAUSE EDUCATION NEEDS MONEY BECAUSE MY KID IS RETARDED AND THEY COULDN'T MAKE HIM UN-RETARDED BECAUSE I CAN'T GET IT THROUGH MY HEAD THAT NOT EVERYONE CAN BE AN ASTRONAUT WHEN THEY GROW UP"

I PARTICULARLY like the ones that complain aboujt the rich, brag about being poor...then blame it on me for the $50,000 worth of creditcard debt...all because they couldn't show up for work, had 747732 kids and just HAD to have a NEW car and put spinning rims on it."

Nowhere in his rant did he say the hoorats were the ones with the kids or the cars. He said Americans that complain. His only mention of hoodrats? :

"I don't want to be punished for someone else's shortcomings : i.e. Responsible firearms ownership. I shouldn't denied the right to defend myself because some hoodrat robbed a convenience store."

Hoodrat implies someone who is impovrished living in the inner-city, or hood. They ARE the ones robbing the convenience stores in most cases. Don't hear a lot about the farmboys runnin into the QT with their 9mm. RTF Post before you comment on it, not doing so makes you look like a close-minded idiot...
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Shannon, 4 May 2006 @ 8:03am

Re: Re: Re: Geh!
Thought I was signed in, I am the anonymous coward in the above post.... My bad
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defeated? not yet, 4 May 2006 @ 8:32am

Re: It seems to me
Anwar, I take it you don't live in this country. So you need to keep your opinions to yourself. You have no say in what we "lot" do. Which I find offensive you would call us "lot" Stupidity? All Countries have their stupid masses. Until you learn about the election process in this coutry I suggest you shut the hell up. We are not the decision makers in this coutry which if you read my comment above you will know that there is a bureaucratic process AND THEN we the people get to vote on what is left over after the feeding. Corporatations in this country pretty much decide who our government officials are. They have the money for the campains and the candidates make their decisions on policy based on the corps that will support their campaign. If not we have candidates that won't even get a moment of airtime let alone a fighting chance to become elected into ANY position. The problem is generations of these people have been in office, look at the Kennedys and Bush, we would have to go in and completely clean house, re-elect, and then they would have to jump in and hit the ground running. It's just not feasible. Bush was born on third base and when he was elected into office thought he hit a home run. Most people in the govt feel this way. They are so disconnected from the reality of this country they don't know what the hell they're doing up there in Washington. Except living lavishly off of our tax money. Throughout history we (lot of Americans) know that the result of the president's and government's actions do not surface for at least three to five years after the fact. ok I could go on here, what I wanted to say is until you live in this country, until you have studied our history, until you have any inclination about the lives of the American people. Go back to your little burrow and shut the hell up.
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vonkeswick, 4 May 2006 @ 8:34am

agreed
I am an american. And I would have to agree with all of you. america is lame and retarded. I purposely did not capitalize the work 'america' because america has enough capitalization already, doesn't need it in the name. Our president, our 'leader' can't even pronounce nuclear, and its his favorite toy. I bet if he could, he would just shoot nukes all over the world and destroy everyone except our country, of course. It'd be like when you're playing old school missile command and it gets crazy and theres a ton of missles coming down so you just press the button as fast as possible like you'r on crack and spin the ball to make the pointer move across the screen. Its like a blanket of protective nuclear carnage, except in this country there aren't any missiles coming in. I agree with you Anwar, on the part about us bitching and moaning when they DO do things and throwing hissy fits when we don't. But i definitely don't agree with you saying that they are trying to save us from our own stupidity. They are the dumb ones, like I said before, our president can't even pronounce nuclear. All they want is money. Do you know how much money the Bush administration made because of the war? ALOT. government contracts = $500 disposable toilet seats. thats $500 for EVERY portapotty that has been used during times of war, coming straight out of our asses, working hard whilst they benefit from it.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 8:35am

Oh one more thing, about saving us from our own stupidity, Anwar, read what Angry Rivethead said in his comment above. As Americans it is our right to make those decisions for ourselves. We don't need a gov't to hold our hand.
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doktorZee, 4 May 2006 @ 8:39am

Re:
I voted against those losers, and I'm stuck with them. I'd move to Europe if I could!
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defeated? not yet, 4 May 2006 @ 8:39am

Re: agreed
They didn't spend $500 on a toilet seat. The issue is the way the gov't works, the bureaucratic nature of the beast, BY THE TIME THEY BUY AND ATTAIN THE TOILET SEAT it cost a total of $500. Think before you regurgitate what you hear.
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Erik, 4 May 2006 @ 8:47am

Poker People Poker
The subject is POKER. Let's decide how to fight this rather than spout off...
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Brian, 4 May 2006 @ 9:08am

Re:
America is not even close to oppressive, look at china if you want to know oppressive. Smoking is illegal in Italy, Ireland, scottland, UK is next (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/4709258.stm), and so will all of america hopefully. I don't want to die from your smoke, and I am sick of having to dry clean all my cloths after going out for a drink with friends because I smell like a f'ing ashtray. By the way, Bush didn't propose this law, and it will never ever pass anyway. Get a clue
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A Poker Player, 4 May 2006 @ 9:23am

waste of time / waste of money
This legislation is poorly thought out. Enforcement would be near-impossible and the underlying motivations are both unclear and unfounded.
If this law was made to prevent online gambling, it is misdirected. It is not the government's job to provide a national vice-watch, especially not one with a built in double standard that says gambling in Vegas is fine, gambling online is not.
If the purpose of the law is to stop transactions that it does not draw taxes from, it is poorly written. Like the RCAA trying to go after torrent sites in Sweden, the US govt is powerless trying to tax offshore poker sites.
If the US govt wanted to tax American players' winnings, these laws are already in place.
Hopefully there are enough bright people in congress to shoot this down or I'm going to leave the country.
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Brian, 4 May 2006 @ 9:32am

Re:
You couldn't be any more wrong about afgan, iraq and Iran. First or all, afgan was harboring and providing trainging camps for a guy that attacked the US and killed thousands, not to mention the regime was brutal to its people and would have been worth going to war even if 911 didn't happen. Next, Iraq, they have denied the UN resolutions for years, attack UN planes in the no fly zone brutalized its own people, sent 10,000 dollars to families of suicide bombers, used poison gas to kill 100,000'a of its own people. Had the technology to make nukes, had wmd's which the entire world knew about and agreed on, even clinton and the other duche who ran against bush, I already forget his name. So much more to say about Iraq, but now iran. France and the UK have proposed the un sanctions, not US. Iran obtained the nuclear bomb plans from pakistan and missles that can reach europe that can carry nuclear war heads from North Korea. Sounds like Iran only wants nuclear energy??? They have been hiding the fact the are enriching uranium for years now, and you believe them when they said it has only been enriched to 4.8%. They suposedly just started enriching, and they have got it to 4.8% in 2 weeks??? They have already stated publically they are setting up the 100,000 centrifuges to enrich more uranium. They publically stated they are going to wipe Isreal off the map. Sounds like iran is only after nuclear energy and we should beleive them. But if were wrong, the we have nuclear ww3 instead of a regular war with the civilized world against a rouge regime.
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defeated? not yet, 4 May 2006 @ 9:58am

Re: Re:
Ahh, you haven't educated yourself and are taking info out of context. The US WAS the first to begin the sanctions proposal. There was no proof of anything Bush spewed at us before the attack on Iraq, using our anger and pain from 9/11 to get backing to do something they had wanted to do for years. I never said anything that Iran wasn't going to develop nuclear warheads but they are 4-5 years away from accomplishing that task (and IF sooner, there is no way they could build all those centrifuges with their own resources), so there is no reason for the US not to take a more diplomatic approach to the situation. Iran never claimed they developed the technology in 2 weeks, nor did I say they did. The fact that they got away with doing it so long (10 years) means the "Atomic Watchdog" was not doing their damn jobs. And finally, the matter of attacking Isreal was Iran warning the US that if they do any "evil" acts against Iran, such as invading/bombing or anything that we have been doing the past 6 years Iran would retaliate by wiping Isreal off the map. (this is what I mean about setting an example and approaching the matter more diplomatically) So get your facts straight and stop taking information out of context. And in my personal opinion the fact that people are dying in our country everyday because they don't have healthcare or means to food and medicine but we are forking over $190million on the "war efforts" is just as much an atrocity against our people as what Saddam was doing to the Iraqi people. And note this, I am a proud American. I don't condone the actions of the other countries and I most certainly don't want other countries developing technology that could wipe out the world. But I DO, very strongly, believe that the behavior and actions of the US, carried out during the Bush administration, leaves a very poor representation of the rights and beliefs the American people have held in their hearts.
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Tw|sT, 4 May 2006 @ 10:02am

People Poking.
True enough, the article at play here is about Poker, but if read deeply and seriously considered, the real issue here is the government. The Government has outlived much of it's usefulness, and should either be restructured or abolished. This is the same argument being considered over FEMA, & soon, possibly the INS.

The people are powerless.

The government has nukes.

Those in control don't care about those at the bottom... or even the middle of the food chain. Say what you will, but it doesn't change a thing. But I send out this challenge. Do something about it. Try.

You'll then understand why americans speak in whispers, and act as if the constitution no longer exists... because in a sense of day to day life here in the US, it doesn't.

The founding fathers of this nation designed the constitution in such as way that not only is it our right to bring down any regime that would corrupt our nation, but it's our duty. Somehow along the way, the people have become programmed by fear, and couldn't be given enough bravery to do their duty... so rather than do what's right ( which is also to try the nearly impossible ), our people jump on the bandwagon to go to war against someone else. The way they see it, at least over there they have a fighting chance. Here, were there to ever be a popular uprising that sparked off a 2nd revolution, the US govt wouldn't hesitate to nuke its own cities.

UN... think about that one.
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defeated? not yet, 4 May 2006 @ 10:12am

Re: People Poking.
Very nicely put.
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Colt.45, 4 May 2006 @ 10:13am

Re: It seems to me
My dear Anwar...
As my neighbor, Booger Lipshitz used to say, "FUCK YOU, TOWEL-HEAD."
Ah, thank you for listening. I feel so much better now...What a chatharsis.
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Red, 4 May 2006 @ 10:16am

I wish
I wish that this country would have a damn revolution already, but like Searcher619 said, it probably wont happen.

Lets all just move to Canada or something!
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Aapong, 4 May 2006 @ 10:21am

What kind of a free country do we live in? this law is just plain BS. I do not online gaming, but believe if you want to you should be able to.
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Ron, 4 May 2006 @ 10:44am

tax it!
The U.S. govt has been sooo slooooowwww at catching up to technology. Like they barely even tax online purchases of goods. They should regulate it, not criminalize it.
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Not a mindless sheep, 4 May 2006 @ 10:47am

Re: Morons in action
Moron is as a Moron speaks party line rhetoric out their arse.

First off I'd like to say I'm not a soccer mom, hell I'm a guy. I'd also like to say I drive an SUV. Now, here's the kicker. I get 32 to 35 MPG. I am sick and tired of people stereotyping all SUV's as gas guzzling monsters when MOST of todays SUV's actually get good gas mileage.

And yes we have American Soldiers dying overseas. Have you been there? Did you serve in the military and see what's actually going on over there? I doubt it, you sound like you just believe everything you see on CNN. We may have had over 2000 deaths since this war started how many YEARS ago? We lose more soldiers every year in training accidents than we lose in the War. Also, how many human lives have been saved because of this war? There may have been a few thousand American lives lost, and I garuntee 90% of them were happy to give their life for their fellow man, since I was in the army during the majority of this, I have a first hand knowledge. This war has saved many many many thousands of lives (remember 9/11. 5000 people dead in a blink of an eye) and remember what Saddam was doing to his own people. There hasn't been a dictator like that since Hitler and Stalin. When does it stop being about American lives and start being about Human lives? Your a selfish prick.
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Coyote Davis, 4 May 2006 @ 11:08am

Online gambling punishment 5 years?
I suppose Jefferson was right. We got the government we deserve; however, it brings to mind a silly thought. If playing poker online is punishable... What do we do with a sworn public servant who has used his office to waste our time, mismanage our national finances, inflated our currency to the point of insanity, and broken their sworn oath to defend the constitution?

Maybe 5 years for that too?
Five years as "Bubba's" jail house pal for them? Wow, what an inducement for cleaning up their own better-than-you attitude.

Just the first thing that came to mind.

Cast out your old tired everything...
That's c o y o t E L o g i c.
See ya,
c
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Rumor, 4 May 2006 @ 11:12am

Re: Re: Morons in action
I'd like to see some stats showing that we lose more recruits in training accidents.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 11:15am

I haven't gone through all the comments, but I've read enough to say that if you don't like the way the government is being run, it's not as simple as getting out there and voting. We have to get ourselves out of the two party system. It's not just Democrats and Republicans out there. Sadly, people are under the misconception that voting for another party is a waste of a vote. If your vote is so important that you have to put it toward Rep or Dem, then it's just as important when it goes to someone else.
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Rumor, 4 May 2006 @ 11:15am

Why is gambling illegal in the first place? If someone chooses to gamble and loses, that's on them.
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Working Lunch, 4 May 2006 @ 11:25am

Re: Re: Morons in action
If you want to talk about human lives, ask someone from Iraq. If you want to be selfish, think about the US and don't think about Iraq, the Middle East, and all those impacted by our actions in Iraq. If you want to talk about lives saved, don't manufacture conjectures that we would have been attacked many times over to the same degree of 9/11. We did not have to go to war to become tougher on airport security. The reality is that our country is barely more prepared for an attack than we were in 2001. We have decided to tie up the enemy and transfer lost lives to other innocents in other countries. We have spawned more terrorists and a new generation of hatred toward the US. Our leader's lack of compassion has played into the hands of the terrorist political machine. Gambling is illegal most places, get over it. Show your defiance to the terrorists and fly to Vegas, throw up from drinking, bang a hooker, and don't do any crazy Afgani drugs. If you were in the military, God bless you, and thank you tremendously for your service to the country. We all appreciate that we have individuals like you, but we don't have to agree with the man behind the curtain's motivation.
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roger wheless, 4 May 2006 @ 11:52am

Re: Geh!
a- damn men,
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Brian, 4 May 2006 @ 12:31pm

Re: Re: Re:
Well Iran has made many threats including the one you are taling about from yesterday, but the one I was talking about was in 05, when their president just got elected and was speaking to university students and he vowed to wipe isreal off the map. This was before any un sanction talk, and he said this without referring to it as retaliation from the US. You talk about the us gov't as if it is a dictatorship. We have different ppl in office every few years, America is one of the most desired places to live for a reason. If you believe in capitalism, as i do, then america is great, if you want socialism or comunism it easy to see why you hate the gov't.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 12:44pm

Re: Re: Re: Morons in action
Military personel overwhelmingly support what we are doing in iraq, because they are there and can see the good that we are doing for iraqi's. This war doesn't benefit the US, it benefits normal iraqi's who had to live under sadam. How is the war in iraq selfish, it doesn't help Bush or the US. This war is for them so ppl in the middle east can live free with an elected leader that represents their ppl. Not a dictator that sells their oil and builds palaces for the leader to live in, while the rest of the country is tortured and lives in hell. Of course they are blowing themselves up for the promise of a better after life, because their current lives are hell living in a repressed society where women have no rights. If iraq wins this war and a democracy takes hold, watch it spread as it already is.
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FormerFundie, 4 May 2006 @ 12:54pm

Rumor, to answer your question simply, the reason gambling is illegal in the first place is because way back when, before there were the social welfare programs that exist today and such, guys would go out and gamble and lose, which was fine if they were single and not responsible for anyone else. Unfortunately, what happened was that too many guys went out and gambled, lost, and didn't have the money to buy food or clothing for their wife and kids. Since, by and large, women didn't gamble (at least not for large amounts of money, but usually not at all because they were too busy attending to household duties), they were the ones who complained about gambling.

Thing, is, they found a receptive ear in the churches, for two reasons. First of all, if a man gambled away all his money, and couldn't afford to buy food and clothing, guess where else he didn't put any money?! So the churches were perceiving that money that should have gone into their collection plates on Sunday mornings was being gambled away on Saturday night. And beyond that, if the family was in really dire straits, it might fall upon the church to see that the wife and kids got clothing and food.

When you think about it in that context, you can understand why the churches have traditionally been against and vice that takes money out of the family. You can argue about whether it was their own collection plate or the family's welfare they were more concerned about, but either way, they were very much against gambling, hard liquor, drugs, and anything else that might transfer funds to those who probably don't go to church or support social welfare. (And the real fundies were also against leisure activities and for hard work because after all, if a man did nothing but work he would make more money, and then all they had to do was to convince the guy of the necessity of tithing according to their made-up formula of 10%, which is really NOT Biblical but that's another discussion for another time).

Then add to all that that guys got murdered, or injured so badly that they could not work, when they failed to pay their gambling debts, and that organized crime was often behind gambling (and still is today) and you can understand why it was a pretty easy sell to make it illegal.

What people today need to understand, before you look on this solely as a matter of personal freedom, is that in most cases you have no clue who is really running these online gambling operations. It is quite possible that at least some of them have the backing of organized criminals. Others may be "just for fun" and the government probably shouldn't tar every operation with the same brush. But anyway, I just wanted to answer your question about why gambling is illegal in the first place - there are definite historical reasons for it. To put in in context, probably 100 years from now there will be some people asking why drunk driving is illegal, not having lived through an era when so many lives were ended prematurely due to drinking drivers. The laws against gambling probably made perfect sense at the time they were passed, and while times have changed, the reasons behind those laws may still exist to a greater or lesser degree.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 12:59pm

Re: bush
yeah, we took bush in. The other guy was just as bad. What do you expect when both political candidates are completely incompetent morons?
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Agonizing Fury, 4 May 2006 @ 1:12pm

Re: Re: Re: Morons in action
If you want to talk about human lives, ask someone from Iraq. If you want to be selfish, think about the US and don't think about Iraq, the Middle East, and all those impacted by our actions in Iraq

Sorry to post off topic, but I’m sick of reading posts like this and letting it go. You say to ask someone from Iraq? Ok. I'm here in Iraq right now. This is my second tour here (I was here for the initial invasion) and I have talked to many Iraqis about our presence here. Are they mad that their people are dying in attacks that would not exist if not for the invasion, sure who wouldn't be. Then I ask if they think we should leave, and the answer 90% of the time is no. I’ve also asked had a very long conversation with an Iraqi about what things were like before the war, and I can tell you that I would not have wanted to live that way. I have no clue where the Communist News Network (CNN) gets their polls, or their information, but I just don't see the things that the news media is reporting on. As far as the statistics, I don't know about more soldiers dying in training accidents, but I do know that if you look at the death rates for the age groups represented by the US Military in the states, and compare them to the death rate per soldier/year in Iraq, that I am actually almost half as likely to die in Iraq than in the US. And if I do die (and for my fellow soldiers that have died here) we know that we have died serving our country proudly. Not because some drunken asshole thought he could drive home safely. Regardless of what Bush's original intentions for this invasion were, I know that I am making a making a positive difference for the people of Iraq. So if you want to spout your leftist views about "what's really going on Iraq" why don't you spend a year over here for yourself, then talk shit.
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Anwar, 4 May 2006 @ 4:55pm

... you proved it, you do need moddy coddling
You lot did prove that you needed the helping hand posts 30 32 and 42 seem to validate my point.

Smoking is not outlawed in Scotland for a start, just in closed spaces.

I smoke but i also support th stance on what the government is doing in the UK.

and i do actually know about the American way... probably a lot more than you do to be fair, you live it, the jaded version of it.

Election processes are a very similar to british process' aswell, just seems to me tht you lot cannot understand that most of you are too ignorant for your own good and need hand holding.

Dont blame your government for looking after the majority, ignorant arseholes.

On the Iraq Iran Afgan issue, please dont forget who sold them the damned stuff in the first place.
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Anwar, 4 May 2006 @ 5:04pm

Afgan Iran and Iraq
Why all out war for the second time in Iraq when the orders for your troops to assisnate in the first gulf war were cancelled when the trrops had line of shot?

Why did you bomb and invade a country on one terrorist attack, you didnt see the UK bomb ireland for what the IRA did for over 20 years, could of been a good thing though, or the French or Spanish bombing each other over the terroist actions of ETA.

It seems to me the wars you choose to put yourself in are financially motivated. Please, someone arrest Bush for gambling with monrey and lives.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 6:34pm

Re: Re:
Also S Aus. has banned smoking in pubs and clubs, but the law has yet to ccome into full ofrce.
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|333173|3|_||3, 4 May 2006 @ 6:40pm

Re: Re:
The main problem is that the US is not a democracy, despite what it has spent its entire existance trying to pretend. The president is chosen by the electoral College, not the ppl, and every President has to be rich because otherwise they will not get selected, and they won't have enough money to afford the campaign. Britain is a better example, the first female Pm (Lady Tatcher), grrew up in a flat over her dad's shop, and was never rich like US presidents are.
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Brian, 4 May 2006 @ 6:46pm

Re: Bill is an Loser and if you do not live in USA
Well Bill, thank the good lord that losers like you do not live in our great country. Why most of us live in big houses, drive big cars and spend more money in a day then most losers like you make in a year. And to clarify, you idiot, you can play poker in the privacy of your own home, you just can't wager illegaly on it. It's to keep loser gambling operations from ripping off poor losers much like yourself who are too stupid to know when to stop. God bless the USA and the internet which brings idiots like yourself closer together across the seas.
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Brian, 4 May 2006 @ 6:48pm

Re:
You are ridiculous; and obviously a moron yourself who knows extremely little about the complexity of a free society. Most rules are to protect idiots such as yourself from becoming deadbeat losers because they squandered all their money on stupid things and then want to blame someone else (sorry, that's called a Democrat). Go live somewhere else or try to do better yourself; I'm sure you have know clue what to do.
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Brian, 4 May 2006 @ 6:56pm

Re: Re: Re:
yeah, right, Britain is a better example. That's a good one. Every hear of The Labor Party and others as such? I recall many times when their transit system was shut down. Talk about special interest. I'm sure you know so much about the politics behind any one person or party coming to rule. So, you can have a better democracy but still have bad teeth? Stay oversees.
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Brian S., 4 May 2006 @ 6:58pm

Re: Re:
DoktorZee, please, move to Europe and live in a flat if you can afford one. Send us your address and we'll have fund raisers to come up with enough cash to send your sorry butt out of here. I'm sure you are just a drain on our society anyway.
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Anonymous Coward, 4 May 2006 @ 7:04pm

Re: Re: Re: Re: Morons in action
Thank you for a reasonable response to the idiots that are now allowed to spout off anything they want without know anything about which they speak. Keep up the good work; you are doing the right thing.

I love how people use the body count as an excuse to preach their own agenda. No one seems to care that 45,000 people die each year in auto accidents for no good reason at all. or how many die because of mistakes in the hospital.

The Internet brings the idiots of the world together. Agonizing Furry, you are the type of guy most of us want around.

I live near Ft. Meade Maryland, the intelligence capital of the world, and know many folks in the business and hear the same things you just said. Problem is it doesn't make good news lines or chat room talk.
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Tom Armstrong, 10 Jun 2006 @ 4:17pm

Online Gambling-poker
Isn't the real issue here, the loss of revenue to the gov't.
A better solution isthis the banks of the USA along with the Gov't tell the online gambling sites that if they want to do business with people living in the USA,they must go thru a US Bank-ie Bank of America,Wells Farg,etc.
The banks along with the gov't develop an accounting system whereby special Gambling Accts for individuals are setup.The banks charge a fee to the account holder ,the States and Fed.Gov't take their taxes right off the top for any winnings and as a dded bonus imagine the money available to use by the banks-bank stocks go up the economy will gain needed help.
There's just too many good things to look at before causing a negative effect to the economy.
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online poker player, 30 Jun 2006 @ 6:02pm

I think are goverment needs to mind it's own business everything is illegal now in this country no one can do anything without a law punishing them for it what are they going to do now throw professional poker players in jail most of them are part of these sites and playing and millions are playng online this won't become a law because they would have to put so many people in jail for nothing but playing poker why don't they worry about real criminals like rapists and murders all we care about in this country is money and how much we can obtain our goverment is greedy and want's piece of poker action is all it is I will say one thing to that good luck with that because it won't happen all you have to do is have people file taxs on how much money they won like they do when you get payed in a job but they have really showed there stupidty in this they got so much money and allows need to find someone to take peoples money.
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Michael Fenchel, 11 Jul 2006 @ 7:05pm

worried but outraged
im a little shy but i still want to voice my opinion. i owe lots to many sites and should pay up but im gonna acutally dodge the government and hope i dont get arrested
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2006 @ 7:54pm

Re: Re:
You can, Please do
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Gringo, 11 Jul 2006 @ 7:56pm

Pathetic
How can they target this and allow online lotto, horseracing, porn??? i know this is broken record and wonder what others think about the enforcement of this. To me, it would seem very difficult to stop it.

I hope others who have commented have written and called their congressman. I have done so several times. This really infuriates me!
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Jul 2006 @ 8:07pm

Sorry that was for the person wanting to move to Europe,I just Don't know how this board works.
So, Again. You can, please do.

If all the America haters would leave we would have more than enough room for the America lovers trying to get in and access the greatest oppotunity in the history of the world.

Bo
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Tom G., 13 Jul 2006 @ 5:50pm

Gambling....Let's see
Great comments folks!!

I have spent the last 10 years in Mainland China helping companies locate there. We've sent our hard earned dollars there to make more profits. It's a gamble though,,,nothing guaranteed. Hey, isn't everything a gamble...What we eat, how we drive, whether we exercise or not, what kind of investments we make, how dangerous our hobbies are....etc...oh, and whom we elect to Congress and the benefits we've allowed them to have. A pension for life...not social security. It's a Ponzi Scheme folks..the whole economy is based on a Ponzi Scheme. Congress passes laws to control us, so that they can keep their power. Internet gambling is a sin because they are not getting their cut. Once they do, they hope we gamble ourselves into oblivion,,,or have us smoke cigarrettes so that they can get their tax money..OH!!!! don't make cigarettes illegal..we need that revenue. And make sure the schools are getting their school lunch money..by God we need that money flow...It's power to us. Keep the peons under our thumb, then we can control them, then we can have everything we want, and they will get the scraps.

Hey I've got a good one..let's make DDT illegal so that millions will die in Africa...Hey Bill and Bill....you could cut the death rate in Africa by quite a bit by allowing DDT to be sprayed on those blood sucking cousins of yours, the mosquito. Aids? Why sure..sounds like a good cause to me...you could save millions by allowing the spray to go forward and not shunning countries that do. That way, you would have more people alive that could die of aids instead of malaria.

Government, please stay out of our business. Poker playing an illegal offense? Unbelieveable! More superfluous badinage coming out of Washington designed to control you and me. You are controlled because you allow yourself to be.

I hope I win on PowerBall Saturday night, then I won't have to play online....I can afford to live in Vegas and waste away gambling. Better than the stock market.
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Leslie Radue, 15 Sep 2006 @ 11:20pm

Leave Poker Players Alone
Just let them be what kind of freedom is this when like the article suggests one can trade stocks online which in itself is a form of gambling. Rather legistate legal methods of gambling online as people will always find a way around and the US may as well make some money off tax. Visit http://www.StartMySuccess.com for poker bonuses and poker bonus codes
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Anonymous Coward, 1 Oct 2006 @ 12:27pm

Re:
bill ur an idiot
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David Driver, 2 Oct 2006 @ 8:46pm

Outlawing internet gambling
I'm against making internet gambling illegal in the United States.

It's like our small town of Portland, Tx, used to be regarding alcohol sales. Until recently, the sales of beer, wine, & liquor in restaurants or bars was illegal in Portland unless, of course, it was at the Country Club where all the city leaders had been going for years to drink and be merry. Then Chili's came in with the new Walmart & first setup as a private club in order to be able to sell alcoholic drinks. Shortly after that, the city dropped the ban on alcohol in restaurants & bars and there are now two restaurant/bars in Portland--one at the Country Club that's been there for years and the new one at Chili's.

As was the restriction on alcohol in Portand, banning internet gambling will restrict access from the ordinary public, but it will do nothing to take gambling away from the rich & privileged. Those folks including the members of Congress will still have their special venues for gambling.

Congress should leave internet gambling alone!

As with alcohol, some people who gamble are hurt by it, but most people who participate aren't. The majority will simply enjoy it from time to time. The fact that a small percentage of participants will be hurt financially and possibly emotionally is not sufficient reason to restrict it.
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Stanley Levin, 3 Oct 2006 @ 11:37am

Online Poker and Bush
they only want to make it illegal because it's not being taxed. Whatever. You know I find it interesting reading these posts daily and people rant about the injustices of the American Gov't. (myself included) I know, I know, we vote them into office. Honestly, since Clinton the options have not been appealing for me. During the last election I was so confused about who to vote for I could bring myself to vote for either of them. I didn't want either to take office. And in all fairness we DON'T have that much of a choice when it comes to voting because the media, corporate America and branches of the government decide who our choices are AND THEN we get to vote. This government is NOT a democracy. And I've known this for quite some time. The thing is now, I have so much I want to say to Bush and Rice, and I have no voice. I don't know where to begin. I have so many questions and then I want to express to the people of this once-great country, WHY ARE WE ALL SITTING HERE WAITING TO BE MULED IN THE DIRECTION "THEY" DEEM FIT? First Afgan, then Iraq, now Iran. Is no one reading the news about Iran and the nukes. They don't even have the technology to make a nuke warhead yet and Bush and Rice are pushing for sanctions and if not they are "considering" military action (although they won't come out and say it yet). I feel like I'm living the past six years all over again. For anyone who doesn't know~ Iran has enriched uranium to 4.8 per cent in the recent months. They would need to enrich the uranium to 90 per cent purity to make a single nuclear warhead. (which side note I think it's disgusting that the prez of this nation cannot even pronounce nuclear properly!) They would also need about 50,000 more high-powered centrifuges to attain that goal. Which cannot be attained without other coutries "noticing." Here comes the Bush and Rice regime... Our government is lying to us, decieving us into supporting their agendas. I don't know why I'm ranting about this when the story is about poker. I'm just wondering... how long, what is it going to take? How helpless do I believe I am and the rest of us believe we are that we cannot do something. Who, and when can we all get together and march in millions to the White House and tell the "Rulers" of the "Free World" ok, we have had enough. Our government declares that we are a democratic society and yet we all speak in whispers. Out of fear?!? What? What is it going to take for the Millions of us disgusted to shout out and proud that we are not Mules and that the phucking president and all of them work for US, the people. We the people. Ugh, I'm so pissed off at the state of this country right now I can't even work.

Please tell us how you REALLY feel!
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Stanley Levin, 3 Oct 2006 @ 11:38am

Online Poker and Bush
they only want to make it illegal because it's not being taxed. Whatever. You know I find it interesting reading these posts daily and people rant about the injustices of the American Gov't. (myself included) I know, I know, we vote them into office. Honestly, since Clinton the options have not been appealing for me. During the last election I was so confused about who to vote for I could bring myself to vote for either of them. I didn't want either to take office. And in all fairness we DON'T have that much of a choice when it comes to voting because the media, corporate America and branches of the government decide who our choices are AND THEN we get to vote. This government is NOT a democracy. And I've known this for quite some time. The thing is now, I have so much I want to say to Bush and Rice, and I have no voice. I don't know where to begin. I have so many questions and then I want to express to the people of this once-great country, WHY ARE WE ALL SITTING HERE WAITING TO BE MULED IN THE DIRECTION "THEY" DEEM FIT? First Afgan, then Iraq, now Iran. Is no one reading the news about Iran and the nukes. They don't even have the technology to make a nuke warhead yet and Bush and Rice are pushing for sanctions and if not they are "considering" military action (although they won't come out and say it yet). I feel like I'm living the past six years all over again. For anyone who doesn't know~ Iran has enriched uranium to 4.8 per cent in the recent months. They would need to enrich the uranium to 90 per cent purity to make a single nuclear warhead. (which side note I think it's disgusting that the prez of this nation cannot even pronounce nuclear properly!) They would also need about 50,000 more high-powered centrifuges to attain that goal. Which cannot be attained without other coutries "noticing." Here comes the Bush and Rice regime... Our government is lying to us, decieving us into supporting their agendas. I don't know why I'm ranting about this when the story is about poker. I'm just wondering... how long, what is it going to take? How helpless do I believe I am and the rest of us believe we are that we cannot do something. Who, and when can we all get together and march in millions to the White House and tell the "Rulers" of the "Free World" ok, we have had enough. Our government declares that we are a democratic society and yet we all speak in whispers. Out of fear?!? What? What is it going to take for the Millions of us disgusted to shout out and proud that we are not Mules and that the phucking president and all of them work for US, the people. We the people. Ugh, I'm so pissed off at the state of this country right now I can't even work.

Please tell us how you REALLY feel!
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David, 4 Oct 2006 @ 7:39pm

This is NOT U.S.A
WTF is going with America now.....everything is illegal nowadays. This is BS. We need Mr. Bill Clinton or Gore back in the White House. This is not a free country anymore.
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tsso, 4 Oct 2006 @ 11:13pm

I had to rant alittle myself
Give the interest breaks to all the foreigners so they can buy a business or home not to the people whose damn tax dollar put the money there. No charge us full bore. Put bilingual teachers in the class rooms ,now the americans can't even speak english. Leave our old and sick without medicine or insurance,but send billions overseas. We could rant forever I guess until we finally kick some ass and get the crooks out of office. Like that Foley he goes to rehab for being a pedafial any other person would be in jail where they belong. Yes please vote everybody
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Anonymous Coward, 6 Oct 2006 @ 2:47pm

at home poker
if your going to throw me in jail for online gambling, are u, the government, going to go door to door and bust people for playing poker games at home? there were alot of tv interviews done at the 2006 world series of poker. many who have admitted to playing high stakes poker at home, that is illegal according to laws. are they going to jail? NOOOOOOOOOO. F off and LET THEM PLAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Jerry Thomas, 11 Oct 2006 @ 3:06pm

Online Gambling
Ok so my wife who plays 4 hours a day on a bingo web site pays and collects real money but no mention of any restriction on bingo gambling sites. Maybe some should get this involved and then we would have 10's of 1,000's of the elderly that play online bingo daily with my wife upset. Of all that I have read I cannot say that anyone has mentioned the bingo sites that also have slot play online as well. Let's have someone get this note and carry forward with this message. My Money = My right to spend it as I see fit ! ! end of story. Quit buying speclative stocks! Penny stocks and day trading one of the biggest gambles every day approved.
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DB, 14 Oct 2006 @ 7:53am

Knowlege is Power
Typical overreaction ... sometimes a bit of knowledge is dangerous. This article seems to sum the new law up with some accuracy. http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_news/article/3272
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partypokercrackhead, 15 Oct 2006 @ 9:03pm

:D
Well where should I start?

I cant even withdraw my $39.25 because it doesnt meet the minimum limit to withdraw. F off partypoker! It was all rigged anyways!

I am just gonna set back and let all you people handle this problem and pray you get me back on partypoker soon.

I really dont even need my pc now........

Im a party poker crackhead!!!
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Anonymous Coward, 22 Oct 2006 @ 9:49am

Poker laws
The greedy government wants to try and stop the flow of untaxed american dollars being passed through the poker sites. They can't do anything to the poker sites since they're out of the country so they're going to persecute their own citizens for enjoying a passtime?! Are they going to re-introduce prohibition?

Greedy fuckers.
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odie, 31 Oct 2006 @ 8:00pm

Poker laws
What really pisses me off is that the Bush Administration talks all this shit about keeping terrorist from taking our freedoms, but I don't think our government needs terrorists, they(our politicians) will take away our freedoms. Its all about money here. It can't be that they are against gambling, cause the lottery is run by government. What a crock of shit! This government has pissed me off more than ever, with these bogus ass laws. I mean, think about it, whose to tell me what i can spend my hard earned money on. Oh i forgot, they want me to buy lottery tickets or go to the casino instead of playing online poker in my own home. This is not a free country!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Odie, 31 Oct 2006 @ 8:21pm

poker laws
Found an interesting article about this law. According to this article, it is not illegal to play online poker.
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Odie, 31 Oct 2006 @ 8:22pm

poker laws
Found an interesting article about this law. According to this article, it is not illegal to play online poker. here's the link,
http://www.cardplayer.com/poker_law/article/1446
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patrick, 4 Feb 2007 @ 12:12pm

Re: Geh!
Rivethead, sounds a bit extreme but I agree 100% - we fight for freedom in other countries and seriously disrupt the freedoms of our own nation. Noticed the date of 05.04.06 of your post - hope you check back to see that we are even more restricted
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Pissed off American, 21 Feb 2007 @ 1:56pm

Fed Up!
I'm not sure if anyone is even reading this, but I am absolutely fed up with all of these regulations in America. We are only as free as we tell ourselves we are! I am told that I cannot play online poker but it's okay for me to drive 10 minutes from my house to play. We are repetedly told how free we are and how we are "defending freedom" all over the world. I call MAJOR BULLSHIT! Our government wastes a rediculous amount of money, and many politicians can be bought off. How free are we really, when players in over 180 countries can use online payment processors and we in America cannot.
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Albert Svenstikiger, 1 May 2007 @ 4:58pm

Re: Outlawing internet gambling
you are the man ow ya vano vanomat
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w1z111, 18 May 2007 @ 5:35am

Re: USA preschool??
You said it!! American politics and government are slightly 'out of control'. We are becoming a 'police state', and soon we'll have to carry 'papers' with us to show to "authorities" (i.e., "Gestapo") when asked to do so. And, we'll soon be asked to get our "mark in the forehead or wrist" for identification and for buying & selling goods and services (and for tracking, and following, and spying on us "as needed").
I think the only way to avoid some of these "infringements" that are rapidly changing "The American Dream" into "The American Nightmare" is to stand firm and "choose our battles". Just because our politicians enact laws (which are NOT necessarily the will of the People!) does not mean Americans cannot still choose for themselves. It just means that to do so may mean arrest and/or imprisonment. I guess if we're willing for those consequences, so be it.

I see it like this:

We already have too many 'politically-motivated' laws. All they really serve to accomplish is to create more "criminals", thus more prisoners, thus the need for more prisons, more wardens, more guards, more other staff, thus the need to raise taxes to pay for it all, thus more 'disgruntled' taxpayers and electors of leaders, thus more discontent with the system at large...so where does it all end, and what do these laws really accomplish? To me, nothing more than to make some lobbyists happy and some politicians richer!
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card counting, 30 Jun 2008 @ 7:05pm

poker
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Susan, 21 Jul 2009 @ 7:07am

All about the money....Corporate America
Not long ago a TV newsprogram ran a special on internet poker and it's affect on money lost in America's casinos. The US casinos have taken a hard hit because of internet poker and there are many powerful people backing these US casinos who have pull with government figures.
It comes down to the money and people in power who can push the right politicians into protecting their US gaming profits.
I am caring for my sister who is dying from cancer, I work full time also. In the evenings I enjoy playing poker. I spend very little money and stay in play long enough to get my money and lots of entertainment worth.
As someone very highly connected told me once, it is corporate America who runs America. And in this attempt to block on-line poker proves that very point.
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