Online Casinos To Congress: Thanks For The Publicity!
from the best-advertisement-ever! dept
With the House of Representatives moving yesterday to try to ban online casinos in the US, you'd think that would be bad news for those casinos -- many of whom admit the majority of their customers are from the US. Not so, apparently. The stock market has driven the stock of many of these online casinos up following the news of the bill being passed. It seems that investors realize that, not only does this have no chance of actually going anywhere, the discussion about online casinos has only acted as a ton of free publicity for the sites, perhaps encouraging some people to sign up and play now, just in case the sites are forced to go away.
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Still Effective
So how's that Reno debt going, Mike?
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The ad hominem attack was classy, by the way.
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Re:
Could the other people at the poker table really be agents working for the casino? Could they see your hand? Are they even real people, or the super-smart poker bots that can beat any human? Rumors like this are bound to arise.
An enterprising reporter could write a story about the Chechen mafia running an online casino out of the Bahamas, who then hire Russian thugs to fly into the US on tourist visas to go break the arms of customers who don't pay up.
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How about customers who lost big, and are willing to cut a deal with the house? Can you say for sure that insider deals are not occurring at the casinos where you blow your money?
The sites I've seen make you pay ahead of time (no need for thugs) and they take a cut of each pot of money (no need for them to play or participate in any of the games). All they have to do is provide a convenient and fun way to play online, and the money makes itself.
What about customers who manipulate credit cards by calling it "stolen" or "illegal charges" or whatever? Are businesses ever satisfied with having a steady revenue, or does the business culture dictate that they grow ever greedier, taking greater risks?
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Wherever there is money, the U.S. will have its fingers in it!
Its money.
This is all they want. Find better things to pick on besides an online casino. Go find Osama.
Make sure you spend the same amount of time and money into that as you are making sure online casinos go down.
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Online Casinos Should be Regulated
I for one, would certainly feel better placing bets with a Harrahs.com or Bellagio.com, then JimmysWorldofWinnings.com
And think of the taxes! No, no, instead you try to pass a bill to "outlaw" them. Really, its quite brilliant. Why not just outlaw alcohol as well---oh, wait that was tried, wasn't it....didn't end well as I recall.
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People just don't realize why do they
So they look good for trying to kill it, get money from the lobby groups of the land based casinos, and all the while the consumers are the ones who end up losing no matter what.
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Damaged moralising assholes
Sure, gambling is slightly stupid, potentially dangerous, potentially addictive, just like much else in life.
Nobody has any problem with National Lotteries or charity competition events do they?
Nor do any of these American Congress people have any moral compunctions over blowing sleeping children to bits with high explosives, starving people to death with seige embargos, toppling legitimate governments, kidnap, torture ... you name it, if its considered a sin then the American Congress has approved it in some measure during the last 10 years.
In fact you could say these people are singularly immoral. A more enlightened and passionate observer might just cut to the chase and point out that these are plain evil little shits, appologies for human beings who never did anything "moral" in their futile little lives.
While I wouldn't go so far myself it brings a smile to my face to hear people associted with that group attempt to moralise.
Don't they realise that their reputations are so sullied by scandal, lies and corruption? Don't they realise that thier words are bankrupt and that nobody takes seriously people who sanction murder, torture and abuse of all kinds, then stand up and start to talk about morality?
Sorry this isn't a technical analysis, it's not really a "tech" story. It's just more of the same stuff about a bunch of "holier than thou" pricks who are taking out the repression of their empoverished childhoods on the rest of the world.
The only question is, when are we going to round them up and force them to account for the discrepencies in their positions? When will they get the therapy and help they really need?
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Re: Damaged moralising assholes
Politcians are pissing in their panties about the "moral issues": violent video games, obscenity in the media, online gambling, and online piracy, while the deaths of US soldiers in Iraq slowly climb to meet the number of casualties that occurred during 9/11.
Like the man Stewart said: "Just what do you have to do to get fired in this administration?"
Or something along those lines.
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This is about the WTO and international trade. If there is no way for the government to regulate trade, then they don't allow it. It makes sense, and it keeps our money in our economy instead of Antigua's or the Bahamas. It makes sense from every aspect when you think about it, so stop complaining. If you really hate this so much, start up the first in-country online poker company and wait for the courts to decide who regulates what. It will most likely end up better for us if you do.
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Global outcasts
Gambling can't be seen in the same analysis as normal "trade" since the net money flow is one way, you don't get anything back. Unless of course you're one of the fools who thinks the table is straight, in which case when you *win* all that money will just be coming out of the economy of the Bahamas right?
Of course you could take a fully free market capitalism viewpoint of it. Laws and regulation already exist in the United States to govern gambling, a phenomenon that dates back to the dawn of mankind.
Clearly those regulations are too restrictive to allow business based on gambling to set up and flourish in the USA, Were that not the case you would see that many of the companies in this debate were established US businesses. But they aren't, they are in China or Antigua as you say.
Think of this as competitive outsourcing. When the environment favours the businesman that's where he will go, to where it's perfectly legal to set up an internet gambling business with less taxes and regulatory government intrusion, that's where the business will thrive.
So you could say that the USA is simply uncompetitive in the global gambling market.
The whole real point of the WTO, whether you subscribe to a globalist ideology or not, is to STOP governments from controlling trade - by forging international agreements.
But the USA is FAMOUS at the WTO for screaming like a 2 year old to get what it wants and going home in a sulk when it doesn't get it.
What's happening is that the WTO (read - the rest of the world) as usual is not following the selfish whim of the USA that it's usually trying to impose on others. Most countries that aren't run by fundamentalist religious nutcases recognise gambling as a potential social harm, slyly pretend it has some economic value and promptly tax it. In other words they make a pragmatic compromise with a force of human nature they are smart enough to know they must accomodate and cannot ignore.
The US congress is alone in its stance, isolationist, pig headed and moralising as usual, and completely in denial of the economic reality - that people will go elsewhere to get what they want, just like they always do. As AC suggests, the best thing Americans can do is embrace this, regulate it sensibly and join the fun.
Sadly I don't think reasonable voices are in control in the US any longer. More and more I see the US government putting stubborn pride and introspective ideological thinking before practical politics and real economics. It's quite sad to see, like watching someone wallowing in self pity slowly get drunk .
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Re: Global outcasts
With everything else you said. I could not agree more.
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You cannot regulate this
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Online Casinos do have advantage in the US
Another effect may take place: Regulating online casinos will drive US players to prefer a known US brand and thus US brands have an advantage over international casinos that are less trusted by Americans. There is still a chance that well known international brands will emerge that will be appealing to US citizens but that's a good competition - specially for players that will benefit from regulated and trusted online casinos.
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Government blocks government gambling sites
The earnings from the Virginia Lottery go into public education. In 2005, that was a mere $423.5 Million! We know too well how much the current administration in the White House values education, don't we (can you say Faith Based Initiatives vs. dramatic budget cuts in research, science and education)?
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SO, no viable economic, political or practical rea
Summary: The US Congress are batshit insane and blocking these websites located in other countries not because of any reasoning, but out of simple childish spite .
This adds a whole new gear to the debate over China and their censorship policies doesn't it?
"USA - we're not as bad as China (yet)"
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US Gov is Just Too Stupid to Get It
"USA - we've been brainwashed to think we're not as bad as China"
"The USA is the best country in the whole, wide world."
Geekazoid
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As for all this "get the govt. out of my hair" bullshit, grow up. Things you do affect other people. Your decision to smoke can affect my health, your decision to drink can kill me if you drink and drive. Your decision to be a fat pig increases my insurance rates when we have to pay for your end stage renal disease.
I know you sockfuckers want to go online and gamble without leaving your moms basement, but the real world really shouldn't be like that. Get a life, you want to play poker, go to a casino, if you are casino challenged, get together with other people (I know friends might be lacking) and have a game. Its a hell of a lot more fun than playing poker on-line.
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As for all this "get the govt. out of my hair" bullshit, grow up. Things you do affect other people. Your decision to smoke can affect my health, your decision to drink can kill me if you drink and drive. Your decision to be a fat pig increases my insurance rates when we have to pay for your end stage renal disease.
I know you sockfuckers want to go online and gamble without leaving your moms basement, but the real world really shouldn't be like that. Get a life, you want to play poker, go to a casino, if you are casino challenged, get together with other people (I know friends might be lacking) and have a game. Its a hell of a lot more fun than playing poker on-line.
yeah bro you sure showed these neckbeard faggots now go drive around in your Corvette and fuck your supermodel girlfriend on a pile of hundred dollar bills and live a morally superior life because youre just plain better
Ass.
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A waste of tax dollars
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The ban is not working so far
The only thing that happened is that the biggest and best online casinos has stopped accepting us players. US gamblers no longer have the option to play at the very best casinos online - but they still have a wide selection to choose from. The law is defenitly not working as intended (i presume) so they should change it in my opinion. Regulate it I say.
Jan
Online Casinos
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Freedom of Choice
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3 years later
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Online Casino
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