Online Poker? Evil! Playing The Ponies By Mobile Phone: Go For It!

from the please-explain dept

Fri, Jan 12th 2007 5:46pm — Mike Masnick

Remember how the government made sure to effectively ban online poker because it was evil? As noted, they carved out a few nice exceptions for the type of gambling they liked, specifically lotteries and horse racing. Lotteries make sense because they're very profitable for governments. Horse racing seems to get an okay because... well... we're guessing that a lot of politicians like to play the ponies. So, it probably comes as no surprise that New York state is now letting people bet on horse races both online and via mobile phones. It's not clear to us why other kinds of online gambling are dangerous for your soul, but betting on horses from anywhere at any time is just dandy. Somehow, I don't expect politicians will explain it, because it's unlikely that they have a very good answer.

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20 Comments

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EdB, 12 Jan 2007 @ 6:23pm

Follow the money out of the country and you'll see how it's surrounded by evil. If on the other hand the money stays inside the country where it can be taxed and used to fund political campaigns you'll see angels dancing with happy-faced children. It's for the children, of course.
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- Anonymous Coward, 15 Jan 2007 @ 1:50am
  
  Re:
  With all of the tax breaks to corporations for taking jobs OUT of the country, that has got to be the dumbest argument I've ever heard.
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Spud, 12 Jan 2007 @ 7:56pm

I hate the government intervening and telling what I can and cannot do. I feel the same about the gambling. We are all adults and should be free to choose what we gamble on. It is interesting how the government only allows gambling on things that make them money or that they enjoy doing themselves.
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- texas joe, 12 Jan 2007 @ 8:35pm
  
  Re:
  "It is interesting how the government only allows..."
  
  No it isn't interesting. Interesting stuff doesn't make you want to bash your head against a brick wall. It is just plain sad that we the people allow these cronies to waste our tax money making laws that are not beneficial to us. Our own elected morons have taken away more of our freedoms than any terrorist ever has. The system we use to create laws is broken and this is just more proof.
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ScytheNoire, 12 Jan 2007 @ 11:47pm

America...
America, Land of Hypocrisy
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Elohssa, 13 Jan 2007 @ 2:49am

Where's the surprise?
Though I believe this is foolish policy, both economically and socially, it does at least follow "real world" precedent. In most U.S. jurisdictions, poker is illegal, while horse racing and state-run lotteries are not.
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Pyked, 13 Jan 2007 @ 3:18am

You can still gamble online
You can still gamble online, even on websites located in the United States, check out bodogs(.com). They are on an Indian reservation:P
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SANDBOMB, 13 Jan 2007 @ 9:12am

Interview with Mike
I would like to introduce myself as Mohammed Mustafa, I live in Kuwait. I am 15, part time writer, artist and an aspiring movie maker. I am about to embark on my first movie/documentary about Digital Piracy, and i would like to interview you (Mike)
my email is listed above, please respond if you are interested in the interview.
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Steve, 13 Jan 2007 @ 11:06am

actually, there's no mystery
Mike, in NY State legal horse betting away from the track itself is also a government monopoly, just like the lottery. The agency is called Off Track Betting (OTB). So the motives are the same as you're already described.
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Randy, 13 Jan 2007 @ 7:26pm

I'm not sure which is dumber
The fact that the government both bans and profits from gambling, or that people would actually want to gamble.

I love what an engineer buddy retorted when I said my odds of winning the lottery were pretty poor since I don't buy tickets: "Well, about the same if you did".
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rpgSE.com, 13 Jan 2007 @ 11:00pm

Poker Sites
which sites allow US players anymore?
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Travis, 14 Jan 2007 @ 12:21am

Most allow US players
Fulltilt, Pokerstars and Ultimatebet still accept US players. Party Poker was the only decent site that stopped accepting US action.

And, this law does not make it illegal for US residents to play online. The law targets the companies, not the players.
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Paul`, 14 Jan 2007 @ 5:01am

We all know the ponies are alright because they have legs, and thus can move faster though the tubes of the internets. Poker chips are less efficient at traversing the maze of interweb piping.
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Eric, 14 Jan 2007 @ 2:44pm

Online poker is a waste, please, just find out the address of the online poker company, whether it be small business or off shore corp. and send them a fat check for all the money and time (estimated of course) that you would waste trying to 'win'.

I don't agree with the ban
I don't think gambling, in general, is smart choice

If you just do it for fun, thats understandable if you keep under control

Take your few hundred (or possible thousands) and invest in something worth your while... or send the money to me for this great advice I just gave!
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- pokerplayer, 25 Jan 2007 @ 9:55am
  
  Re:
  thats a very naive comment and shows a lack of research into online poker
  
  online poker playing is against other people and the poker companies take a very small share of this for providing you a platform to do this
  
  the volume of people playing means they make a lot of money
  
  but realistically its your skill at the game that determines your return and some people make a significant amount of money by playing smart
  
  as for the ban, quite clearly its the money trail that is important. The money leaves the US economy and goes to tax havens like gibraltar for company directors and shareholders to get rich on American money without paying tax. Don't agree with it but its easy to see why they have done it
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Jan 2007 @ 2:59pm

What I want to see is someone set up 32 shell companies in LV, NV. The sole assets of these companies would happen to be wagers on NFL games bought legally in sports books. People anywhere could buy and sell shares in these companies.

The concept would basically be the same as tracking stocks like Spyders (QQQ) that track the Nasdaq, S&P, etc by buying stock in other companies. Well, my companies would track teams. You could even buy and sell futures. Has no one done this? Would they find some way to ban it?
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Patrick, 31 Jan 2007 @ 2:43pm

Another big issue is votes. If casinos don't exist, then preventing them from being built doesn't hurt anyone, especially not a politician who voted to block them. Banning online gambling? It's already been mentioned that a lot of these sites are being run from outside of the country. No harm, no foul. Horse and dog tracks, however, are spread all across the great land of liberty and closing them down would cost a very lot of people their jobs. All it would take is a quick look at the voting talley to find out who's not going to get James Q. Homeless' vote, or his friends' and family's, the next time around. Many cities and states are scrambling to come up with ideas (read "slot machines") just to keep the tracks open. If a person's life is ruined by leaving the tracks open, that's a bloody shame. If a God-fearing working man's life is ruined by closing the gambling den, that is pissing on the 'Merican flag.
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leslierad, 10 Feb 2007 @ 3:16pm

Let people decide
Why not just let people decide if they want to gamble online or not. Giving people choices is what "FREEDOM" is about, it seems funny the land of the free is the least free of all when it comes to online gaming yet any American can easily fly to their nearest casino and gamble legally...... Just think of all the tax $$$ the US goverment could make.
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leslierad, 10 Feb 2007 @ 3:16pm

Let people decide
Why not just let people decide if they want to gamble online or not. Giving people choices is what "FREEDOM" is about, it seems funny the land of the free is the least free of all when it comes to online gaming yet any American can easily fly to their nearest casino and gamble legally...... Just think of all the tax $$$ the US goverment could make.
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poker-du, 19 May 2009 @ 9:14pm

I think
I think of all the tax $$$ the US goverment could make.
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