Internet Gambling

[klunderbunker]

Here in Kentucky, there are two sports that matter: College Basketball, and Horseracing. As almost anyone knows, in the last five poker has gone through the roof in popularity, often accredited to what is known as the Moneymaker effect (If you don't know what that is, look up a guy named Chris Moneymaker). This has led to the rise of internet poker.

Recently here in Kentucky, a law was proposed the banning of such gambling/poker websites in this state, meaning that they cannot be accessed from anywhere in this area. The reason for this was two parts. First, too many underage people are playing. Second, the money being spent on these sites was hurting the horseracing industry in the state.

So I ask you, is this fair to the people in the state, or anywhere that similar laws are enacted?

To me, it isn't fair at all. The internet is designed to be a way to connect to whatever you are interested in doing, from anywhere at any time. If you want to go play poker, then by all means you should be allowed to do so. As for the underage issue, that is going to happen no matter what. When I was 17, I was playing 4 nights a week in live games. There are people twice my age (20) that shouldn't be allowed near a card game, but then there are people 7 years younger than I am that could handle it just fine.

As for hurting the racing industry, how is that the average person's fault? Yes Horseracing is big here, but why should it be allowed to influence the daily choices that any run of the mill person has open to them? Overall, this law is completely unfair.

What do you think?

 

[Tim]

That's overdoing it a bit. There shouldn't be a law against gambling websites. The internet is a to do whatever you want to do at anytime, like you said KB. There are a number of different ways people do it: Through forums, msn, gaming websites and for some people, gambling websites. Different people have different interests on the web, and some type of site shouldn't be banned to try and help out a couple of issues, because they'll find other ways to do it anyway.

The underage issue will always be a problem. Porn on the internet is a big problem because there are so many kids that can innocently click on a popup or something and get directed to a porn site. But is that being addressed? No. This'll probably cause an uproar by the people who are legally allowed to play it, as this law is unfair to them. And some of the underage kids are probably smarter than the adults that are playing, and the underage kids will find new places to play it anyway.

As for the horseracing industry, it can hold itself up. People are always interested in the occasional bet on the races, and then there's the type of people who want to bet on every single race. If its not as big as it was, who cares? People should be allowed to make their own choices on what they do, they shouldn't be forced to do something by the government unless theyhave a good reason to do it. Here, they don't. This law is unfair and doesn't even make any sense.

 

[My$terio_Fan]

While I think it is stupid to down right ban internet gambling, it can be seen as a problem. It now gives gamblers another way to blow their money down the drain. They can just stay home and gamble all the time instead of going to Casino's, races, ect. Some internet gambling makes it convient and easy for people to get hooked, but gamblers would still gamble regardless if these sites were shut down. As for the age thing, isn't there safe guards put in place, like needing a credit card, putting in your SIN, ect....and if not their should be, it won't stop some kids/teens from gambling(they will just use someone elses ID)but it may prevent others from playing.

Also it's sorta riduclous that they want to ban it because of it cutting into horse racing profits. I think the goverment is just mad because if you gamble online your money goes to a privately run company, whereas if you blow your money at the races, the goverment gets a profit and all is well.

 

[FromTheSouth]

I gamble online all the time. As a matter of fact, I am doing so as I type. The federal government has already banned American banks from making debit transactions with Internet gambling websites. There are, of course, loopholes, but the effect is the same.

I don't believe the gambling sites should be targeted. I am 26 years old, and frankly, I don't feel like going to Vegas nightly to gamble. They also won't let me gamble in my underwear while I watch sports. The problem, the government contends, is that they don't know who is gambling, and some people may be underage.

That is the same argument used to ban porn, but the ACLU seems to jump to humpamom.com every chance they get. There is a lobby for online gambling called the Poker Platers Alliance. It is headed by pros, politicians, and lawyers, and they work towards a peaceful compromise that allows adults to do as they wish in their free time.