I'm back!
A couple of weeks break from blogging has done me good. Not that I've achieved anything meaningful, unless you count picking the Brisbane Broncos to win the NRL before the playoffs started and then not betting them after they lost their first playoff match to the Dragons. In fact, I've also had a break from betting that has left me refreshed for a rather busy time for cricket in the next few months - the ICC Champions Trophy followed by the Ashes.
In fact, I've been doing F.A. and loving it - playing a bit of poker (both online and live at the casino) with sporadic success (yeah, a euphimism for red figures), which brings me onto the topic of this post:
Late on Friday, the US Congress passed "The Safe Port Act". Wow I hear you say, a riveting bit of information. But the way US Congress works is they can attach other bits of legislation to bills and included in "The Safe Port Act" were certain provisions that had been known as the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006". So when "The Safe Port Act" is signed by their esteemed President Mr George W Bush in the next week or two, it will be unlawful for US Banks and Credit Card companies to send money to online gaming companies, such as online poker sites, online casinos and betting exchanges.
God Bless America. While the proponents of this bill will tell you these measures are designed to protect their citizens from the evil effects of gambling, of course these measures have more (i.e. everything) to do with protecting the interests of their domestic gambling industry - horse racing, sports betting, state lotteries and Las Vegas.
The early signs are the online poker sites - many of them listed on the London Stock Exchange - will play ball and block US customers from their sites. And these companies had according to the Daily Telegraph 3.5 billion pounds wiped off their value in one day. Apparently about half of the online poker customer base is US so I guess being a shareholder in one of these companies with this impending legislation ranks right up there with not backing the Broncos as mistake of the month.
But what really ticks me off is how such a well-developed and powerful country like the US of A feels the need to protect its own self-interest rather than accept the challenge of global competition. Poker is a US "product" that is currently sweeping the world, and you would think someone somewhere in the 52 states would have the nous and wherewithall to take advantage of a rapidly expanding global industry. But oh no, lets ban our citizens from being players in a global marketplace and force them back to the 1950's and home games every Friday night with the neighbours.
Yep, God Bless America.
In fact, I've been doing F.A. and loving it - playing a bit of poker (both online and live at the casino) with sporadic success (yeah, a euphimism for red figures), which brings me onto the topic of this post:
Late on Friday, the US Congress passed "The Safe Port Act". Wow I hear you say, a riveting bit of information. But the way US Congress works is they can attach other bits of legislation to bills and included in "The Safe Port Act" were certain provisions that had been known as the "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006". So when "The Safe Port Act" is signed by their esteemed President Mr George W Bush in the next week or two, it will be unlawful for US Banks and Credit Card companies to send money to online gaming companies, such as online poker sites, online casinos and betting exchanges.
God Bless America. While the proponents of this bill will tell you these measures are designed to protect their citizens from the evil effects of gambling, of course these measures have more (i.e. everything) to do with protecting the interests of their domestic gambling industry - horse racing, sports betting, state lotteries and Las Vegas.
The early signs are the online poker sites - many of them listed on the London Stock Exchange - will play ball and block US customers from their sites. And these companies had according to the Daily Telegraph 3.5 billion pounds wiped off their value in one day. Apparently about half of the online poker customer base is US so I guess being a shareholder in one of these companies with this impending legislation ranks right up there with not backing the Broncos as mistake of the month.
But what really ticks me off is how such a well-developed and powerful country like the US of A feels the need to protect its own self-interest rather than accept the challenge of global competition. Poker is a US "product" that is currently sweeping the world, and you would think someone somewhere in the 52 states would have the nous and wherewithall to take advantage of a rapidly expanding global industry. But oh no, lets ban our citizens from being players in a global marketplace and force them back to the 1950's and home games every Friday night with the neighbours.
Yep, God Bless America.
posted by Rob Crawford at 7:37 AM
1 Comments:
Yes, you have to wonder which lobby was the one to carry this - either the domestic gambling industry, Cchristian ethis, or both. Agreed there should have been a better way to harness rather the expunge the industry.
Orienteering is a great passion.
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