Online Gambling

[DngrMse]

Before we head into the discussion, I want to note that I think it's an amazingly stupid thing to do, from the consumer viewpoint. But, to each his own. I would'nt do it, but if other people do, that's their business.

My beef is with law enforcement. People who legally operate internet gambling sites overseas can be arrested in the U.S., should they ever come here. I don't buy the excuse that they're arrested because they intentionally target U.S. consumers, I don't think that should have any bearing.....they observe the laws in the countries they operate their sites from. If Louisiana chooses to make online gambling illegal, that's their business too...but their efforts to stop it should not include arresting individuals who operate such sites legally from overseas locations.

The Story:

International gambling executives, take note: it's not a good idea to travel to the US. Following the arrest earlier this year of BetonSports CEO David Carruthers at a US airport, another UK executive has now been arrested in New York. Peter Dicks, chairman of Sportingbet, was arrested by Port Authority agents at JFK Airport after they noted that he had an outstanding arrest warrant from Louisiana.

Dicks spent a night in jail and has already appeared before a judge, who refused bail owing to Dicks' impending extradition hearing. Dicks and his company ran afoul of LA R.S. 14:90.3(E), a law that prohibits "gambling by computer."

That law applies to anyone who "designs, develops, manages, supervises, maintains, provides, or produces any computer services, computer system, computer network, computer software, or any server providing a Home Page, Web Site, or any other product accessing the Internet, World Wide Web, or any part thereof offering to any client for the primary purpose of the conducting as a business of any game, contest, lottery, or contrivance whereby a person risks the loss of anything of value in order to realize a profit." This is not, it must be said, a narrowly-written piece of legislation.

The Law

[GROFF200]

I think the gambling laws in the US are just stupid. They make as much sense as the drug laws.
It's very interesting that so many in power like to talk about "Freedom" and the "free market economy" while severely restricting what you can actually do with your money.