Interoperability makes gambling inevitably legal

[loic]

Interoperability occurs when programs use standards to
communicate. In a network such as the Internet, standards are
stacked in layers so thin the user does not notice. Nor does the
legal system or a judge.

It takes two standards to defeat any gambling prohibition law and
allow every citizens to cash in and out using the their bank
number account number (or credit card number). The first is a
format for virtual money (for instance URL, id and value). The
second defines names for software that can be used to get virtual
money.

I'm concerned about gambling addicts who live in a fantasy that
ruin their lives and the lives of their families. Some victims
probably hope that prohibition would be a step forward. They
deserve to know that prohibiting gambling on the net is not
possible. Because money is no longer exclusively printed by
states and exchange between currencies eludes regulation.

What exactly is the difference between one euro and the copy of a
song file bought for the same amount ? The difference between one
euro and the password to a video on demand account funded with
the same amount ? None, as long as the copyright laws grants a
distribution monopoly to the author of a digital work.

A poker room operator has no way to control if their play money
table are used to host real money games. Friends may agree that
the winner pays the diner. They can create private cash games and
count one euro for every play money chip at the end of the
session.

Every poker room could offer play money tables that accept a
virtual money standard. The poker room would have no way to know
if the money brought to the tables is convertible into something
of value or not. The poker user interface would fetch programs to
get virtual money found by search engines over the net, using
standardized names.

There could exist many virtual money providers, each art dealer
could be one. But there only need to be one, selling and buying
artwork identified with the same standard as virtual money. Every
customer would be able to play artwork at the poker table.

I would need to write many pages to explain the ideas mentioned
here. And even longer to explore in detail their practical
implementation, which is what I've been doing for the most part
of this year (2006). But I'm not much of a writer. I just wanted
to share what seems to be a non conventional approach of the
gambling prohibition issue.

[Poofler]

There are lots of workarounds. However, John Q Fish does not want to buy virtual money and play for artwork. He needs to have a very simple bank -> ewallet -> poker site. Maybe something more complicated can be done between those steps, which he doesn't have to see or deal with. 1000's of casual players will not go to the extreme lengths we might. Few seem to be worried about being able to play for fun, we're worried about being able to play for profit.

[loic]

[ QUOTE ]
John Q Fish does not want to buy virtual money and play for artwork

[/ QUOTE ]

Indeed. He does not want to know about TCP/IP either. Fortunately, only the software needs to know. The user interface already hides a vast amount of technicalities, it is able to hide the money to artwork conversion.

[permafrost]

[ QUOTE ]
Every poker room could offer play money tables that accept a
virtual money standard.

[/ QUOTE ]

It has been years since I sat at a play money table, but don't you have to use the play money the site gives you, not what you "brought" to the table?

[satelliter]

You are absolutely right. John Q. Fish gets smarter and more tech savvy every day. Remember the guy who said, "Why on earth would the average individual want a personal computer?" In fact, I'm a little surprised that no one has organized a secondary payment system to beat the rake at the big sites.

Maybe a workaround could be a site where payment of debt is completely voluntary. If you go over $x in debt, you're cut off, but with no obligation. Before you laugh, I'll tell you what I learned as a street vendor in New York City in high school. I was warned not to take checks. I had one check returned out of hundreds. After a phone call, the buyer made good. The fact is that the vast majority of people, poker players included, are honest and ethical.

[satelliter]

Oh yes, and my dad would go to the track and bet within some kind of private pool, to beat the take. I'll have to ask him about that...

[loic]

Yes, you can't play arbitrary currency on a play money table. Because no poker room realized it would be both legal and profitable, world wide.

[permafrost]

[ QUOTE ]
Yes, you can't play arbitrary currency on a play money table. Because no poker room realized it would be both legal and profitable, world wide.

[/ QUOTE ]

Would you share your ideas for how the poker room would make a profit?

[loic]

Just like real money tables : play money is raked. If it happens to be convertible into real money, the poker room makes a profit. Because the poker room does not know in advance which play money will be convertible, it just rakes every play money tables.

[permafrost]

[ QUOTE ]
Just like real money tables : play money is raked. If it happens to be convertible into real money, the poker room makes a profit. Because the poker room does not know in advance which play money will be convertible, it just rakes every play money tables.

[/ QUOTE ]

Lost me. Rake, gambling, profit--how is it now legal if it was illegal?

[loic]

They key is that the poker room does not know that the play money is convertible when it rakes it. Therefore it is not illegal. It would be if the poker room was able to figure out in advance. But the use of wide spread standards makes this impossible.

[satelliter]

I don't believe the law prevents a site from charging a fee or selling banner ads at a play money table. Wins and losses could be exchanged independently of the site, through a third party.