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TheMathProf
07-04-2007, 12:18 PM
So I'm listening to my favorite sports talk radio segment out here in a Seattle suburb, and they do this particular segment called "In the News" that normally is more than a bit tongue-in-cheek. On yesterday's show, they made a reference to this article relating to how one British pub will get around the new smoking ban (http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007290443,00.html). In short, the British pub has been announced to be an embassy for Redonda, and therefore, it has some kind of diplomatic immunity, a term that I know we also use a lot here stateside.

So here's the crazy idea: in Washington state, as I understand it, there's some felony language with regards to online gambling. (Yes, I know nothing has happened and probably never will.) Is there any way that, say, an embassy to the tiny nation of Antigua could provide a viable workaround to those places where the law says that online gambling is illegal?

Or am I completely off my rocker?

Grasshopp3r
07-04-2007, 12:24 PM
I like the line of thought. Contact Antigua and see what they say.

StellarWind
07-04-2007, 07:41 PM
If a small unimportant country converts it's U.S. embassy or consulates into casinos that cater to U.S. residents the State Department will undoubtedly ask them to stop. Then when they don't stop we will revoke the diplomatic immunity of the foreign officials running the games and order them to leave the U.S. Final step is closing the whole facility and sending everyone home.

But if the embassy staff wants to play online poker while onsite that won't be any problem. Ditto if you are a U.S. resident employed as a chef or something and you want to play on your breaks. It's not against U.S. law on embassy grounds and there is no political reason to make a foreign policy issue out of it.