Re: First & Friends Not Done Yet
I wonder what the implications of a bill that addressed the financial transactions but not the Wire Act would be. Let's say the bill says it's illegal for US banks and credit card companies to facilitate gambling transactions. Credit cards are irrelevant since they for the most part don't allow these transactions today anyway. Banks are going to face a huge uphill battle to root out gambling transactions especially given the existence of offshore processors like Neteller. It's unclear that they could stop a company like Neteller: what's to say I'm not funding my Neteller account so that I can purchase a book?
If the Wire Act isn't updated, it would seem that the individual act of playing poker online wouldn't be criminalized. The law would remain as nebulous as ever, only explicitly addressing sports betting via phone lines.
Not saying there's no cause for concern. It seems that turning McConnell may be a significant key to Frist getting this done. But I can envision an outcome where a gambling "ban" is basically a paper tiger. Frist can claim he took a stand on the issue while he panders to the evangelical right while the rest of us go on playing poker.
Thoughts?
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