[Piece of Cake]

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What's the difference? I'll point out a few.

1.) Investing contributes to U.S. GDP and is taxable. Offshore poker operations do not.
2.) A decent poker player can potentially have a bigger edge with less uncertainty (at modest stakes) than a "decent" investor.
3.) To almost anyone outside of poker, the difference is that poker is a game of chance and investing is a game of skill. You won't be able to convince them otherwise since they live in the real world and you are some kooky gambler.

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1. This is the very argument that the WTO is presenting. It's not an excuse to ban poker. I can invest via an offshore broker if I choose and I still have to pay taaxes. And they certainly can't ban only offshore brokers.
2. This is a great reason why poker is less of a gamble than the stock market.
3. You propose that people feel there's no risk in investing - I won't argue, but there's a reason why legally all those fund prospectus have that big disclaimer that says returns aren't guaranteed.