[Skallagrim]

The regulations cant MAKE online poker illegal or legal. It either already is or isnt (actually to be exact, the question really is whether transferring money for the purpose of playing online poker is legal or illegal). The regs could say that they are specifically including poker sites or specifically excluding them, but I doubt that.

I posted the below in another thread, but it is a pretty good summary of what will or will not be answered in the regulations. I suggest we use it as a starting point for analysis when looking at the actual regulations:

Can a bank transfer my money for the purpose of playing online Bridge at a dollar a point?

There is no Federal Law about Bridge. In South Carolina, however, it is against the law to play ANY card game for money. Does this law, which way predates the internet, apply to the internet? Who decides that? And if it does apply, does that mean mean money transfer agents (like banks) must monitor every online transaction to make sure its not a South Carolinian playing online Bridge for money or they otherwise violate the UIGEA? How about the fact that online Bridge sites, are not "in the business of betting and wagering (as casinos and sports books are) but are in the business of providing an environment where others bet and wager, does that make a difference? How about if a Costa Rican company sells you "phone time" but then allows you to use those phone credits to transfer credits to an online Bridge site? Should/Can the bank that issues your credit card stop you from buying those Costa Rican phone credits? And why should South Carolina have the right to require national and international companies to know and enforce its law regarding the internet (if its law applies to the internet) doesn't that violate the Interstate Commerce Clause of the US Constitution? Is playing Bridge for money gambling just because SC includes it in their anti-gambling laws? Some Courts have held bridge to be a game of skill. Who decides that, SC or the Feds?

See what I mean? Will the regs answer any of these questions? If they dont, who will?

Skallagrim