A need for calm

[larsjones]

I think it's time we all took a step back and took a look at what's REALLY going on with the government and online gaming(namely poker).

There's no question that Texas Hold em, or poker(to us native texans, thank you), has taken the nation completely by storm. The american government is THE greediest institution in the world. They want a piece of what's going on with this huge "new" enterprise called poker. That's all it is.

They can try to outlaw it in the name of whatever they chooe, but this will NEVER be effective. Last time I checked, we had soldiers in Iraq. There's a guy in N Korea making a ton of noise over nothing, and somehow, poker finds its way to the forefront of affairs?

I don't see a need for panic here, nor will I ever. If I'm Partypoker, or any site, and I see this stuff happening, you know what I start doing? I get my software team working on a proprietary means of transactions. This way, it's a part of the oker software, and therefore, cannot be outlawed since it integral to my offshore venture.

I'm no lawyer, but I THINK this illustrates the kind of thing that will emerge should this obviously stuid legislation find its way under Bush's pen.

This reminds me of when the RIAA sought to outlaw the download of copyrighted music. We all know how that has turned out.

[Berge20]

People who really want to find away around any type of ban will always do so. I will never deny that and it may well include all players who post on this site.

Personally, I believe the large problem goes to the sheer number of players who see poker on ESPN/Travel Channel/Etc and decide they want to try it out. Are they going to go to such lengths that may be necessary to continue (or start) playing online?

I would argue that a vast majority in that category would not --the same players that make the games juicy and good. If they are not there in the same quanitity, games get more difficult b/c the pool of fish shrinks dramatically.

[AZplaya]

Berge you hit the nail on the head. It's not the 2+2er crushing the games for 10+BB's/100 I'm worried about. It's the fish who likes to gamble and donates $500 a week at NL $50. Most people are just casual players, and aren't going to go into setting up off shore accounts, etc., they will just find other hobbies.

[TruePoker CEO]

"This way, it's a part of the oker software, and therefore, cannot be outlawed since it integral to my offshore venture."

Fine sentiment, but out of touch with reality ....

EVERY poker software has transactions built in. This poster misses the two basic issues of the poker business attacked by HR4411's fiancial provisions:

1. How does a player pay for his chips/deposit money ?

2. How does the site turn cashouts into real money in the players' hands.

What software the SITE has means nothing, unless there is access to third party finaical institutions to facilitate transfers of REAL money from and to players.

Should Party buy a bank ? I would have thought they already did.

[TruePoker CEO]

True

[Lawman007]

This whole "need for calm" mentality is what got this bill passed by a 3-1 margin in the House the other day. The same thing will probably happen in the Senate unless we poker players flood our senators with letters, e-mails, and phone calls opposing this bill.