Regulating online poker and sites by "taxing" the rake?

[oldbookguy]

What you are suggesting is basically an excise tax?

Or would this replace any income tax the site may owe the U.S. government.

Additionally, the rake you propose would require determing what portion of the total rake came from U.S. players and non U. S. players, the government would not be entitled to the latter.

There are excise taxes in place already, .25% (from legal wagering, 2% from illegal wagering), why should this be any different?

There is a House Bill that deals with this, a simple 2% excise tax of deposits made from the U. S., no by the game / hand excise tax / rake. Thios would be much simplier and easier for all to enforce and accept.

BTW, the 2% proposed has a claus that it NOT be deducted from the deposit credited to the players account as well.

obg