So who's REALLY behind this anti-online gaming push?

[TheJokerIsWild]

"You may be right, but I think there is a pretty good chance we will all be playing at Harrah's on-line in about 6 months."


As much as I wold love for this to be true, I think we are drawing dead on the possibility of this happening.

[PropPlayer]

I thought it all had something to do with port security?

[DING-DONG YO]

[ QUOTE ]
"You may be right, but I think there is a pretty good chance we will all be playing at Harrah's on-line in about 6 months."


As much as I wold love for this to be true, I think we are drawing dead on the possibility of this happening.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in between, I think there's a great chance of this happening, but more like 5-10 years, not 6 months, lol.

[Shack]

[ QUOTE ]
"You may be right, but I think there is a pretty good chance we will all be playing at Harrah's on-line in about 6 months."


As much as I wold love for this to be true, I think we are drawing dead on the possibility of this happening.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why's that??

[LionelHutz00]

[ QUOTE ]

Many of these politicians (and their conservative constituents) simply see online gambling (including poker) as much more insidious than B&M casinos, especially to children. As much as I'd like to look for other reasons behind this legislation, I think the most obvious reason - to stop online gambling - is the most likely one.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think that this is the easiest way for the politicians to justify it to their constituents. But compared to other socially-conservative issues like abortion and gay marriage, online gambling doesn't get people nearly as riled up. The real forces behind the UIGEA are economic, as people in this thread have been saying. The morality argument is just a way of justifying the UIGEA to this country's utterly insane Christian base.

[reecelights]

[ QUOTE ]

That could change if World Poker Tour Enterprises decides to step up its little war against the likes of Full Tilt.


[/ QUOTE ]

WPT does not currently make a profit. Most of their income came from television dollars. Television makes money by selling ads. Most of the ads on WPT on Travel Channel were Party or Stars. They lost 50% of their major advertisers.

Why would WPT want to shut down online poker?

[SmokeNMirrors]

I can see why people think that it is a useless situation. I think the B&M lobbists who might be backing this legisation, along with the bible thumpers/soccer moms who are saving the "family" (I didn't know it was the governments duty to protect children. I thought that was the parents JOB! but I digress)

I think alot of these people think that poker players will just go back to other gambling games at B&M. I, for one, am totally turned off playing any games now bc I see the mental aspect of Poker is so important and that is what one of the reasons I play. Plus, WHO lives close enough to a B&M. I am about 2 hours from AC and over 2 hours from the Indian casinos in CT. Where I can log on at any time and play poker online and give FT/PS/UB/Bodog.. etc rake, B&M are only getting rank when I go to the casino and guess what, that isn't going to increase if I can't play online.

So, I really hope B&Ms have a clue and look into the possibility of opening online poker sites that are regulated by the US gov't, just as the B&M are... I might be wrong but their thought that gamblers will just come back to the casino is way off base...

just my .02 cents ..

[slothinator]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

That could change if World Poker Tour Enterprises decides to step up its little war against the likes of Full Tilt.


[/ QUOTE ]

WPT does not currently make a profit. Most of their income came from television dollars. Television makes money by selling ads. Most of the ads on WPT on Travel Channel were Party or Stars. They lost 50% of their major advertisers.

Why would WPT want to shut down online poker?

[/ QUOTE ]

They don't want online poker to go away. They just realize that the foreign sites are all going to be leaving the US and they will have to wait for the American sites to start up. Assuming that American sites do actually spring up. Then it will just be business as usual for them.

[MasterLJ]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"You may be right, but I think there is a pretty good chance we will all be playing at Harrah's on-line in about 6 months."


As much as I wold love for this to be true, I think we are drawing dead on the possibility of this happening.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm in between, I think there's a great chance of this happening, but more like 5-10 years, not 6 months, lol.

[/ QUOTE ]

QFT

The Fed would have to pave the way for casinos to do this, and they have almost no motivation to do so.

I'm on the fence. On one hand, I'd hate to support these businesses that are strong-arming other businesses out of the market, but at the same time, I love poker.

[revots33]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"You may be right, but I think there is a pretty good chance we will all be playing at Harrah's on-line in about 6 months."


As much as I wold love for this to be true, I think we are drawing dead on the possibility of this happening.

[/ QUOTE ]

Why's that??

[/ QUOTE ]

Well if you listened to the politicians' speeches in support of the bill ("that poor kid who robbed a bank to pay poker debts", "click a mouse, lose your house", etc.) this was obviously more "OMG What about the children!!!" than "What about all the lost tax revenue?"

I guess you oculd argue that the moral crusade was all B.S. and that the real motivation is money. I doubt it, but even if true it would be pretty difficult for politicians to justify U.S.-based online poker months after arguing how evil and dangerous it is to America's youth. If it happens at all it will be years, not months.