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

[rokstedy]

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What is the old saying that Former New York Giants' GM George Young said, "If it is not about the money, it is about the money and when someone SAYS it is not about the money, it is REALLY about the money." The moral stance is just a cover for the money. The US gov't is p!ssed bc they can't get their cut!

It is ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY!

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One of the best quotes EVAH!

[banditdad]

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What is the old saying that Former New York Giants' GM George Young said, "If it is not about the money, it is about the money and when someone SAYS it is not about the money, it is REALLY about the money." The moral stance is just a cover for the money. The US gov't is p!ssed bc they can't get their cut!

It is ALWAYS ABOUT THE MONEY!

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You're only partly right. Money is a factor, but it's mostly about the publicity. By introducing an anti-online gambling bill, a nothing congressman like Bill Frist gets his name in the papers, his face on TV and his name on the lips of various commentators who wish to sound out an opinion. The more controversy surrounding a bill like this, or an issue like this, the more it forces various politicians to take sides, and the more it benefits the person who introduces it.

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Well in this case it didn't work out that way. Jim Leach lost his seat in the House and Bill Frist has said he will not run for reelection for the Senate and will go back to practicing medicine. He has also given up his run for the Republican Presidential nomination.

As to sources: Cardplayer Jan. 9th, 2007 reported on the Sands Corp. going online and on Leach's election loss. The contributions to his campaign come from public documents. I think I got the information regarding Harrahs going online from a press release regrding Harrahs going private. It was part of their "long term planning". The info regarding MGM starting to lobby for a carve out comes straight from the "horses mouth" as it were. I have some contacts, because of my business, with a number of executives there. I know for a fact that 2 years ago the idea was proposed to the MGM/GRAND top management that they look into going online. I know the guy who proposed and I read the proposal.

I agree with the poster who said it's all about the money. It is. And there is too much money in online poker for big corps. to not want a piece.

I have a friend who owns a piece of a small skin of Doyle's Room. Once he paid back the "franchise" fee it's like a license to print money. I kick myself whenever I think about how he offered me a piece a couple of years ago and I turned it down.

Any industry, (insurance, banking, gambling, ebay) where there is huge cash flow with no physical inventory and very little real overhead will make a killing. Look at INGDirect. I am 100% confident that at some point a carveout will be created for poker. I just don't know when that crveout will be. Maybe it depends on how much $$ Hilary, or Barak Obama or whoever needs to win the election.

[ekdikeo]

There might be something to the thought of the "credit business" thing, if it's not something to do with them, then it's at least being used as an excuse, as that is one of the first parts of the UIGEA, is stating that part of the reason the legislation was enacted was because of the huge credits people were generating.

[caguma]

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That's why I think many of us screwed up by writing letters to congressmen, or forming the PPA or whatever. The more we bring legislation to the forefront like this, the more likely it is to pass, because, like I say, it forces politicans to pick sides, and who is going to get negative press if they vote against illegal gambling? If the country had ignored UIGEA and said something to the effect of, "internet gambling, bah, who cares?" the whole legislation issue might have died a quiet death in commitee.

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This isn't true at all. The less the public cares about an issue, the more leeway politicians, lobbyists (for the NFL) and special interest groups (like the Southern Baptists) get to push their own agendas. When the people really start to make an outcry that's when they have to buck up and listen to their voters or get thrown out. The problem with American politics is this doesn't happen much so our country is mostly run by the elites elected to office and lobbyists.