Global legislative trend for online poker

[whangarei]

What do you think is the trend for other countries' treatment of online poker (regulating, banning, ignoring)? It seems England and Italy are close to regulating, and France and the Netherlands are close to banning.

[downrange]

Don't count U.S. out just yet.

This is sheer speculation on my part and concerns only online poker but I'm hugely optimistic. We could be in for a little rough sledding in the U.S. for a period but all in all I think this is most helpful - instead of fighting over U.S. customers, poker sites will be forced to develop untapped markets. That's great for when we return.

The reason I'm optimistic isn't naivete but reality - there's a boatload of poker playing in the U.S. and there's no way anyone can ignore its economics now that there's a focal point for all that money (that being online poker sites as opposed to millions of individual home games).

I also strongly feel that Congress hugely overreacted. I understand Congress acts mostly on behalf of the states in this regard but I think Congress got way out in front - where were all the calls for action? There weren't any.

I think the anti-gambling forces U.S. online poker got caught up with are largely highly concentrated; I'm fairly certain it does not have any widespread appeal. The tough sledding I mentioned now is that this uncalled for, likely unpopular/unsupported leap by Congress has to get unravelled.

I don't know how that happens and I don't know how long it takes but when we come out the other side I think online poker will be bigger than ever.

Pollyanna signing off.

[Babygrand]

I think your optimism is great, off based, but great. Online poker has 0 chance of getting regulated in the United States. I know you want to think that poker is a good venture for the U.S. government, but it is not. I want poker to be legal more than anyone in the world. It pays my college tuition and I enjoy a rather healthy college lifestyle.

Good ventures for the U.S. governnment require production or leisure. However, note that leisure is only good for the economy if it does not come with loss of any production. Poker players that leave their jobs do not produce for the economy. Given the growth of online poker, 1-2% of the labor supply has been stripped and it could potentially get a lot worse. This is why Vegas casinos and other forms of gambling are still legal. Only a very slim percentage of people will quit their jobs because of their fortunes. Production is not lost, gambling is upheld as a form of leisure, and for the most part it does not cause huge detriment to many peoples' lives or familes.

Profitable poker players are taking money from working Americans' disposable income. Disposable income that would otherwise be spent on goods and put back into the economy and retaxed.

The government has set precedent that some forms of gambling is legal and can be regulated. But convincing legislators that online poker should be legal is a daunting task.

Politicians do not care that poker requires skill. Period.

[MilkMan]

[ QUOTE ]
The reason I'm optimistic isn't naivete but reality - there's a boatload of poker playing in the U.S. and there's no way anyone can ignore its economics

[/ QUOTE ]

there's a boatload of illegal drugs getting done too - you reckon that industry is gonna be legalised and regulated also?

[playforGod]

[ QUOTE ]
I think your optimism is great, off based, but great. Online poker has 0 chance of getting regulated in the United States. I know you want to think that poker is a good venture for the U.S. government, but it is not. I want poker to be legal more than anyone in the world. It pays my college tuition and I enjoy a rather healthy college lifestyle.

Good ventures for the U.S. governnment require production or leisure. However, note that leisure is only good for the economy if it does not come with loss of any production. Poker players that leave their jobs do not produce for the economy. Given the growth of online poker, 1-2% of the labor supply has been stripped and it could potentially get a lot worse. This is why Vegas casinos and other forms of gambling are still legal. Only a very slim percentage of people will quit their jobs because of their fortunes. Production is not lost, gambling is upheld as a form of leisure, and for the most part it does not cause huge detriment to many peoples' lives or familes.

Profitable poker players are taking money from working Americans' disposable income. Disposable income that would otherwise be spent on goods and put back into the economy and retaxed.

The government has set precedent that some forms of gambling is legal and can be regulated. But convincing legislators that online poker should be legal is a daunting task.

Politicians do not care that poker requires skill. Period.

[/ QUOTE ]

Valid points indeed. Is online poker good for society and the overall economic welfare of this nation? If we conclude that it is not, then does our government have the right to outlaw it? One thing we must understand is that we have long since been a "government for the people by the people"...
Strictly speaking in a philosophic sense: Does online poker fall within our "right to pursue happiness" in the Bill of rights? There certainly are deeper issues here than just cards.... Are we really the country we sing about when we hear those words "Land of the free" ?
I love online poker and my ability to sit in my living room and play it. Soon, I may not legally be allowed to do so anymore, yet in Communist nations all over Asia and the rest of the world allow there citizens too...tragic

America, still the greatest nation on the face of the earth? Keep telling yourself that, you just may believe it...lol

[MasterLJ]

[ QUOTE ]
I think your optimism is great, off based, but great. Online poker has 0 chance of getting regulated in the United States. I know you want to think that poker is a good venture for the U.S. government, but it is not. I want poker to be legal more than anyone in the world. It pays my college tuition and I enjoy a rather healthy college lifestyle.

Good ventures for the U.S. governnment require production or leisure. However, note that leisure is only good for the economy if it does not come with loss of any production. Poker players that leave their jobs do not produce for the economy. Given the growth of online poker, 1-2% of the labor supply has been stripped and it could potentially get a lot worse. This is why Vegas casinos and other forms of gambling are still legal. Only a very slim percentage of people will quit their jobs because of their fortunes. Production is not lost, gambling is upheld as a form of leisure, and for the most part it does not cause huge detriment to many peoples' lives or familes.

Profitable poker players are taking money from working Americans' disposable income. Disposable income that would otherwise be spent on goods and put back into the economy and retaxed.

The government has set precedent that some forms of gambling is legal and can be regulated. But convincing legislators that online poker should be legal is a daunting task.

Politicians do not care that poker requires skill. Period.

[/ QUOTE ]

You seriously think that 1-2% of the workforce became online pros?

[Mondogarage]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I think your optimism is great, off based, but great. Online poker has 0 chance of getting regulated in the United States. I know you want to think that poker is a good venture for the U.S. government, but it is not. I want poker to be legal more than anyone in the world. It pays my college tuition and I enjoy a rather healthy college lifestyle.

Good ventures for the U.S. governnment require production or leisure. However, note that leisure is only good for the economy if it does not come with loss of any production. Poker players that leave their jobs do not produce for the economy. Given the growth of online poker, 1-2% of the labor supply has been stripped and it could potentially get a lot worse. This is why Vegas casinos and other forms of gambling are still legal. Only a very slim percentage of people will quit their jobs because of their fortunes. Production is not lost, gambling is upheld as a form of leisure, and for the most part it does not cause huge detriment to many peoples' lives or familes.

Profitable poker players are taking money from working Americans' disposable income. Disposable income that would otherwise be spent on goods and put back into the economy and retaxed.

The government has set precedent that some forms of gambling is legal and can be regulated. But convincing legislators that online poker should be legal is a daunting task.

Politicians do not care that poker requires skill. Period.

[/ QUOTE ]

You seriously think that 1-2% of the workforce became online pros?

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course, haven't you read all those posts saying there's 22 million online poker players in the US? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

obv, at least 2-4 million of them are professionals.

/sarcasm font off

Actually, I think it highly unlikely there are more than 10,000 people in the US playing online "professionally", and probably a lot less. (in quotes to account for those who run bad 100% of the time but still don't have day jobs)

I'm amazed at how bad at math online players are...must be the overreliance on PT and PAHUD. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[whangarei]

I think it will get much worse in the U.S. before it gets better.

But I'd really like to hear thoughts on legislative trends in the rest of the world.

[JacJacAtk]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

You seriously think that 1-2% of the workforce became online pros?

[/ QUOTE ]

Of course, haven't you read all those posts saying there's 22 million online poker players in the US? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

obv, at least 2-4 million of them are professionals.

/sarcasm font off

Actually, I think it highly unlikely there are more than 10,000 people in the US playing online "professionally", and probably a lot less. (in quotes to account for those who run bad 100% of the time but still don't have day jobs)

I'm amazed at how bad at math online players are...must be the overreliance on PT and PAHUD. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe there's levelling going on here, but just in case not, it's math like this that makes me happy to be one of the (part-time) pros.

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[downrange]

I deleted this out of respect to OP who wants to talk about other countrys' legislation.