Back when it was all banned there was an argument that the ban had little or nothing to do with protecting gamblers. It was to protect American companies (both on and offline) who were getting their lunch eaten by foreign competitors.
Now they\’re thinking of allowing it again:
With pressure mounting on the federal government to find new revenues, Congress is considering legalizing, and taxing, an activity it banned just four years ago: Internet gambling.
Note what\’s buried in the bill:
….and prohibit companies that violated the 2006 ban from obtaining licenses.
\”Violating the 2006 ban\” will no doubt be interpreted as \”existing, anywhere, after the 2006 ban\” so none of the incumbent companies will get a licence.
Way to protect the domestic industry, eh?
Haha. “Vegas mobsters have more power over US government than Gibraltar chancers” shock. Although:
1) the only guy who actually spent time in jail over offshore gaming was nominally in charge of a UK plc based in Gibraltar, but was actually funded by NJ mobsters (BetOnSports);
2) because it was always obviously illegal, the big UK-fanbase gaming companies (WillHill, PaddyPower, Betfair) never operated in the US to start with, so will still be eligible.
Effectively, it’s the “Fuck you, Ruth Parasol and everyone who was daft enough to invest in her shonky company” bill. Dikshits, the lot of them.
The 2006 law was aimed at financial institutions, so surely poker sites cannot have violated it?