Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Posted on 06/07/2007 5:09:21 PM PDT by JTN
The Skill Game Protection Act Defines Poker as a Skill Game
A Florida politician who believes poker should be considered a game of skill has introduced a bill that would allow people to play online poker legally with government protection in the United States.
The Skill Game Protection Act had been introduced by Representative Robert Wexler (D-Fla.). The bill would make several games, including poker, mah-jongg, bridge, and chess, exempt from current laws aimed against online gambling.
Basically, the bill aims to clarify which games are skill games and which games are not. The bill specifically calls poker a game of skill, and if passed, also calls for a system to be in place that would tax and regulated all real-money games of skill to ensure that both the games remain fair and that minors and compulsive gamblers wouldn’t be able to play.
The bill would add language to existing laws – including the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act – that would define poker and the other games mentioned as games of skill. It would allow adults 18 and older to play real-money skill games online.
This is the second bill introduced this year that would tax and regulate online gambling. Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced a bill that would create an exemption to the ban on online gambling for properly licensed operators. Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.) also introduced a bill earlier this year that calls for an intense study to learn the feasibility of taxing and regulating online gambling in the United States.
Gambling addiction is a terrible disease. And it is insidiously easy to become addictive. It is as destructive as alcoholism to families. Quite often the two addictions even go together. Both are bad news for families. Bad news for dreams. Bad news for children. Very bad news for those addicted who stand to lose everthing. NO ONLINE GAMBLING!!!
“It is as destructive as alcoholism to families.”
Well then by all means abolish alcohol as well if you support the ban on online gambling. Why stop there though when there are so many ways we could make everybody healthier and happier. Gambling is about the least expensive hobby I have and I do not have a problem as you described. Why should I suffer if some folks have a problem. Here’s a clue. If someone is likely to ruin their lives due to a gambling addiction they’ll merely find something else to ruin it with when you outlaw gambling.
I am talking about gambling online. It is too easy for a person to get into it to the point where it becomes an addiction. Usually the people who become addicted are the people who can least afford it. Heavens! Even Free Republic is addicting! But FR is not harmful to the user. Not that I’ve heard of anyway. Gambling can and does become very harmful.
I didn’t say anything about outlawing gambling. If you want to gamble and can afford it, go to a casino. You don’t need it in your livingroom.
Are you kidding?
I see millions of Americans in credit card debt because they're addicted to irrational spending. Should we ban credit cards?!
ROTFLOL
So, we've decided that gambling should be legal. Now we just decide on how high are the stakes and where it can be done.
So you're going to outlaw the 50 cent neighborhood games?
Or are casinos allowed to play games for a penny or a nickel (slots), or $5 a hand (blackjack), or $20 to $50 a hand (poker) and no one else?
The gambling addicted will lose it all at a casino also and I can tell you that I'd rather play a $1 game of poker for an hour in my living room than go to a casino where it's $2 to $8 a bet minimum.
Why should I have the government controlling where I play small stakes poker?
Frankly, I could care less what you do. I just want to protect the naive and impressionable. And I do not want to tempt a potential addict who can have gambling at his fingertips. From your response, I gather gambling is far wider spred than I had ever imagined.
Obviously, I am against gambling. To me all money belongs to God, and we are responsible for being good stewards of it. I don’t think gambling is good stewardship. Period.
We used to be a saving Nation. My husband and I took many years to collect good furniture and a very nice house. We lived within our means. Imagine that!
But now we are a debtor nation. Today too many people want instant gratification. They want everything it took years for their parents to accumulate and they want it right now. Credit cards have not been good for the debt structure of the family, nor for the country. It is too bad they came into existence, but ban them? No.
Apparently, from the tone of your posts, you do care what I do, otherwise you wouldn't care where I play my low stakes poker games.
And I do not want to tempt a potential addict who can have gambling at his fingertips.
You can't protect people from themselves, they have to do that themselves.
A potential gambling addict that doesn't have the willpower to resisit is going to find somewhere they can gamble no matter how much you try to take away their access to it.
From your response, I gather gambling is far wider spred than I had ever imagined.
It probably is. There are many people who gather personally and more that gather online for a fun low stake game of chance and skill, to chat with each other, make witty repartee, and, in general, visit with each other.
If you don't have the wherewithal to play high stakes and lose you better not be playing high stakes. Don't lose the rent and grocery money but a couple dollars a week will very rarely hurt the vast majority of people.
To me all money belongs to God, and we are responsible for being good stewards of it. I don’t think gambling is good stewardship. Period.
If you want to control everyone because of your religon, you might want to move to another country.
It's what the Islamists want too.
Did I say that you should have the same view I do? I was explaining why I think the way I do. My dear, my families on both sides have been here since Jamestown. They have fought for our freedoms all the generations since. You are very ungracious and I think you don’t want to conduct a conversation. You just want to pick a fight.
bookmark
“Those off-shore casinos have been lobbying for a long time to be legalized in the US and would be more then happy to be taxed if they could do business.”
Just the opposite. The off-shore folks refused to tax winnings. The US gov’t couldn’t force them to pay. The US gov’t made it illegal for banks to fund off-shore accounts and for those accounts to pay winnings to Americans. The off-shore companies stopped taking bets from Americans. Try opening an account with Pinnacle. The off-shore companies, PUBLIC companies, lost tons of investors’ dollars.
In Florida, don’t forget Jai-alai.
Incidently, I just read this—
Calder among groups to ask for slots referendum
Awful lot of that “fair” gambling going on down in Fla.
I don't disagree, but I think another reason for that is taxation. Perhaps it would be easier for people to save money if we didn't have to pay income tax, FICA, soc. security tax, property tax, gas tax, sin tax, and so on.
Oh, I agree with the rats also. I just hate the hypocrisy.
“Fairness”, “minors and compulsive gamblers”? Look at all the Lotto games they have in Fla. Not to mention horse racing, greyhound racing, Jai-alai. Now they have slots, also.
I can tell wexler is concerned with “compulsive gamblers. Let’s give them some more opportunities to fight that compulsion.
With all due respect: That is not your job. And it is an encroachment of others' rights.
If, by "picking a fight", you mean showing you why the government should not be involved in this - if by, "picking a fight", you mean showing you that your religous beliefs should not be the overarching point in any discussion about low stakes gambling - if by, "picking a fight", you mean pointing out what I thought were errors in your thinking, then you're right, I was, "picking a fight".
WEll THANK YOU so much.
On behalf of all the naive and impressionable I would like to extend my gratitude for your selfless concern.
However ... before we go further into this relationship , I’m going to have to ask you for some references.
If you would please supply a list of all the “mistakes” that you have made in life .
A list of all the “good” choices” .
And a list of all the “as yet to be determined” views .
We will submit this to our review panel. A determination will be made based on the recommendations of the panel.
Again ... thank you for your concern..
Libertarian ping! To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here.
Only if the federal government does the recognition of liberty require extra paper work. All that is needed is a bill that says: "The following laws are hearby repealed: (and then list them)".
Don’t EVER trust ANYTHING from Wexler, he is a snake. He is really about as smarmy as it gets, no, seriously! He makes people like Reid and Pelosi look gracious and dignified.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.