Poker Ping!
Freepmail me if you want on the Poker Ping List.
Posted on 08/28/2006 7:05:34 AM PDT by baystaterebel
Inside the quiet San Francisco headquarters of the Poker Players Alliance, a political group that boasts 100,000 members, a laminated poster hangs above the desk of executive director Michael Bolcerek that reads, "The Threat is Real."
In this case, the immediate threat to Bolcerek and his poker-playing army is the growing anti-gambling forces that argue the game is bad for American family values and want to remove it from the Internet. Despite online poker's rabid popularity -- the game now draws an estimated 23 million Americans to their keyboards every day -- it has recently suffered some big-time legislative hits.
In June, citing concerns about underage gambling and illegal wagers, the Washington state Legislature banned online gambling, including poker, making it the first state to effectively shut down virtual card rooms. And in July, the House of Representatives passed the Federal Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act, which would prevent banks and credit card companies from processing payments to Internet gambling sites. Next month, the bill is scheduled for a vote in the Senate, where it's already earned support from online gambling foes, including California Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Where are all the kids with credit cards?
What kid under the age of 18 has a credit card?
You don't much see them around because they're always busy buying wine and cigarettes over the internet. Doesn't leave much time for socializing . . .
BINGO!!! Cut Government in for a slice of the pie and they'll do ANYTHING including eating the whole pie. Poker is dangerous but scatch tickets, Keeno, and the Stock Market are good for the economy? Right.
Looks like they're about to turn the Internet into the Hindernet.
It used to be that Republicans were thought to be the defenders of freedom, not the tools by which it is usurped.
I'm sure they would legalize all drugs if the cut could be high enough and help pay for more teachers for our poor little children.
Land of the (used to be) Free News
This simply drives the gaming companies overseas, where U.S. authorities cannot tax them.
Poker Ping!
Freepmail me if you want on the Poker Ping List.
So F'einstein...I take it that the internet is only in the U.S.
I played last night for the first time in 3 or 4 months. A simple sit-n-go, $3.40 entry fee.
Every stinking hand was a Q-4, Q-3, or Q-2 off-suit. Boooooooo! Congress should ban that, not online gaming.
"the Stock Market [is] good for the economy?"
Well, yes, as a matter of fact, it's quite necessary.
"You give me a kid and a credit card, and he can be gambling online in less than a minute"
Give me a kid and a gun, and he can be shooting old ladies in the street in less than a minute, so we must ban guns, etc, etc...
My point of course is that for many the stock market is no less gambling than playing bingo or betting at the track.
Actually, both my kids have credit cards (15 & 14). But having said that I have already sent letters to my two senators expressing my disagreement with the proposed laws against online poker.
I play online all the time.
Are they your credit cards with your children's names on them? Or are they your children's credit cards?
Seems like it would have to be the first as they are not yet old enough to legally sign a contract.
And just as an aside, it's my belief that 14 or 15 is too young to handle a credit card, especially depending on what the credit limit is.
Your two may be mature enough to be the exceptions to the rule but taken as a whole that age group isn't ready for credit cards, bank loans, or used car buying.
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.