The G.O.P.’s Bad Bet

N Y Times ^ | 10/19/2006 | CHARLES MURRAY

[Sabramerican]

LAST week President Bush signed a law that will try to impede online gambling by prohibiting American banks from transferring money to gambling sites. Most Americans probably didn’t notice or care, but it may do significant political damage to the Republicans this fall and long-term damage to Americans’ respect for the law.

So, a month before a major election, the Republicans have allied themselves with a scattering of voters who are upset by online gambling and have outraged the millions who love it. Furthermore, judging from many hours of online chat with Internet poker players, I am willing to bet (if you’ll pardon the expression) that the outraged millions are disproportionately electricians, insurance agents, police officers, mid-level managers, truck drivers, small-business owners — that is, disproportionately Republicans and Reagan Democrats.

In the short term, this law all by itself could add a few more Democratic Congressional seats in the fall elections. We are talking about a lot of people (an estimated 23 million Americans gamble online) who are angry enough to vote on the basis of this one issue, and they blame Republicans.

...... If a free society is to work, the vast majority of citizens must reflexively obey the law not because they fear punishment, but because they accept that the rule of law makes society possible. That reflexive law-abidingness is reinforced when the laws are limited to core objectives that enjoy consensus support, .....

The reaction to Prohibition, the 20th century’s stupidest law, is the archetypal case. But the radical expansion of government throughout the last century has created many more.

[defenderSD]

If it hasn't happened yet, I'm sure it will happen in the future. Gambling has historically been a big source of cash for organized crime, and organized terrorist groups will surely enter the online gambling business if they haven't already.

[meyer]

Re: Post #5; Thanks for posting that list!

[LibertarianInExile]

"I was going to do this since I have relatives in Canada. But no. Party Poker and a bunch of the other sites are actually blocking any gamblers with United States internet providing services. Believe me, I was pissed..."

Try anonymizer.com. And I can't believe nobody's going to work around the issue. Certainly, there will be some sites that will not care about your ISP, either.

"Why do you think internet gamblers don't vote? I do. All the other people I know who play poker online do too."

Okay, your anecdotal claims beat mine 8), but honestly, you think a guy with his finger constantly in the wind like Frist wouldn't have the numbers on this before a vote? I mean, it's not like the good doctor is some conservative firebrand. I think he looked at what he'd lose and what he'd gain first and figured that he was weak in the social conservative backing department, but wouldn't have any difficulty getting the gambler 'voter' cadre on his side after this.

[Stone Mountain]

Try anonymizer.com.

Tried that and some other proxy servers as well. Trouble is, I don't know enough about PP to hack into it to change their program - they don't have any preferences designed for the enduser to change. I agree that a workaround should be happening soon - but Party Poker in particular probably won't allow it unless we change our laws. Other sites will, though.

On the plus side, I won my first big tournament at PokerStars last night - $100 buy-in, Pot-Limit Omaha hi-lo, 150 or so entrants, first prize $4400! : )