Check this out.
Here is a brief exerpt:
So if I cruise on over to the islands of Greece with my snazzy yellow gameboy, I could be fined $$ and tossed into jail. I guess the government is trying to cut down on gambling.
How the heck is this going to work? What about the solataire that comes with my Windows 2002? What do y’all think?
Tibs.
I was looking for a catch that this was a hoax. But it appears genuine…
That law won’t stand up in court, definitely not if it goes to the European evel. Absurd.
Something with a little more substance.
More substance? That article is identical to the one linked to in the OP.
Anybody wanna bet how long before Ashcroft takes this idea and runs with it?
Won’t happen in America cause US companies make lots of money off the games.
I just wonder about people traveling through Greece with a Gameboy or such. And what will happen if they host the Olympics?
They are, in fact, hosting the Olympics. I have no idea what they are going to do and it’s a great question. Can you imagine how many kids and athletes have gameboys to play while they travel? And the number of cell phones with games is staggering.
Tibs.
Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable. And they are applying it to visitors and to cellphones? Goodbye Greek tourist industry. And just in time for the '04 Summer Olympics too.
However… I presume that games with mechanical ‘mechanisms and software’ are okay? So a micromechanically-scanned display operating off a nono-scale rod logic would be legal…
Oh, I see. There were so maany advertisements I thought it was only the beginning of the entire story.
Flippin’ ads. :mad:
The EU will end this joke soon enough.
Insane, utterly insane.
The whole thing appears to be a cover for incompetence; we can’t be bothered to tell the difference between X(which is illegal) and Y(which is harmless), so we’ll just make Y illegal.
It’s the flipside of a similar, but more reasonable, story; that civil aviation authorities are considering banning all laptops from passenger flights in the next few years. The reason is that newer models will take advantage of ultra-wideband technology, which tests have proven can interfere with aircraft collision-avoidance systems. Understandably, authorities may ban all laptops since cabin staff can’t reasonably be expected to tell the difference between UWB-equipped laptops and older models.
The Greek government appears to have taken similar logic to a ludicrous extreme in this case.
I think I guess what the issue is, assuming that the situation is the same in France and Greece :
Gambling is forbidden outside casinos and gaming circles. But there are many places (in particular cafes) with electronic game machines which appear genuine but are actually used for illegal gambling.
These machines offer a chance game (say an electronic poker) but you’re supposed to win only credits to play new games. But actually, the cafe owner will pay you the amount of money corresponding to the “credits” you won. And to prosecute the owner, the only way is to get them at the moment they pay, since it’s perfectly legal to play with a poker machine everywhere you want as long as there’s no payment involved. And of course, the owner won’t pay anything to someone he doesn’t know, nor in front of someone he doesn’t know.
However, since the intend is strinkingly obvious, most owners use machines with several games to avoid attracting undue attention. So, you’ll enter the cafe and you’ll just see a perfectly legitimate shoot-them-up game. But upon request, if he knows you, the owner will switch it to another logiciel, like a poker game. Still legitimate as long as you don’t pay anything to the customer. If you win, he will discreetly hand you the money, at this moment, or later.
So, though I won’t say anything about the law itself, IMO, the intend isn’t to arrest the owners of playstations, but to have a legal leg to stand on when the police wants to bust someone who pretends to only provide shoot-them-up when actually he’s running an illegal mini-casino, without having to get them when they pay the winner and having to prove that the money given was actually related to the game. I at least know the Paris police is pissed off at this issue and has a hard time having anyone sentenced. That’s why I assume it could be the same in Greece.
So, I strongly doubt anybody has to wonder whether he should bring his playstation or not when vacationning in Greece.
If you google - law 3037 you will get several sites on this.
It seems clairobscur is right on the reasons behind it.
Huh … I can see the logic, however the problem is that this, whatever the ostensible intent, by giving the authorities an easy way to charge you with something just because when finding real evidence would be hard, makes it easy to charge you with something “just because”. I can imagine the court:
– “Your honor, this law was meant against barroom gambling devices!”
– “Irrelevant, Your Honor! The law is the law and it clearly says ‘electronic games’!”
I agree…
But as other posters noted, they will most probably be sent packing by the ECHR…
Why on earth are they so determined to deal with electronic gambling in the first place? Isn’t there anything better to legislate against there?
And why do something guaranteed to alienate the EU and its members:
a) When they’re trying to get membership (in order to sponge off wealthier members like the UK and Germany of course.)?
b) When that’s where most of their lucrative and mobilephone/Gameboy/laptop-using tourists come from?
So absurd!
Wow I don’t really have words to address the stupidity in their logic.
I need to look up that Greek BBS sysop who I sold that Video Poker game to, 10 years ago 
Maybe one day I’ll take up hemp farming. As long as you’re on my jury.
AmbushBug
The Greek courts have said the law is unconstitutional so perhaps you will be able to bring your gameboy to Greece.
touche!!!! That analogy hit the nail on the head.(sorry for the cliche) Now Greece doesn't seem more absurd than my home country in that light
:cool: