# Online Poker in the US - RIP **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 2, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010 "2006-10-02T17:51:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/1 "2006-10-02T17:51:13Z")
[http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061002/bs\_nm/leisure\_partygaming\_dc](http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061002/bs_nm/leisure_partygaming_dc) > [@](#): > > Online gambling firms faced their biggest-ever crisis on Monday after U.S. Congress passed legislation to end Internet gaming there, threatening jobs and wiping 3.5 billion pounds ($6.5 billion) off company values. > > Britain’s PartyGaming Plc, operator of leading Internet poker site [PartyPoker.com](http://PartyPoker.com), and rivals Sportingbet and 888 Plc said they would likely pull out of the United States, their biggest source of revenue. > **[London Stock Exchange | London Stock Exchange](https://www.londonstockexchange.com/LSECWS/IFSPages/MarketNewsPopup.aspx?id=1308926&source=RNS)** > > null > [@](#): > > The Act is expected to be signed into law by President Bush within the next two weeks. If signed into law, it will immediately make unlawful the receipt by a gambling business of proceeds or monies in connection with unlawful internet gambling. The Act does not clarify the definition of unlawful gambling. However, as the first piece of Federal legislation dealing explicitly with internet gaming, it does make clear that the US government intends to stop the flow of funds from Americans to online gaming operators through criminal sanction. The Act also asserts that, under US law, a wager must be permitted under the laws both of the customer’s place of residence and that of the operator. > > After taking extensive legal advice, the Board of PartyGaming Plc has concluded that the new legislation, if signed into law, will make it practically impossible to provide US residents with access to its real money poker and other real money gaming sites. As a result of this development, the Board of PartyGaming has determined that if the President signs the Act into law, the Company will suspend all real money gaming business with US residents, and such suspension will continue indefinitely I wish to thank the Congress and the President from saving me from myself. Lord, knows I don’t know what’s good for me. I have found entirely too difficult to be an adult and to make my own decisions. I also wish to thank all those out there who in fact cannot control their gambling. Thank you for ruining it for everybody else. Thank you Nanny state!! ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/2 "2006-10-02T18:00:23Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] Thank you Nanny state!! [/QUOTE] I’m sure many folks will piont out that this has everything to do protecting the interests of the gambling industry within our borders. They are the ones who donated the huge amount of $$$ to politicians - now they’re getting some return on their investment. ---
**Author:** ![Yeticus\_Rex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a698b9/32.png) [@Yeticus\_Rex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yeticus_Rex)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/3 "2006-10-02T18:02:58Z")
Ugh. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/4 "2006-10-02T18:17:14Z")
There’s already a pit thread on this. > [@](#): > > I’m sure many folks will piont out that this has everything to do protecting the interests of the gambling industry within our borders. They are the ones who donated the huge amount of $$$ to politicians - now they’re getting some return on their investment. That’s very unlikely to be the case. From my post in the other thread: > [@](#): > > The Brick & Mortar gaming companies would love nothing more than for online gambling to become totally legitimate because they are in the best position out of anyone to profit from such a situation. Even failing that, however, the status quo is preferable to an effective ban. A rising tide raises all ships – the boom in online gaming brings more people to their doors, as well. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/5 "2006-10-02T20:00:34Z")
[QUOTE=Gangster Octopus] I also wish to thank all those out there who in fact cannot control their gambling. Thank you for ruining it for everybody else. Thank you Nanny state!! [/QUOTE] The law wasn’t actually passed out of concern for people harming themselves - it was a blatant attempt to appease right-wing kooks. I don’t want you to mistake this for anything resembling good intentions. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/6 "2006-10-02T20:51:12Z")
I agree with **VarlosZ**. I’d be very surprised to learn that the brick & mortar casinos support this legislation. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/7 "2006-10-02T22:31:58Z")
Is there a link somewhere to the text of the bill and the results of the Senate and House voting? ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2006, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/8 "2006-10-02T22:48:02Z")
So does this mean I should cash out toot sweet? (I don’t play much anymore, but I have a few C’s sitting in an account…) ---
**Author:** ![Mayo\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mayo\_Speaks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mayo_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/9 "2006-10-03T00:45:09Z")
Bill Frist is cordially invited to kiss the fattest part of my ass for this. I’m thinking of going to Tennessee, following him around, and shouting “Fuck you, you fucking dick!” I’ll have nothing better to do with my spare time, now that online play isn’t an option. I guess I’ll have to get a fake ID and play in the casinos now so that I can die from secondhand smoke. Thanks, Bill! Also, he [killed a bunch of shelter cats](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Frist_medical_school_experiments_controversy), so I’d rather someone protect [the cute little kittens](http://x1a.xanga.com/e04a00624363039445610/b19282057.jpg) from Bill Frist before Bill Frist tries to protect me from making some money. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/10 "2006-10-03T01:19:06Z")
[QUOTE=bouv] Is there a link somewhere to the text of the bill and the results of the Senate and House voting? [/QUOTE] [http://www.rules.house.gov/109\_2nd/text/hr4954cr/hr49543\_portscr.pdf](http://www.rules.house.gov/109_2nd/text/hr4954cr/hr49543_portscr.pdf) sections 802/803 Lots of info here: [http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=7501744&an=0&page=0](http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=7501744&an=0&page=0) ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/11 "2006-10-03T15:05:05Z")
I work at a brick & morter gaming establishment. Sure, online poker has increased awareness of peoples abilities to come help pay my mortgage. The downside is that poker is a game of numbers AND people. Playing someone at a table with real chips is very different than clicking a mouse. There are things that happen online that do not happen IRL, there is a culture tied to poker, the online sites don’t address that. I can spot someone who has never walked into a poker room a mile away. I can spot a person that has watched WAY too much poker on TV about 50 miles away. We call them the “travel channel kids.” Most of our players do play online, however, they still come in. I will enjoy seeing if this ban will be as easy to enforce as prohibition was. Can’t we work on child porn ring? spammers? online predators? ---
**Author:** ![ColonelDax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@ColonelDax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ColonelDax)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2006, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/online-poker-in-the-us-rip/375010/12 "2006-10-03T17:28:16Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] I’d be very surprised to learn that the brick & mortar casinos support this legislation. [/QUOTE] I don’t know about their stance on this particular measure, but the industry trade group, the American Gaming Association, [said](http://www.americangaming.org/Press/press_releases/press_detail.cfv?ID=394) in May it supported the formation of a congressional committee to look at online gambling and consider whether it should be legalized. IMHO, Harrah’s et al quite obviously hope that they’ll be authorized to enter the arena and win back some of the business lost to PartyGaming and the other Web gambling companies.