Do you think UIGEA will succeed in poker?

Question

Please review this thread:

http://www.pokergob.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116

Answer 1

If you make it . . .  they will come. I think that the earfull that congress is getting is making them rethink this retarded law.

The nannies can gripe all they want but if people keep circumventing the blocks and keep telling their congressmen to stick this stupid law, the poker players will win.

We've made tremendous progress and we're not the sort of people to be kept quiet.

I predict congress will be forced to join us rather than trying to beat us.

Answer 2

I think the U.S. Government shot themselves in the foot with this law.  Despite the fact that it's somewhat unenforcable, they haven't been any more successful at banning online gambling as they were with prohibition.  We see how well that worked.

The UIGEA is really more centered around the online casios themselves and the payment processors that process the financial transactions for the online casions, not necessarily the players.  Although I believe there have been some laws prohibiting online gambling on the State level.  Either way, there will never been a way to monitor what your doing on your computer when no one else is in the room with you.

The Antiguan government is in the process of suing the U.S. because of trade violations regarding UIGEA.  It will be interesting to see how that plays out.  In the mean time, I have read about other laws that are being discussed that seem a bit more reasonable.

On April 26, 2007, Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act, which would modify UIGEA by providing a provision for licensing of Internet gambling facilities by the Director of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

On June 7, 2007, Rep. Robert Wexler (D-FL) introduced HR 2610, the Skill Game Protection Act, which would legalize Internet poker, bridge, chess, and other games of skill. Also on June 7, Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA) introduced H.R. 2607, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act. IGRTEA would legislate Internet gambling tax collection requirements.

On June 8, 2007, the House Financial Services Committee, chaired by Barney Frank, held a hearing entitled, "Can Internet Gambling Be Effectively Regulated to Protect Consumers and the Payments System?".[17] Expert witnesses at the hearing testified that Internet gambling can be effectively regulated for age verification, money laundering issues, facilitation of state and federal tax collection, and for issues relating to compulsive gambling.