My Thoughts on the DOJ lawsuit
It has been a week since the DOJ closed down several on line Poker sites in the USA. There have been many opinions, stories and thoughts on their action and I have read several of them.
First and foremost let me say I feel terrible for all the reporters who have given their personal lives up to be a part of something they love.
Without the advertising dollars of these on line sites, many websites and magazines will be put on hold. There will be no money to pay those who travel the circuit and give us Poker addicts updates on our favorite players and the happenings at the events.
People who write articles for Poker magazines will not be paid and editors will have little money to publish.
I have had the privilege to be able to get to know many of these reporters at WPT events here in LA. The WPT who issued me a press credential allows me to sit and talk with these fine upstanding individuals and it's amazing the hard work, long hours they put into satisfying us Poker enthusiasts.
I could go o about my friends who are players who will be affected by this and several websites I go to but all of you already know this.
I believe if this was such a heinous crime the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder would have filed this case himself.
A USA District Attorney in New York took it upon himself to use our tax dollars to spend countless hours piecing together enough circumstantial evidence to make a case.
Monies which could have been used for more severe incidents occurring in our country. I am sure he had to get permission from another higher up to open this case and spend THOUSANDS investigating and researching online sites to present enough facts to a Judge to obtain his court order but where does it say online Poker is illegal?
How many other Internet crimes that occur in the USA such as identity theft,Child pornography, phony charitable organizations could use the DOJ's attention?
The UIGEA does not say online Poker is illegal, just the depositing methods. The 1961 wire act does not say online Poker is illegal.
The Interstate Wire Act of 1961, often called the Federal Wire Act, is a United States federal law prohibiting the operation of certain types of betting businesses in the United States. It begins with the text:
Quote:
Whoever being engaged in the business of betting or wagering knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.[1]
The law has been interpreted by some, including the Department of Justice, to mean that all forms of online gambling are illegal. However, U.S. Courts have ruled to the contrary. Also, many[who?] believe the phrase "in the business of" means only businesses are affected. Some argue that the law only covers sports betting, and not other forms of gambling such as poker.
The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Wire Act applies only to sports betting and not other types of online gambling.[2] The Supreme Court has not ruled on the meaning of the Federal Wire Act as it pertains to online gambling.
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There have been a few bills presented in Congress to legalize online Poker and I believe this lawsuit has brought this to the forefront and I expect some newly developing legislation to be presented and acted on in the very near future.
This case has to go infront of a Federal Judge also. These Judges are appointed and I am sure politics will be played out. How long this will take, no one knows for sure.
I hope these sites don't make a deal with the DOJ due to over reacting to the players demands for their money. I think they have a great case in proving their sites are legal and the UIGEA bill should have not been attached to the Port Authority bill.
We will see in the coming weeks. In the mean time the Csinos that have been against the online sites are seeing an increase in play. This is going to allow them to say "we told you so, these sites have taken income away from us".
Since I have been involved in the Poker Community and started my charitable organization, I have seen first hand what many of these sites have done for charity and they all as well as the ones in need are going to suffer.
It is truly time for us voting American citizens to take a stand. We decide who goes into office and those we elect are supposed to be OUR voice, However so many of them who promise to do right by us have their own agenda once elected and it's usually not the promises they made to us during their campaigns.
We have the right to recall as Californians did with Gray Davis a few years ago thinking Arnold would be better.
If Obama can raise 4 million dollars in one night in LA for his campaign I am sure Poker Players could gather enough funds and hire those needed to help get the ball rolling on changing our State and Federal politicians or maybe just the threat will make them have a change of mind and be the VOICE of the people.
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