by Michael Westmont

Created on: May 24, 2007   Last Updated: October 03, 2011

The September 2006 legislation barring online gaming in The United States is nothing more than a tool for opening a dialog. For years, online gaming companies thumbed their noses at the U.S., who had little to offer in the way of resistance other than the Wire Act. I don't know if you have a laptop, but there's no wire for the Wire Act to hold jurisdiction over. This, of course, was the crux of the problem that U.S. lawmakers faced in trying to get the upper-hand on the online gaming industry.

The entire point of the legislation passed last year was to open a dialog between the U.S. and online gaming. More to the point, to get online gaming companies to agree to pay taxes and be regulated in order to operate their businesses in the U.S. If this sounds like extortion, your ears are working. You see, the U.S. Government still has absolutely no control over whether you, the U.S. consumer, decide to gamble on the Internet. In fact, there are so many ways for an individual to fund an online gambling account that it would take an army, literally, for the government to enforce the new legislation.

Several prominent Senators and Representatives have now lined up behind a bill that would force an independent revue of online gaming, how to regulate it, and how to protect our children and addict gamblers from participating in the activity. A separate organization, The Poker Players Alliance has enlisted the support of more than 475,000 people that have signed up, of their own free will, to say that the legislation passed in September last was unfair and a limit to their personal freedom. Former Senator Alfonse D'Amato is one of the prominent figure in the organization.

The simple fact is this: online gamine will return, and this time it will be approved by your local Congressman. Why? Because the massive tax revenue that will be gained from the legalizing and regulating of online gambling will fund numerous pet projects for legislators across this great country of ours. Hey, war money isn't easy to come by anymore either. Being able to tax a 6 Billion dollar industry might just get daddy a new pair of shoes!

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