Feds Admit They Have No Clue How To Enforce Anti-Online Gambling Legislation

from the please-clarify dept

In the fall of 2006, Congress (for reasons that have never been explained) put a clause banning online gambling into a bill supposedly about protecting our ports (so no one would vote against it). Since then there’s been an ongoing legal effort to get that part of the law overturned. It’s particularly upset financial institutions who are told they need to stop gambling operations from accepting money — though, they’re not quite sure how to do that. To top it all off, even the federal officials who are charged with enforcing this law are now admitting that they have absolutely no clue how to enforce it, noting that the legislation itself is incredibly broad and unclear. In other words, we have a law that almost no one wants and which those in charge of enforcing have no idea how to enforce (or even why they should enforce it). So why did it get passed in the first place? Well, at least our ports are safe.

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Comments on “Feds Admit They Have No Clue How To Enforce Anti-Online Gambling Legislation”

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13 Comments
KD says:

Unfortunately, they aren't idiots ...

I’m pretty sure that if they were all idiots, we’d see much, much worse.

What they are is bought. We need to find a way to break the control money has over our governments. I don’t know how to do it; it would be great if Lessig has some workable plans, but I’m not hopeful about that.

And Mike, about that quote at the end: “Well, at least our ports are safe.” Is there any indication at all that they are any safer than they would have been without the bill?

Rex (profile) says:

follow the money

The Techdirt post did not say WHO got the provision inserted into the bill. Should that not be in the public record?

Once that part is known, then the answer is always: “Follow the money”. Some powerful flunky in the legislative branch has a vested interest, either by way of a campaign contribution or by out and out bribery.

Follow the money.

alitheia says:

The provision was inserted by the Republican Bill Frist. A good overview of his machinations are here: http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/gambling-law/frist_finally_answers_questions_about_internet_gambling_bill_26398.html
And Mr Frist’s justification of the act is here: http://www.casinogamblingweb.com/gambling-news/gambling-law/frist_writes_to_southern_baptists_about_internet_gambling_11084.html

For an overview of how this has all ended up with not only them failing to enforce the legislation but also the price they have to pay in allowing music piracy in Antigua is detailed here: http://www.music2dot0.com/archives/97

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