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***GambLux EDITOR ARTICLES*** |
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Do you prohibit or regulate?
[Thursday, December 21, 2006]
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If you're reading these pages, you're interested in online gambling. That doesn't mean you spend every hours of every day on it, just that you like to play it sometimes. Win or lose, you are having fun and you have the maturity to know when to stop gambling and leave the computer. That's why the new US anti-online-gambling law is so troubling. It seems to fly in the face of nature.
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There's an old saying that "you can catch a bee much faster with honey than with vinegar". If you're REALLY concerned with the effects of online gambling, then you should do what the British do: regulate and control it. But are the Americans taking that logical step? Not at all! With their propensity for over-exaggeration, the US government has legislated to ban online gambling altogether. I wonder, on a scale of 1 to 10, what they feel their success rate will be? Will US citizens suddenly see the light and stop playing online or will they feel that their rights are being violated and continue playing is some roundabout, and possible illegal, way?
I'm asking why US legislators cannot be a little more balanced and thoughtful about what they are doing. Why can't they look across the Atlantic at what the Brits are doing? Almost alone in Europe, the UK is formally allowing online gaming but imposing restrictions on it. Would any online casino or poker room object to this restriction? Of course not, they are cooperating fully.
What should be our objectives in controlling online gaming? The United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) summarized it very well:
- Prevent gambling from being a source of crime or disorder.
- Ensure that gambling is conducted in a fair and open manner.
- Prevent youths and vulnerable people from being harmed or exploited.
Nobody can argue with any of these points. To cover Point 3, the Brits will require identity verification before any wagering is allowed, establish age verification procedures and have software available that allows parents to screen out Internet gambling sites.
The UK government has done another smart thing too: it plans to regulate all gaming, not just Internet gaming. They call it remote gaming' and include all activity on mobile phones, interactive TV and any other device that can be used for gambling activity. So there are no weasel ways' to slip out of meeting regulatory requirements. That's as it should be: make a law and have it apply everywhere for a specified activity.
Is gambling in the USA forbidden? Not at all! Just visit Vegas or a horse track. It's just the online variety that's been banned, because it doesn't put money into the pockets of the US government. Will this totally change gambling habits in the USA?
No, online gambling won't disappear, just go underground. Not everyone wants to visit a real casino just to play poker, blackjack or roulette. All the responsible gambling sites will close, leaving the field open to the cowboys, charlatans, tricksters and criminals'. Instead of protecting the American consumer, the US Government will success only in endangering him or her more. All this could be foreseen. The Americans also have the sad example of their own legislation in 1920 prohibiting liquor to understand what can go wrong.
So why do American politicians insist on sticking their heads in the sand, and why do they ignore the lessons of history? Beats me!
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