That is part 2 of a multipart number of articles regarding proposed anti-gambling legislation. In this article, I begin discussion of the quoted reasons because of this legislation, and the actual facts that exist in the true world.
The legislators are trying to protect us from something, or are they? The whole lot seems a little confusing to express the least.
As mentioned in the earlier article, the House, and the Senate, are once more considering the issue of “Online Gambling” ;.Bills have now been submitted by Congressmen Goodlatte and Leach, and also by Senator Kyl.
The bill being put forward by Rep. Goodlatte, The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, has got the stated intention of updating the Wire Act to outlaw all types of online gambling, to create it illegal for a gambling business to just accept credit and electronic transfers, and to force ISPs and Common Carriers to block access to gambling related sites at the request of law enforcement.
Just as does Rep. Goodlatte, Sen. Kyl, in his bill, Prohibition on Funding of Unlawful Internet Gambling, helps it be illegal for gambling businesses to just accept bank cards, electronic transfers, checks and other kinds of payment with the aim on placing illegal bets, but his bill does not address those that place bets.
The bill submitted by Rep. Leach, The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is actually a copy of the bill submitted by Sen. Kyl. It centers on preventing gambling businesses from accepting bank cards, electronic transfers, checks, and other payments, and like the Kyl bill makes no changes to what is legal, or illegal.
So, regardless of whether online gambling is legal or not, just what is it that the politicians are trying to protect us from? Why is it so important to create online gambling illegal?
One answer is within this quote from Rep. Goodlatte “could keep children from borrowing the family credit card, logging to the family computer, and losing tens of thousands of dollars all before their parents get home from work” ;.메이저사이트
I believe a reasonable translation of the quote would be “American parents are incompetent at raising their very own children so Congress should step in and take action for them’ ;.Because of course we are all conscious that the politicians have a much better idea of what is best for us and our youngsters than we do.
And in another quote “In short, the Internet is difficult to the sovereignty of civilized communities, States, and nations to choose what is appropriate and decent behavior” ;.
An acceptable translation of this quote would appear to go something like “Individual Americans aren’t effective at deciding for themselves what behavior is suitable and decent in their very own homes. Fortunately Congress will be here to protect them from themselves and legislate morality for them” ;.
Not just is Congress supposedly responsible for raising the children of America, but to be able to achieve this, and to avoid us from unknowingly doing something indecent, they are going to legislate what we could do with our personal money, on our personal time, in our personal homes. Does this appear to be the very model of a totally free society, or the beginnings of a misguided totalitarian state?
Let’s delve a little deeper into these protections and see just how interested the politicians really come in making sure that our children are safe from the evils of gambling.
Remember, all of these following types of gambling are either currently legal, or would be made specifically legal in the bill being put forward by Rep. Goodlatte.
First, we’ve casinos, and race tracks. These little money makers are proliferating throughout the country and generate a great deal of tax revenue for federal and state governments in addition to profits because of their operators. Individuals behind the anti-online gambling bills would have you believe that casinos are easy as it pertains to underage individuals, since casino staff can see the individuals in person and assess their age.
Quite to the contrary however, we’ve this quote from The Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery “Casino kids have now been left independently at the outer rim of casinos while their parents gamble, according with a casino security officers. In some extreme cases, children are left in the family car in the casino parking lot all night at any given time while their parents gamble inside. Less obviously, children may also spend hrs each week with babysitters while their parents gamble in casinos, bingo halls or card rooms.”
While I certainly wouldn’t attempt to declare that online gambling will work for the American family, clearly, to the extent that children can relax and play in their very own homes, and sleep in their very own beds, online gambling presents less of a problem than the current state supported alternative.
Another form of online gambling that the proposed legislation would exempt from illegal status is the sale of lottery tickets by the states over the internet. It’s difficult to observe how these legislators show deep concern for the children of America on the basis of the following quote from Overcoming Life Digest (July/August, 1998 Issue) “Studies reveal that lotteries are the favourite legal gambling game for teenagers. Statistically, among seven who play can be addicted.” And from the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (6 June 2003), “Many regard lotteries as a comparatively benign form of gambling. However, 31 percent of callers to the 1-800-GAMBLER national hotline (operated by the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey) indicated problems with lottery gambling.”
In yet another exemplory case of government raking in cash without regard for the children of America, we’ve Video Lottery Machines. Video Lottery Machines, or VLTs are only state sponsored electronic video poker machines. Based on David Plotz in Slate.com on Friday December 17th, 1999 “They are the absolute most addictive of any gambling instrument we’ve today. It is just a cinch for children to play video lottery machines, since they are often found in businesses that kids frequent.” These devices are increasingly being licensed for use in supermarkets, convenience stores, bars and markets around the country, where in fact the children of America have easy access.
Clearly, the legislation proposed does not “keep children from borrowing the family credit card, logging to the family computer, and losing tens of thousands of dollars all before their parents get home from work”, They will be able to buy lottery tickets, bet on horse races, and head right down to the local convenience store to play the VLTs.
