Quite a story. A somewhat wealthy chap from Vegas has dumped over $112 million at the casinos, most notably Rio and Caesars, but has an outstanding debt to the casinos of some $14 million. So the casinos want their money, and the guy is suing them on the basis they plied him with alcohol and prescription drugs!
Ah wait, yeah. It’s America. Do something stupid and you can always get your money back by suing someone who should have stopped you. D’oh! Full story here.
Interesting article from the Las Vegas Sun this week stating that poker players voting on what should be Obama’s top priorities on his very own website have driven the “Legalisation of online poker” into the Top 10. Clearly there are some very important issues that need addressing by the new administration that dwarf the need to be able to gamble online, but nonetheless it’s a stark reminder that America’s population aren’t exactly enamoured with policy that affects their freedom to make their own decisions.
I know it’s been over 2 years now, but the UIGEA is still a hot topic, not least because it hasn’t been fully implemented, but also because of the new legislation being proposed to not only reverse it, but to implement a framework for regulating Internet Gambling within the USA.
He also alludes to the fact that the US gambling laws have been somewhat misinterpreted from within the industry and some decisions to pull out of the USA were too hasty. Effectively the article places some of the blame on the industry for the way it reacted. He’s right of course, although the clever strategy employed by the DoJ was the driving force behind this.
Anyway, doing some research I came across a brilliant article on the UIGEA from US First Amendment attorney, Lawrence G Walters. He analyses the UIGEA, the effect on the industry and offers analysis of the longer term. It’s a long read, but it’s so on the money.
Now I am not a fan of prohibition when regulation can be so much more effective, plus I work in the online gaming industry, so bear in mind I am biased here. But the introduction of the UIGEA in the USA in October 2006 made me shake my head at just how stupid some politicians can be. Well - I say stupid, but anything that guarantees campaign funding and votes perhaps isn’t so stupid, even if it does shout in the face of the Constitution. Land of the Free, right?
But it seems finally there is someone prepared to stand up and say “woah - hold up. that’s not right“. And this person thankfully has some clout. How much clout we will have to wait and see.