Friday, February 17, 2006
We were just talking about the legality of playing poker online. The law is anything but clear, leading many people to believe that playing online poker is legal, even if running an online poker operation in the US is not legal. However, US officials have made it clear in the past that they believe that the Wire Act, banning gambling wagers made over the phone, applies to any online gamblers. But, since millions of people don't seem to believe that, two politicians have decided to introduce new legislation that makes it clear: playing poker online will be a jailable offense, punishable by up to five years in prison. A similar bill has been introduced a few times before (the first time nearly a decade ago), but one of the backers claims it was shot down by Jack Abramoff lobbying efforts -- and seeing as he's a bit busy lately, that shouldn't necessarily come into play this time around. No matter what your take on gambling (online or off) may be, it's hard to see how five years in jail is reasonable punishment.
