Several years back, the Republicans were able to sneak in provisions tightening regulation on online wagering in the United States. Now there’s rumbling that Harry Reid is going to do the right thing and open up the market to online poker wagering.
Most people love the simple pleasure of wagering, and they dream of what to do with their winnings. That’s what makes the lottery so popular. Unfortunately, there are the holy rollers who want to regulate fun in the country, just because a handful of people can’t control themselves. But betting sites will always be popular, so why not legalize it, regulate it and tax it!
Perhaps in this environment where the economy sucks and we need more revenues, Harry Reid can get his proposal through, even if it’s a giveaway to the established Las Vegas casino interests who funded his campaign in Nevada.
Isn’t it time that the government stops telling us what we can do for entertainment? The GOP congress slipped in a law regulating online poker in 2006. Poker players and others who believe in basic freedoms and liberty are trying to overturn that law and ensure that this game of skill can be played without governmental interference (other than sensible oversight, taxes and regulation).
The Pokers Players Alliance is pushing a bill sponsored by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) that would legalize and regulate Internet gambling, overturning a ban that became law after former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) inserted it into port security legislation late last year.
For poker players, whose association membership exceeds 800,000, time is at a premium. They want lawmakers to reverse the ban before some of the Frist regulations go into effect next year.
They recruited former Sen. Alfonse D’Amato (R-N.Y.) to lead PPA, and they brought in professional players to make their case to members last week, including World Poker Series players Chris Moneymaker, Howard Lederer and Annie Duke. D’Amato’s message to his former colleagues is clear — online gambling could generate $3 billion in taxes a year if the federal government regulated the industry.
That could present a tempting new revenue source for cash-starved Democrats anxious to implement new programs. But the odds are still not in PPA’s favor.
It’s facing a predictable head-to-head fight with family and evangelical organizations that say gambling leads to tragic addiction and compromises the moral fabric of the family.
When are we going to stop letting these Bible-thumpers run our lives? Why do we have to have prohinition against gambling just because some people are too weak or irresponsible to control themselves?
It’s encouraging to see the groundswell of support for sensible legislation legalizing online gambling, particularly games of skill like poker.
Republicans should ask themselves if they can continue to support a party that prevents them for enjoying games like poker. What ever happened to libertarian Republicans? Hopefully they’ll all vote for Ron Paul!
