Neteller founder Lawrence cops a plea

Confused

I thought the rest of the world would want to take advantage of America's rather prudish attitude towards gambling. Doesn't this leave the door wide open to some other country to rake in the euro-ducats (or perhaps chino-ducats). You know a gap in the market place and all that.

Or is it the American customers everyone's whinging about? That makes no sense to me. The Medellin's of the world never actually complained that cocaine was illegal in the states. They just didn't like Uncie Sam fighting a 'war' in their backyard over it - rightfully so I'd say.

The author points to the great American Hypocrite. Like this is something special just to America's gambling situation. Land of the free - oh but you can't smoke / drink in public - warrantless wiretaps - Fad O' The Week religious righitude and the list goes on.

So for any newbies out there America is in quite a muddle. Perhaps we should all avoid it.

Except me, I er live here and can't get anywhere else right now. Wait that means I should be the one complaining... not the rest of the world.

I'm going to go lie down this is all terribly confusing.

No confusion

Will, no need to lie down to arrest your confusion. Just remember the one basis for all United States' law: Does it profit me?

The United States - anticipating vast profits from internet gambling - willingly signed up to a WTO agreement permitting just that. Once it became clear that the profits were actualy going elsewhere, well, the US did what it always does with treaties, agreements and contracts that it finds unprofitable. It changed its mind, the rules, the law, the jurisdiction and anything else it could think of to prevent money flowing from the US to anywhere else.

It's not about prudery.

It's about meatspace casinos and state run lotteries not wanting competition.

re: It's not about prudery

It's all about taxes. Casinos, race tracks, lotteries all report winnings to the IRS. Are the casinos in Anitigua going to? Probably not. It's tax free income to the winners. What few there might be.

Abramoff smiled

taxes, my foot.

this is all about lobbyist dollars well spent, and politicians protecting established interests. it must be nice to be able to speak of virtue while taking campaign contributions from Abramoff types. having one's cake and eating it too.

these guys will take the fall so someone else can look good at a press conference.