INTERNET POKER’S SUNDOWN? GOODLATTE PASSING? QUESTION EBAY?

Las Vegas gets a new and better poker room at the recently opened Red Rock Casino.

The Goodlatte anti-Internet gambling bill has moved out of the sub committee and is heading for a full committee vote. Eventual passage into federal law means playing poker on the Internet anywhere in the US makes you a criminal. What does this translate into for the millions of Americans that regularly play in the online poker rooms? I believed the passage of the Goodlatte bill would have very little effect on the virtual card room business as a whole and no real difference to the online players. I also believed the bill had a slim to none chance of actually becoming law…but now? Now, I think I was probably way off on both counts.

The bill is gathering supporters and recently added the Internet’s biggest virtual business anchor, online auction giant eBay. eBay and their Paypal financial division announced their joint support for Rep. Goodlatte’s bill to make Internet gambling a crime. In a letter to Goodlatte, eBay not only stated their support for the bill as “commonsense legislation,” but they go even further stating their opinion of the most effective solution to illegal Internet gambling in the US is giving law enforcement the power to prosecute the citizens that do it. Playing poker online, even if it is your sole source of support, is considered gambling so if you play then you must pay according to eBay.

With the support of deep pocket companies like eBay/Paypal (net revenues/quarter exceeds a billion dollars) the passage of the bill is coming closer to being a reality. Remember, this is American where the most money always wins. My question is why does eBay/PayPal have a double standard of rightousness. Why does the “commonsense legislation” need be applied to the US when it goes right out the window in Europe? Paypal recently entered into agreements with European betting exchange, Betfair, and now permits customers to deposit and withdraw funds via their PayPal accounts.

Does eBay really believe the illegal Internet gambling “problem” in the US be solved with arrest, prosecution and jail time for US citizens, while the same gambling activity becomes a non-problem PayPal profit center when done by European citizens? Could the real reason be that eBay is sucking up to Rep. Goodlatte since he chairs the Congressional Internet Caucus? Is this an obvious ploy by eBay to bank some future favors with the honcho of Internet health and welfare?

And another thing…Is it just me or does there appear to be a pilgrimage of US related Internet gambling interest moving toward the EU? We’ve always lived in Las Vegas but our business home is far, far away in jolly ole’.

Of course, according to one of the foremost gambling pundits the online gaming industry is an unstoppable phenomena, and I tend to agree.

I’m premiering some recent Vegas photos all taken by MG in hopes of brightening up this dismal post.