US Government Admits Online Poker Is Not Illegal
On Wednesday, November 14, 2007, the
US House Judiciary Committee held hearings regarding the legality of online
poker, focusing specifically on the "Unlawful Internet Gaming and Enforcement
Act" (UIGEA). We would expect that impassioned testimony from professional
poker player Annie Duke and others would leave online-poker fans with a
feeling of optimism. But surprisingly, the most significant statement uttered
during the hearings was given by the other side, and it happened quickly
and without fanfare. If you blinked, you missed it. The statement is monumental!
Of course, it received no coverage in the mainstream press.
The government supplied some witnesses
to speak in favor of the current state of affairs and the UIGEA. One such
witness was the Honorable Catherine Hanaway, who is the U.S. Attorney for
the Eastern District of Missouri. She spoke against the prospect of amending
any of the current gaming law, ridiculous and contradictory though that
law may be.
At one point, she was questioned
by Congressman Bobby Scott (D-Va.), who asked her point blank if playing
online poker, under the current laws of the USA, was illegal, yes or no.
Her answer, loud and clear, was NO! Apparently, not many people heard her
answer. At least, her answer did not sink in with mainstream news organizations.
But I heard it. And the Poker Players Alliance heard it, too. In a PPA
press release, they state: "One key outcome of the hearing was the acknowledgment
by the Department of Justice witness, the Honorable Catherine Hanaway,
that it is not illegal for an individual to place a wager on the Internet.
This confirmation ... dispels a common misconception that an Internet poker
player may be committing a crime by playing poker online."
Did you hear that? Do you realize
the significance of this admission? This is huge!
Virtually everyone -- politicians,
legal analysts, news reporters and lowly poker players from all walks of
life -- believes that playing poker on the Internet is illegal in the United
States. Wrong! It is not illegal. Even the ill-conceived and convoluted
UIGEA does not make online poker illegal. (The law only makes the transference
of funds illegal, maybe.) Virtually everyone is incorrect in believing
that Internet poker is illegal. I restate: The act of playing poker online
is NOT illegal. And now, for the first time, we have the US Government
stating exactly that. Wouldn't you think this declaration would be newsworthy?
If you play poker online -- regardless
of how you play, whether you are good or bad, whether you win or lose,
whether you play tight-aggressive or bluff every hand, whether you play
low-stakes limit or high-stakes no-limit, whether you play fairly or attempt
to cheat -- this is a welcome admission for you. These words from a US
Department of Justice witness are something we should all celebrate. Finally!
This is earthshaking news. It should
be shouted from rooftops far and wide. CNN, FoxNews and others news-gathering
organizations should headline their newscasts with this truth-blazing revelation.
But no. Not a whisper from anywhere. Well, I'm here to tell you! The government
admitted it! Playing poker on the Internet is NOT illegal in the United
States of America! Learn it. Revel in it. Love it!
Timmor L. White is the founder and
president of Online Poker Systems and the OPS Group. With a background
in Internet technology, he is active in the study and reporting of online-poker
playing strategies. If you wish to explore a specific way to cheat when
playing online, click here: Online
Poker Cheat.
Article Source:
Amazines.Com
