Internet Gambling Prohibition

Yes, at casinos you buy chips which are used for play. At the end of the night, or whenever you leave, you exchange whatever chips you have left back into real money.

The bill passed the house of representatives but is unlikely to make it past Congress.... and even in the miniscule chance that it does, just imagine the enforcement issues the gov would have to deal with. I imagine that SL gaming is tiny compared to RL online gaming.... how focused would the gov have to be to come after SL?

There are a lot of states that don't allow gaming. Other than the already mentioned tax issue, some of their reps are unhappy that constituents can gamble despite their local laws. If gaming institutions were instate, it would be easier to outlaw online gaming or to ludicrously restrict it due to billing information.

In my opinion, I think the whole thing is insane. If the US government wishes to restrict online out-of-country purchases (because that is what online poker is, an entertainment purchase), they should restrict all out-of-country purchases made, (clothes, books, etc).

Even without the gambling, you could use Lindens to launder money. However, there are (though I haven't checked the fine print) rules which would allow LL to refuse to transfer the money. And the transactions would leave a pretty easily traceable trail. Abd even a small terrorist or criminal operation would involve huge sums of Lindens compared to the relatively tiny amounts needed to play the game.

The gambling could be an iassue down the road, although it does help that it's just play money (albeit play money which is exchangeable for real cash.) One way around it might be to track gambling winnings separately and refuse to let players convert those funds into RL cash.

Of course, for those who don't realize about this new ban... there are exemptions.

If it is an online state lottery, or if it's online horse-racing, those two forms of gambling are exempt under said ban. Which, I find, absofreakin rediculous.

You people really can't see how Internet gambling can be abused by thieves?

Would you knowingly gamble in a casino where everyone else gambling was employed by the casino?

Would you sit at a table where all the other players were allowed to see each other's cards, but you weren't allowed?

Would you place bets on a game where you weren't allowed to actually see the cards being used, but let the casino tell you what cards you recieved and what cards THEY got? All without oversight?

You can't see how this is different from a heavily regulated state lottery or horse race where thousands of people scrutinize the results and hundreds of people are employed to ensure it is run fairly?

You can't see how even online sports betting is different from online casino game gambling? Where the results are public and if you don't get paid the odds you were promised you can quit using the bookie before they empty your bank account?

United States Socialist Republic?

Well, you can pretty much assume that if it goes against the teachings perceived to be related to the bible, there's a right wing politician somewhere drafting a bill to ban it, and call it terrorism.

One Nation, Under God(tm), indivisible*, with Liberty and Justice** for all***.

* - Already divided between the rich and the poor.
** - Liberty and Justice applies only to the rich, the poor are terrorists.
*** - "All" applies to the rich, see **

Of course... gambling isn't really my bag, and offshore internet casino's do actually take USD$ out of the American economy, but I really think there are bigger fish to fry (Haliburton).

If the law does get passed, and if Second Life is exempt for the reasons noted above, that it is only simulated gambling, wouldn't that be a great opportunity for SL?

The Casinos in SL could make a killing if they did some serious advertising to get gamblers onto the grid.

And that would be good for the rest of us too, more people on the grid, more money on the grid. We'd all be winners!

Unless someone has objections of course. : )

SL would be exempt as a "Common carrier". Your ISP is not liable if you connect to a server somewhere else and gamble.

If it ever came down to "where's the server located" I could see LL setting up secondary sim servers in other countrys.