Anyone else starting to get worried?

I am seeing a major increase in news articles on SL which could be a good thing, the problem is alot of them are on how alot of goverments including the U.S. is starting to open a wide eye on the money activity in SL. Casinos are a MAJOR target. I am not so worried about them shuting things in world down, my fear is that SL is going to get hit with some major fines if groups like the F.B.I. comes down on them....

What is this going to do to Second Life? Would they go under? Would they just sell to somebody huge like Google or Yahoo or another?

I just have a feeling its coming and I am not 100% sure that SL would survive a major hit like that. I might be wrong.
Lets face it, I don't know about all the countries but the U.S. does not screw around when it comes to not getting their tax money and all of us who live in the U.S. know if they get a bug up their butt they are going to nail SL to the wall for the casinos in world.

I think SL is crossing their fingures and hoping for the best on alot of things and I know they have grown faster then they have been able to keep up with but I think they are going to end up getting caught with their pants down.

http://news.com.com/FBI+checks+out+..._3-6173057.html

Oh I knew the US government would be in SL ruining things eventually like they do with everything else.

The article says the 3 biggest casinos in SL make about US$1500 per month.. You can make more than this working at McDonalds.

/me isn't too worried yet.

True but its not just the casinos. I think they are looking at alot more then just that. I mean everything in world involves money more or less. Could be wrong... I just have a really bad feeling.

My guess is that eventually gambling in SL will be considered regular gambling... and all casinos will be forced to shut-down or obtain a gambling license. I don't think LL will die because of this eventuality.. it will just change. It's a constantly changing game anyway, with constantly changing rules. People will complain, but life in SL (in whatever restricted form) will go on.

I don't see what is your logic that SL will get in any trouble.
SL is just a platform for content and service. And t is up to theses business operators of these content or service provider to run a legitimate business, make sure they pay tax and act within the law.
You worry is like I have an apartment for rent in real life and someone decide to rent the apartment and open an illegal casino in my apartment. Is the FBI going to go after me because I am the landlord??

Sorry, random (somewhat off-topic) thought brought on by SL-deprivation:

The more restrictions, the closer SL becomes to FL.

Yes, if you are accomplice to it, you better believe they will come for you.

Especially if you profit off it by renting the apartment, aide or abet the establishment in any way, or if the FBI even *thinks* you did.

There is such a thing as innocence in these matters, but law enforcement agencies aren't stupid and they see this kind of thing all the time.

Their question will be: how could you miss a casino on your very own land, and where did you even think they were getting the money to pay you? They might even see you as a partner in the operation, getting a steady, fixed cut.

Yes SL will change. It has already changed radically in the time since I joined and will continue to do so. Casinos and other businesses in SL that pull in earnings above a certain threshold (no idea what it'll be... ask the IRS) will inevitably be targeted. Same with the porno / sex industry in SL. You'll still have hordes of people putting up sims just for fun /art / love /whatever.

Will LL go under? I seriously doubt it. They're covering their ass very carefully on this one. Will their be some major sting / scandal? Without a doubt. Probably something like LePen in flagrante delicto in the FurNation BathHouse.

Maybe...especially if you knew it was going on. One thing is for sure, the FBI would inform you of the illegal activity going on and close your apartment suite during their investigation. You would be called to testify that you did indeed rent this apartment to the alledged law breakers. Are you picking up what I'm laying down?

Currency exchange is a popular method of money laundering. Linden Labs offers a money exchange. If Linden Labs has a decent legal staff, I'm sure they saw government scrutiny coming sooner or later. I'm sure that factors in to setting exchange caps.

Couldn't this issue put LL at odds with credit card processors or paypal if they cannot verify how the funds were made?

Linden Labs will do what they need to to stay in Business

If this means banning gambling they will do it so fast well be shocked.

If it means baning all casino owners -

Bye casino owners , Some of you I thought were pretty cool.

Yes, I know, but what can me a regular citizen can do, go up to the mob and kick them up? It is up to the law enforcement to enforces the law, and as a good citizen, I certainly will testify.. but I am sure I break no law for renting my apartment to someone.

With that logic, all business deal with an illegal business (known or unknown) with get in trouble. For example.. if someone register a web site for www.earnbigcasino.com to open a site , does the web registration company bare any responsibility? How about the company hosting such a site and the ISP? And what about the company they bought the computer to host it? Where does it end...?

If you knew it was going on it would be your duty to report it forthwith to the FBI. Your question was "where does it end", it ends when the law enforcemnet agency believes that anybody and everybody who may or may not have been involved has been questioned, charged, or cleared of any wrong doing. It is not as simple as saying "I didn't know that was going on". There are many cases in the books where companies have been found to be liable for something that they had little control over.

And if you truly did not know it was going on, you would have nothing to fear.

The FBI and IRS are looking at the $1,000,000.00 plus USD per 24 hours ya they are comeing no way to stop them....

...inless Linden Labs moves OUT of the USA

the the FBI/IRS cant do a thing..well..not much atleast....

I hope you meant RL not Florida. SL becoming like Florida would be a tragedy, I agree (just joking).

However, if you really did mean RL, then I agree. Gambling isn't as much my beef (I think the US is wrong in shutting down online gambling, but I see bigger probs ahead), but all the other RL inequities, particularly the larger companies coming in and kicking small, early adopter owned businesses, out of business. I know there are many that automatically assume my outrage over the landbots was soley based on my own real estate business, but the landbots didn't put me out of business. I am only making half the money I used to but I am only on about half the time now.

Still, they are a pathway for altering the SL economy into a group of limited monopolies from a group of purely competitave markets. They are the first step. They made getting into the land business more expensive and less profitable for the noob. Mark my words, in time, RL companies are going to do the same to the fashion industry. Good bye Dazzle, hello Ralph Lauren. Then there will be other types of bots and third party software that take over other markets. Goodbye @ Home Entertainment, hello Time Warner. I'm sure the Lindens will find someway to make Freeview TV's a TOS violation, even if it's just the 'because we said so and we have the right to change the TOS whenever and however we feel like it' clauses. Limited monopolies serve the smallest number of people's interests. Purely competetive markets are much fairer. RL isn't fair, and as SL and RL merge, SL will become less fair, and more tilted exclusively to the interests of big business. As a business, this is good for LL. This is not good for those who put their blood sweat and tears into SL for motives that had little to do with profit, and who, after all that, won't be able to compete here. I only came in in September 2006 (as I didn't know SL existed before that). I have friends who have established businesses here who have been here 3,4, or nearly 5 years. I weep for them.

The idea that SL residents will leave in droves in response is naive. people still subscribe to TW cable and save up for a new Ralph Lauren dress in RL. SL will become the platform that LL envisions, completely loosing all the fun 'game-like' attributes those who built it, enjoyed and worked so hard for.

Being a resident of Florida myself, i gota say it's just terrible.. terrible. ;p

LL might be thinking about moving to Russia. XD

I was wondering if someone from an Indian tribe decided to open up a casino in SL. Would that work?

LOL, I don't know, did the white man steal his virtual land for a pitance?

I think Indian Casinos have to be in the reservation. Additionally they are still overseen by a gaming board.

The idea behind this is that Indian Reservations are partially seperate policially form the states the are located in. A "protectorate" of the United States.

This is US government code for "We forced you to live here after kicking you out of the previous place we forced you to move to so we will make a couple concessions for whats left of our soul"

Perhaps they could buy a sim from their reservation...would that work?

nevermind

This forum isn't for general discussion; there are many Resident Sites where this discussion is appropriate — Resident Answers is for Resident-to-Resident help. I'll close this thread...

And it's a duplicate thread.