Online poker alliance ups the ante for U.S. Congress
Congress is expected to begin debate Wednesday over legislation that would definitively ban online poker -- and so the Poker Players Alliance, certainly not ignorant of how to play a political hand, has released a report suggesting that such a move would "deprive the government of over $3bn in federal and state revenues," reports VNUNet. Instead of prohibition, the Alliance favors a policy of regulation and taxation, which turns out to be the route taken by "over 80 countries and jurisdictions" -- including the U.K. where online gaming is now big business. ABC News notes that the would-be tax revenue numbers are only likely to increase as online poker is projected to grow "15 percent to 20 percent a year" going forward. Large as it is already, however, one expects that pot will have to get a lot larger before U.S. anti-gaming activists think about folding.
It makes no sense to ban online poker. Just tax them and let it be!!
As an avid online player, I feel since poker is a game of skill as well as luck and my play effects no one but myself congress should completely stay out. You have the Lederer's, Ivey's, Moneymaker's speaking out against the bill, however their golden egg is on the line. The only problem I have (and I only play $1 tourney's with an occasional $2 or $3) is the random card generators used by sites such as Party Poker. It appears they favor giving new players numerous great hands at the beginning of their memberships and they decrease over time as other new players join their site. For instance, after playing about 30,000 hands over about 6 months, I've had a straight flush one time, 4 A's one time and a full house A's over K's one time. All three happen 30,000 hands ago in the first week I joined Party Poker. The odds at Party Poker are the odds of a real deck of cards. The people I have spoke with at PP/chat and other chat rooms support this claim. Because of this I only play the $1 to $3 tourney's that may last an hour or two and I still get some enjoyment without losing $2000 to $10,000 a month. It should be my decision to play.
I agree. The random card generators are not random. And at http://www.thewsop.com we believe Party Poker has other issues as well and we are dropping them as a recommended site.
CNNMoney.com Comment Policy: CNNMoney.com encourages you to add a comment to this discussion. You may not post any unlawful, threatening, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic or other material that would violate the law. Please note that CNNMoney.com makes reasonable efforts to review all comments prior to posting and CNNMoney.com may edit comments for clarity or to keep out questionable or off-topic material. All comments should be relevant to the post and remain respectful of other authors and commenters. By submitting your comment, you hereby give CNNMoney.com the right, but not the obligation, to post, air, edit, exhibit, telecast, cablecast, webcast, re-use, publish, reproduce, use, license, print, distribute or otherwise use your comment(s) and accompanying personal identifying information via all forms of media now known or hereafter devised, worldwide, in perpetuity. CNNMoney.com Privacy Statement.
|
|
| 
