Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

in some states? If so,which states have laws against it?
just curious
Sittingbull

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

a bunch of states make it illegal to run gambling sites and otherwise profit commercially from it, for example NY busted paypal for facilitating it, etc but AFAIK nothign illegal for players.

WTO has ruled that the US outlawing internet gambling violates global trade laws and that has been upheld from what I understand so we have that going for us

I'm not too worried aboutit

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
in some states? If so,which states have laws against it?
just curious
Sittingbull

[/ QUOTE ]

I also hear its illegal to use fireworks, and downloading music you don't own is copyright infringement..... Darn.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

Online poker is a victimless crime, like prostitution or strangling homeless people.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
Online poker is a victimless crime, like prostitution or strangling homeless people.

[/ QUOTE ]

But what about little Johnny?

The 15 year old kid that stole Dad's credit card and ran up $1,000's in debt.

Isn't he a victim?

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Online poker is a victimless crime, like prostitution or strangling homeless people.

[/ QUOTE ]

But what about little Johnny?

The 15 year old kid that stole Dad's credit card and ran up $1,000's in debt.

Isn't he a victim?

[/ QUOTE ]

Only if his father beats him to death. Otherwise he's a criminal.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Online poker is a victimless crime, like prostitution or strangling homeless people.

[/ QUOTE ]

But what about little Johnny?

The 15 year old kid that stole Dad's credit card and ran up $1,000's in debt.

Isn't he a victim?

[/ QUOTE ]

Only if his father beats him to death. Otherwise he's a criminal.

[/ QUOTE ]

Gold! [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

It is in Nevada... which is why it makes perfect sense that I'm moving there.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

it's illegal to have anal relations in texas.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

Isn't it illegal to lie down and fall asleep with your boots on in N. Dakota?

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
it's illegal to have anal relations in texas.

[/ QUOTE ]
vibrators and dildos are illegal there too.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

Utah is the only state that I know of that has a solid anti-Internet gambling law on the books.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

Michigan does too... and for some reason I want to say that I read that it's illegal in Illinios also.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen to interpret a law prohibiting people from using phone lines to make bets in such a way that they say online poker is illegal too. I personally think it's a pretty stupid and unenforceable and the federal government should figure out how to regulate it and be done with it. FFS I can drive 20 minutes and play poker in one of two casinos if I wanted to. I have no problem with the government taking a cut from the casinos. They have more important things to do than screw with millions of online poker players. Just make sure you pay your taxes. Besides, just because they've chosen to interpret the law this way doesn't mean it would ultimately hold up in a court of law.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

"The U.S. Department of Justice has chosen to interpret a law prohibiting people from using phone lines to make bets in such a way that they say online poker is illegal too."

The "wire-wager" act specifically applies to phone lines. Those of us with Cable modems are in the clear.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
Michigan does too... and for some reason I want to say that I read that it's illegal in Illinios also.

[/ QUOTE ]
I read its illegal in the US....

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

It's probably not illegal in the US - we don't actually know as the government has not actually tried to prosecute anybody but most legal experts do not believe such an attempt would succeed.

However, several states (I know for a fact these include Nevada and Michigan) have pased their own laws making internet gambling illegal.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

yes, in Illinois, darn "progressive" "can't mind your own business" "we care" "perfectionistic" politicians.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

one book had a federal circuit court case that showed that "poker" was not "sports betting" and therefore not illegal. It was in the Frye brothers online poker book.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

Oliver Wendell Holmes once said that the law is nothing more than a prediction of how courts will decide a given case.

I would go one step further and add that it is also a function of prosecutorial interest. In this sense, online poker is illegal in the same sense that adultery is illegal. Hello!

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

[ QUOTE ]
The "wire-wager" act specifically applies to phone lines. Those of us with Cable modems are in the clear.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah. Unfortunately, I have DSL. So far, the FBI hasn't busted down my door.

Re: Hello! Isn\'t it illegal to play poker on the ...internet
 

Though the wire wager act applies to phone lines the DOJ still says internet gambling (anywhere in the U.S.) violates the Act (if a state or locality says it IS legal, there will need to be a resolution of whose law takes precedent, it's usually federal law, kind of like the legalized marijuana thing). I think this is a load of bull poop and the laws just haven't caught up to reality yet. It makes no difference to the DOJ if you use dialup, cable modem, or DSL. But like I said, it remains to be seen whether a court of law would back up the DOJ's interpretation. So far no casual player has been prosecuted that I am aware of. The DOJ went after TV networks who took money for poker advertising but that's why all those .net "poker school" sites popped up. The DOJ doesn't like these either but the networks are willing to take the risk. They have lawyers too and they know a court somewhere is going to have to rule sometime on whether or not the DOJ's argument is valid. The DOJ may interpret the law but the courts get to decide if they're right.

I for one just hope the DOJ doesn't start messing with the banks that accept neteller transactions. Though banks have some really nasty lawyers of their own and deep political ties.

Incidentally, the reason the tax regulations are so confusing regarding poker winnings is because they are all geared to brick and mortar casino games. The feds need to stop crying about all this stuff, get over it, and write some new laws and tax codes that allow all of us to be the law abiding, tax paying, poker playing citizens we want to be. I hope the WTO ruling starts things in the right direction.