Online Gambling Sadly Has No Larry Flynt - An Editorial - 10-17-06

October 17 - I was watching the People vs. Larry Flynt on TV the other night and it made me think about online gambling and the recently passed Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. It made me even more frustrated with the current state of the online casino and poker industry...

For those of you who don't know, US President George W. Bush signed this Act last week. It aims to stop internet gambling by restricting financial transactions related to online wagering.

The People vs. Larry Flynt is a movie directed by Milos Forman, made in 1996, about Larry Flynt, the founder of Hustler magazine. What does a "porn" magazine and internet gambling have in common you may ask? Well the US Government tried to stop the publication of Hustler magazine on the grounds that it was abhorrent and corrupted society's moral values and taboos.

The movie romanticizes Larry Flynt to a certain extent, but it also shows how important he was in entrenching personal liberties. He was involved in many highly publicized and important civil and criminal cases defending the publication of his magazine. These cases are seminal human rights cases and this made me think about the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act.

Larry Flynt argued that what is pornographic and abhorrent to some people is not to others. Some people think the looking at the naked body (created by God, he argued), whereas other people think looking at dead bodies and pictures of war is abhorrent, yet the latter is not prohibited from being viewed.

Ultimately it is a matter of personal choice. And surely, he argued, it is all about personal FREEDOM. American society is premised and based on personal liberties to live your life as you will, provided you do not harm anyone else. This is a freedom every American citizen should enjoy.

How can the US government dictate whether you can play poker, slots, bingo etc online? You can pop into a casino, bet on the races, play the lotto, etc, but you cannot bet online. Why?? Why is the US government interfering with a personal right to gamble online? What and whose interests are being protected? These are questions every US gambler must ask.

The online gambling industry is estimated to be worth $22 billion and some think it may be bigger. Although America is the 3rd largest nation on earth (behind China and India), having now reached a population of 300 million, 75% of online gambling transactions are estimated to be generated in the US. Most of the largest online gambling groups will now not accept play from US citizens, and are refunding any cash held in accounts of US players. Why are they being so complacent and submissive? So many people stand to lose their jobs as a consequence of this legislation. Where are the Larry Flynts of online gambling? Why have the big online casino groups stopped play from US citizens? Why are they not prepared to take on the US government and contest this legislation, and in the process protect a fundamental human right, the right to enjoy a leisure activity in the comfort of your own home?

The online gambling industry is a highly legitimate and self regulated industry. Very few players are ripped off or treated unfairly. The next question to ask is why are online gambling operators willing to walk away from this industry and US play??

I fear that by passing this Act the illegitimate and less reputable operators will enter this market and as a consequence there will be less security for online gamblers.

A better solution would have been for the US government to have legalized and regulated online gambling in the US. By doing this they can collect tax and monitor problem gambling and money laundering.

If the online casino operators are not going to contest this Act, then every American citizen must. Slowly personal liberties are being eroded. Where will it stop? Where are the Larry Flynts, those unique individuals willing to risk it all to protect personal rights? Why can you smoke, drink, or eat yourself to death but not gamble online? You must show your disapproval of this Act - make your voice heard by contacting your local radio stations and signing petitions. Join a protest march and ask your favourite online casino why they are not doing anything to oppose the Act.

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