Why Attack Internet Gambling? Fight Back!

With all of the fuss over internet gambling, one might be left to ask, "Why internet gambling?" What's so wrong about it? According to the public officials who pushed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, it had to be stopped because it is "immoral". Hmmm...
Let's open our History books for a moment. Prohibition, also known as the "dry" movement, made it illegal to manufacture, sale, or transport any alcoholic beverage in North America. While it was still legal to drink it, it was illegal to create or obtain it.
Sound familiar? You know what else sounds familiar? The people calling internet gambling immoral are the same puritans who called alcohol immoral for centuries. The same people who set sail to Massachusetts carrying among them 42 tons of beer and 10,000 gallons of wine. They required 42 tons of beer but only thought necessary 14 tons of water. Then they have the nerve to say alcohol consumption is immoral and should be illegal. Hence prohibition was born.
Okay, let's pretend for a moment that they're right. Let's even pretend that they have the right to tell us what is and isn't "immoral". Fine - Internet Gambling is "immoral". Why not go after Las Vegas? Atlantic City? Reno? Let's go right ahead and shut down every casino operating in the United States. That would be the moral thing to do, right? Oh, wait, that won't work... the US Government makes money off of those casinos! Can't shut them down, nope.
Aside from having SO many people upset about the prohibition of alcohol, the reason it was made legal again is because the government found a way to make money from it. Taxes and licensing fees were implemented and breweries were re-born. The exact same thing could be done with internet gambling. Open internet casino companies in the United States, collect taxes and hefty licensing fees. Require internet casinos outside the United States to pay taxes and licensing fees if they want to allow Americans to play at their casinos.
Prohibition of alcohol did not last, neither will the prohibition of internet gambling, but we have to voice our opinions to make a difference. There's a famous saying, "The squeaky wheel gets the grease". Right now, the "squeaky wheel" is religious conservatives, mostly senior citizens, who have nothing better to do all day then go to city council meetings, call their congressmen, complain to anyone who will listen that gambling is just wrong. Become a "squeaky wheel"! There are at least 2 people that would like to see internet gambling legalized again for every one person that is against it. We outnumber them, let's out-voice them!

YOU ARE ABSOLUTLY RIGHT!

The only way to make a difference is to work together and rally the majority that is on our side.

When we were fighting to get the word out before the president signed it, you guys were the ONLY group that send out emails to their people. It was like pulling teeth to get a casino program to help. And now instead of informing the public, and taking advatage of the change in congress, most programs are focusing their efforts overseas. Leaving the players and the affiliates to fight the fight alone. And as soon as we win this fight, the casinos will be falling over themselves to get back in our good graces. We will remember who stood with us and who ran away.

I ask everyone to help us. We can make a difference.



Anthony, APCW Auditing Director
www.apcw.org/law
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