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http://www.starbanner.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20040531/ZNYT01/405310303/1009/BUSINESS
Federal law enforcement officials routinely seize money they suspect is connected to activities like money laundering, terrorism or drug smuggling. But in early April, United States marshals seized $3.2 million from Discovery Communications, the television and media company, in an aggressive effort to crack down on a new target, Internet gambling.
More in the link.
The move has raised strong criticism from First Amendment experts, media industry executives and people involved with offshore casinos. They assert that the federal government is relying on an untested legal theory in taking action against American companies, and using tactics more typically used against organized crime activities.
“This is not drug money or terrorist money,” said Rodney A. Smolla, dean of the University of Richmond School of Law. “The fact it is being treated as such shows a crusader’s zeal against offshore gambling.”
The industry will not sit still for this for ever. This is extortion and theft. There is no law against online gambling – only using the phone to place sports bets.
If there was such a law, why are there efforts to pass one? Every lawyer I have spoken to says that there is no such law.
This is not good to say the least.
I think this Justice Department is getting a reputation for taking actions (crusader type-good description) against people to intimidate, knowing it will be a long haul in the courts for anyone to fight them. A good example of this is the assisted suicide law in Oregon. Ashcroft used the Controlled Substances Act to go after them. It doesn’t have anything to do with online gambling but the issue of how this Justice Department operates (stretching interpretation of laws) is similar. They just charge ahead and do anything they want, so it’s going to be up to someone with some deep pockets to challenge them in the courts.
http://www.enterstageright.com/archive/articles/0604/0604csa.htm
This just burns me up how hypocritical the government is. It is okay for people to blow their paychecks on lottery tickets but that is only because it serves as a form of more tax money for them to waste. I am in Ohio and if it is legal for me to drive up to say Detroit, MI and gamble there what the heck is the difference if I sit in my own home and travel to Costa Rica on the internet except for less expensive “travel” fees. Oh-I know. No US state or federal government benefits that way.
Quote from the article
The executive said he had heard from people involved in the investigation that the government might begin levying fines or pressing charges against media companies.
:rolleyes:fucking piece of shit
– “The World Trade Organization in March issued a preliminary ruling that said the United States is violating its free-trade obligations by prohibiting online gambling operations.”
” … Some members of Congress reacted angrily to the W.T.O. ruling …”
Like the US gov cares what others think – LMAO! They will do what ever they want – when ever they want to so long as it is beneficial to them – the elite.
They told Discovery “they could be party to an illegal activity” …
There are billions $$$$$ – in the industry – are they going to set back and let this crap continue? Sad, but yah – probably!
One day the masses of slaves to the elite will rise and take action – history has a miraculous way of repeating itself!
Now wagerprofits…….in this day and age of paranoia and terrorism, you should not say such things. Here’s what I recommend:
“We all love and adore Mr. Ashcroft, who is looking out for all of us. We should all readily give up our bill of rights and let the FBI inspect all of our homes. As a matter of fact, we should register with the FBI all possessions and family relative names so that Mr. Ascroft can watch over us. Freedom should be defined by the US Justice department and we should all abide by their interpretation.”
Saying things like what you did will only incite problems. Look at Germany in the 1930s. We don’t want any of that now, do we?
The interesting thing in the article was the “executive” that sad the US Gov’t would “go easy on them”…..yeah…. and????? Go easy on them for what? What did they do wrong? Its just a subpeonae.
In this case. TV Advertising for casinos is pretty strict. Discovery channel was pushing the envelope here. None of the other networks took TV ads for online casinos. And ads for Las Vegas casinos are pretty much not seen. Its the Las Vegas Convention Authority that advertises on Television (‘Las Vegas……What happens here…stays here.’) Those ads do not show the interior of a casino.
Marc Lesnick
Casino Affiliate Convention
http://www.cac2004.comHere in Indiana I see casino ads on TV all the time – when Caesers Indiana first opened it seemed like the commercials were airing every other hour.
And of course TV + Radio advertise the Lottery all the time!
The government sells, and makes profits from, lottery tickets – an extremely random, game-of-change, nonsense form of gambling in which many people spend a lot of money – and most of them are from lower income groups. It is mostly the lower classes who purchase lottery tickets. It’s back-door taxation.
Poker, on the other hand, is a game of skill and practiced by a demographic who have expendable income and can afford to gamble. What is the problem with advertising that? It’s a legitimate contest of skill – You can compare it to golf masters who pay a lot of money to enter a golf tournament and get the chance to win a huge amount of money. How is poker any different, except the players are sitting down?
– Both pay an fee to enter the tournament
– Both play with the hopes of being the big winner at the end.
– Both are games of skill.
How the hell is poker different? Even if other casino games are questionable, poker and poker tournaments are as legitimate as any other sport.The hypocrisy of it is just mind blowing and unbelievable frrrrrrrrrrrrrrrruuurustrating. GRRRRRRRRRR!
Jeff.. Very simple and to the point. :p You took the words right out of my mouth.
:rolleyes:
Maybe Jihad Johnnie will annoint himself with oil and use the $3.5 mil. to buy a sash to cover the internet so we call can’t see it.
:laugh: That was good. Thanks for the laugh.
Wake up call … a former CIA agent with a diaper on his head
hiding in a cave at the other end of the world is not going to
outsmart a $30 BILLION a year intelligence apparatus … they
are after your freedom … if they truly wanted to protect you,
you would not have over 20 000 000 Mexicans cross an open
border and its STILL WIDE OPEN to this day.
