Tainted Money

The entire world it seems is up in arms over online slots and poker casinos. Because it is such a relatively new beast, governments the world over really are at a loss as to how to proceed. While some people think that countries should embrace the wave of the future and learn to regulate the industry and coexist, others are so staunchly opposed to the idea, and say that the dangers of the activity completely outweigh the benefits.

While the United States gambling policy is very conservative, the exact guidelines and rules for behavior remain quite clouded, with members of Congress from all sides calling for a newer, more succinct policy. For now, the debate is the legality of poker games, in land or online casinos alike. Technically, no unlicensed citizen is supposed to host a poker game, no matter the venue, be it his own house, or a community center or an online room. Unless the game is explicitly sponsored and hosted by a licensed casino, the game is unlawful. Of course, the government doesn’t really crack down on neighborhood or friendly games where the blinds are a couple dollars. But once the stakes get really high, it starts to raise some red flags, since gambling is not allowed outside.

Interestingly enough, it is Larry Burns, a lawyer from Pennsylvania, who is stuck in the middle of this rule. He was arrested for hosting poker games, and all his winnings were immediately seized. Since they amounted to a few tens of thousands of dollars, the money was viewed as simply illegal, and just as serious of an offence as being caught playing online slots.

With the regulations treating poker as a gambling game of luck, most recently there has been a movement of poker players trying to get the game reclassified. They argue that there is no luck in poker, that it is rather a game of skill. But that is a whole other issue.

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