Should online poker be legalized in the US?
Yes because they are losing tax money to other countries
People are going to find ways to gamble and play poker online even with the current laws. Right now our country, who is in severe debt, is losing tax revenue to other countries who are benefiting from the us not allowing it. This is a silly argument and does not hurt anyone.
Posted by: AnonymousYes, I think online poker should be legalized in the US.
I am not a gambler, but I like to partake of gaming every once in a while. Making poker legal online will give those who want to practice a chance to do so before going to a face-to-face game. It is hard to practice when real winners are not involved. If people had a place to practice on a small scale, I see nothing wrong with that.
Posted by: DistinctJamar63Online poker should be legalized in the US. It is a person's right to spend the money the way they want too.
Online poker should be legalized in the US. What it boils down too is freedom of choice. A person should be able to spend, or waste their money the way they choose to.
However, regulations would be necessary. Clearly laws are in place currently to protect the consumer from the scams out there. What it would come down to is I think that only US companies that provide the gaming and are being regulated should be allowed.Posted by: KIeonN355People should have the freedom to play a game of skill for money
The USA purports to be a free country. This is not to be believed when they write laws to impede a citizens ability to play online poker for money. The UIGEA law that prohibits the transfer of money to online poker sites contains an exemption for derivative trading for Financial Institutions. This was the main cause of the latest meltdown and hurt many more people than poker players online. The game of politics is rigged, not internet poker sites.
Posted by: AnonymousJust like the lottery, online poker should be legalized in the US.
It is better to gamble online due to less risk of robberies for people having card parties in their homes.
Posted by: PumpkitoOnline poker should be legalized, because we are losing a ton of revenue to other countries and because we are supposed to be a "free" country.
Online poker should be legalized, because the US is losing money to other countries. Besides, the law states that it is only illegal to withdraw poker funds to a bank account. So what happens is that there is a big network of shell transactions to get around that and to get your winnings without paying taxes.
Posted by: labusyPeople are going to gamble whether it's legal or not, so we might as well tax it.
Although prostitution is illegal, it still happens. Although drug use is illegal, it still happens. Poker, while addicting, isn't as addicting or physically dangerous as drug use is. So making it illegal really isn't protecting anybody. People gamble on the Internet. They find ways around the laws. Legalizing and taxing the system would provide a lot of revenue for the U.S. government.
Posted by: 54ndDaviLotteries are legal, so why not poker
The primary argument against legalizing online poker is that the people least able to afford to lose money will do so. However, in NY the state already runs betting parlors for horse racing and there are probably 50 different lottery tickets one can buy. I would argue that it's worse to sell people scratch off tickets for $5 with a one in a million chance of winning than allowing people to play cards, which requires some level of skill.
The other argument is people should be free to do what they please. The government does not ban cigarettes or alcohol.Posted by: skeeetsi enjoy on line poker and govenment should not dictate what I can do with my money in the privacy of my own home.
i played on an $11 tourny once a week on poker stars. Now, what harm am I causing to others? I am a father of four and have a lovely family that I care for and take care of. I pay my taxes and work a full time job. Why does the govenment feel that it has the right to tell me that I cannot spend $11 a week doing hat I love to do when they cannot even stay close to paying their own bills wihout getting all of us in debt? Internet poker should be legal and if some dont like it, well, dont play.
Posted by: AnonymousThere is very little risk of corruption in legitimized and regulated online poker, and regulating it will only serve to crush potential free enterprise and consumer demand.
Online poker companies overseas already operate quite legitimately to gain the trust of the consumer, implementing strict privacy and encryption measures. Also, the bets are small compared to standard casino poker, and for the consumer, it is a great and cheap source of entertainment. Having the money flow domestically instead of overseas would not hurt the country at all -- to the contrary, taxing their revenues would help people in need.
Posted by: TheSansAnon
Online poker should be legalized because of all the tax revenue that could be generated. Online poker is a multibillion dollar a year operation. Regarding the gambling addiction; there will be addiction regardless. Also, specific measures could be taken to combat gambling too much. Some online poker rooms have implemented restrictions that can be applied to accounts that can limit an individuals' losses. Regarding the debt; debt will be here regardless. If people are spending their money on something that is easily taxable as opposed to something that is not (ex. Clothes) then this will in turn put more money in the economy.
Posted by: AnonymousOnline poker is an easy and fun way for people to interact with one another and make money!
Online poker would be seriously regulated and maintained as to avoid scamming and loss of money. I don't see why this would be illegal, anyhow.
Posted by: 5hinyIstoLottery online will generate revenue for the states and federal gov't
It's inevitable that the lottery system will make its way to the internet. It's ridiculous the people need to suffer through this prohibition when it makes perfect sense and an incredible way to generate tax revenues. When will we get some real leadership in office to make these common sense decisions?
Posted by: AnonymousThe only reason it is not legal is because the government can't figure out how to make money from it.
Online poker should be legalized in the United States. The only reason that the government will not allow it is because they don't know how to monetize it; i.e., collect tax revenue from it. Online poker is fun and is skill based, and the government should not be allowed to tell us what we can and can't do with every aspect of our money and our lives.
Posted by: R0m4nticCarI believe that online poker should be legal, because in-person gambling is legal.
Gambling is a good boost to the economy, because winners have to pay taxes on their winnings. Currently, gambling online is illegal, but I think that this should change. Opponents of gambling state that it can be addictive, but so can gambling in person, and Las Vegas is still open. Others claim that if it is online, children might gamble. The websites can require gamblers to enter their birthday, so they know that they are of a proper age to gamble.
Posted by: DepressedDonnellIt should be legalized, because the government should not be able to stop someone from spending their money the way that they want to.
Gambling addiction is a very real problem, and many people advocate making online poker illegal for that reason. I feel as if every adult has the right to make their own choices, regardless of how anyone else feels about it. When you gamble, you do so knowing that there is a possibility you may lose what you wagered. So, if you want to take those chances, then nobody should try and stop you.
Posted by: StevyDemon
I am against legalization of online poker, because it is too accessible, and it would be too easy for people to lose their money.
Having online poker legalized opens the door to more fraud than they will know how to handle. The anonymity of online transactions means that a 13-year old child could take his or her parent's credit or debit card and spend a lot of their parent's money. People with addictive personalities could lose all of their money faster than they ever conceived. It is really not in the best interest of the American public to legalize online poker.
Posted by: ChildlikeJarvis90No online poker, just like gambling, is illegal except in certain areas and venues in the country.
Gambling is a problem. We shouldn't facilitate it by inviting it into our homes. Online gambling is specially addictive because of it's isolation and private nature. People can gamble their whole savings and not have any family members or friends know about it. So there is not much we can do due to the nature and complexity of the internet. People will always find a way to cheat.
Posted by: takakidailyNo, because it feeds an addiction, as well as creating new addicts.
Gambling addiction is a real and potentially harmful psychological disorder. By having it available in the home via the Internet, it becomes easier and easier for those suffering from it to feed their addiction, and thereby lose more and lose it more rapidly. It also creates new addicts who are specifically attracted to the Internet part of it.
Posted by: K NicholsonLegalizing online poker would put Americans even further into debt.
Americans are in a tremendous amount of debt and are unable to pay it off. When a person doesn't pay off a loan (mortgage, credit card, auto, etc.), businesses lose money, and the economy suffers. Because it would put Americans deeper into debt, online poker should not be legalized.
Posted by: R3gg43WitI oppose online poker being legalized in the US, it'll add to economic problems.
There are already things effecting our economic condition negatively, such as casinos, lottery, cigarettes, and other things that aren't necessary. I believe that legalizing online poker would just likely cause people to spend more money and become addicted, spending money they don't have, therefore hurting our economic situation even more than it is now.
Posted by: boobop