US Legislation

The situation with the legislation in the US looks bad. I don't like it of course, anything that makes it harder for casual bad players from the US or any country to get to play online; or induces them to quit playing.

For Canada we seem OK for now, but the situation down south is a concern. I think I need to pay a lot more attention to the religious right. They seem to be increasingly influential and assertive. The US bill comes across to me as an unnecessary attack on individual freedom. As a libertarian, I've always voted Reform Party/Conservative. Now I need to reevaluate which party is most agreeable to maximum individual liberty.

Consider Joe Sixpack. A good, proud, patriotic American. He works hard at the mill 40 hours a week, pays his taxes, obeys the laws of the land, and doesn't cause anyone else any problems. How is it the concern of the government that this consenting adult would choose to play poker for real money on the Internet from the privacy of his own home, instead of driving 200 miles to the nearest casino to play. Who exactly is harmed by this?

As for the US Republican party. They choose to pick on Joe Sixpack for playing Internet poker from the privacy of his own home. However the republican leaders who have such a problem with Joe Sixpack don't seem to have a problem with "overly friendly" e-mails from Rep. Foley to underage teens.

To my American poker comrades, keep up the fight for your right to play. It's obviously legal to play poker for real money in the US. Thus there is no reason for it to be illegal to play poker for real money over the Internet.