Someone with A Degree does Some Digging on the Second LIfe Gambling Issue

We were perusing the Terra Nova blog, to see if we could get more info on this whole Second Life Virtual Casino thing, and we were rewarded with a link to this rather thoughtful analysis of the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act, and how it may in fact pertain to such venues as Second Life.

Here's a snippet to whet your appetite:

Does UIGEA apply to Second Life's casinos? It's possible - and here's why:
To begin, UIGEA prohibits gambling businesses from accepting credit cards, checks, or other bank instruments from American gamblers who illegally bet over the Internet.

Is it thus illegal, under U.S. anti-gambling statutes, for Second Life casino operators to accept bets placed with Linden dollars? The answer is probably yes. The relevant statutes cover circumstances in which not currency, but simply "something of value," is wagered. And Linden dollars have "value" because they are convertible into U.S. dollars.

In other news, it seems that Massachusetts Congressmen Barney Frank is lining up to defend Internet Gambling, and even seek a repeal of the recent law in as soon as two weeks!

U.S. Rep. Barney Frank stated that he will present a bill within two weeks to repeal the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), but will need much more time to gain support for the bill and would not seek a carve out for online poker.
"I think a reconsideration among my colleagues is beginning," he said to European reporters in Belgium during his overseas visit this week. "It's not far enough along yet so I wouldn't move the bill but I plan to introduce the bill and if the storm of public unhappiness is great enough, I will try to substantially revise that ban."

Read the rest of THAT story over at Poker Pages News

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Posted by Russell Miner at April 13, 2007 3:06 PM

my name is dianne and i live in benton ark. and myself wants to stop them from saying we can't gamble online because i work and pay taxes and i have the right to live and do what i please as long as it don't involve police so there is such thing as freedom or did they take that away from us too. as lo9ng as i'm alive and i pay my own way in this world then i can do what the hell i please unless they are paying my bills which their not so they have no right to tell me if and when i can gamble online with my cr5edit cards.

Posted by: dianne at May 3, 2007 2:14 PM