Not In The Cards

The Justice Department raided the top three online poker sites last Friday.  Congress had outlawed internet gambling in 2006, so these companies relocated overseas (or so I've heard--maybe they were already there) and believed they had gotten around the law.  That's a question for the courts.

My question is why is the U.S. wasting its resources on voluntary activity?  It's not as if Americans can't legally gamble to their heart's content in spots all around the nation.  I wonder what the representatives of these places have to say:

Frank Fahrenkopf, chief executive of the American Gaming Association, the commercial casino industry’s main trade group, said the prosecution shows a “clear need to strengthen laws to address illegal online gambling in the U.S.”

He added: “Tough law enforcement is the key to making such a system work, and the AGA supports strong enforcement against illegal online gambling activity in this country. But illegal activity — and the risk of consumer fraud, money laundering and underage gambling — will continue until the U.S. passes laws ensuring that only licensed, taxed and highly regulated companies can operate in the U.S. market.”

So we need to take out the competition, and have high taxes and heavy regulation otherwise.  Thank goodness the casinos, teamed with the government, are looking out for us.