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Online Casinos Clause Criticized

Governor Deval Patrick’s highly controversial land casinos bill was the cause of a protest from several organizations with interests in the online casinos gambling industry. And while that may seem a bit contrary considering Patrick’s bill attempts to legalize three large land casino resorts in the state of Massachusetts, a hidden clause within the Governor’s bill attempts to criminalize internet gambling. That’s where organizations like iMEGA and the Poker Players Alliance (PPA) have a bit of concern – criminalizing online casinos gambling is seen as highly intrusive to American civil liberties, especially when one considers that the penalties that will accompany the clause.

Governor Patrick has met opposition on his land casinos gambling bill at every step of the way in this process; the protest outside of the legislature’s office last week was in keeping with the heated debate surrounding this controversial proposal. Online casinos and poker gamblers all over the U.S. have rallied together to express concerns to the Massachusetts’ government that the clause banning internet gambling is simply unacceptable. Charles Nesson, the founder of Global Poker Strategic Thinking, comments on why his group joined the protests last week – “Governor Patrick's Casino bill would make it illegal for state residents to play poker online, with penalties ranging from hefty fines to jail time of up to two years. How crazy is that?”

It just doesn’t make sense that Governor Patrick’s bill heavily supports one type of gambling, yet strives to criminalize the same exact activity which just happens to though online casinos rather than land casinos. Joe Brennan Jr. is the Chairman at iMEGA (the Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association), and he comments, "How can an activity that is legal in 48 of the 50 states be a criminal act simply because it utilizes the Internet? If an American has the right to choose in the "real world," shouldn't they enjoy that very same right when they are online?"

These groups, along with the PPA and others joined together to protest Governor Patrick’s proposal and stand in unity that online casinos and internet poker gambling should not have criminal liability for the individual gamblers.