FREE ESSAY ON GAMBLING ON THE INTERNET

GAMBLING ON THE INTERNET

Gambling on the Internet
A bill passed on July 23, 1998 by the senate "would turn Internet service providers into
traffic cops" (Cocks D1). In the Austin American Statesman dated July 25, 1998 an article
titled "Internet gambling bill draws concern" Cocks quotes Ken Jackson, chief operating
officer of a local internet service provider in Austin, " It said it will ban all forms
of gambling on the internet, but doesn't say how anyone's going to do it." Jackson also
states "The law enforcement agencies certainly aren't up to speed to deal with these
things - if the bill becomes law."
Among other things the bill will require Internet service providers to deny access to
online casinos. "They want the ISP's (Internet service providers) to be the police in
this situation," said Sue Schneider, chairwoman of the 55 - member Interactive Gambling
Council trade group. Jackson said, "(The bill) has to have some way to prevent access to
the virtual casinos outside the United States. The only people required to obey our laws
are our citizens. It can't be enforced against off - shore companies." There are
twenty-two other countries were online gambling is legal. Scneider goes on to say that
the Department of Justice does not believe that the bill would make good use of their
time and money because of other issues like computer fraud and hackers that they want to
use their resources on.
The lawmakers need to be more specific if they intend to pass laws that affect the
Internet community. How can they expect a company that provides a service to enforce a
law? Internet service providers provide access to the Internet. The police enforce the
laws. It would be unreasonable to expect the police to provide Internet access. They do
not have the ability to do that. Expecting Internet service providers to provide police
services are just as unreasonable.
The Department of Justice would be the logical choice in the enforcement of this law. In
a letter written to "the acting Assistant Attorney General Anthony Sutin expressed the
departments reservations about pouring it's energy into enforcing the bill" (Cocks D1).
If the Department of Justice does not have the resources or abilities to enforce this
bill what makes our lawmakers believe that the Internet service providers have them.
A law against Internet gambling makes sense. "Internet gambling is addictive, accessible
to minors and could be used for money laundering", said Jon Kyl, Republican - Arizona.
The enforcement of that law needs to be less vague. Placing the responsibility of
enforcement on the Internet service providers does not make sense. Our lawmakers need to
realize that law enforcement is police business and has nothing to do with private
companies.
Bibliography
Works cited
Cocks, Heather. "Internet gambling bill draws concern." Austin American Statesman 
25 July 1998:D1