State of NY just banned online gambling

[vegasunderground]

The wording of the press release was weird, but it seemed as if they were hinting at blocking IP access to the gambling sites.


Game Over: State Delivers Blow to Online Gambling

JAN 24, 2006

The game is now over for New Yorkers who like to gamble online.

While it has been illegal to do so in the state for some time, many people found ways around in the past, by placing bets with sites through off-shore companies.

But as NEWS10's Dori Marlin reports, a new law in effect this week essentially takes the sites off-line in New York.

The new law went into effect this past Monday at 9pm, making New York one of just 13 states no longer allowing companies to process bets that are placed online. What that means now:

While before, it was illegal to gamble online, but people still found a way to place bets...

Now, in the state, the sites literally will not let you log in and gamble
"I'd play free rolls every day just to kill time," says online gambler, Steve Douglas.

Many, like 24-year-old Steve Douglas of Albany, are upset with the change.

"Not everybody has the opportunity to go to Turning Stone, or even start a home game whenever they feel like it," Douglas says.

But experts say that is part of why the state wants to stop the sites in the first place - they are simply too accessible.

"We certainly know that people are engaged in various forms of online gambling," says UAlbany Associate Professor, Dr. Matthew Martens.

Dr. Martens specializes in counseling psychology, and explains why it is a problem.

"It's gonna' lower the prevalence of people getting involved in this type of gambling, simply because it's gonna' be harder for people to access the sites," Dr. Martens says.

However, many of the sites are trying to find a way around the law once again, to get regulars like Steve back in their stable.

[defo]

if ny chooses to ban something that is illegal already? looks to me like this shows u online gambling is legal otherwise they would not have to ban it in the state

[Keith]

actually it has no effect on me, as I have a local, and the on-line I use does not use credit cards. For them, it is still business as usual.

[bpiets]

Can't blame 'them' for trying to stop on-line gambling....'it's' just that the $$$ don't circulate within the Community and so if there's no $$$ to buy with there is a 'stagnant' economy, and also 'power' given to those who should not be in that position, after all 'we' must 'buy'/'trade' back for those $$$$$ and this is NOT the same as 'SELLING'...lol...etc....and 'Credit cards' 'SHAFT' EVERYONE'....

[WAXER]

Still is ODD & NOT UNDERSTOOD by me that if these states see the $$ that is being put into by players into SPORTS WAGERING & it's LEGIT in VEGAS (What the HELL is so diffferent about VEGAS then other states.?) why oh why don't they just TAX it & make it LEGAL? I mean if like i said it is being already LEGAL in VEGAS what would it do to be LEGAL in other states? I think they (The DOJ & LOCAL states) are wasting there resorces & BIG man power dollars trying to STOP something that they would FALL over in the LOCAL cash flow by making it LEGAL. Make it LEGAL tax it & BOTH player & state will be HAPPY.. Case closed.

[OldMan]

Originally Posted by WAXER

Still is ODD & NOT UNDERSTOOD by me that if these states see the $$ that is being put into by players into SPORTS WAGERING & it's LEGIT in VEGAS (What the HELL is so diffferent about VEGAS then other states.?) why oh why don't they just TAX it & make it LEGAL? I mean if like i said it is being already LEGAL in VEGAS what would it do to be LEGAL in other states? I think they (The DOJ & LOCAL states) are wasting there resorces & BIG man power dollars trying to STOP something that they would FALL over in the LOCAL cash flow by making it LEGAL. Make it LEGAL tax it & BOTH player & state will be HAPPY.. Case closed.

Wax...That does make sense, but remember we have phuckin politicians deciding these thing so if it makes sense it probably won't happen.

OldMan

[TravisPH]

This really isn't that big of a deal, if Internet service providers have to block access to gambling sites; anyone can use a proxy service or much more recommended: a VPN service like Relakks to get around it.

[Quaker639]

any links to articles about this...
or any more info?

I haven't heard anything about this...

[Dr. Jack]

Originally Posted by Quaker639

any links to articles about this...
or any more info?

I haven't heard anything about this...

This story was actually posted by WTEN: Albany, New York but you are right - it has not got much play
http://www.news10.com/Global/story.asp?s=5984182

On another note - It looks like in 1999, online gambling was over in New York

New York court rules Net gambling illegal
Online gambling suffers a blow as the New York state Supreme Court rules that a casino with servers in Antigua violates U.S. law if it accepts wagers from state residents.
By Beth Lipton Krigel
Staff Writer, CNET News.com
Published: July 26, 1999, 7:45 PM PDT

Online gambling suffered a blow today as the New York state Supreme Court ruled that a casino with servers in Antigua nonetheless violates U.S. law if it accepts wagers from state residents.

New York State attorney general Eliot Spitzer's Internet and Investor Protection bureaus were investigating Suffolk County, New York-based casino WIGC.

Spitzer's office said that along with accepting wagers, the casino was "selling shares in the casino gaming business for $10,000 each. It's estimated that the defendants raised $1.8 million from 114 investors, including 10 from New York."

WIGC argued that it was not subject to New York state gambling laws because its servers are located in Antigua. The firm could not be reached for comment.

In a 20-page decision, New York state Supreme Court Justice Charles Edward Ramos ruled: "It is irrelevant that Internet gambling is legal in Antigua. The act of entering the bet and transmitting the information from New York via the Internet is adequate to constitute gambling activity within New York State."

In addition, the judge found WIGC "liable for violating state securities laws for failing to register with the Attorney General before selling securities and failing to disclose that 46 percent of investors' funds would be used to pay salaries, commissions, and consulting fees to the corporation's principals," Spitzer's office said in a statement.

Internet gambling has been a hotly contested issue. Last month, a Senate committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of a ban on Net sports and casino gambling. But online gambling is poised to become a booming business, studies have shown.

In the New York case, Ramos ruled: "The Internet site creates a virtual casino within the user's computer terminal," therefore WIGC broke state and federal gambling laws, including the Federal Interstate Wire Act.

A hearing will be held to determine the restitution to be paid to investors, as well as penalties and other costs, the attorney general's office said. A pre-hearing conference is set for September 9.

This is not the first time a New York attorney general has cracked down on Net gambling. In addition, Spitzer has gone after online privacy violations and spam, and in March set up an Internet Bureau, charged with coordinating "statewide the investigation and prosecution of civil law enforcement actions involving computers, online services, and the Internet, as well as child pornography and other crimes being committed through the use of the Internet," according to the attorney general's Web site.

Other states also have sought to curb online gambling. In September 1998, the Missouri state attorney general won a case that effectively ran a Pennsylvania Internet gambling firm out of Missouri, where riverboat gambling is legal.

[Quaker639]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jack

This story was actually posted by WTEN: Albany, New York but you are right - it has not got much play
http://www.news10.com/Global/story.asp?s=5984182

On another note - It looks like in 1999, online gambling was over in New York

thanks jack

I was just about to post that same article...lol
also read about it being outlawed in 1999 last night

doesn't seem like this is anything new/something to worry about
or am I being naive?

thanks again for the response

[Dr. Jack]

Originally Posted by Quaker639

thanks jack

I was just about to post that same article...lol
also read about it being outlawed in 1999 last night

doesn't seem like this is anything new/something to worry about
or am I being naive?

thanks again for the response

Well I am certainly not going to advise anyone to break a state law.

With that being said I am more than sure smoking pot is also illegal in NY

Really I don't know what to say. It's weird that it did not get more play from even the Post or Ny Times. Further it appears that no one is being blocked.

Even Wash State is changing their tune on this now so I really am not sure what to make of the entire thing in NY. Like anything I would just be smart about whatever you might be doing.

[Quaker639]

Originally Posted by Dr. Jack

Well I am certainly not going to advise anyone to break a state law.

With that being said I am more than sure smoking pot is also illegal in NY

Really I don't know what to say. It's weird that it did not get more play from even the Post or Ny Times. Further it appears that no one is being blocked.

Even Wash State is changing their tune on this now so I really am not sure what to make of the entire thing in NY. Like anything I would just be smart about whatever you might be doing.

[YankeesWC2006]

elliott spitzer ssssucks