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Times are strange for online casinos.  One of the biggest stories in Internet gambling recently was the guilty plea of Anurag Dikshit.  The co-founder the very successful Partygaming site agreed to pay $300 million in penalties for violating the US Wire Act.  Not only that, Dikshit also faces possible prison time. 

This attack on Dikshit, has been seen by many in the industry as yet another unwarranted attack from the United States government against online casinos.  If the United States government has any interest in at least appearing just, they have to pick their battles more carefully. 

While they are attacking Partygaming for facilitating gambling over the internet, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority is pursuing mobile phone betting on horse races.  According to the authority Internet enabled smart phones will be able to place bets as early as 2009.

There is no point in protesting how little sense this whole thing makes as very little of the United States’ dealing with online casinos makes any sense.  The Wire Act was passed in 1961 for the express purpose of preventing bookies from taking bet over the phone lines.  Most bets of that era were taken on sporting events and horse racing.  Some how this is now okay, but online casinos are in direct violation.  If it looks like a witch hunt and smells like a witch hunt…

As if there was not enough to be outraged about, the croaked Department of Justice has gone on record as saying placing wagers on horse races over the Internet is illegal.  But some how Churchill Downs can openly accept wagers over their TwinSpires site.  If that is not protectionism, the I do not know the definition of the word. 

 

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