Argentina Moves to Ban

11/03/2008		Argentina Moves to Ban
Home History Games News Dictionary		With the establishment of the UIGEA, online casinos have simply gone elsewhere to set up shop. Undoubtedly, they’re glad they’re on foreign soil with the recession, but that’s another article. Argentina, it looks like, may be following suit in attempts to have online casinos banned from the country. The idea of the prohibition comes to light as two bills have come across the voting block: the first a complete ban of all forms of online gambling. The bill was evidently loosely drafted, having not defined what was considered “online gambling.” The second bill was more specific- rendering internet provider companies legally responsible for providing access to their clients any websites that could be deemed inappropriate. Under the ban fell categories such as online bingo, online poker, casino gambling and sports wagers. According to the proposed law, if prohibited sites were accessed, it would be the internet companies fault, rather than the citizens’. Enforcement means include fines, and even prison time, depending on the severity of the infraction. The irony of the situation comes with the consideration of motive. Evidently, Argentinean government officials are attempting to eradicate any form of wagering from which the government had no jurisdiction to tax. In other words, if the suits are getting a cut, it should be illegal. Prohibition, however, will not put the desired funds into pockets, as the UIGEA has clearly demonstrated. Licensing and regulation of online casinos, conversely, would. Whereas banning online gambling would in actuality raise costs, as funds would be needed to enforce the new law. It seems those in support haven’t quite thought the plan out; comparably the American UIGEA has set up financial institutions as the middle men and ‘bad guys’ of enforcing the act, so would the Argentinean plan force internet providers into an uncomfortable and assuredly undesired position.

11/03/2008

Argentina Moves to Ban

With the establishment of the UIGEA, online casinos have simply gone elsewhere to set up shop. Undoubtedly, they’re glad they’re on foreign soil with the recession, but that’s another article.

Argentina, it looks like, may be following suit in attempts to have online casinos banned from the country. The idea of the prohibition comes to light as two bills have come across the voting block: the first a complete ban of all forms of online gambling. The bill was evidently loosely drafted, having not defined what was considered “online gambling.” The second bill was more specific- rendering internet provider companies legally responsible for providing access to their clients any websites that could be deemed inappropriate. Under the ban fell categories such as online bingo, online poker, casino gambling and sports wagers. According to the proposed law, if prohibited sites were accessed, it would be the internet companies fault, rather than the citizens’. Enforcement means include fines, and even prison time, depending on the severity of the infraction.

The irony of the situation comes with the consideration of motive. Evidently, Argentinean government officials are attempting to eradicate any form of wagering from which the government had no jurisdiction to tax. In other words, if the suits are getting a cut, it should be illegal. Prohibition, however, will not put the desired funds into pockets, as the UIGEA has clearly demonstrated. Licensing and regulation of online casinos, conversely, would. Whereas banning online gambling would in actuality raise costs, as funds would be needed to enforce the new law. It seems those in support haven’t quite thought the plan out; comparably the American UIGEA has set up financial institutions as the middle men and ‘bad guys’ of enforcing the act, so would the Argentinean plan force internet providers into an uncomfortable and assuredly undesired position.