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November 8, 2008 - Thanks to the Unlawful
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), New Yorkers can
now make horseracing bets from their mobile phones. Sounds
ironic, doesn't it? Well, that's because the UIGEA is indeed
an ironic piece of work.
If you haven't heard already, the UIGEA is carveout
ridden; Carveouts for fantasy football (thanks to
lobbyist efforts for the NFL), carveouts for lotteries,
and yes, carveouts for horseracing (thanks to more
lobbying on behalf of the horseracing industry).
Expectedly, companies working in the gaming sector -
especially those with interests in thoroughbred betting
- are making motions to capitalize off of these
carveouts. One such company is Sona Mobile Holdings, who
now stands to capitalize off of the New York State
Racing and Wagering Board's decision to approve mobile
wagering.
Okay. Lest this blog post turns into one of those
boring news articles on the latest Microgaming online
casino to stop accepting U.S. players (cough, cough,
just trying to secure my sacred position as staff blog
writer for Online Casino Suite), first off, it makes me
sick to see the State of New York doing anything to
promote online gambling under the UIGEA.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for regulating internet
betting, no matter the form. However, the UIGEA doesn't
regulate. It simply bans all other forms of online
gambling which pose a threat to special interest
carveouts written into the legislation.
Secondly, the fact that New York is now capitalizing
on these carveouts (after serving as the homebase for
several high profile persecutions, i.e. Neteller) makes
me even more frustrated. In fact, I'm so riled, I don't
want to even tell you about Soma Mobile's new mobile
horseracing service. In other words, if you too are
against the UIGEA and all it stands for, don't be
tempted to settle for betting under carveouts. Rather,
stand up and boycott these very same sectors that have
found a protectionist haven under the UIGEA.
Originally published:
October, 2008 | Categories:
Gambling
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