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.