Sports Bettor beware, Uncle Sam is bound and determined to violate your right to choose and civil liberties to make your own decisions. Recent articles I have read, from Gambling 911, one of our partner sites I write for and they also provide content for my site, provided the following quote on recent events from federal authorities in a recent article pertaining to offshore payment processors located in the US:

"Now comes word that once again a payment solution dealing with Internet gambling firms was based - not offshore - but in the United States. $9.9 million was seized by US authorities in eight accounts at Nevada State Bank, a unit of Zion Bancorporation (nasdaq: ZION - news - people ), in the name of Zaftig Instantly Processed Payments, doing business as ZipPayments.com, according to Forbes. The companies are described as helping to facilitate parts of the Bodog operation. But it was unclear whether Bodog itself was at the center of the investigation."

There is no stronger defender of the American Bill of Rights than myself. I am a card carrying NRA member who watched a recent case at the supreme court level, Heller vs.. District of Columbia, barely passed in favor of Mr. Heller who was a gun owner and private security guard who was not allowed to carry his gun in the line of duty for private security detail.

He won that right, but the disturbing thing was the vote was 5-4. There were 4 supreme court justice judges who thought that the right to bear arms was not an individual right and the US Constitution should be challenged. Are we having this discussion in 2008? Were the founding fathers wrong in the self evident truths to keep and bear arms? I guess 4 of the highest judges in land think so, scary isn't it? Government is too big, and stepping over the line in terms of not allowing us to choose our own vices. The control that Uncle Sam has and the tax burdens he places on us as Americans is getting way out of hand, and each it seems we crawl closer to socialism as a society.

A Thought: Quit worrying about some guys playing poker on-line, and wagering some games and fix the damn economy. Figure out a solution to Iraq and get our men and women home. Deal with the price of gasoline by getting a pair of balls and standing up to OPEC. Penalize US companies for shipping our precious jobs overseas while in July 2008, 51,000 Americans lost their jobs in a tough economy. I have an idea. Have offshore books work hand in hand with the IRS to report funds transferred to clients, and have them issue 1099's for winnings, or a W-9. That way Uncle Sam can pay for some stuff, since our federal deficit is at an all time high. Uncle Sam wants their cut of the taxes of money involved in gambling, it is no simpler than that! Figure it out boys.

The climate for the Anti Internet Gaming Act, passed on the end of a port security bill in October of 2006, is increasing in danger as football approaches. The Justice Department has a burr up their butt about on-line poker rooms and sportsbooks. The bill would not pass on its own merit for years, so some idiot bureaucrat attached it to a bill, and more or less buried it.

You as an American can go buy a Powerball ticket that you have no chance in winning, and the States and Feds will take their cut of millions of dollars in proceeds from those lotteries, but by God if you place a $50 bet on the Cowboys and actually have a 1 in 2 chance of winning, that is illegal. For the love of Christ do not wager at an on-line sportsbook that is legal in the country it is located in, bonded and licensed, and regulated by that government body. Go piss your hard earned $5 away, buying a quick pick ticket for Powerball, no biggie that you are a sucker for buying it and have no chance of winning, that's OK with the Feds! By the way, if you do win a $100 million, we are taking 50 million for our end, courtesy of the US Government.

Of course organized crime is loving life again, have no illusions. With threats of seized funds with offshore books by the Feds, people will take their chances again with local bookies, who post lines wherever they want, and come knocking on your door on Tuesday for you to pay the bill if you lost! Offshore books maximize your wagering dollar by being competitive with their lines, and your account is managed by the amount of money you have available to wager, so you do not stretch yourself out on wagering "blue sky" by calling a local bookie if you have an early loss or want to make it all up on Monday Night Football.

Once again Uncle Sam has it all backwards and turned around. Calvin Ayre from Bo Dog has resigned and is purported to be on "the lamb" as federal authorities would love to find him on a beach in Miami, throw him in prison and throw away the key. For what I ask? Promoting a new age system of wagering, with a system of checks and balances. Helping put MMA on the map? Help in branding the World Series of Poker for ESPN and others to now take in millions? You see 50% of the top players on TV wearing BoDog.net hats and shirts, Jamie Gold who won the main event in 2006 was a BoDog guy. His foundation has given millions to underprivileged children and built schools in Costa Rica. All of a sudden this guy who was on Forbes magazine for his Internet prowess and explosion into uncharted waters in terms of branding BoDog and building a business model in the industry that all follow, is now an outlaw for paying clients when they won in the United States. Is he brash and have a huge ego, yes. Does that make him a criminal and an outlaw?

In closing, get active people. Support House Bill Bill # H.R.2610 by writing your senators and congressmen. A grassroots effort is needed top open up the Internet free of restriction when it comes to responsible wagering by regulated companies that are legal to operate where they are located. You do not win the game standing on the sidelines, but getting in their and putting a hemet on someone, so lets all get nasty and in the game folks, our civil liberties are being violated here.

Tony George is CEO of Tony George Sports and www.sportsaudioshows.com. One of America's premier sports handicapping websites.
 

Tony George
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