Poker Superstars
Phil Hellmuth
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Recently, a law was proposed by Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick in favor of allowing resort casinos into the state. What he didn't exactly make clear, though, was that the same bill included a clause that would simultaneously outlaw gambling online.
At first glimpse, Patrick's new law seemed a good one for gamblers in MA: it would allow them to bring casino style play to the area once and for all. Surprisingly, it has been the Poker Players Alliance that has had to step up to fight this supposedly pro-gambling bill, for the clause that lay buried on page 28: "Any person who knowingly transmits or receives a wager of any type by any telecommunication device, including telephone, cellular phone, Internet, local area network, including wireless local networks, or any other similar device or equipment or other medium of communication, or knowingly installs or maintains said device or equipment for the transmission or receipt of wagering information shall be punished by imprisonment in a house of correction for not more than 2 years, or a fine of not more than $25,000, or both."
Fortunately, savvy Massachusetts gamblers clued in to this behind the back move and took action against it immediately, alerting all local players to action in their local newsletter: "The Poker Players Alliance is committed to assisting Massachusetts poker players by bringing attention to this attack on our rights; however, we cannot do this alone. We need your help and are asking that you send letters to Governor Deval Patrick, your local State Representative and your State Senator."
Luckily, this bill seems damned from the beginning, as Patrick's claims of the supposed 20,000 jobs and $2 billion yearly tax revenues that will be created by the allowance of casinos in the state is being disputed by the Massachusetts Taxpayers Association.
It's pretty ridiculous, obviously, to propose a bill that both allows and disallows the same behavior based on a difference in formats. This kind of doublespeak is probably the most blatant double-edged sword that lawmakers have tried to put past us yet. How one can be dangerous and another not makes just as little sense as everything else we've been put through. When are these people going to give it up? Answer: Probably never. But it's a safe bet that they'll continue to make themselves look dumb. |
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