Ever hear of the Safe Port Act? It’s legislation that upgrades port security, which was of course passed by our government because no one would re-elect a politician who votes for a bill that is pro-terrorism. This is being brought up in a poker blog because pork barrel legislation sunk in the completely unrelated Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act–which is why many poker sites no longer accept US players.
You all may have known this, it happened in October 2006.
The fallout is being seen more recently. Antigua claims that the act puts the U.S. in violation of its commitments under the General Agreement on Trades and Services by unfairly prohibiting foreign Internet gaming operators from accessing the U.S. market. The European Union, with Antigua and others, is claiming over $100 billion in damages by this violation.
The US now must pay out the money that could lower taxes, feed the hungry, help with education or health care or even the war if it has too. The only other option would be for the US to honor the agreement with the World Trade Organization and allow Internet gaming again–even tax it for a profit.
Sounds like a tough financial decision…
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