TV Show Causes a Stir

 As we have heard, the coverage on the Sixty Minutes expose has been all over the online casino news circuit. It seems like everyone has an opinion of the things that were said in the one hour special hosted by Steve Kroft. Message boards and online casino blogs have been going crazy with people giving their thoughts on the cheating scandals that were uncovered from UltimateBet and Absolute Poker. It seems as though people knew that there was some scandal with the two online casinos, but after the Sixty Minutes special, people realized just how much money was stolen from players during the last few years. Some online casino websites and affiliates have even released official comments on the matter including: the Kahnawake Gaming Commission, the Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative and the Poker Players Alliance.

The Poker Players Alliance’s statement re stated their position on the United States desperately needing to step in and regulate online casinos. The United States government may not be in the right place to tackle the online casino industry, given all of the work they would have to do to reverse the harm the Bush administration did to the industry. They admit that some of the companies that are highly regulated are still corrupt, but with regulation there would be accountability. Regulation would also provide a safer environment for the players and there would be a set system for players to follow if they do suspect they are being cheated.

The Poker Players Association statement said about online casino regulation, "Regulation of Internet poker does not imply an expansion of gambling in this country. Like it or not, the phenomenon of internet poker cannot be wished away. The American market has spoken. There is strong demand for Internet poker and no reasonable government can or should stand in the way of adults competing in games of skill on the Internet. To the contrary, the government should step up and exercise regulatory oversight on this multi-billion dollar interstate commerce, and collect the revenue—especially during this country's economic crisis.”