Whenever you get Harvard Law School into the mix, you've got yourself a
down-and-out legal battle. Well, at least that's what I hope will happen in the
context of two Harvard professors speaking out against the Unlawful Internet
Gambling Enforcement Act. At this point, the two men's comments have set the
stage for a grand debate, while one of the men, Professor Alan Dershowitz, is
actively defending an unnamed online gambling executive in an upcoming court
trial.
Professor Charles Nesson has been an outspoken critic of the UIGEA since it
was passed as what he calls a "midnight bill". Like Dershowitz, who apparently
plays poker with Larry David from "Curb Your Enthusiasm" (man, would I like to
get in on that game...just for the laughs alone), Nesson is actively doing
something to help overturn the UIGEA.
With the help of his law students, Nesson has formed the Global Poker
Strategic Thinking Society. The group held its first meetings just last week,
and is hoping to spread the word on legalizing internet poker. Helping out your
professor is definitely a good way to earn some brownie points, however, there
is no doubt all of the students taking part are avid fans of online poker
themselves. In fact, Nesson urges his students who are looking to do something
useful with their time, to play poker. He believes it is a valuable tool for
developing analytical skills that are essential to legal thinking.
Although Nesson and Dershowitz are not defending online casino gambling per
say, every little bit helps if you ask me. Their agenda is that sports betting
and poker are games of skill, which is a damn good argument. Probably one of the
best in getting poker legalized. A court in Norway or Sweden (one of the
Scandinavian countries I think) recently overturned a court ruling that said
poker was strictly a game of chance. The argument definitely has validity.