Regulation vs. Prohibition

This 60 Minute clip is a bit outdated now but I’d say that the warning still rings true about the poker cheats that are still out there and that you shouldn’t ever let your guard down.

I support regulation of the industry rather than prohibition. I think that tales such as these just strengthen my argument that the US shouldn’t be taking the approach of outright prohibition against online gambling but rather should be introducing legislation to regulate the industry and issue licences (just as Switzerland is likely to do shortly). This would offer great consumer protection against shonky sites and players who cheat. Implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the US has been delayed for now thankfully but who knows what the ultimate outcome will be.

At the end of the day though, don’t let stories like this scare you away from online gambling. You just need to be aware of them and take it as a precautionary story. It’s simply a reminder that you should take all the regular safety steps to make sure you’re playing with a reputable casino or online poker room.