Mike Masnick points to a story about the latest front in the federal government’s obsessive crusade against online gambling: advertising companies. Apparently, creating an ad for an offshore gambling web site could lead federal fraud and racketeering charges. Because they conspired “to develop a scheme to defraud gamblers in the United States by inviting, inducing and persuading them to place bets.” The ads apparently “falsely stated that internet gambling on sporting events and contests was ‘legal and licensed.'”
I think it’s a safe bet that the feds haven’t arrested any of the American gamblers who supposedly broke the law by using BetOnSports. And it’s an even safer bet that most of them feel don’t feel “defrauded” by the ads. Unfortunately, the use of fraud and racketeering charges to punish actions that aren’t otherwise illegal is a growing trend.
As Mike says, don’t the feds have better things to do with their time? I thought there was a war on terrorism going on–maybe these officials can help out with that.
The Technology Liberation Front is the tech policy blog dedicated to keeping politicians' hands off the 'net and everything else related to technology.
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