The Economist has an interesting editorial and feature article this week on the online gambling bill passed by Congress recently. The article makes the case–also made here–that the bill will do little to stop online gambling. It goes on, startlingly, to argue that the law could actually make legalization of online gaming more likely. The logic is that the bill has depressed the value of British online gaming firms, thereby making them more vulnerable to takeovers by their American cousins. The feature article concludes:
If such acquisitions come to pass, it seems more than likely that American online gambling firms would begin to lobby American politicians to legalise online gambling. Thus, America’s prohibition may ultimately have the unexpected consequence of moving the country one step closer to legalising online gambling.
I’m not sure this is a likely outcome, but it’s an interesting take nonetheless. Worth reading.
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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