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new casino on the internet
From: Dave Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>
Date: Thu, 16 Mar 1995 15:46:35 -0800
Here we go!!!!!! rom PC Week: Bits & bytes: Finally, a truly valuable service on the Internet: gambling. A small company called Internet Casinos plans to offer a casino and sports bookmaking operation on the World Wide Web in mid-May. Here's the tricky part: Players would have to either wire their money or present a credit card before they're allowed to play. But people won't be sitting in a Las Vegas casino where they can see their piles of money get fatter or smaller; they'll be sitting in front of a computer screen, and it may take as long as 48 hours before they receive their winnings. "It's all a matter of trust and credibility, which we have to establish," said company President Warren Eugene. "Why play Doom when I can play and win money at a casino?" Eugene, whose firm is based in the Bahamas, says he is not affiliated with any high-roller backers who dominate the gaming world "although I have had people offer me money that I didn't want to get involved with -- if you get my meaning." We do indeed. -----------
WANNA BET ? Company says plan for casino in cyberspace doesn't break the law, but some observers wouldn't put money on it. Bloomberg Business News ST. MAARTEN, Netherlands Antilles -- It's a gamble, but a company called Internet Casinos Inc. plans to launch a casino on the Internet. The company intends to begin providing casino games, entertainment and sports betting over the global computer network beginning May 15 from its base in St. Maarten. Internet Casinos, which is incorporated in Nassau, Bahamas, thinks it won't run afoul of U.S. state and federal laws prohibiting the placing of wagers across state lines and through the country's communications networks. ``Because we're completely offshore, we eliminate all that nonsense,'' said Warren Eugene, Internet Casinos's 33-year-old founder and president. U.S. laws clearly forbid people from accepting wagers from abroad on U.S. soil, Eugene said. The law doesn't specifically prevent people from placing wagers and transferring money to gamble in a casino offshore, just as it doesn't prohibit people from traveling to the Caribbean to gamble, he said. Others remain skeptical that the Canadian entrepreneur will get very far before attracting the attention of law enforcement agencies. Guy Michael, an attorney specializing in gambling law, said he suspected the U.S. Justice Department would investigate an operation like Internet Casino. He also said, however, that it isn't clear whether wagers placed from the United States to offshore locations are legal or illegal. ``The technology is a little bit ahead of the law here,'' he said. Eugene said it's legal in the Antilles for Internet Casino to accept bets from the United States. He conceded, however, that U.S. citizens may be in ``a very gray area'' if they place wagers offshore from their home phones and computers. Under Internet Casino's system, gamblers will first establish an account with a minimum of $50, sent either by wire transfer or mail or paid over the phone by credit card, Eugene said. Winning bets also would be paid through a wire transfer, he said. To view Internet Casino's home page on the World Wide Web, turn your Web browser tohttp:// www.casino.org/cc. --What do you think about gambling on the Net? Voice your opinion. Use keyword: MC Talk, select Browse Boards, then Tech Talk, then Internet / Online Services folder. Or, choose Letters for Publication in the scrolling window. Published 3/16/95 in the San Jose Mercury News.
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