Mass. Lawmakers Don't Know If Online Betting Is Legal

[clevfan]

Don't Get Burned By Online Betting
Even Mass. Lawmakers Don't Know If Online Betting Is Legal

POSTED: 7:43 p.m. EDT October 10, 2003
UPDATED: 7:54 p.m. EDT October 10, 2003

BOSTON -- Even if you're not excited about the Red Sox and the Yankees, you probably wouldn't want to admit it these days. But some fans actually have a personal stake in the game because they're betting on it.

NewsCenter 5's Consumer Reporter Susan Wornick reported that betting on games has been around as long as sports, but the Internet has made it much easier for gamblers like Jim, who requested anonymity.

"All it takes is a couple of clicks and you're on any one of hundreds of Web sites that will take your bets online," said Jim.

When betting on the Red Sox online, you can get odds on pretty much anything -- from who'll win to by how much, even who'll score first.

"I guess it's just the excitement for me. It's just like driving over the speed limit. You know it's illegal, but you do it anyway," said Jim.

Of course when you think about sports betting, you assume it's illegal -- it's always been illegal in Massachusetts, but it's readily available online. Some sites even advertise blatantly on sports radio.

So how do they get away with it?

Wornick asked the Attorney General's office to explain. They called the matter confusing and said in a statement (see below) that while state law prohibits making bets over the telephone, "there is a question whether that same law covers bets via a computer hooked up to a telephone line."

And in the meantime, there is neither regulation nor law enforcement. Scott Harshbarger lobbied for both when he was the Massachusetts Attorney General.

"There may be issues about how illegal it is and who ought to be regulating it, but there's no question in my mind and certainly by the interpretations that the National Association of the Attorneys General had when we worked on this a few years ago, that this was not legal," said Harshbarger.

Harshbarger said it is nearly impossible for individual states to investigate and prosecute because people in the Caribbean operate many of the Web sites. The federal government should do something, said Harshbarger, but so far hasn't.

"There is absolutely no way to guarantee that if you win you get your money, That you aren't being ripped off, that the odds exist. Frankly, I see this as the old bookie system. You hope that you do, that somebody complies with their word. I thought we'd gotten beyond that in this country," said Harshbarger.

There have been a couple of attempts on Capitol Hill to pass federal gambling legislation but they've gone nowhere. But if enough people get burned and complain, then Congress may listen. In the meantime, Bettor Beware.
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Statement From Attorney General Tom O'Reilly's Office
October 9, 2003

POSTED: 7:51 p.m. EDT October 10, 2003
UPDATED: 7:54 p.m. EDT October 10, 2003

Internet Gaming Statement:

"There are many variables in both state and federal law that factor into the legality of Internet gaming. Massachusetts law forbids using a telephone to register bets, but there is a question whether that same law covers bets registered via a computer hooked up to a telephone line. Another Massachusetts law prohibits, under certain circumstances online gambling if the online gaming business is headquartered or otherwise has business operations in Massachusetts. As with any online transaction, consumers need to be sure of who they are dealing with on the other end."

[Minnow]

<< "I guess it's just the excitement for me. It's just like driving over the speed limit. You know it's illegal, but you do it anyway," said Jim. >>


BeantownJim?! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-shocked.gif[/img]