Internet Gambling, Congress, and Casablanca

With much fanfare the United States Congress passed an internet gambling ban. The ban is really against transfer of MONEY by US banks and other financial institutions to any gambling firm - with exceptions for the states that run gambling operations, Indian gaming, and other "legal" gambling locations to allow you to use your credit card, check and other money transfer mechanisms in order to gamble.

 

This reminds me of that scene in "Casablanca" where the Police Chief comes into Rick's Cafe American and shouts out that he is shocked - shocked!- that gambling is going on there - then gets paid his cut from the winnings as he is shutting the place down.

 

This is what Congress effectively did by passing the law - shutting it down everywhere else except in those places it is getting its "cut" from the states and Indian reservations where it occurs.

And then Congress is baffled as to why people are so cynical and fed up with the whole current "democratic" process.