TThe online gambling ban is compulsory from a payments outlook. The US government prohibits credit companies and other financial companies from sustaining any online gambling related transactions. What I get from this is that Big Brother looks into sites US residents visit and makes transactions on.
This reminds me the Amazon situation. Not only for the reason that the large online retailer also sells gambling books and the like. Amazon is troubled and certainly has to be troubled by the government looking into their clients’ purchases. Following Internet transactions might lead the Feds to sniff around your Cart and Wish List. And that’s a big no-no!
The online gambling situation appears less in sync with the First Amendment, looking at things this way. Actually, the online gambling industry benefits from the support of many groups that go up against such Federal Book Clubs, as they are mockingly named.
Maybe more important is the support the industry obtained from US Magistrate Judge Stephen Crocker, in which he refused the Justice Department's subpoena for details on Amazon's clients and their purchasing routine.
The Feds pulled away from their plan. Now we wait for them to ease up online players as well.