Can Ron Paul Gather Enough Votes From Online Gamblers

U.S. Presidential candidate Ron Paul has taken an affirmative stand on Internet gambling, but will it sway enough voters to win him the election? According to many, that depends on the individual person, and whether playing online poker is a big enough concern to them to disregard other political issues.

The passage of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) of 2006, most especially the unscrupulous manner in which it was snuck into a completely unrelated Safe Ports Act, has had an immense effect on the United States. Not only were millions of online gamblers cut off from a favorite pastime, the government is now facing sanctions and compensation claims, costing billions upon billions of US dollars by choosing not to cooperate with the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The WTO ruled some time back that the US is in breach of their trade agreement by criminalizing the act of 'remote gambling'. By allowing 'remote gambling' within the US, in the form of inter-state horse racing wagers placed through telecommunications methods, the US must offer the same market to foreign members of the WTO. After being ordered to either re-open the online gambling market, or cease 'remote gambling' operations within the country, the US declined to do either. Instead, the government has chosen to retract its remote gambling commitments from the trade agreement, signed back in 1995. This approach leaves the US open to trade sanctions and/or compensation from all countries that have suffered financial losses from the loss of the online gambling US market.

As you can imagine, for many reasons, this does not sit well with US citizens. But is it enough to sway voters to elect Ron Paul? The candidate's current stance on Internet Gambling is strong, believing that regulation of the industry would solve many issues in the country, including revenue. Taxation of the online gambling industry could bring in billions of dollars each year. Supplying online gambling licenses to reputable operations would also fund a lot of programs, especially those related to assisting 'problem gamblers'.

However, Ron Paul may not be the only viable candidate in regards to overturning the UIGEA. Hillary Clinton is in support of studying the Internet Gambling industry to find out just how efficient regulation can be. Barack Obama is also in support of study and regulation of online gambling, and to "address the worst abuses".

The fact remains that online gambling in the United States simply may not be a controversial enough issue to sway many voters. However, there are many young Americans out there who have never bothered to vote. Many of these individuals are outraged at current US laws that have hindered the act of online gambling. If these Americans register to vote and make their voices heard, it could certainly have an impact on the next President of the United States.