For better or worse, most people vote with their pocket-book. There is a group of people in the USA who are smart, who save their money, and actually want to pay more taxes! ( No, that is NOT a typo.....we DO want to pay more taxes! ) But we can't. Not in the USA. The government won't let us.

Now, who the heck am I talking about? Those American Citizens and Residents who YEARN to be able once more to GAMBLE / GAME LEGALLY ONLINE. I realize that the "Protestant Ethic" of anti-gaming/gambling is in force here.....but look at other mainly Protestant countires....England, Canada, and Sweden, for example, where online gaming IS legal. There has been NO upsurge of hedonism, and NO increased mob influence there. Only happy online gaming winners, determined-to-practice-more-an­d-win-next-time losers......and governments that ALWAYS COLLECT A TAX FROM ALL WINNINGS! Nobody knows how important it is to, (as they say in New York), "bet with your head and not over it", than people who make a serious study of their favourite games. For instance, I know that in Roulette, betting from $10 to $50 a hand, I can only win $200 a day. If I try to over that amount, I can lose....big-time. And $72,000 a year, ($200 x 365 days), is sufficient for my needs! Now.....if ONLY I could turn my "play-fun" money winnings into REAL, LEGAL WINNINGS! I'd SO happily pay taxes on them, then!

The USA is supposed to be "the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave". Without legal online gambling -- which demands both freedom and bravery ....we obviously are not as free and brave as we could be! The American Dream also comes into play here......an intelligent person, betting carefully, can win an awful lot of money in any casino -- and online casinos have the additional advantage of convience, and saving the costs of hotels, travel, meals, etc. Every would-be American legal online gambler / gamer realizes that, should they succumb to compulsive gambling, and/or use up all of their money in gaming, and go in a downward spiral.....that this would just give the anti-gambling / gaming forces in this country even more "ammunition" against re-legalized online gaming / gambling in the USA. I take this respnsibility VERY serioously, and I'm pretty sure most other, thoughtful, would-be re-legalized American online gamers / gamblers also realize this.....and also take this responsibility VERY seriously. We play ONLY the games at which we feel we are proficient. We do NOT let our enthusiasm for our favourite games get out of hand. We bet "With Our Heads And Not Over Them", as they say in New York. We KNOW our behavior reflects on the entire could-be re-legalized American Online Gaming community. Even as Las Vegas itself has changed......from a mainly mob-run city, to a family-oriented, non-mob, entrepreneur-run city.....so have gamers....epecially could-be legalized American online gamers ....changed. We are, by and large, nice, (and perhaps somewhat shy) people, with mathematical talents, hard-learned restraint, great caution, big dreams, and the desire to do good for humanity in the way we can do best. (That is, with charity donations from our winnings.) The "diown-and-out gambler", who thoughtlessly wagers away all her/his winnings without thought or practice doubtless still exists.........but has largely been replaced by the intelligent, careful, thoughtful individual previously described. And the ranks of the "down-and-out" gamblers are being steadily eroded, as practice games, both on the net and electronically hand-held, proliferate. They were never around before. People can now PRACTICE....a LOT. Practice leads to understanding, understanding to restraint. Just about every serious book on gaming / gambling RECOMMENDS THAT THE GAMBER / GAMBLER SET A LOSS / WIN LIMIT. AND ALSO TO TAKE 20 - 30 TIMES THE AVERAGE BET TO THE TABLE. This is the VERY best advice any gambler / gamer can get. And most gamers / gamblers today -- far more sophisticated and knowedgeable than those of the past -- take this sage advice very much to heart.

To repeat....we not only want to win for ourselves, but also want to reflect well on the rest of the could-be legalized online gaming community. Gamers / Gamblers today are NOT what they used to be !!!!!!!

A famous gaming expert, whose name I forget at the moment,stated the obvious, in a humourous mannner:"State Lotteries have such high odds of winning,that they make the casinos look like philanthropists!" Talk about ethics and giving the so-called "little guy" an even chance!

Politcians and other wealthy people have GOT to STOP belittling those not in their social melieu. There is a story about a French farm boy, who about 10 years ago, was tested......and found to be a genuis! There was also a segment on TV some while back about a young, handicapped boy, who cannot raise his arms more than 5 inches off the table. But boy.....can that guy DRAW! Gamng / gambling also gives the "little guy / gal" a way to succeed. Not only mathematical skills are necessary for a successful gamer / gambler. Restraint and continuous, continual practice are also very necessary. And, like any stereotyped "minority" group, we know we have a bad reputation to live down. We know that any mistakes we make reflect upon the entire could-be legalized American Gaming community. And believe me, 99.99% of us take this responisbility very, very, very, very seriously!

Is gaming / gambling moral? Like anything else, it can be, and it cannot be. Marking cards is not moral. "Past-posting" in roulette is not moral. Making a deal with a dealer to win, then splitting the profits is not moral. But practicing, ( and more practicing ), playing within prescribed money limits, quitting while one is ahead, giving big tips, paying large taxes, and contributing heavily to charity must be considered moral. More and more people call gambling "gaming" these days. Because "gambling" implies chance.....like walking across the street blindfolded -- or, for a blind person, without a cane. But "gaming" is based on practice, research, and restraint. Like looking both ways before crossing the street / and/or using a cane to do so.

Legal, online gaming is not just a moral issue.....it is a RIGHTS issue. FREEDOM DEMANDS AT LEAST INDIVIDUAL STATE VOTING ON SUCH ISSUES AS WHETHER ONLINE GAMING WILL BE LEGAL IN EACH SOVEREIN STATE. We didn't get even this when the Anti-Online Gaming Act was so sneakily passed through Congress!

Online gamers are, by and large, NICE people. If I wasable to make money on the internet with my gaming skill, I would DEFINITELY give 5-10% to charity. I'm sure many other online gamers would, as well. The money we would otherwise have to spend on travel and hotel rooms would go right into charitable giving / tips to the casinos!

I know that I am not alone in thinking that George H. W. Bush is one of the worst presidents this country has ever had. HOWEVER, WERE HE TO CHANGE HIS MIND ON ONINE GAMING, AND BE ELIGIBLE TO RUN AGAIN,.....I'D EVEN VOTE FOR HIM! PEOPLE, AS I SAID TO BEGIN WITH, VOTE WITH THEIR POCKET-BOOKS. AS FAR AS I'M, CONCERNED, I COULD FORGIVE E V E R Y OTHER POLICY ANY CANDIDATE HAS,THAT I DISAGREE WITH.....IF ONLY HE/SHE WOULD ALLOW AMERICANS ONCE AGAIN TO LEGALLY GAME / GAMBLE ONLINE!

p.s. For further info, please see my essay on "Helping Las Vegas", also on SLATE.

Thanks for reading this! I hope it can do some good!!!! : )

Dear Nick_Danger:

I do not deny that there are compulsive gamblers/gamers around. Any more than I can deny that there are problem drinkers. I myself do not drink, (well, OK....a magnum of red wine will last me 2 years or so.) But I am overly fond of potato chips, so I know (a bit) of the struggles that problem driners, (and compulsive gamblers / gamers) go through.

For myself, I am far too much of a coward to actually gamble. No, I take calculated risks. And if one method doesn't work, I try for others. (Just this morning I made
$2005 playing roulette......but am I sure this method will win ALL the time? N O ! I have to practice it further to be absolutely sure......

Would you suggest that Gail Mitchell, Frank Scoblete. John Gollehen, R.L. Ellison, and other gambling authors take a "12 step" priogram? These authors were SO good, when they gambled at ALL games, that the casinos eventually banned them...as far as I know, anyway. So - they began to write gambling booiks. ( I intend to write a book on roulette, myself.)

The tale is told of a gambler, (I forget whom), who would bet on anything -- even which of two raindrops would reach the bottom of the window-pane first! This is my definition of a compulsive gambler! But, personally, I am far too much of a coward to bet without very, very careful research. I calculate, I do NOT gamble!

If you want corruption, look at the Social Security Administration. Did you know that ONLY the first $50,000 someone makes is subject to SS tax? The rest (if any) is NOT!

Please do not be mislead by the media's stereotypes of professinal gamblers. Most of us are mathematical genuises who labor under unfair labeling of "compulsive", and "wastrel".

Adult Americans should have the INDEPENDENCE of gaming online.....just as in so many other countries. (And....don't forget about the additional taxable revenues to the government!)

Please get real. It is a sad joke that Americans -- in the "land of the FREE" and the "home of the BRAVE" are not allowed to legally have the convenience of gaming online!

I, personally, become VERY religious when I practice gambling. I praise God in my heart, for the talents and mental abilites HE has given me.....and of course, I pray for winning games!

What kind of ethics are there in this country, when politicians get $$$$ in benefits.....and "normal" (read: poor) Americans can't take advantage of their mental abilities and the convenences, of gaming online?

It is extremely frustrating, to say the least!

The US Constitution guarantees the rights of "life, liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness"..............to everyone, not just greedy politicians!

I know that "12 step progams" are well-meaning....and often are of great help to those who need them. However, in everyday life, another type of "12 step program" all too often takes over most people's lives. The only way out of this "everyday" type of 12-step program, (detailed below), is to make a lot of money.....so that no-one can tell you what to do. Some people do this by inventing things, some with artistic or musical talent, some do it by investing in the coin, stock, or foreign exchange markets. I find that roulette, (for me) beats all these ways of making money -- for making the money quickly, and in great amounts.

"12-step".Program that Envelops Most People:

1 -- You are a little kid. Your parents know better than you.

2 -- You are a growing kid. Your parents, neighbours, relatives, "friends", and grade-school teachers know better than you.

3 -- You are a high-school student. Your parents, neighbours, realtives, "friends", teachers, and boss for your part-time job all know better than you.

4 -- You are a college student. Your parents, room-mates, relatives, "friends", proifessors, politicians, and boss for your part-time job all know better than you.

5 -- You have graduated college. Your parents, room-mates, apartment manager, relatives, "friends", politicians, and boss at your full-time job, all know better than you.

6 -- You get married. Your new spouse, your parents, your in-laws, the bank officers who hold your mortgage, relatives, "friends", new neighbours, politicians, and your boss, all know better than you do.

7 -- You are approaching retirement. All the above people -- plus your retirement "advisor", (who strongly recommends the safety of an annuity), all know better than you.

8 -- You are retired. Everyone under the age of 65 -- and all "authority figures" over it -- know better than you do.

9 -- You get seriously ill. All of your doctors and nurses know better than you do.

10 -- You go into a nursing home. Everyone in the world knows better than you do.

11 -- You read that THOMAS PARR, born in 1485, lived to be 152 years old. But all the authority figures in your life say that you'll never live to near that age. And you believe them, because they all know better than you do.

12 -- You die. ( Everyone says that you lived to a ripe old age.....82......)

I am sick of everyone saying they know better than I do about everything! I have studied roulette since 1978, when the casinos first opened in Atlantic City. I may not know everything about nuclear physics or brain surgery....( or blackjack or poker, either), but I know as much as most people can about Roulette. I do NOT want, nor do I need, any "12 step program"......either one designed to wean me away from the "evils" of roulette, or the self-defeating scenario that most "ordinary" people are condemned to, above. I am an adult and KNOW my limitations....and what they ae not. Perhaps that is the defining difference between a professional gambler, and a compulsive one!