http://www.gambling-law-us.com/Federal-Laws/internet-gambling-ban.htmEarly in the morning on September 30, 2006, a House-Senate conference committee finished work on the 2006 SAFE Ports Act. It was passed by both chambers and sent to President Bush, who is expected to sign it. It contained the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, a modified version of the original H.R. 4411 introduced by Representative James Leach in 2005. The basic thrust of the law is to try to cut off the flow of funds from U.S. gamblers to online gambling websites. The Act does this by criminalizing the acceptance of U.S. initiated financial instruments by operators of online casinos, cardrooms and sportsbooks and by prohibiting U.S. financial institutions from processing transfers of funds to them under regulations to be drawn up by regulators of financial institutions.
Aider and Abettor Liability
The federal aider and abettor statute, 18 U.S.C. 2, provides:
(a) Whoever commits an offense against the United States or aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces or procures its commission, is punishable as a principal. (b) Whoever willfully causes an act to be done which if directly performed by him or another would be an offense against the United States, is punishable as a principal. The criminal provision of Section 5366 creates a new "offense against the United States." All those who aid or abet an online gambling website that is in violation of Section 5363, and thus of Section 5366, are punishable as if they were the online gambling Website. The same goes for those who are employees and officers. In appropriate cases this "punishable as a principal" law may also ensnare directors, major shareholders, advertising media, affiliates and those who are so-called consultants, team members or front men for the online gambling Websites."
The new illegal online gambling proabition law creates an "offense against the United States", A new law in the United States, you bet, but not really a 'new' law, all Fascist Governments have had the same type of law, they just call it something a little different... Home Page