| Can you tell us about your background?
(education, former occupations, current employment, etc.) |
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 |
"I devote almost full
time to gaming law and have over the years written
or edited seven books on gambling law."
|
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. Being
completely broke after graduating from high school, I
stayed in town and worked my way through school. The severe
winter of '78, however, sent me westward. I graduated
from Arizona State College of Law in 1981 and headed to
Las Vegas after receiving an offer from the state's largest
law firm. By chance, I began working with the firm's gaming
attorneys, including former Governor Grant Sawyer and
Bob Faiss. It seemed to have worked out, as I have been
with Lionel Sawyer & Collins for 17 years. I devote almost
full time to gaming law and have over the years written
or edited seven books on gambling law. |
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| Do you think that online gambling
will be prohibited in the US? |
| |
| Yes, but the extent of the exceptions
is the more important question. |
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| When? |
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| Probably by the end of 1999. |
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| Why? |
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| The prohibition has various centers
of support. The religious right opposes any form of gambling.
The www leagues oppose any form of www wagering.
Some state governments fear both the loss of control over
gambling and the loss of revenues. Some argue that in-home
gambling presents the greatest potential to create problem
gamblers. |
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| In what form (exceptions)? |
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| I have been most impressed with the
lobbying strength of the horse racing industry. I assume
that it will continue to win favor in Washington and will
be granted a broad exception. The lottery industry also
will gain some ability to conduct online gambling. I don't
see broad exceptions for any other group. Fantasy leagues
will probably be excepted from the prohibition. |
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| What consequences do you think prohibition
will have on the online gambling industry in general? |
| |
| Because a large portion if Internet
users are from the United States, operators will have
two options. The first is to not accept US patrons. This
will avoid legal issues, but eliminate a large market.
The second is to accept US patrons. Non-US owned or operated
sites may avoid legal problems by staying outside the
US. Still, the US efforts may impact them if the US government
can frustrate their efforts to stay online through US
ISPs, to advertise in the US, or to conduct online financial
transactions. |
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| What would prohibition mean to the
social online player in the US? |
| |
|
"I anticipate the US prohibition
will make it illegal for a US citizen to gamble
online."
|
I anticipate the US prohibition
will make it illegal for a US citizen to gamble online.
If so, I do not see active prosecution of cases against
social players. But, do not be surprised if the government
sets up their own gambling site as a sting operation and
arrests a few players to make a point. |
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| Will a law that prohibits online
gambling in the US be enforceable? |
| |
| Will any law governing behavior on
the Internet be enforceable? Governments will need to
figure out their respective rights and responsibilities
in Cyberspace. This will mandate international cooperation,
but I don't see this occurring for several years. |
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| And a few personal questions: Why
do you have a special interest in the online gaming industry? |
| |
|
PAl Alcorn, one of the founders of Silicon Gaming,
came to my offices several years ago. He noticed my
computer tool kit that I was using to fix my connection
to our newly installed LAN and said that he knew they
found the right attorney. He called me a nerd in lawyer's
clothing. I took that as a compliment.
Since I saw the big mainframe at the IBM offices in
downtown Cleveland when I was in 8th grade, I have been
fascinated by computers. I goofed around with Basic
programming in college, but my career took a legal direction.
The technological revolution has given me an opportunity
to merge my interest in computers with my chosen career
as a gaming attorney, not only involving Internet issues,
but also representing several high-tech gaming companies.
|
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| Tell us a little bit about your
site, CasinoLaw. |
| |
|
"Everyone should have
their little piece of the Internet."
|
Everyone should have their little piece of the Internet.
CasinoLaw is mine. The great value of the Internet is
to allow information to be shared so that the people
can build off the knowledge of others and help others
build off their advancements. With this in mind, I conceived
CasinoLaw as being a content-based site that would become
the world repository for all information on gambling,
public policy, and law. A person visiting the site can
read summaries of the gambling laws in various jurisdictions,
read the actual laws and regulations, access scholarly
articles, or engage in discussions in the forum. This
requires a cooperative effort of those studying and
practicing law in the various jurisdictions and specialties
to contribute.
Dr. David Ross Barrow-Britton, the webmaster, and I
have been soliciting contributors, adding content, and
revising the site. I am proud of where it is at, but
realize it is far from done.
|
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| How has your book, Internet Gambling
Report II, been received? |
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| Very well. As with all of my books,
I attempted to give a fair and accurate overview of Internet
gambling. This included both the bad and the good. I think
most people who have read it appreciated this approach.
|
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| Do you have any other comments you
wish to add? |
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| An important thing to remember about
Internet gambling is that the debate goes far beyond policy
issues over in-home gambling. It is the force driving
the larger debates over personal freedoms and government
control over a communication medium that is catalyst in
the Informational Revolution. We are merely passengers
on that train. |
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FairestCasinos.com’s
Hall of Fame is proud to present an interview with Anthony Cabot,
presumably the world’s most knowledgeable and recognized lawyer
within the online gaming industry. Cabot has written and edited
books on gambling law both about online and ordinary land-based
gambling. Cabot’s Internet Gambling Report II, is acknowledged
as a bible for those interested in online gambling law. He also
runs the informative web site: