 |
| Can you tell us about your background
(education, former occupations,current employment, etc.)? |
| |
 |
"I've always felt that
Internet gambling prohibition is simply a thinly
veiled anti-gaming measure."
|
I have a past life in social service administration,
running a youth service agency for 12 years and building
programs including an emergency shelter, group home
and alternative school for teenagers with problems.
During that time, I ran a charitable bingo hall for
6 years. The money was great from bingo, but I hated
it...the smoke and crabby players. Loved the public
policy work in the job though.
Then I did freelance writing, editing, and PR work
for 10 years. As an outgrowth of that, I edited the
previous print version of Rolling Good Times for two
years before starting RGT OnLine in '95. In my spare
time, I'm a river rat....meaning we've lived on the
Mississippi River since '75 and find it a great spot
to have watched my two kids grow up. Now, I can do the
same with a new grandson who will undoubtedly love the
lifestyle as much as the rest of the family.
|
| |
| |
| Why did you leave RGT-Online? |
| |
| Hmmmm....good question. My true interest
has always been in the business-to-business side of publishing
as opposed to a consumer-oriented focus. With increased
competition on the consumer side and the enormous potential
on the industry side, it was a good time to split things
up. Throw in the fact that I only owned 20% of RGT OnLine
and there you have it. |
| |
| |
| Can you tell us a little bit about
your new project River City Group, LLC? |
| |
| Sure....this is my company (although
I've graciously offered a nominal interest to my husband
of 29 years!). Since we've tracked the interactive gaming
industry from day one and developed some expertise, it
seemed like a good focus for a company. We're offering
Interactive
Gaming News, which is a subscription industry publication.
We're also offering a host of other services such as desktop
conferences, the Interactive Gaming Summit and Expo (June
in Vancouver), game/site analysis, market research and
online focus groups, consulting, and a number of other
services (more details available at River
City Group ... my apologies for the shameless promotion).
|
| |
| |
| Do you think that online gambling
will be prohibited in the US? |
| |
|
"The most common complaint
overall is slow payment from the operators."
|
I think that Senator Kyl may again
be successful in getting the Senate to pass some prohibition
legislation. But, I also think the House of Representatives
will be more knowledgeable about and sensitive to general
Internet freedom issues and to states' right which are
trampled on with a federal prohibition. If there is a
passage of a bill, it will certainly be challenged. |
| |
| |
| If so, when? |
| |
| Senator Kyl is expected to reintroduce
his bill sometime, possibly, in February or March, '99.
As of now, we're not sure if and when a companion bill
will be introduced in the House. |
| |
| |
| Why? |
| |
| That's the big question. Now that the
idea of prohibition is getting some support from the National
Gambling Impact Study Commission, it's clear that Internet
gambling will be the type of gambling (along with tribal
gaming) that will be a good scapegoat. I've always felt
that Internet gambling prohibition is simply a thinly
veiled anti-gaming measure. But, with other more traditional
land-based gaming companies getting into the game, it
changes the dynamics a bit. |
| |
| |
| Will the ban be enforceable? |
| |
| No, it will not...even by admission
of the US Department of Justice in the analysis they did
for Senator Leahy in 1998. The only way it will be marginally
enforceable is if they get very intrusive into the online
lives of the US players. From a privacy standpoint, that's
not realistic. |
| |
| |
| What consequences do you think prohibition
will have on the online gambling industry in general? |
| |
| If there's a prohibition law passed
in the US, there may be a chilling effect at first. But,
given the mainstream companies getting involved with online
gaming globally, it would be a temporary blip on the radar
screen in the big scheme of things. |
| |
| |
| Is regulation possible? |
| |
|
Definitely. I like to make the distinction between
regulation of the Internet, which by its nature is not
feasible, and regulation of the gaming products which
can and should be regulated. It's important to develop
good standards for such items as solvency or ability
to pay the players, game testing for fairness, background
checks, controls to address problem gambling, etc.
Clearly, if jurisdictions in first world countries
like Australia have successfully figured out ways to
handle this, it can be done. And, for consumer protections,
it should be done...the sooner, the better.
|
| |
| |
| What does the IGC do to protect
online players from unscrupulous operators? |
| |
| In March of 1999, the Interactive Gaming
Council is launching its Seal of Compliance with the established
Code of Conduct for scrupulous gaming operators. This
will give players an opportunity to distinguish among
the some 280 sites that currently offer live wagering
online. It also offers a dispute resolution process for
players who may have problems with a member who displays
the Seal. |
| |
| |
| There are currently only 55 members
in the IGC. Does that mean that operators who are not
members of the IGC are not as legitimate as the ones who
are? |
| |
|
First of all, there are 280 sites online currently
but not as many operators since there are a growing
number of "gateways,""clones," or "faces"....different
front ends leading to the same operator.
But, to answer your question, I don't think it means
the rest are not legitimate. I think the large majority
of the operators out there are scrupulous but either
are not yet aware of the IGC or have chosen not to join
at this point. I expect that to change once the Seal
of Compliance program is operational and there is a
clearer advantage gained from membership.
|
| |
| |
| What is the most common complaint
the IGC receives from players? |
| |
|
"I would also add a compliment
to CasinoWire. You guys are doing a fine job of
adding great features for the consumer and the industry
alike."
|
I've been fielding complaints for
three plus years at RGT OnLine as well as through the
Interactive Gaming Council chairmanship. The IGC gets
complaints on lots of non-members and a few on members.
The most common complaint overall is slow payment from
the operators. Nine times out of ten this is easily rectified
once it's communicated to the online gaming management.
In other cases, it's a function of the players not being
familiar with the cashout process. They typically say,
"They took my money in 30 seconds...why does it takes
weeks to get the money back." The industry could use some
better player education on those processes and what the
limitations are placed on it by the credit card companies
and other outside influences. |
| |
| |
| Do you have any comments to add? |
| |
|
Well, I guess I'd say that this industry is really
moving along more quickly than I might have predicted...even
a year ago. With the entry of some of the big guys,
I think they'll up the ante for the regulatory mechanisms
to be developed more quickly. What that'll mean for
the early entrepreneurs is uncertain. It will still
take some time, so there's time to build brand and build
niche markets for the small guys while the traditional
companies, especially in the US, are forced to watch
from the sidelines. But, it certainly is an interesting
industry....I can say that. And quite an opportunity,
from a journalistic standpoint, to be able to document
it from the beginning.
I would also add a compliment to CasinoWire. You guys
are doing a fine job of adding great features for the
consumer and the industry alike. When I was at RGT OnLine,
I thought you'd give us a run for our money and I was
right. You've got a great site there, so keep up the
good work.
|
| |
|
|
