I’ve been away (and offline) for a few days, and I am shocked by this turn of events. This is unbelievable! Multiple programs bailing out, people worried about being arrested…. :whoa: :whoa: :whoa:
WHY?
First of all, playing at an online casino is not illegal. If it was, they why is Congress trying to pass a law to make it illegal?
Secondly, owning a website that provides information about gambling is not illegal.
Thirdly, can you imagine a scenario where hundreds of people are arrested in a raid — at a well known Vegas hotel — simply for attending a conference about internet marketing? What would the public think of this once the story hits the press? I think it is doubtful that anything like this would go over very well.
Other points to consider — can the cops prove that you specifically target residents of the U.S.? For all they know, you market exclusively to residents of the U.K., where online gambling is regulated. Not that this point matters anyway, because gambling online remains legal in the U.S., so it shouldn’t matter if you target U.S. residents or not.
Furthermore, ask yourself these questions:
Did I ask the search engines to index my site?
Did I ask anyone to go online and search for gambling phrases?
Did I ask anyone to click on a link that brings up my site, which, for all anyone knows, I built for my own personal entertainment?
Did I force the visitor to click out to an online casino site?
Did I force the visitor to download and install an online casino?
Did I force him to make a deposit?
And was that deposit illegal?
So you see, there are many steps along the way that you have no control over. Personally, I don’t think affiliates have much to worry about. Affiliate managers either, really. CEOs excluded, I highly doubt that anyone would be charged for a crime that their company may or may not have committed. Charges need to be specific to the individual, and such an arrest would not stick. First, they need to have a reason to detain you personally; secondly, they’d need to prove, in court, that you broke a law that doesn’t even exist!
Hopefully the conference will still happen, but if it doesn’t, I may fly to Vegas anyway for a personal vacation. We could still meet, party, and have fun with old and new friends. 