This page was last updated on May 10, 2011.
Online poker crackdown overdue; Mark Slyman; Beaver County Times; May 9, 2011.
Mr. Slyman has written at least 12 letters since March 2009. The only previous Slyman letter I critiqued is here.
Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.
“It’s about time the federal government cracked down on the proprietors of online poker.
“These offshore, tax-evading, money-laundering cyber racketeers have already created enough problems for countless people in this country with their proven, habit-forming Internet games.
“Several years ago, a television documentary about this topic showed how people lost their life savings and homes, while some marriages ended in divorce. Some unfortunate players committed suicide after losing everything to these electronic ripoffs.
“Like the tobacco companies, which used to advertise their products near schools to get kids addicted to nicotine, the online poker industry has been targeting college campuses for a large portion of its revenue.
“America does not need a large portion of its college graduates entering the work force addicted to online poker.
“But perhaps the most frightening thing is that you can go broke without ever leaving your home. For weak-willed individuals, this can be a very dangerous situation.”
[RWC] Mr. Slyman’s position on online poker appears to differ from his position on smoking. In “Don’t reward poor lifestyle choices” (8/28/09), Mr. Slyman wrote, “For more than 40 years, the Surgeon General has issued warnings on cigarette packages and other tobacco products about the dangers of smoking. It’s very simple. You smoke at your own risk.”
© 2004-2011 Robert W. Cox, all rights reserved.