I'm truly flabbergasted by how much money this is making.
And it happened right under my nose as I watched on.
Which just goes to show: I have no friggin clue about how to make money on the internet.
Most american citizens do not wish to break the law to make easy money. Gambling is a great example of how to make money in a shady way in the usa. As is selling drugs, fraud via ebay, insider trading, spam, etc... Actually making a product or service legally is much harder to succeed with. Go figure.
But if you do not give a fuck... There are a lot of options out there to make a fast buck.
I hadn't thought of SatoshiDice as an illegal service. I don't know whether it is or is not. Are you saying it is illegal because it is an operation based in a place where it is illegal to offer gambling products (I don't know where it's based) or that it is illegal because it fails to build fences to prevent those in nanny states from accessing its services?
If it is merely the latter it seems bizarre to me for anyone to equate the provision of such a harmless and fun service with fraud!
The history of gambling, especially I guess in the States* is rife with corruption and scams, much of which has been facilitated by political efforts to prohibit/control gambling supposedly to protect its citizens. The beauty of Satoshi Dice to me is the simplicity and provably fair aspects. As far as I can tell it doesn't get more honest nor simple than that. If there was ever any justification for gambling laws to protect citizens from cheats etc. Satoshi Dice is to me proof that there is no more**.
* Bear in mind my impression is probably over-influenced by Hollywood!
** I haven't forgotten that some people are still steeped in a world-view that says if a book says something is immoral (regardless of whether the action can harm anybody other than the transgressor) then they have an obligation to prevent/prohibit/punish other people from doing it. I'm not saying that attitude doesn't exist, just that I can't be bothered to acknowledge it in my considerations.
It is pretty simple to me. I do not want to end up in court or jail.