The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in November 2002 that the Federal Wire Act prohibits electronic transmission of information for sports betting across telecommunications lines but affirmed a lower court ruling that the Wire Act "'in plain language' does not prohibit Internet gambling on a game of chance." But the federal Department of Justice continues, publicly, to take the position that the Wire Act covers all forms of gambling.
In other words: they will still arrest your ass. I don't want to be arrested. I see you are operating out of LA AnonymousBat, what is your legal strategy, if I can ask.
The federal government has a knack for twisting things, it doesn't matter if it's the law. It's like when they use the interstate commerce clause to tell farmers that they can't grow food on their own property.
In other words, even if you find a way to do it legally, they'll find a way to get you. Even if they *think* it's illegal when it's not, you're hosed.
What I'm doing is really legally no different than everything else I'm doing. I don't engage in fraud, theft, or hurt people so I know that I'm on a high moral ground.
I choose dangerous liberty over peaceful slavery. Better to die free than to be a slave.
In my case, I have nothing to lose. If my site fails the chances of me being prosecuted for it are slim, if it succeeds to the point where they come after me, chances I'll have the resources to defend myself against their unconstitutional acts.
An unconstitutional act is not a law; it confers no rights; it imposes no duties; it affords no protection; it creates no office; it is in legal contemplation as inoperative as though it had never been passed.
-Norton v. Shelby County, 118 U.S. 425 (1886)
It's too bad it's not gold, because say I actually did gold instead of bitcoin and then they tried to claim I was running an illegal gambling ring, I could just argue that gold is not money and bring my star witness, the chairman of the federal reserve.
Gold isn't money!
:p