Dershowitz on the Gaming Ban

Two unusal opponents on the gaming ban in the WSJ Law Blog:

Gaming law is in vogue. Indeed, there’s a Harvard Law course taught on the subject, by visiting professor Keith Washburn. “This class will address questions like these in dealing with an industry that lies at a shadowy and uncertain gray area where law meets morality, commerce and social problems,” reads the course description. “The evils attributed to gambling are subject to widespread disagreement and the justifications for prohibiting or regulating gaming have varied across time and across particular gaming industries.”

Nesson told the Herald and says here he was “affronted” when Congress banned online poker and other types of Internet gaming last year. Said Nesson: “The idea of Internet freedom is a core notion of modern political freedom.” As for Dershowitz, he argues that because poker is game of skill it should be legal. “It’s certainly not a game of chance,” Dershowitz told the Herald. “It is ridiculous to call either poker or sports betting a game of chance.”