Dead man's hand for online gambling?

Online gambling has just gone bust in the United States.

A bill approved by Congress over the weekend essentially outlaws most forms of Internet gambling. The legislation, which now awaits the president's signature, makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to make payments to online gambling sites.

The act has already had repercussions, sending stocks of British gaming firms lower. Credit card companies are now looking at technologies to use to put the ban in place.

But while the bill makes it harder for U.S. citizens to gamble online, almost no one believes it will make online gambling disappear. That leaves bloggers wondering: What happens now?

Blog community response:

"I'm willing to bet (pun intended) that some crafty, innovative people out there in the online world will find ways to get around this ban. Sadly, however, a lot of people will probably have to go completely 'underground' to do it. And we shouldn't be surprised if a shady element enters the scene to try to get a cut of this business."
--The Technology Liberation Front

"Rather, I want to highlight that there are millions of ordinary Americans just like me who didn't ask for this ban, oppose it, and will be harmed by it. The industry invited regulation and taxation, and yet poker players are now facing an outright ban. Congress completely sold us out -- if you care about this issue, head over to the Poker Players Alliance site."
--A Copyfighter's Musings

"While all the big online gambling sites have said stuff about stopping bets from folks in the US, it's unlikely they'll really be able (or all that willing) to do so. People will still be online. At the same time, the WTO has already pointed out that the US's attitude towards online gambling is in violation of various agreements -- but it's not like the US is going to bother listening to an organization like the WTO."
--Techdirt