John Stossel: Ban This! Ban That! Ban This And That!

I like to bet on sports.   Having a stake in the game, even if it's just five bucks, makes it more exciting. I also like playing poker. "Unacceptable!" say politicians in much of America. "Gambling sometimes leads to 'addiction,' destitute families!" Well, it can. So politicians ban it. It's why we no longer see a poker game in the back of bars. Half  ... MORE

A. Barton Hinkle: Everything Fun Is Illegal In Virginia

Warning: no fornication allowed.   Only one or two centuries late, Virginia lawmakers have decided it is none of their business if unmarried couples share a roof. So the legislators are now working diligently to repeal the state’s law against “lewd and lascivious cohabitation.” Huzzahs all ’round for that. But do not unclutch thy bodice yet. Virginia law  ... MORE

Bill Would OK Internet Gambling Across State Lines

by Hannah Dreier.  The nation's gambling capital is taking steps to make sure it is not dealt out of the lucrative online poker market as more states enter the bourgeoning industry. Soon after the Nevada Legislature begins its four-month session on Monday, lawmakers are expected to begin debating a bill that would let companies  ... MORE

EBT Abuse: Government's Cash-For-Drunkards Program

by Michelle Malkin.        From New York to New Mexico and across the dependent plains, welfare recipients are getting sauced on the public dime. Drunk, besotted, bombed. But while politicians pay lip service to cutting government waste, fraud and abuse, they're doing very little in practice to stop the EBT party excesses. Where's the compassion for taxpayers? ... MORE

New Jersey Puts Money On Legalizing Sports Betting

by Colton Totland. Sports fans who have longed to back their favorite teams with their gambling dollars — legally — may soon get their chance as New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie leads a challenge to laws that have limited legal betting on sports to a small handful of states. The long-running, high-stakes battle over betting on sports in America is coming to a     ... MORE

Ben Wolfgang: Online Poker Fans Ready To Deal

A comeback deal. The Obama administration may have called off the game more than a year ago, but the nation’s poker partisans are still looking for a deal. Card sharks are ramping up pressure on the federal government to remove a cloud of uncertainty hanging over Internet poker, caused by a patchwork of federal laws that has left the game in a ... MORE

Michael Suede: Jury Nullification Becomes Reality in N.H.

Judging the law as well as the facts.  For those of you who don’t know much about jury nullification, basically it’s when the jury finds a defendant innocent because of their dislike of the law. For example, a jury might refuse to convict a non-violent drug offender because they disagree with the fundamental premise of drug laws themselves.     ... MORE

John Stossel: Creating A Risk-Free World

A child leaving home alone for the first time takes a risk.    So does the entrepreneur who opens a new business. I no more want government to prevent us from doing these things than I want it to keep us in padded cells. Everyone has a different tolerance for risk. One person takes out a second mortgage to start a business. Another thinks that  ... MORE

Michelle Minton: Let States Regulate Internet Gambling

Government should protect, not restrict, freedom. This country has many serious problems to address, but an activity that millions of people around the world voluntarily enjoy, mostly without incident, is not one of them and it certainly does not warrant a big new federal regulatory agency. In a recent op-ed in The Washington Examiner, former Pennsylvania    ... MORE

Steve Chapman: Stimulus To Nowhere

The failure of Obama's economic agenda. Mired in excruciating negotiations over the budget and the debt ceiling, President Barack Obama might reflect that things didn't have to turn out this way. The impasse grows mainly out of one major decision he made early on: pushing through a giant stimulus. When he took office in January 2009, this was his first priority.  ... MORE

John Stossel: Why Does Government Suppress Information

Sunday night is Oscar night! Think you know who's going to win? Want to make a bet? The Hollywood Stock Exchange allows people to bet on which movies, actors, directors, etc. will take home Academy Awards. You can also bet on how much money a movie might make. It's called a prediction market ... except unlike other prediction markets, bettors can't use real money. What fun is that?  ... MORE