Online Bingo and the US Law for Gaming

 The UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act) has received wide publicity and attention especially through the gaming community. Some have viewed the act as a wholly good thing whereas others have described it to be similar to that of prohibition of the 1920’s and an infringement of civil rights. Depending on what stance you take it does seem slightly hypocritical that gambling cities such as Las Vegas or Atlanta are so popular but online bingo is considered to be a ‘moral’ issue.

There have been many lobbyists against the law and many that have argued that the law has too many inconsistencies within it. A major campaigner against the law has always been Barney Frank who only last week managed to push through HR 6870 – the Payments System Protection Act which calls for the suspension of the UIGEA. Congressman Frank wishes to see the return of online bingo for US citizens as in his mind it will allow a very large financial industry to be regulated in the US. Many operators are offshore and Frank believes that legalization for US citizens would be a march in the right direction.

The HR 6870 was passed 30 votes to 19 which means that it will be sent to congress in 2009 for further discussion and voting. Internet Gambling regulation has also taken a forward step with Congressman Ron Paul who also lobbying behind the legalization and legislation of lawful online bingo with the US. What can also be noted is that of the 19 voters who said no to the bill many of up for reelection soon and consequently this number will likely to decrease. The UIGEA architect Jim Leach even when it was launched in 2006 expressed his anger at the watered down version of the bill which has left many unclear about its actual legal ramifications and power.

After the vote Barney Frank can be quoted as saying the following;

‘This is one more affirmation that lack of regulation has caused serious problems. The private market screwed itself up and needs the government to come help unscrew it.”

What is certain is that the future of the UIGEA is unclear and may have to be either altered or scrapped. What is still uncertain is however the degree of regulation that will occur in the US for online bingo. For the moment the law still stands which makes using credit cards illegal on online bingo sites. Several institutions and market operators have been charged or pulled out of the market all together. The future of online bingo may have a lot to do with the outcome of the presidential elections that are up and coming. It is widely hoped by the online bingo community that Senator Barrack Obama wins the presidential race as it is believed this will pave the way for a re look at the UIGEA and its implementation.

Polling And Campaigning Made Easier Using Online Surveys

Whether campaigning for government, a local chapter or for election to the school council online surveys are the easy and effective election tool that will benefit any campaign. Use surveys to discover more about the electorate, to identifying the issues that really concern them so that each campaign can be tailored to reach the hearts and minds of the voters.

Objective

For any survey it is important to decide from the beginning what the objective of the survey is and when considering conducting a survey in support of a particular candidate consider if the purpose of the survey is to discover what the ‘issues’ are; or is the survey to be used to promote the candidates image and policies?

In many cases objectives will be in line with the different phases of an election process.

Pre-Campaign

Before campaigning begins a survey is an ideal method to canvass the voters and to determine what the important issues are likely to be. To gain a wider response across the whole political spectrum the survey will preferably be conducted through an independent channel so that people’s opinion of a particular candidate does not influence the research.

For a political survey it is essential that the demographics of those surveyed are established as different groups are likely to have both common and varied views. With demographic information there is an opportunity to establish what the main issues are by age group, by income and by gender; do people who rent have the same concerns as those that own their own homes?

A pre-campaign survey will be able to monitor the mood of the voters. Some may, if asked, even indicate who they are likely to vote for in a future election. By listening to the electorate a campaign can be planned better and will allow printed and oral marketing to be properly targeted at the issues that people want addressed.

For candidates that appear out of step with the electorate surveys can provide a measure of how much effort will be required, and in what areas, so that people are convinced and change their views.

Campaign survey

During a campaign an online survey is an effective way to market a candidate’s position. Tradition methods of leafleting rely on the recipient reading and taking onboard the message. Leaflets are a one way marketing effort and more often than not dismissed and discarded along with other ‘junk mail’.

Consider on the other hand an online survey that can phrase questions such as:-

Do you support candidate Jones’s pledge to cut the budget deficit in half to $250 billion over four years; and to reintroduce budget rules capping spending?

To answer this question the respondent has to engage mentally with the survey by reading and then considering the statement before forming an opinion. Because the respondent is able to express their view they are also more likely going to consider the argument. An online survey is not only able to deliver an important policy statement but will also allow the campaign team to monitor the level of support that the candidate has on specific issues.

With the new breed of online survey web sites generators such as http://www.surveygalaxy.com/ multiple online surveys can be created and published in minutes making it feasible to target specific groups on specific issues. There is no longer a need to devise a ‘one size fits all’ survey. Surveys that promote policies that are aimed at retired voters can be sent to retired voters, while younger people can be sent surveys that promote the candidates policy on issues that are only important to them.

Using the pre-campaign survey data the ‘undecided voter’ can be targeted and engaged, with perhaps the opposition’s policy being used to highlight the benefit of voting for a candidate.

Do you support the opposition’s plans that will reduce the tax burden for high earners and result in middle income families paying more tax?

A well written campaign survey will promote the candidate, measure opinion and monitor how effective the campaign is. Online surveys allow this to be done with considerable ease, they are extremely cost effectively and allow the results to be analysed on the fly.

Comparison

Compare the benefits of online surveys over other forms of campaigning such as door to door and telephone canvassing, leafleting, advertising and personal appearances.

If not already, the Internet is fast becoming the primary method of communication for both business and personal use and provides direct access to a broad cross section of any voting population.

Through the use of email, websites and search engine advertising online surveys are able to target a large proportion of a population at a fraction of the price compared to traditional marketing methods. With the online surveys ability to provide market research, marketing and education there is no other single form of marketing that is as cost effective and versatile.

With the speed of deployment being measured in hours and minutes, not weeks and day, online surveys are able to deliver a flexible and dynamic campaign message keeping pace with the political mood that can change on the basis of a single comment or headline.

With each survey’s demographic data a campaign is able to accurately and instantly measure the scale of success in terms of the number of ‘messages’ delivered, the target group and, based on the results, the effectiveness of the online survey marketing campaign.

ESC 2010 Semifinal 1 – Results of the online voting in ESCNation

The finalists of semifinal 1 for the big online final are choose. Wait for the video of the final.