I've been getting a kick out of this news item:

Dutch Senate Sets Online Gaming Tax at 40.85% (Registration necessary)

Since some of you might not be up for registering, I'll describe the article.

Basically, the Dutch Senate has decided that since they have no idea of how to stop online gambling, they will instead tax it - exorbitantly!

Now, in most situation, I would consider this a logical and laudable compromise. If only the American government were so clear-headed that they could realize that prohibition just doesn't work.

Of course, the next question for the Dutch Senate becomes: Exactly how do you tax something that you have no control over and consider illegal?

Well, they haven't figured that out yet. This discussion was more of a moral question about whether or not to tax something considered illegal.

Regardless, at least they are heading in the right direction, even if the tax is exorbitant and unenforceable.

The highlight of the article is this section:

"Senator Leijnse of the Labour Party took a more practical, rather than moral approach. His primary concern was how to block American online gaming providers from offering their games via the internet in The Netherlands."

Hmmmmmmmm.....

American lawmakers please take notice!!! This is what happens when you try to comment and make decisions about something you have no idea about!

The article doesn't mention it, but I hope somebody corrected Senator Leijnse and explained to him that, because of the American government's policy of obstructing the free markets, there actually are NO American online gaming companies for him to worry about.

Nope. America completely missed the boat on that lucrative industry.