An unregulated company in the Caribbean could lose its shirt, pull the plug on its computer, and go dark without paying the winners. Or the law of diminishing returns could set in, and the proliferation of gambling could once again lead to its reduction. Like George Washington, most Americans are of two minds when it comes to such things. We could reach a point when the public once again says enough’s enough.
Predictor: Schwartz, Evan I.
Prediction, in context:In a 1995 article on Internet gambling, writer Evan Schwartz closed by writing: ”As it was in the original 13 colonies and the Wild West, ubiquitous wagering may last only so long before it does itself in. An unregulated company in the Caribbean could lose its shirt, pull the plug on its computer, and go dark without paying the winners. Or the law of diminishing returns could set in, and the proliferation of gambling could once again lead to its reduction. Like George Washington, most Americans are of two minds when it comes to such things. We could reach a point when the public once again says enough’s enough.”
Biography:Evan Schwartz was a 1990s journalist with a computer science degree who covered information technology. He was a former editor at Business Week, where he covered software and digital media and was part of teams that won a National Magazine Award and a Computer Press Award. He also wrote for the New York Times, Wired, and MIT’s Technology Review. His books include “Webonomics” and “Digital Darwinism.” (Author/Editor/Journalist.)
Date of prediction: October 1, 1995
Topic of prediction: Economic structures
Subtopic: Gambling
Name of publication: Wired
Title, headline, chapter name: Wanna Bet?
Quote Type: Direct quote
Page number or URL of document at time of study:
http://hotwired.lycos.com/collections/internet_law/3.10_gambling_pr.html
This data was logged into the Elon/Pew Predictions Database by: Anderson, Janna Quitney