Does playing poker online for money make someone a criminal? Apparently Congress thinks so.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed a bill that would ban most types of Internet gambling. If approved by the Senate and the president, this bill is sure to affect Penn State poker players, who, according to Card Player Magazine, form one of the biggest poker-playing communities among universities across the country.

It is obvious that Congress only wants to ban this activity because the U. S. government does not get any tax revenue from the poker sites, as most are located in foreign jurisdictions. This is about money, not morals. However, it is being disguised as a moral crusade.

There are a few main reasons why online gamblers should be allowed to continue playing.

First of all, stopping online gaming and targeting how people spend their own money, is akin to Congress limiting free speech. People need to be able to make their own choices in life, including what to spend their money on. If some irresponsible online gamblers make bad choices about how much to wager, the entire Internet-gaming community should not be penalized for their actions.

Online gaming is a safe activity for college-aged students, especially at a time when so many universities are aiming to crack down on drug use, underage drinking and violent crimes. If online gaming is actually a crime, there certainly aren't any victims, since each online card player chooses how much to wager.

Sure, some younger players may make some bad decisions about how much to push into the online pot. However, it is not legitimate for Congress to be concerned about people wagering their own money online.

This is an issue for parents to be concerned about, as they should be aware of how their children spend their money. This clearly calls for parents to take an active, responsible role in monitoring what their children are doing online. Parents: if you think your children are wagering too much money, stop them.

The U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate should not be parenting us or sticking their nose into our online games of Texas Hold 'Em.