As it stands nowadays, individual states are absolve to prohibit or practice gambling within their borders while significant regulations and limits are put on interstate which activity. In recent years, online game playing has seen harsher restrictions. With the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIEGA), it had been not explicitly banned but instead it had been online financial transactions which were outlawed. This meant that all online financial transactions from gambling providers were now illegal which resulted in countless offshore gambling operators excluding US buyers from their services.
Existing in this legal grey area, it is no longer a issue of if online gambling will enter the US market but when and perhaps how. As recently as this month, three says include legalized online gambling and plan to begin offering bets by the end of this year. Naturally, a gaming company in Las Vegas known as Ultimate Gaming was the first to offer online poker but also for now restricting it to only players in Nevada. NJ and Delaware also have legalized online gambling therefore far ten other states are thinking about legalizing it in a few form or another.
Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gaming Association has said that “Unless there exists a federal bill passed, we are going to have the greatest expansion of legalized gambling in the United States. I don’t think that’s what anyone intended, but it is what we’re experiencing.” This poses a lot of questions not to mention concerns for many existing commercial casinos and American policy makers. Will lawful online gambling mean fewer folks in brick and mortar casinos? Will this create a new way to obtain revenue at the state and national level? Think about taxes and regulations? An increase in gamblers?
Lots of people including Arnie Wexler, former chairman of New Jersey’s Council On Compulsive Gambling has got voiced concern that with all the good this could do to generate income and revenue for specific states there could be problems with an increase in compulsive gambling. There is particular concern regarding social media in the US as some spots like Zynga have already begun taking real-money bets.
Taking in Pakyok24 and concerns, many hotel casinos are already making plans to broaden into online gambling to check their physical casinos. Geoffrey Stewart, general manager of Caesars INTERNET POKER has said “Like any other business, you’re always searching for what is the next distribution channel.”
