|
All the focus on the anti-online gambling position of the US government might lead some people to conclude that the end of online gambling is near, or that online casinos are just as unwelcome in other countries. However, a quick review of those jurisdictions that do permit online gambling reveals that such a conclusion would be wrong. There are close to 90 jurisdictions worldwide that welcome online casinos and poker rooms to their shores. While the laws pertaining to the operations, advertising, accessibility etc. of online casinos differ between jurisdictions, the trend is clearly toward welcoming the online gambling industry rather than opposing it. The US has opposed online gambling on moral grounds and has used the 1960s Wire Act as a legal basis for prohibiting online gambling. To add teeth to the law, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was recently signed into law by President Bush. UIGEA prohibits US banks and credit card companies from doing business with online gambling companies. Of course, the US could consider legalizing online gambling in much the same way that Antigua, The Isle of Man, Norfolk Island and Costa Rica have, where online gambling companies are banned from advertising to their own populations and encouraged to only market to international players. This policy allows those countries to collect more taxes and fees without having to deal with the social problems associated with online gambling. There are also jurisdictions that will host online gambling sites but don’t allow their citizens to gamble at these sites. These are just some options that the US might want to consider, as the illegal status of online gambling in the US becomes a bigger and bigger issue. Britain’s policy towards online gambling might also be a good example for the US to follow. Britain plans to legalize online gambling come October and has established a body that will regulate, license and monitor online casinos and poker rooms. Britain, along with several other countries take a ‘free market’ approach to online gambling and believe that, since people are going to gamble anyhow, the government might as well make some money off of it. Also, licensing and regulating the industry will help protect the vulnerable and prevent crime. Whatever the US position ultimately is, the number of jurisdictions that have welcomed online gambling and the tremendous worldwide popularity of online gambling should be to rest suggestions that our online gambling days are numbered. Posted on: February 12, 2007
Back to February 2007's archive |
||||||||||||
|
|
Del.icio.us
Digg
Google
Spurl
Furl
Simpy
Y! MyWeb
