jetset said:
US law on online gambling is far from clear, although the Department of Justice keeps asserting that online gambling is illegal under the Wire Act (which others argue applies only to sportsbooks) but has yet to fully test that opinion in an online casino sense.
The Justice Department needs to get out and let the individual states determine what is lawful/unlawful for their constituents. I've just received a copy of this month's IGWB magazine (International Gambling and Wagering Business) and it provides a breakdown on what is allowed in the US by state:
Charitable Bingo - 47 states
Charitable Games - 40 states
Card Rooms - 13 states
Casinos and Gaming - 15 states
Indian Casinos - 24 states
Sports Betting - 4 states
This doesn't include lotteries which are allowed in 41 states
By the way, for parimutuel wagering - telephone wagering is allowed in CA, Conn, Idaho, KY, LA, NV, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OR, Penn.,VA and WY
But the US Justice department says that gambling online is illegal? So it's no wonder that the US population is getting mixed signals.
I agree 110% that online gaming needs to be regulated in the states, but I don't see it happening anytime soon. There are too many self interests at stake, and the conservatives equate online gaming with Osama.
What is interesting, is that prohibiting online gaming in the US is a common ground for the far right and far left. The far right feel that gambling is morally wrong (baaad, baaad gambling - but their churches host Bingo), and the far left feel that people are too stupid to make decisions on their own. They need the government to protect them from themselves.
Funny how these politicians hype the fact that a teenager with daddy's credit card can try to get online. What about Vegas? No one will stop a 20 year old from sitting at a slot machine. It's only when they hit a jackpot that they check their IDs.
Again good points made - to regulate means to control and/or eliminate what is considered negative in this industry.