The legalities of internet gambling for US players in a nutshell
It’s true that online gambling is a question mark, that it’s complicated and that laws vary from state to state, but this still does not make it a federal offense. Nobody to date has ever been prosecuted by federal attorneys or interests for online gambling. In the US, since the induction of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in 2006, it has become illegal not for individuals but rather for financial institutions to transfer money for the purpose of online gambling. This action has resulted in the penalization of financial institutions for processing transactions gambling related rather than of the American people.
In addition, online gambling is not regulated in the US, and so Americans find ways to play even if the government makes it difficult. Americans have taken their banking business elsewhere, to offshore banks and financial institutions in other countries. Many Americans feel that it is an infringement on their rights for the government to say they cannot gamble online. Because of divided views, the area of online gambling is gray.
Even the UIGEA itself is now under heavy scrutiny because of increasing numbers of politicians and professionals alike protesting the act. In the past few years, many representatives in the Senate and in political arenas have taken steps to regulate online gambling, for example Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA) bill.
The laws are in a constant state of flux, however, and the course of online gambling for the US is still undetermined. Others seek to uphold the laws for varying reasons, claiming that the practice is morally and socially detrimental to the health and well-being of both the individual and society. The general consensus, based on varying studies, however, reveals that the numbers of problem gamblers are no higher today than yesterday.
The virtual marketplace isn’t so scary after all, once you accept that the world is changing, as Eric Friedman stated in his book, ‘The World is Flat’. Online gamers keep involved and active and continue to voice your opinions as we forge farther into the future of this new, flat world, both on and offline.
-- written by Natalie Jaro