As it stands right now, individual states are free to prohibit or practice gambling of their borders while significant regulations and limits are put on interstate and this activity. Recently, online video games has seen harsher rules. With the Unlawful World wide web Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIEGA), it had been not explicitly banned but instead it was online financial transactions that were outlawed. This meant that all online financial dealings from gambling service providers were now illegal which resulted in countless offshore gambling operators excluding US clients from their services.
Existing in this lawful grey area, it is no more a dilemma of if online gambling will enter into the US market but when and perhaps how. As lately as this month, three states own legalized online gambling and intend 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 just players in Nevada. NJ and Delaware have also legalized online gambling and so far ten other states are considering legalizing it in a few form or another.
1Win , president of the American Game playing Association has explained that “Unless there is 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 finding.” This poses many questions and of course concerns for many existing commercial casinos in addition to American policy makers. Will legal online gambling mean fewer individuals in brick and mortar casinos? Will this develop a new way to obtain revenue at the state and national level? Think about taxes and regulations? A rise in gamblers?
Many people including Arnie Wexler, former chairman of New Jersey’s Council On Compulsive Gambling has voiced concern that with all the current good this could do to create income and revenue for unique states there could be problems with an increase in compulsive gambling. There is particular concern regarding social media marketing in the US as some locations like Zynga have already begun taking real-money bets.
Taking in mind all the questions and concerns, many resort casinos are already making ideas to increase into online gambling to check their real 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.”