As it stands nowadays, individual states are free to prohibit or practice gambling of their borders while significant regulations and limits are placed on interstate which activity. In recent years, online gaming has seen harsher regulations. With the Unlawful Net Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIEGA), it was not explicitly banned but rather it had been online financial transactions that were outlawed. This meant that online financial transactions from gambling service providers were now illegal which led to countless offshore gambling operators excluding US clients from their services.
Existing in this legitimate grey area, it is no longer a concern of if online gambling will enter in the united states market but when as well as perhaps how. As recently as this month, three states possess legalized online gambling and intend to begin offering bets by the end of this year. Naturally, lemacau gaming organization in Las Vegas known as Ultimate Gaming was the first to offer online poker but for now restricting it to sole players in Nevada. New Jersey and Delaware also have legalized online gambling therefore far ten other states are considering legalizing it in a few form or another.
Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Games 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, nonetheless it is what we’re experiencing.” This poses a great deal of questions not to mention concerns for most existing commercial casinos and American policy makers. Will lawful online gambling mean fewer men and women in brick and mortar casinos? Will this create a new way to obtain revenue at hawaii and national level? What about taxes and regulations? A rise in gamblers?
Lots of people including Arnie Wexler, past chairman of New Jersey’s Council On Compulsive Gambling possesses voiced concern that with all the good this could do to generate income and revenue for unique states there could be problems with an increase in compulsive gambling. There’s particular concern regarding social media in america as some areas like Zynga have already begun taking real-money bets.
Taking in mind the questions and concerns, many hotel casinos are already making ideas to expand into online gambling to check their actual physical casinos. Geoffrey Stewart, general office manager of Caesars Online Poker has said “Like any business, you’re always looking for what is the next distribution channel.”