As it stands today, individual states are free to prohibit or practice gambling within their borders while significant rules and limits are put on interstate which activity. Recently, online gaming has seen harsher restrictions. With the Unlawful Web Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIEGA), it had been not explicitly banned but instead it had been online financial transactions that were outlawed. This meant that all online financial dealings from gambling providers were now illegal which led to many offshore gambling operators excluding US buyers from their services.
Existing in this legitimate grey area, it is no more a question of if online gambling will key in the US market but when and perhaps how. As lately as this month, three states possess legalized online gambling and plan to begin offering bets by the finish of the year. Naturally, HBO4D gaming organization in Las Vegas referred to as Ultimate Gaming was the first to offer online poker but for now restricting it to just players in Nevada. New Jersey and Delaware also have legalized online gambling and so far ten other states are considering legalizing it in some form or another.
Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Gambling 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 believe that’s what anyone intended, nonetheless it is what we’re viewing.” This poses a great deal of questions and of course concerns for many existing commercial casinos as well as American policy makers. Will legal online gambling mean fewer persons in brick and mortar casinos? Will this create a new way to obtain revenue at the state 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 features voiced concern that with all the current 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 the US as some places like Zynga have previously begun taking real-money bets.
Taking in mind the questions and concerns, many resort casinos are already making ideas to broaden into online gambling to complement their physical casinos. Geoffrey Stewart, general manager of Caesars Online Poker has said “Like any other business, you’re always searching for what is another distribution channel.”