As it stands nowadays, individual states are free to prohibit or practice gambling within their borders while significant restrictions and limits are put on interstate which activity. In recent years, online game playing has seen harsher restrictions. With the Unlawful Internet 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 dealings from gambling providers were now illegal which resulted in various offshore gambling operators excluding US consumers from their services.
Existing in this legitimate grey area, it is no more a concern of if online gambling will enter into the US market but when and perhaps how. As recently as this month, three claims have legalized online gambling and intend to begin offering bets by the end of the year. Naturally, a gaming company in Las Vegas referred to as Ultimate Gaming was the first ever to offer online poker but for now restricting it to only players in Nevada. New Jersey and Delaware have also legalized online gambling therefore far ten other states are thinking about legalizing it in a few form or another.
Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Games Association has stated that “Unless there is a federal bill passed, we are going to have the best expansion of legalized gambling in the usa. I don’t believe that’s what anyone intended, nonetheless it is what we’re discovering.” 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 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, ex – chairman of New Jersey’s Council On Compulsive Gambling has got voiced concern that with all the current good this could do to create income and revenue for particular states there could be problems with an increase in compulsive gambling. There is particular concern regarding social media marketing in america as some areas like Zynga have already begun taking real-money bets.
Taking in Sports betting and concerns, many resort casinos are already making programs to broaden into online gambling to check their physical casinos. Geoffrey Stewart, general supervisor of Caesars Online Poker has said “Like any business, you’re always looking for what is the next distribution channel.”