As it stands nowadays, individual states are free to prohibit or practice gambling within their borders while significant restrictions and limits are placed on interstate and this activity. Recently, online gaming has seen harsher rules. With the Unlawful World wide web Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIEGA), it was not explicitly banned but rather it was online financial transactions that were outlawed. This meant that online financial dealings from gambling providers were now illegal which led to various offshore gambling operators excluding US buyers from their services.
Existing in this lawful grey area, it is no longer a dilemma of if online gambling will enter in the united states market but when and perhaps how. As recently as this month, three says have legalized online gambling and plan to begin offering bets by the end of this year. Naturally, a gaming company in Las Vegas referred to as Ultimate Gaming was the first to offer online poker but also for now restricting it to only players in Nevada. NJ and Delaware also have legalized online gambling and so far ten other states are thinking about legalizing it in some form or another.
Frank Fahrenkopf, president of the American Video gaming Association has stated that “Unless there is a federal bill passed, we will have the best expansion of legalized gambling in the usa. I don’t believe that’s what anyone intended, but it is what we’re witnessing.” 1Win poses many questions not to mention concerns for most existing commercial casinos and American policy makers. Will legitimate online gambling mean fewer persons in offline casinos? Will this develop a new way to obtain revenue at hawaii and national level? Think about taxes and regulations? An increase in gamblers?
Many people including Arnie Wexler, past chairman of New Jersey’s Council On Compulsive Gambling offers voiced concern that with all the good this could do to generate income and revenue for individual states there may be problems with a rise in compulsive gambling. There is particular concern regarding social media marketing in america as some spots like Zynga have already begun taking real-money bets.
Taking in mind all the questions and concerns, many resort casinos are already making strategies to develop into online gambling to complement their real casinos. Geoffrey Stewart, general office manager of Caesars Online Poker has said “Like any other business, you’re always searching for what is the next distribution channel.”