Again, we are being asked the million-dollar question: Is it illegal to gamble online in America given the recent developments surrounding American online gambling, be it casino poker, sports betting, or bingo?
We give the same answer, but now the U.S. Government has backed our position. It was not illegal to play in 2006, but the Bill made it illegal to make gaming transactions in America. This was not enough as many gambling companies didn’t use American banks.
It was not an offense to play at online casinos or poker sites. Even the banks resisted this Bill’s flaw, arguing that they shouldn’t be in charge of online gambling regulation. Meanwhile, Senator Barney Frank was working on a bill that would make the ban obsolete and regulate online gambling.
Important timelines are Friday, November 27, 2009, Tuesday, 1st, and Thursday, December 3, 2009.
Tuesday, December 1, was the date that the UIEGA Gambling Ban was to go into effect. Unfortunately, this was 2 days before Sen Barney Frank’s Regulation Bill was heard by the committee on Thursday, December 3.
However, on Friday, November 27, something happened. The U.S. Government delayed the enforcement of the Gambling Ban for six months and put it into effect on June 1, 2010. This ensures that the right approach to regulation is taken and allows Barney Franks to Bill through the channels.
It is a pragmatic view of the matter. Everyone involved knows that online gambling will soon be legalized, regulated, and taxed in America. So why add more pressure to an already stretched banking system for something which will be overturned so quickly? The road to legalizing online casino gambling in the United States of America is now open.
This was, of course, the only option for the U.S. government and was unavoidable. However, this leaves the question: Where do the major Las Vegas casinos go? We have already written that MGM and Las Vegas Sands are not very proactive in preparing for legalization.
We can only say that we are always available to help anyone who needs it.
