The legality of online gambling has
been a hotly debated issue ever since the first Internet casinos opened
their virtual doors in 1994. Casino gambling used to be a fairly straightforward
issue; there were certain places where it was legal to gamble, such as
in the state of Nevada or Atlantic City, New Jersey, and places where it
was not legal to gamble. Period.
Enter Internet casinos and online
gambling. Governments in most countries have had a hard time keeping up
with Internet legal issues, and online gambling has been no exception.
The first Internet casinos were based in places such as Barbuda and Antigua
in the Caribbean, and since they were based in these places, the Free Trade
and Processing Zone Act protected them. Basically, they were considered
offshore casinos, which were perfectly legal. Being Internet casinos, however,
people from almost anywhere in the world were able to gamble at these casinos
from home, and the legalities suddenly became a cloudy issue.
It is illegal to set up an Internet
casino based in the United States, but is it illegal for someone in the
United States to gamble online at an Internet casino that is based where
it is legal? The U.S. Wire Wager Act makes it illegal to use any electronic
wire method to transmit bets or gambling winnings to any place where gambling
is not allowed. The Internet is considered an electronic wire method. Yet,
in this case the criminal would be the casino, and the United States can’t
really prosecute someone in another country. So the area remains gray.
Most, if not all, Internet Casinos make each gambler who registers with
them check a box that claims they have read the ‘terms of use’ agreement,
which includes a statement that says it is the responsibility of the gambler
to know their local Internet gambling laws.
Some of the countries that allow
Internet casinos to set up base are Australia, South Korea, Germany, France,
and some parts of Canada. More than 70 countries allow Internet gambling,
with different rules and guidelines in each individual country.
The bottom line is: Internet Casinos
are most likely here to stay for the long run, and as long as they are
here, people are going to gamble at them. Legal or moral issues aside,
Internet casinos are a fact of life, and many people find online gambling
enjoyable and entertaining.
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