 |
The Legality Of Online Gambling
by: Adel Awwad
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. |
|
