Online gambling refers to any kind of gambling that is conducted on the internet. This includes virtual poker, gambling in casinos and betting on sports. In 1994 the first online gambling facility ever opened to the public, was the lottery ticketing system for the World Poker Tour in Las Vegas. Since then there have been online gambling websites which have provided a variety of gambling and gaming options.
The most well-known gambling websites online include: Betfair and Coral Sportsbook, William Hill and Intercasino. Unibet, Fairlay, and iPoker are just a few. These businesses have made a major leap in just a few years. These companies offer many types of online gambling. For instance, there is the traditional betting where people place bets on a specific bookie or an online casino. There is also lotteries and raffles that you can participate in for cash, or tickets to events such as music festivals, film productions as well as horse racing lottery draws.
Many states have taken an interest in online gambling, because they are concerned that it can be used to encourage illegal activity and traffic. Some state governments have taken an interest in gambling online and created regulatory frameworks. Among others such as the Department of Business and Professional Regulations and Delaware have both created licensing programs and rules and set up databases for online gambling websites. Many online users are aware of the regulations regarding online gambling and most states have made provisions to allow state-regulated gaming sites to operate while they are reviewed.
Many countries, including the United States, have taken an active role in regulating online gambling. There are international legal and policy frameworks regarding online gambling and the US Congress that regulates commerce between states, has introduced legislation to legalize gambling online and to impose criminal penalties for gamblers who gamble online. The European Commission and World Trade Organization are involved in the development of international guidelines for gambling online.
The issue in regulating online gambling at the federal level is the fact that the federal government is unable to regulate interstate commerce. Gambling is a local enterprise right. State regulation is governed by the interstate commerce power of the states. Although the power is granted at the state level it is never transferred to the federal government.
A quick lookup on Google will reveal that the leading industry of gambling in the US include Las Vegas, Macao, Playtech, Commission Lodge, Bingo Palace, Coral Gables, Party Poker, Paradise Poker, Hollywood Casino and Poker Stars, Party Poker and Party Flip. Of these seven , the most lucrative industry members include Las Vegas, Macao, Playtech, Commission Lodge, Coral Gables, Bingo Palace and Paradise Poker. The five most profitable members of the industry in Las Vegas are also the top five gambling cities. This makes Las Vegas a very attractive city for offshore gambling operators.
The US President Barak Obama supported a law to allow online gambling in the Philippines during the recent Philippine elections. The US President is in support of this proposal because the country’s 1bet casino online gambling sector is a significant source of its billions of dollars in revenues. While many officials in the Philippines support the move but the biggest issue is the inability of the national leadership bet ole to back it. The main bill being proposed is the Bringing Back Gaming Control Act, which is currently being debated in the House of Representatives. The main goal of the bill is to tax online gambling and establish a national registry of all gaming websites. This would require all online casino operators to register with the government which would require the establishment of new accounts in the Philippines.
The House of Representatives may pass the Gaming Control Act to Bring Back Gaming However, it is not likely that it will be a law. Since the bill could have a negative impact on the Philippine economy, the national political system has prevented the legislation from being enacted in the Philippines. Some of the biggest issues that have come up with the previous attempts include a rise in costs and reducing benefits to Filipinos. However, the House Majority leader has promised that the bill will be approved by congress.