USA Online casinos
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Is it legal for US players to gamble?
There were many attempts to regulate online gambling both in US and Europe. Those days there are many people working hard to solve the problem. UK sports minister Richard Caborn was speaking at Ascot racecourse, west of London, at a summit of 32 international delegates, who agreed to a draft framework of regulation to protect consumers and prevent underage gambling and gambling addiction. The United States declined to attend, though, making US gamblers situation even more confusing. |
A 2005 survey commissioned by the American Gaming Assn. revealed that 4% of Americans gamble online, but 38% of them said they started last year, and 70% of them reported that they began betting online in the last two years. US players generate about a half of the revenues of $12 billion gambling market in 2006, which grows about 20% a year and estimated to reach $20 billion in 2009. So, is it legal to gamble for US customers? The answer is depends on who to ask. Those who want to stop internet gambling say it’s illegal, while others say the law is against those US companies who make financial transactions for the industry, so Americans can play safely with credit cards or non US based electronic payment methods, available to US players. In any case from pure legal point of view Americans can safely gamble online, accept the states listed in the list below. That's why there are still online casinos accepting us funds. Legal US gambling online status did not change so far with newly elected president.
Top USA Online Casinos
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Due to the implementation of the UIGEA Law and the Wire Act, there may be a few hurdles to overcome as to the legality of online gambling. As we have been reporting, Barney Frank has been pushing for the legalization of online gambling since last year, and that bill is still pending. Unfortunately, with the Republicans now controlling the House, it may take awhile before we know the full outcome of Frank’s legislation. It should also be noted that the Wire Act applies specifically to sports betting and was not part of the New Jersey bill that just passed.
How Do You Kill Two Birds With One Stone?
In a recent press release, a Senator on the Finance Committee has proposed a way to pay for the new health care reform and legalize online casino gambling. An amendment would allow tax revenues, generated through online gambling, to pay for health care reform. Co-incidentally, a Representative of Congress has introduced a bill that would legalize online casino gambling for US players called "The Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act. Applicable individual taxes, corporate taxes, and license fees on regulated Internet gambling activities would be collected. It is estimated that this new legislation would raise approximately $63 billion in revenue over the next 10 years. No doubt, if this bill passes, players from the US would not only be able to gamble legally, but would contribute to the healthcare reform effort currently pending.
Why Some Online Casinos Stopped Accepting US Players: What Happened?
Friday October 13, 2006 President Bush signed a bill whose principal purpose is to tighten security measures for the nation's sea ports. But attached to that bill at the very last minute - in order to prevent Democrats running for re-election next month from stopping it - was a federal ban on banking institutions knowingly transferring funds to businesses or individuals that may conduct gambling operations in states and areas where gambling is prohibited. The "Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act" goes after the money, not the millions of players, which would be nearly impossible to enforce. It will essentially try to choke off the way Americans fund their gambling habits, hoping to prevent the transfer of dollars to the popular Internet sites.
