Casino gambling has been getting more and more popular over the past few years. As more people start playing, more and more casinos start popping up.
After a while, you might start to wonder about the legality of the whole industry. Gambling is such a heavily regulated thing that it doesn’t seem to be in its right place on the Internet. So is it legal to play at online casinos? The short answer? – It’s complicated.
The legality of online casinos has always been argued ever since they first started popping up in the big Dot Com craze. Some say it’s completely fine under U.S. law, while others say it’s somewhat illegal.
What makes it even more complicated is that each country – and even each state in some areas – has its own gambling laws.
Online gaming in USA
Since online casinos are accessible worldwide and are not in a set location, it becomes very hard to enforce these laws. Just think – how is the government going to stop U.S. citizens from playing online casino games at a casino that’s based out of a different country?
The company would be in full compliance with its own nations laws, so the U.S. government would be powerless to prosecute them.
During the years not one single conviction has been made against online gamblers who simply played some poker games.
Since a few years, online gambling is still officially illegal in the U.S. However, a bill is currently in the legislation process to change this.
The bill, HR2267, is currently in line to be reviewed by the Senate and House. If passed, the bill would legalize and regulate online poker, but not necessarily all forms of Internet gambling. In my opinion, this would only complicate things further, but I guess it’s a step in the right direction.
Pros and Cons of legalization
There is a lot of controversy over the issue of online gambling. Many people think it should be illegal simply on moral grounds.
For one, the anonymity of the Internet makes it easier for underage people to gamble, which is a very bad thing. I can see both sides of the argument – there are concerned citizens who want it to be illegal because they don’t want it to become easier to develop a gambling addiction at a younger age.
And then there are the people like me, who think that it should be legal, but regulated strictly.
It is your responsibility to check whether it is legal or not to register or play games on an online Casino within your jurisdiction.