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America’s Watchdogs, a national advocacy group for online
casinos, has expressed its dissatisfaction with the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act. With organizations like the American Gaming Association
calling the UIGEA “confusing,” America’s Watchdogs are not alone in the
sentiment.
Making comparisons between the latest US gambling
legislation and 1930s prohibition, America’s Watchdogs is urging the American
Gaming Association and their counterparts to lobby the US Congress and the Bush
Administrations to make amendments to the UIGEA that would allow licensed and
controlled online casinos in states like Nevada or even on Indian reservations.
There are at least three major positives that would stem
from having legal online casinos in the US.
1. Current off shore online casinos and sports books are
not significantly regulated. If the United States supplied licensed online
casinos, US citizens would have a safer, regulated environment to make their
wagers. Such a move would most likely put off-shore online casinos out of
business as they are likely to lose both their European and Asian clients to the
safer US online casinos.
2. There is a lot of money to be made in the off shore online casino market.
In fact it is a multi billion dollar a year industry. It would be silly for the
US not to tax and control it. If the United States taxed and regulated the US
online casinos, thereby shutting down off shore online casinos, it would free
law enforcement to focus their energies on thwarting other criminal activities.
Illegal bookmakers in the US would most likely disappear as well. US citizens
would have the liberty of placing legal bets on major sporting events and other
games at licensed sports books or online casinos. Illegal bookmaking, much like
off shore online casinos, is yet another multi billion dollar a year business
that should be taxed and regulated.
3. Off shore online casino sites would be crippled by the
entrance of the US into the online casino market. Thousands of new, tax paying
US jobs would need to be created. The US would add to its own economy for a
change instead of supporting that of some foreign government.
“History repeating” is a phrase that begs more respect in
the United States. Prohibition has never had a positive outcome in the US,
regardless if referring to alcohol in the 1930’s or the ‘War on Drugs.’ The
wisest move for the United States would be to tax and regulate the growing and
inevitable online casino industry. Not only would it be a boost to the economy,
it would make online casinos safer for US citizens and spare law enforcement
another futile fight.
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