Online Gaming Set for US In Near Future
It’s easy to think that because the internet is a global community, everyone online basically follows the same rules, but this isn’t always the case. In fact, in the world of online gambling, lots of different countries are bound by hundreds of different laws. Some of these regulate the industry and are designed to protect online casino fans from extortion or scam sites, while others exist simply to ban the industry altogether. In fact, one of the most prohibitive countries when it comes to online gaming is the United States. That’s right, the country that gives us places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City is also a country that criminalises online casinos; but analysts suggest that this is set to change in the near future.
Many analysts believe that the struggling economy around the world will lead many governments that had previously banned gambling to rethink their decisions, and some even believe that America will lift the ban on online gaming before the end of the year. Many economies are starting to look to the gambling industry as a potential source of revenue after years of hardship and difficult times. With many countries facing large cuts in public spending, money generated from gambling could be of far more use than the money spent policing a law that opposes it.
Italy has recently begun to generate money from online gaming and now other countries like France have announced they will be following a similar route, so America may well be wanting to follow suit. It’s not just about bringing money in for the government though. In the UK where online gaming is legal, a site has to maintain strict rules and be seen of as reputable before it is allowed to trade, which keeps the prevalence of illegal gaming sites to a minimum.
Analysts predict that the move to legalise onling gambling will happen slowly in the states, with a single state – likely New Jersey – legalising online gaming and acting as a trial run for the rest of America. If things go well somewhere like New Jersey, other states are very likely to follow.