Why is online gambling so tricky in the United States?
Tuesday February 03,2015 : Why is online gambling so tricky in the United States?
Since the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act of 2006, online gambling is a tricky business in the United States. Of course, there are several online casinos accepting players from the US, providing them with the possibility of playing their favorite games remotely, but the variety of providers and games is nowhere near the ones on the European market, for example. Could there be a conspiracy in the middle of all this? Could some greedy land-based casino operators be to blame for the whole fuss around internet gambling in the US?
Well, there is certainly something to it. Even if I am not directly involved in US online gambling, I often keep an eye on the news about this topic. In 2006, when internet gambling was effectively banned in the United States, hundreds, if not thousands of online gambling operators suddenly went out of business. As we all know, online gambling is one of the most lucrative industries of the world, generating hundreds of millions in profits each year. Why did the US lawmakers throw away the millions of dollars in taxes that online casinos could have generated?
One of the largest opponents of online gambling in the United States is Sheldon Adelson, chairman and CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corporation. The magnate owns casinos all over the world: not just in Las Vegas, but also in Pennsylvania, Macau (Asia's gambling capital) and Singapore. The reasons Adelson claims to have to oppose online gambling are of moral nature – but maybe, just maybe he is worried about the possibility that online gambling could make Americans spend less time (and money) in land-based casinos. After all, lobbying in one's interest has a tradition for major industrial and service companies in the US… just take a look on the series of "dedicated" laws the Senate has pushed through hidden in completely unrelated bills in the last few years.
Of course, this is just a theory. The reason behind the lawmakers' strong opposition toward online gambling could be completely different. Whichever the reason, players who would otherwise enjoy spinning some virtual reels or playing some of the great android casino games at red flush mobile casino are not permitted to do so. Players won't have the chance to play the online casino games developed by European companies (the biggest and best ones on the market) because of legal constrains, at least not for the time being. If they want to play their favorite games (and maybe win) they need to travel, pay for a hotel room, dress up… Hopefully the US government will change its mind on online gambling soon enough, offering its citizens willing to play casino games the opportunity to choose their preferred gambling method.
