The battle continues to legalise online gambling

By Daniel Johnson

It’s been a busy month in the world of Internet Gambling, with two events taking place that seems to give hope to a future where online gaming is a pastime that Americans can enjoy.

First up was the launch of the first legal North American online casino, run by the British Columbia Lottery Corporation in Canada. Although a crashed server on the first day of its launch provided ammunition for the opposition, it still remains a huge step forward for the online gambling industry in the Sates.

Another positive step forward was taken when Rep Barney Frank’s HR2267 Internet Gambling Bill was passed out of the House Financial Services Committee. The bill now has 70 co-sponsors and the debate continues over how to legalise and regulate the online gambling industry.

However, despite both these events being great news for the gambling industry, it’s clear that there is still plenty of work to do before online gambling becomes an acceptable and legal way for Americans to enjoy themselves. Whilst the BCLC site is the first legal Canadian online casino, it only means that the people who play at this site are not breaking any law, not that online gambling itself is legal.

This is a far cry from other countries where online gaming has been legalised and regulated by the government, such as the UK. Here online bookmakers operate legally, and are licensed and regulated. Such a situation in the United States however, seems a long way off. Even though Frank’s proposed Bill seems to be moving forwards, it will face stiff opposition from anti-gambling lobbyists, as well as from States that have land-based casinos.