Online gambling is a fast paced, exciting experience. It’s also fairly cheap. In addition, there’s a lot of choice. It’s available on just about any device with an Internet connection.
However, despite its popularity, the internet has led to some troubling trends. Among them, is the proliferation of rogue casinos. These casinos operate without the required licenses or regulatory supervision. They have fake registration addresses and use customer service names that are not legitimate. Some of these casinos even target high rollers.
While online gambling is not as popular as it was a few years ago, it is still happening, but not at the same levels. And, although state law governing the activity is still in its infancy, lawmakers are beginning to address it.
There are many federal statutes that are implicated in the illegal online gambling phenomenon. These include the Wire Act, the Travel Act, the Illegal Gambling Business Act and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. In some cases, these laws are reinforced by state law.
The Department of Justice has made an effort to investigate and regulate online gambling. In addition, the House of Representatives has introduced several bills to soften the federal law.
The Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act would regulate and tax Internet gambling businesses. It would do so while allowing these companies to take bets from the United States.
A number of state officials have expressed concern that the Internet could be used to bring illegal gambling into their jurisdictions. The state of California, for example, recently passed a bill that would ban online gambling for people under 21.