Federal Statutes Implicated by Online Gambling
Several federal criminal statutes are implicated by illegal gambling on the Internet. These include the Travel Act, the Wire Act, the Illegal Gambling Business Act, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provisions. However, there is also a lesser known federal law requiring the FBI to obtain a warrant to search the Internet for evidence of criminal activity.
The Travel Act, in particular, prohibits the facilitation of illegal gambling and the promotion of unlawful gambling. The law also prohibits money laundering of the proceeds of illegal gambling. However, this law only applies to the United States, which can be difficult for state enforcement officers to deal with when a player is using a foreign facility to conduct illegal gambling.
The Wire Act also prohibits illegal gambling on sporting events. It is also unlawful to offer money or other financial instruments for an Internet bet. The Illegal Gambling Business Act is also implicated, in that it prohibits the operation of a gambling business in the United States. The title also imposes a five-year jail sentence and a fine of $2,000 per day.
Aside from the Travel Act and the Wire Act, there are several other federal statutes that have been cited as relevant to Internet gambling. These include the Illegal Gambling Business Act, the Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provisions, the Wire Act, and the Illegal Internet Gambling Act. There are also some state statutes that are relevant, such as the Nevada Online Casino Act, which governs online casino activity in Nevada.