Online Gambling Laws
Online gambling is a type of gambling that involves the use of the Internet. This includes casinos, sports betting, and poker. Several countries, including the UK, have laws restricting the practice. However, a number of nations in the Caribbean Sea have passed laws permitting online gambling.
A study from Frost & Sullivan showed that online gambling revenues exceeded $830 million in 1998. In response, France has proposed new laws to tax and regulate the industry. It is possible that the advertising of these activities may constitute aiding and abetting.
Some states have passed laws to regulate gambling in the form of lottery games. These statutes have been challenged on constitutional grounds.
The most important aspect of any such law is that they should not inhibit free speech. However, there are a few statutes that have been criticized for this. For example, Section 1956 of the federal government’s Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) makes it illegal to launder money, disguise, or perform any other function related to the illegal distribution of money.
Another statute, the Travel Act, prohibits the facilitation of illegal gambling within interstate commerce. An ad from Tropical Paradise, a gambling site in Costa Rica, was accepted by Discovery Communications.
The UIGEA also contains factors to weed out the less serious cases. These include age verification and data security standards.
Several other federal statutes prohibit illegal gambling, including the Wire Act and the Illegal Gambling Business Act. They are designed to protect Americans from racketeering and other types of crimes associated with gambling.