US House of representatives Passes Law Against Online Gambling
On Tuesday, the 11th of July 2006, The US House Of Representatives passed a law that prohibits the use of credit cards when gambling online, a move that could eventually stop online gambling activity.
The recent legislation approval is a real risk to most online casinos, and does not cover state lotteries and horse race betting.
The vote came out 317 to 93 in favor of the bill, which enables authorities to work with internet service providers to prevent access to online gambling.
Objectors to the prohibition laws say it will cause the $12 billion gambling industry to go underground, in the same way that happened with the alcohol prohibition laws of the 1920's. According to Rep. Barney Frank, "Prohibition didn't work for alcohol. It won't work for gambling." Instead of prohibition, critics suggest regulation of online casinos activities, through which gambling can be controlled and improved.
One of the factors in favor of the ban originates from the fact that almost all internet gambling activities are run from outside the US, even though half of the gambling players come from the States.
Another claim of the Supporters for the bill is that online gambling is addictive and causes unnecessary loss of life savings. Moreover, they state that internet betting draws the young crowd into the gambling world, even though they do not have the responsibility to handle the kinds of financial risks involved with betting.
In response to these claims online gambling supporters argue that age restrictions on gambling online should be enforced, and are used for some online casinos, and that preventing youths from betting should also be handled through regulation.
According to Rep. Shelley Berkley of D-Nev., it is unfair to continue to allow for lotteries and horse race betting, and at the same time prevent other gambling games such as poker, Blackjack or slot machines.
Agreeing with her is Aaron Cummings, "Congressional laws should be fair and equal, and not pick favorite games for approval". Aaron Cummings is the spokesperson of Worlds-Best-Online-Casinos.com, which opposed the law.
The future of online gambling is not certain, but the various casinos are expected to continue and try to overrule it vigorously.