U.S. Media Spreading Untrue Rumors
Most importantly, online casino gamblers and online poker players need to
understand that online gambling IS NOT illegal in the United States. Recently
the media has spread the false notion that the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA) has made it illegal for a United States’ citizen to
gamble at online casinos. This is quite simply false. The UIGEA act only targets
the online casinos themselves, and the financial institutions that accept and
process payments from internet gambling sites.
And to further protect citizens, amendments to the UIGEA have specified that
citizens are protected if they are playing the online casinos in their own homes
for entertainment, and not enabling others to gamble in the way of running an
online casino Web site.
Perhaps the media is basing their illegality claims on the 1969 Wire Act that
prohibits online sports betting in the U.S. According to a judge at the time,
the Wire Act does not prohibit online casino gambling (like slot machines,
blackjack, roulette, and more) nor does it affect online poker gambling. Though
the resulting verdict that online sports betting is illegal is still even a
questionable interpretation of the act now, that stands as the online form of
online gambling outlawed to citizens and punishable.
But now that Representative Barney Frank has introduced the Internet Gambling
Regulation and Enforcement Act (IGREA), the media has taken this opportunity to
once again blatantly tell online casino gamblers that internet gambling is
illegal in the U.S. The IGREA would effectively reverse the UIGEA by allowing
online casinos approved and licensed by the federal government.
Representative Frank is the most active public figure fighting to repeal the
UIGEA, and not just because the U.S. is better served the IGREA, but also the
UIGEA is an ambiguous law that has caused chaos and confusion in the online
casino gambling industry both in North America (Canada included) and the global
online casinos market. Because of the lack of specificity, citizens, online
casino companies, and even lawmakers are confused as to just how to interpret
and enforce the UIGEA.
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