U.S. Online Casino Gamblers are Clueless: 1
Sitting in a coffee shop in the United States can prove extremely enlightening –
some of the online casino gamblers in the country as still completely clueless
about the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and about the
restrictions on offshore gambling sites. U.S. gamblers can still play internet
poker and gamble at the online casinos with little real effort on their part
thanks to companies like Bodog, Party Poker, and others that accept U.S. players
without much of a hassle. The person sitting right next to you just might be
logged into a Bodog Poker room and playing for real money, yet they have no idea
about the international negotiations and controversy surrounding the U.S. online
gambling industry.
The Bush Administration, and largely the conservative right have eliminated the
majority of major competition in the U.S. internet gambling industry. Offshore
online casinos are blocked from the U.S., and those still operating for U.S.
players could face heavy fines and jail-time if caught on U.S. soil. Innovative
internet gambling and poker players are able to find the handful of online
casino sites that have easy deposit methods and guaranteed payouts to U.S.
players. Despite the UIGEA’s restrictions on internet gambling transactions,
Bodog and others circumvent the payout limitations.
And while it’s certainly great for the poker and online casino gambling fans
that they are able to still gamble at some of their favorite sites, the ease of
the process is worrisome. The U.S. is essentially currently paying for the right
to have a contained and protected online gambling market, yet the market is
still wide open. |