How Online Gambling Will Be Regulated
There are a number of different types of gambling, including casinos, lotteries, bingo, sports betting, virtual poker, and more. Depending on the type of gambling you participate in, you may be required to pay at a land-based casino or use a regulated online casino.
The Internet is becoming more popular as a medium for gambling. Several states have taken the necessary steps to regulate online gambling. For example, the state of Pennsylvania has legalized online gambling. However, there are still a few questions about how legalized online gambling will be regulated. Some of these issues include the Travel Act and the Commerce Clause.
Many people bet on the outcome of sporting events. These wagers can be made on the total number of goals scored, or on the overall number of points a team wins. Although it is easier to place a bet online, the laws regarding the use of the internet for illegal gambling are complicated.
According to federal law, there are several criminal statutes that are implicated by illegal Internet gambling. The Wire Act and the Illegal Gambling Business Act, for example, prohibit the unlawful distribution or receipt of bets via the Internet. Additionally, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provisions make it a crime to run an illegal gambling business.
It is also a violation of the Travel Act to engage in illegal gambling on an interstate basis. While the Travel Act does not apply to Internet casinos, it does cover players who engage in unlawful activities on interstate facilities, such as sportsbooks.
As a result, the Federal Communications Commission has the authority to investigate and suspend or dismantle the furnishing or leasing of facilities. However, the Commission has been criticized for not enforcing its regulation of gambling. In December 2002, the General Accounting Office, now the Government Accountability Office, released a report on Internet gambling. This report raised many constitutional objections to the idea of regulating gambling online.
On the other hand, the Commerce Clause raises questions about the power of the federal government to regulate activities occurring in part overseas. Although the commercial nature of the gambling industry seems to satisfy these doubts, questions have been raised about the government’s ability to enforce the laws against foreign or interstate elements that frustrate state enforcement policies.
Other concerns have been raised about the First Amendment’s guarantees of free speech. However, these attacks have had little success so far. Even though the First Amendment protects free speech in certain situations, the government has been limited in its ability to enforce federal law against gambling, especially in the home.
The UIGEA, or the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is one of seven criminal statutes that are implicated by illegal gambling on the Internet. The other five are the Wire Act, the Illegal Gambling Business Act, the RICO statutes, the False Claims Act, and the Anti-Kickback Statute.
In addition to the Federal statutes that are involved, there are several other federal and state laws that are in place that prohibit the illegal conduct of Internet gambling. The state of New York has a law defining a gambling activity if an individual acts to receive bets or transmits them through the Internet.