Online gambling is a great way to spend time, but it can also be a very dangerous thing to do. You may think it’s harmless, but you can end up losing a lot of money if you don’t take certain precautions. Here are some tips to help you enjoy online gambling safely.
Legalizing and regulating it
Legalizing and regulating online gambling has been a major concern for the U.S. government since 2006. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed in 2006. It prohibits banks and other financial institutions from processing transactions related to Internet gambling. This act has been interpreted to apply to all forms of Internet gambling.
Legislation has been drafted in the House and Senate that would legalize and regulate online gambling. In addition to the UIGEA, lawmakers are considering two other bills.
One bill is HR 2366, also known as the Barton Bill. According to the American Gaming Association, the bill could pass the House. Several members have already pledged support for the bill. Others, however, have expressed skepticism.
Another bill, HB 4976, relates to taxation. If the legislation is enacted, the government would collect taxes from online casinos. States would then be able to charge licensing fees to these companies. They might also implement age checks or limit bets.
Research on Internet gambling
There has been a growing concern over the potential deleterious effects of Internet gambling. Specifically, concerns over the rise of problem gambling have led to a number of jurisdictions banning Internet gambling altogether. This is despite the fact that gambling is a legitimate activity for most adults. However, there is a need for further research to investigate whether or not Internet gambling is a cause of problems.
The plethora of technological advancements over the past 15 years has created a whole new landscape of gambling. New forms of internet gambling have emerged, with mobile devices leading the way.
A variety of mobile gambling apps have been developed, including video lottery terminals (VLTs). Mobile customers have reported longer gambling sessions and higher average bet sizes than PC gamblers.
Online gambling has also become more interactive. Most participants reported that it was easy to receive gambling information over the Internet. They also reported that their peers also gambled online.
Charges against operators of online gambling sites
The federal government has recently stepped up its focus on online gambling. Its resources include the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), U.S. Marshals, and the Office of Inspector General. Each agency uses a variety of methods to identify and investigate potential illegal gambling activities.
Several high profile federal cases have been uncovered and prosecuted in the past two decades. Most cases involve organized crime task forces. In a recent case, a ring operated sports betting wire rooms in New York and Costa Rica. These rooms booked 2,000 bets a day, and the company’s gross revenues were nearly $500 thousand a day.
This case is considered a victory for the federal government. Three of the defendants pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison. Gold Medal Sports, the company that operated the sports book on Curacao, also pleaded guilty to racketeering, criminal forfeiture, and money laundering.
One of the largest companies in the gaming industry, Microsoft, settled with the government for $31.5 million in 2009. Yahoo!, Sporting News, and other media outlets were required to stop accepting advertising from offshore gaming sites.
Evidence for causation of Internet-related gambling problems
Evidence for causation of Internet-related gambling problems has been mixed. Some studies link the problem to the online mode of gambling, while others point to the land-based forms of gambling. However, these studies do not address the role of supplementary devices.
One study examined the demographic, psychosocial, and behavioural aspects of Internet-related gambling problems. The study included men and women who played games on the Internet. There was a high level of adolescent involvement and a relatively equal number of men and women who played the games.
Another study identified the risk factors of problem gamblers. This study used a propensity score matching method to identify incremental effects of specific behaviours. Compared to the general population, gamblers who preferred supplementary devices had a higher rate of gambling problems.
In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) recognized the internet gaming disorder. It classified the problem as impulse control disorder, which is characterized by impulsiveness, poor control of behavior, and difficulty controlling the desire to gamble.