{"id":889,"date":"2015-06-01T23:55:09","date_gmt":"2015-06-01T23:55:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ycgts.shop\/?p=889"},"modified":"2024-09-25T10:30:19","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T15:30:19","slug":"more-calling-for-clear-online-gambling-regulation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ycgts.shop\/more-calling-for-clear-online-gambling-regulation\/","title":{"rendered":"More Calling for Clear Online Gambling Regulation"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
This post contains outdated info. Click here for the latest US betting news<\/a>. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In between Sheldon Adelson scaring us all with his promises to ban online gambling \u201cwhatever the cost\u201d and various anti-gambling bills<\/a> proposed at the federal level, there is some reason for optimism over the long run. There\u2019s a small but unmistakable trend calling for better regulation of online gambling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regulation<\/em> is the key word there, and it has a distinctly different definition than prohibition<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n If we remember back to November of last year, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver penned a surprising op-ed in the New York Times calling for the legalization<\/a> and regulation of sports betting. He didn\u2019t specifically address online gambling, but the opinion piece serves as a nice example of changing attitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n More recently, a study<\/a> published by Michigan State University noted that the online gambling industry stands to benefit from sensible regulation. The study notes that today\u2019s US gaming laws are complex, contradictory, poorly written, misunderstood, and sporadically enforced. Whenever we get a clearer picture of gaming laws, publicly traded gaming companies grow in value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The MSU study noted that when the DOJ gave the go-ahead for individual states<\/a> to legalize online gambling within their borders, the value of publicly traded gambling firms rose by 3.5%. There\u2019s a natural feedback loop there. Effective gambling regulation results in better results for the firms, which gives them more money to throw at more positive gambling regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you follow US gambling industry news, you may also notice an uptick in op-eds that call for legalization and regulation. Pennlive.com published an opinion piece<\/a> just a few days ago in which John Payne and Nick Kotik (Pennsylvania state reps) lay the case for legalization and regulation. As you might suspect, they argue that online gambling is already happening whether legal or not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The state might as well regulate the industry, tax it and enact protections for players.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It doesn\u2019t take much research to find similar<\/a> opinion pieces<\/a> published in newspapers around the country. Sure, there is still plenty of opposition, but the number of pro-gambling pieces we see today is something we never would have imagined just 10 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the best indicator of good things to come is the ever-increasing number of bills being proposed to regulate and legalize online gambling in the USA<\/a>. In just the past few months, we\u2019ve had a number of state-level bills that are still active as of this writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is just a small sample of the many bills that have been introduced, discussed, and either enacted or tabled over the past few years. Although most online gambling efforts stall out before becoming law, it is heartening to see actual lawmakers introducing pro online gambling legislation. As the saying goes, they\u2019re throwing a lot at the wall and seeing what sticks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It wouldn\u2019t be wise to ignore the serious threats posed by the likes of Sheldon Adelson and his crony DC allies, but he and his ilk won\u2019t be around forever. Gambling attitudes are slowly shifting even at a basic societal level. There was a time when even a mere mention of sports betting was enough to make people look at you like some kind of degenerate. Now, ESPN and mainstream news anchors gleefully report on the \u201cVegas line\u201d in the lead-up to any high-profile sporting event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Those against the legalization of online betting do have legitimate concerns. It would be unfair and unproductive to just handwave those concerns aside. The most often quoted concern you\u2019ll encounter is the worry about gambling addiction and its harmful effects on society. Gambling gets people into financial trouble, and people in financial trouble turn to crime. Families break apart and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That whole \u201clet\u2019s protect people for their own good\u201d angle comes off as more than a little disingenuous when its biggest proponent is Sheldon Adelson, a man who built a billion-dollar fortune off the backs of gamblers at his brick-and-mortar properties. While on one hand his \u201cmoral standard compels\u201d him to speak out on the issue, he meanwhile sits in court and tries to explain away his connections to organized crime<\/a> in the Chinese gambling industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s the kicker: online gambling is alive and well in the US right now. It happens all across the country. All someone has to do is visit one of the many online betting sites hosted overseas and they\u2019ll be betting in no time. Prohibition is tough enough to enforce in the real world. Enforcing a prohibition on the internet is an exercise in futility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re worried about the social impact, it\u2019s already here. Anyone who wants to bet online can do so. The worst part of all is that these people have no protection. If a betting site decides to close shop and run off with everyone\u2019s money or refuses to enact age verification, there\u2019s nothing stopping it from doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Online Gambling Is Already Here: What Do We Do About It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n