Legality of Internet Gambling in US

Gambling has been around for centuries, for people enjoy the excitement and the potential of winning big. Unlike gambling in general, which has a long and extensive history, internet (online) gambling is a more recent phenomenon--“the new kid on the block“. Appearing first in the 1990s, internet gambling has surged in popularity.

Prior to internet gambling, the US government had some legislation in place to regulate gambling activities, but not internet gambling. In the fall of 2006, this changed. President Bush signed a bill into law, known as the “Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act” (UIGEF). This bill was attached to an unrelated ports security bill called the “Safe Port Act”. Even though the UIGEF is vague as a whole, the bill clearly bans American banks and credit card companies from completing financial transactions between US players and internet gambling companies. The news reports described the bill as outlawing internet gambling.

In response to the passing of the UIGEF, hundreds of internet gambling sites announced that they would stop accepting bets from US based players. Big publicly traded sites, such as Partygaming.com and 888.com, led the exodus out of the US markets.

Currently, there are congressional efforts to amend the UIGEF in an effort to be more favorable towards internet gambling. There is a good reason for this. Internet gambling is one of the few industries to boom during the current financial crisis. US leads the world in the number of online players, representing more than half the overall world market.

Gambling videos

Crooked Online Gambling Exposed - Part 1

 

Crooked Online Gambling Exposed - Part 1

 

Are Online Casinos Safe and Secure?

Online gambling is becoming a more popular activity every day. But are online casinos safe and secure? In a nutshell, they are, but you'll have to do some research to find out which online casinos are reputable and which would be best avoided. Follow these tips to find out how you can enjoy online gambling in a safe and secure environment.

Reputable online casino transactions are only ever carried out over encrypted internet connections of 128-bit strength. What this does is effectively scramble your credit card details and personal data when you enter it into the online casino's forms so that no one can read the information entered. The information stored in the online casino's database must also be encrypted so that it cannot be accessed by any outside parties.

Make sure the online casino you choose uses highly-rated software that is well-known and trustworthy. Similarly, make sure the company is operated in a secure way and has been required by their licensing jurisdiction to demonstrate their financial stability before they were granted their permit.

Only gamble with online casinos that provide you with strong customer support in the form of customer service phone numbers and email addresses. If an online casino is a reputable establishment, they should welcome open and honest communication with their players.

It is your responsibility to make sure your personal account information is never divulged to anyone. Rarely are online gamblers the victims of fraud or non-payment if they are careful and thorough in researching and choosing only the most reputable online casinos.