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The Wall Street Journal, which has done an admirable job of covering the recent flurry of activity in the world of online gambling at both the state and federal level, asked on Sunday whether the activity should be legalized.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed a bill that would have made Web gambling legal in his state while Iowa was also on the brink of allowing Internet poker to its residents. Senate Study Bill 1165 will soon be eligible for a vote before the full Iowa Senate. California, Florida, South Carolina and Kentucky are each contemplating allowing online gambling while federal lawmakers announced this past week they will be introducing new legislation next month.
Proponents for legalized Internet gambling say that millions will be pumped into the economy. Costa Rica, which currently serves as the i-Gaming hub for North American bettors, has already proven this point with thousands of jobs created within the industry itself while other industries such as telecommunications and retail flourished as a result. Gambling911.com has previously illustrated various examples of this. Opponents argue that easy access to gambling via computers will lead to addiction and ease of minors to place bets on websites.
Ironically, New Jersey had been seen as the state that would ultimately pave the way towards legalization. They could end up among the last states to act thanks to Christie’s veto pen. Nonetheless, it can be argued that New Jersey helped plant the seed that is now creating a tsunami of sorts on both the state and federal level.
The Wall Street Journal posed the question to its readers: Should Web gambling be legalized?
A whopping 78 percent of respondents said “Yes” with around 300 votes cast over a 6 hour period.
One reader commented:
Gambling exists, web gambling exists, even in the US where the perception is that it is illegal, to the tune of over $6billion now. The internet is an international platform and the idea that online gambling will exist all over the world but not is the US is childish and foolish. Online gambling should be openly legalized and regulated and taxed just like any other business. All we achieve by continuing he prohibition is to send money and jobs outside of the US. We have done studies showing the value within five years is over $21billion.
People play games online by the millions and there is a confluence of online gaming and online gambling and online ecommerce. Burying our heads in the sand will not stop technology or human nature.
- Christopher Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
