Anti-Online Gambling Law
Approved in US
 November
26 - Despite US Congress voting in the Unlawful Internet
Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in October 2006 and George
Dubbya signing it into law shortly thereafter, by all accounts
the law designed to prevent Americans from gambling online was
never actually enforced.
That is until now, where it has emerged that as one of the Bush
administrations last 'missions' (while still in office before
the arrival of Barrack Obama) is to ensure that UIGEA
will be legally enforced as from December 2009, and thus put the
final nail in the coffin that is US online gambling.
While UIGEA was never designed to prevent American online
gamblers from visiting and playing at online casinos and other
online gambling destinations, it's purpose was a more sinister
'big brother' one, to legally prevent US banks, credit card
companies and other financial institutions from processing any
and all payments related to online gambling.
This, coupled with the US Justice Department's ongoing
'witch-hunt' to target the large offshore online gambling
operations attracting US players (and their dollars) as well as
their senior executives, has had a severe impact on the US
online gambling industry.
Most of the large online gambling operations have long since
stopped accepting US players, for fear of further arrests by the
Justice Department as well as the threat of enormous fines.
That said, there have still been a handful of online gaming
operations that have only been to happy to accept US players up
until now, despite the threat the Justice Department poses.
However, the law that is set to come into effect at the end of
next year will in theory close off all the remaining avenues
available to US online gamblers, because the US financial
institutions will be forced to comply.
One of the laws greatest long-time opponents is Republican
Barney Frank (D-Mass) who has always been in favour of
legalising and regulating online gambling in the country, which
would allow the government to reap the rewards of taxing the
multi-billion dollar industry.
He has publicly decried the law which he claims is unfair and
biased and, most importantly, will be extremely difficult if not
possible to enforce.
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