Online Gambling Laws in the United States
During the late 1990s, online gambling began gaining popularity. Around 200 websites were launched. Poker rooms, virtual poker, sports betting, casinos, and other forms of online gambling were introduced to the public. These sites are now legal in many countries.
There have been several attempts to pass laws regulating online gambling in the United States. In 1999, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was introduced to the Senate. In April 2007, Rep. Barney Frank introduced HR 2046, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection, and Enforcement Act.
In the past few years, several similar bills have been introduced in the House of Representatives. They would regulate the industry and create licensing authorities. Unlike in the past, however, these new bills would not prohibit the sale of online gambling products or services to U.S. citizens.
In addition to these laws, the Federal Information Technology Rules address online gambling. They are designed to prevent illegal activities. Some of the rules include preventing players from using interstate facilities for unlawful activities. Some of these laws have raised constitutional concerns.
The Travel Act is another law that could be used to prohibit unlawful gambling. The Travel Act enacts a number of provisions that prohibit money laundering and the promotion of unlawful gambling.
The United States has been involved in a number of criminal cases involving online gambling. One of the most notable cases involves the owners of the bitcoin poker site, Seals with Clubs. The owner argued that cryptocurrencies are not recognized as currency by the federal government.