Online gambling means gambling on the internet. There are many kinds of gambling, such as casinos, poker, bingo and sports betting. The internet makes it easy to gamble. Many sites offer bonuses when you register with them and you don’t even have to leave your house any more to have a flutter. The simplicity of online gambling makes it a very attractive pursuit to a great many people.
Between April and September last year, up to 5.8 million people in the UK visited gambling sites and as many as 1 million of those are considered regular gamblers. Britain passed the gambling act in April 2005 and it will come into play properly on September 1, 2007. This means that it will be completely legal for online casinos to set up in the UK.
The Gambling Commission has been created by the government to check these sites over and approve them, to make sure the betting is fair and the customers know how much they are spending. The Gambling Commission also has to check out key managerial staff in the online gambling companies for any links to organised crime.
The laws are very different in the US. Some states completely ban all types of gambling and others are very strict about them. One of the reasons for this attitude is that money laundering is easier online and gambling can hide criminal tracks. Legislation in the US has been passed making it illegal for many banks to transfer money to online gambling sites. Sites such as Firepay and Neteller were set up to get around this but US residents can no longer use these services as a go-between from their banks to the gambling sites.
If they want to play, they must use wire transfers or cheques, with a result that many no longer bother with it at all. In the UK and Europe, things are far simpler. It is possible to pay with a credit or debit card, something that nearly everyone has. Payment can be made immediately and you can be playing within minutes.
Because of the new legislation in the UK, 2007 is a key year in the world of gambling. It is already a popular recreation with millions but the new laws will bring an explosion in the growth rate of gambling sites and millions of new customers. Online gambling sites will be in fierce competition with each other, each offering better deals and bonuses to attract customers will be sure to skyrocket.
Almost everyone has the internet available to them now, whether in their home or workplace, and betting has never been so easy. Online gambling appeals to millions of people, regardless of gender or age. When the new laws come into force on September 1, 2007, the UK is sure to be a leader in online gambling.
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