For those of us who are on the up-and-up when it
comes to online gambling technology and regulation
within the international playing field, we know that
cheating scandals and proper regulation do not mix. But
what about the cheating scandals at Absolute Poker and
Ultimate Bet you ask? Well, that's online poker - and
that's another story. Besides, here at Online Casino
Suite, we've never once recommended any player to place
wagers at these establishments.
If you want to play
online poker, go to Poker Stars (That's
not bias...it's just a safe bet - read our
Poker Stars review). And if you want to
read reviews on trustworthy, regulated online casinos,
visit our
Online Casino Reviews or
Best Online Casinos
page.
I am bringing this topic up because there was a
recent poll published on the website of renowned Las
Vegas expert, Andrew Curtis. LasVegasAdvisor.com is the
name of Curtis' popular website, and this particular
poll posed the question of whether or not online
gambling should be legalized in the U.S. Of particular
interest was the fact that Curtis allowed pollsters to
clarify their responses to a certain extent, rather than
simply giving them the option of saying yes or no.
Once again showing that Americans consider it their
right to wager at online casinos, the poll showed that
out of 5,000 ballots, 68% favored the legalization and
regulation of online gambling. Of those who were not in
favor of legalization, responses reflected that of
hardnosed gambling opponents who insist that legalized
gambling encourages minors to bet and fosters gambling
addictions. Approximately 15% of those who voted were in
this mindset, while another 17% said they did not
support legalization because they thought the industry
cannot be trusted and regulated.
This brings me back to my original point about
uneducated masses. If we take a close look at the
legalized UK internet betting sector, we have a perfect
model for regulation. There have been no cheating
scandals to date at UK licensed online casinos and
betting sites, not to mention the fact that all sites
are strictly monitored, audited and held to responsible
gaming practices. The recent poker scandals were at
Kahnawake licensed poker rooms - apparently not a good
regulator of poker rooms. However, if the U.S. were to
adopt the same standards in the UK, cheating and
underage/addictive gambling would be kept in check.
As indicated by the 18% of pollsters who said they
would like to see online gambling legalized and have not
stopped betting since the passing of the Unlawful
Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), U.S. citizens
are going to continue gambling whether the powers that
be like it or not. Also interesting about this poll was
the 27% who do not gamble online themselves but still
voted yes in favor of legalization for they saw it as a
persons right to choose. The remainder 23% of voters
said they do not currently play online but would do so
if regulation was embraced in the U.S.
Seed
Newsvine