Online Gambling made Illegal
FBI Warnings:
Don’t Bet Online. If you’ve ever thought about visiting a cyber casino, know this: It’s illegal to gamble online in the U.S.
This week the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued an e-mail and posted a statement to its Web site reminding citizens of the law. “You can go to Vegas. You can go to Atlantic City. You can go to the racetrack. But don’t do it online. It’s against the law,” says Leslie Bryant, head of the FBI’s Cyber Crime Fraud unit. More specifically, notes Bryant, the letter of the law means:
# No placing cyber bets on sporting events or in virtual card games;
# No transferring money electronically for gambling; and
# No wagers in offshore Internet casinos even if you live in the U.S
What’s allowed? Some free online games, fantasy leagues, and Indian gaming sites that aren’t strictly defined as Internet gambling, says Bryant. It’s also illegal for businesses to run gambling Web sites and to solicit online bets. Even companies handling transactions for cyberspace bettors can face federal charges.
For sure, the Bureau is cracking down hard these days. The FBI strategy for tackling illegal online gambling is to start with the companies providing the services in the first place. “We’re going after the people making the money — the owners of these virtual casinos, gaming rooms, and off-track betting parlors,” Bryant says. Bryant points to about a dozen of these cases in motion. One of the biggest came last July when a federal grand jury in St. Louis returned a 22-count indictment against 11 individuals and four companies for their involvement in illegal online gaming and related activities. On May 24, one of the companies — BetonSports — pleaded guilty to racketeering charges in the case.
For more information on online gambling email us at info@iprfirm.com
