Online Casinos Directory

Quite possibly regulators didn’t know what they were getting into when they first were tasked with writing laws that would legalize and regulate gambling when playing at a casino online. It is proving to be a daunting task with a lot of passionate arguments on each side of the picture. On one hand proponents believe that the level of tax-revenue dollars that could be brought into the communities is impossible to pass up. They believe that with the proper regulation, the problems of crime and corruption will be minimized. Then there is just as strong an opposing group. They believe that the crime and corruption potential is too big a risk for communities to handle. They are taking a much more ethical stand, believing that the amount of problems a community has will be too hard for them to manage. They also cite the growth in gambling addictions too high a price for any community to pay and the limited number of Gamblers Anonymous locations throughout the US as an additional problem.

Pennsylvania is a state that is in the midst of the exact arguments and debates over the issue. The state’s legislators are debating the regulation of gambling and how they can make it work within the borders. Though regulations are already being followed, recent events have proven that there are some problems with them. At the Presque Isle Downs and Casino one player gambled on a machine and found himself in line for the jackpot. This would have been a normal everyday occurrence had one thing not been true: the player was already signed up on the casino’s “self-exclusion list.” This is a master list every casino is required to maintain and it is full of players who have gambling addictions and want to be denied access to casinos. They sign up their own names and theoretically the casino should turn them away at the door. It was a safeguard built into the system that was one of the reasons why some legislators agreed to legalizing gambling. They believed that with the right rules in place, it would work without a glitch. Unfortunately, that day in Pennsylvania the system didn’t work.
Part two coming next.

If you are thinking of a gambling Mecca in the US, what immediately comes to mind? Las Vegas? Atlantic City? St. Louis, Missouri? While St. Louis may not be the first thing to come to mind, the state’s officials are doing a lot to change that. First of all, Missouri is in the same state of financial disarray that is befalling most other states. Since the recession, states are scrambling to find new ways of generating much needed funds. Gambling is proving to be a very attractive option partly because it is growing in popularity and partially because of the huge money potentially available. It is the only activity that can bring in the billions needed to hope to balance state budgets. There are few other options when it comes to bringing in the huge tax-revenue dollars. There are some other possibilities, but none can bring in the money needed to turn around the economy.

St. Louis Missouri is jus t like other US cities. This past April revenue for the state made a spike to just over $90 million. That is a huge jump of 7% since last year this same time. The increase can partially be attributed to the new River City casino that was built. It made waves in the market because of its luxury accommodations and state-of-the-art gaming floor. It took some time to get together, but now the city is thankful it went through the trouble.

Up until 2008 St. Louis had six casinos in the area and now thanks to the seventh, they are seeing a huge growth in gambling revenue. Missouri gaming regulators are already seeking a new developer to step in and take over their one existing, and vacant, gaming license. So far over twelve developers are looking to bid for that one last license. The last casino brought in a huge amount of revenue and setting up yet another one may do the same. Missouri is hoping they can repeat history with this second casino and make it the best one in the market yet. It will take time to see how it performs, but overall it should still bring in a huge amount of money for operators.

For many years now the world of poker had been up for debate. The biggest stride to gambling was the UIGEA, or Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. This act was meant to make gambling illegal by putting banks in charge of flagging and denying any online gambling activities. Banks weren’t happy about the change because the added responsibility meant an added cost. They had to pay people and pay for software that could detect what activities were considered to be gambling, and then block the transactions. In essence, it made banks completely responsible for policing online gambling activity in the US.

There were two problems with the UIGEA though. First, the UIGEA talked about gambling, made gambling illegal and dictated who would manage gambling online, but it never defined what exactly “gambling” is. There was no clear cut definition of what activities were to fall under the heading of gambling. This made it difficult for legal wagering activities like fund-raisers and lotteries that by all accounts should have remained legal, but were swept away by financial institutions with other illegal activities. The bottom line is that banks that were tasked with the responsibility of managing and denying financial institutions, didn’t want to take the chance of letting legal gambling activities pass through. If banks did allow gambling transactions through, they most likely were the ones to suffer millions in penalties and fees from the government. This made them wary of approving any activity that was even close to gambling.

Now things are changing and many legislators are trying to write bills that will adequately regulate the world of gambling. legislators know full well how much money is available with gambling—it offers millions of potential tax-revenue dollars to come into the states. This is why various representatives are focused on writing bills that help. Not only will they define what gambling is, but the bills also aspire to dictate what procedures should be used to regulate it. It will take more time, but most likely 2010 will bring many changes in the legislation regarding gambling. Certain representatives are making gambling law their priority and writing laws to legalize and regulate the gambling industry.

One thing that is consistently changing in the market of gambling is operators. They are watching closely the gambling habits of their clients and trying to make changes that spur on more gamblers.  With gambling rules changing quickly, the legalization of gambling is coming closer to a reality. Though a few short years ago the debate was 50/50 against and for legalizing and regulating gambling, things have changed due to the recession. Federal and local governments are suffering financially and trying to find new ways to bring in the millions of dollars needed to overcome budgets and deficits. There are few options, other than gambling, on the table that could possibly bring in the money needed.

The debate over legalizing and regulating gambling is still raging, but most experts believe that the argument now is more on how to regulate it, rather than whether or not to legalize it. The money available is too much to turn down for most legislators. The legislators who are against legalizing gambling are also focusing on writing the rules to protect gamers. Most assure their followers that if the rules can be made to protect online gamblers and land-based gamblers, they will agree to pass the bills. Though the changes are imminent, there is still a push for writing the adequate rules. One problem with the UIGEA, or Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is that it was vague in writing and therefore its implementation is difficult. The states using the UIGEA of 2006 are having a difficult time with its enforcement. For example, the UIGEA never defines what exactly the term “gambling” entails. Because of that, activities that by all accounts should be legal, such as lotteries and various fund-raising activities, have recently been swept under the same category as illegal gambling activities. Banks have denied the financial activities when in reality they should have not been.

Only time will tell what is going to happen with online and land-based gambling and its legalization. It is almost certain though that the hobby will be legalized in the US. This is good news for the gaming public and they can move into some of the best games and take advantage of the growing hobby.

After numerous years of fighting the states placed obstacles and buy-in restrictions, new poker laws will be coming in to place in Florida. The state, like most others has been battling the question of legalized gambling for the purpose of bringing in much-needed billions of dollars to the budget. Without gambling, there are few other options that can generate as much revenue needed desperately by state officials to balance the budgets. As a result, the changes in gambling will change the poker world considerably as 2010 continues. The governor is expected to sign the new bills regarding poker and that should cause the US Department of the Interior to approve gambling within the state.

For some time now Florida has been running behind the times with regards to gambling. For example, a lot of the casinos in the state have restrictions on the $100 maximum buy-in big blinds. The state’s casinos were also running five to ten dollar no-limit hold’em plays with a maximum buy-in of 10 big blinds. The House voted 74-39 to approve a new bill that would increase gambling law in the state. The biggest change will be directly with the Seminole Tribe of Indians who will from here on out be able to exclusively run Las Vegas-styled slot machines and have blackjack tables, along with other table games in five of the tribe’s seven running casinos in the state. The hours of operation will be increased and the $100 restriction will be a think of the past. The main reason for the changes is that estimators are projecting that the changes will bring $1 billion into the state over the next five year period of time.

Although the exact changes are not yet known, it is sure that the face of gambling within the state of Florida is about to change. The state is just one of the many that are going through revamping due to the changing world of gambling. The state is hoping that the funds will allow it to recover from the aftermath of the recession. The budget and various programs are in danger of permanent cuts without some form of money-generation. Legisators are hoping gambling is the sure-fire answer to their budget woes.

The UK is making waves in the world of online gambling. Because the market overall is very new to the area, legislators are trying to work out rules that protect gamblers from the start. A new website called GamblingIn.co.uk is being put together to help thwart scams in the online world of wagering. One argument that has been made over the years of online gambling growth is that legalizing gambling will only bring more opportunities for money laundering, fraud, addiction and crime. This new initiative by the UK is hoping to stop that, or at minimum cut down on the amount of illegal activity coming into the member-states of the EU, or European Union.

This website belonging in the UK, presses casinos to offer gamblers what they want in terms of an online casino. The website offers a comprehensive listing of reputable and trustworthy casinos for playing poker, bingo, table games, and taking sports bets. The website’s operators have done research on the most damaging activities some scam websites have. Things like identity theft, non-payouts, and overcharging customers are all top level concerns of the UK and in turn, of the GamblingIn.co.uk website. It is trying to provide a full list of gambling options where players can log in and enjoy safe gambling. Many casinos today are registered in Gibraltar due to the lower taxes. It is one of the most cost-efficient areas in the world of gambling and blowing up as a center of online casinos. The biggest advantage is that the country is building workable laws to bring in more companies focused on gambling.

The biggest problem coming is the country has to eliminate problems by doing research on what has worked so far and what hasn’t. There are prototype countries that can be used and watched. There are a wide range of online companies that are toying with various online rules. Due to the newness of the market, it is still a great time to write rules and test them to see if they work. More and more countries are being instrumental in the changes and development of the market of online gambling. It is an interesting time to watch the market as it evolves.

The UK has been making waves in the world of online gambling and casinos. It is one member of the European Union, or EU, that is positive about the addition of online gambling to its market. This past year has brought a lot of gambling changes to the country and it all began when the country changed its taxation laws. Last year it began increasing taxes due to the fact that online casinos lead to creating debt and negative financial situations for residents of the area. To avert the higher taxes, many online casino companies moved out of the UK and into areas like Gibraltar where taxation is much less of a strain on them.

One positive result of the changes though was a new focus on keeping online casinos legal. There have been problems with growing illegal activity and the UK is shoring up rules about how to handle them. Casinos are joining in on the reporting of illegal activity in an effort to build up their own market shares. Recently the Crown Prosecution Service announced a seizure of funs that totaled 1.4 million pounds. The money came via an intricate money laundering scheme that was run by two people. Gavin and Louise Lazarus are alleged to be the perpetrators of the entire scheme by operating an illegal online casino. They admitted to the crime and stated that they have been running the business for two years. The government froze their assets, profits and turned it over to prosecutors for the case.
The two used Net Payment Solutions LTD’s bank account to hold their funds and then sent the money via the internet to transfer to other partners. It was a difficult situation to manage and eventually the couple, and their accomplices, got caught. It’s this type of activity that the EU is trying to thwart. Hopefully with some additional rules and regulations the coming years will change the face of internet gambling. It is the beginning of regulation, but the laws that states are putting into place now are being watched closely to see what works and what doesn’t. It may take time to build strict rules, but the EU is well on the way to positive legislation regarding online gambling.

The EU and its member countries, along with non-member countries, are having problems. The government is trying to find some way to regulate online gaming but many countries already have their own rules and regulations. It is a difficult time as growth is still happening and governments are getting greedy– wanting to keep their customers in their country and not allow for freedom in advertising. One country that is affecting the mix is Estonia. Considered as contrary to European Union legislation, the government of Estonia has announced that they will begin to ban online casino and poker sites that do not hold a license in the country. So far the only casino that has gained this new license, Olympic Casino.  The Estonian Tax and Custom Board has indicated that internet service providers will now begin blocking an estimated 200 online gambling websites who do not hold an operating license in Estonia. This is exactly what the EU is trying to avoid– an all-out monopoly being created by individual countries and the push-back they will feel when they try to break up those monopolies. Estonia is a difficult country to deal with, but if it is succeessful in blocking online casinos, it may open the door for other countries– both EU members and non– to start their own blocking efforts. There are millions of dollars at stake in the gambling world and it is no wonder why countries are fighting hard to keep their money in their own pockets.

This may mean that our popular sites such as PokerStars and PartyPoker, who have not applied for an Estonian domestic license, will no longer be able to operate in the country.  Neither will a host of smaller operations who had previously been allowed to conduct their business in Estonia unhindered by the new licensing law. Unlicensed sites may also be presented with some hefty fines.  The Estonian authorities are hoping permission in granted if the EU deems remote gambling a national concern rather than an international one. We will just have to wait and see.  Their controversial decision to block over 200 gambling operators could go ahead without interference from other member states or EU legislators, meaning any criticism is likely to fall on deaf ears. Only time will tell what happens, but all EU member countries are most likely watching closely.

The world of gambling is growing fast. Not only have the number of online casinos grown, but land-based casinos are looking into expanding to the online world. For example, Harrah’s is making landmark moves to set themselves up for capitalizing on online gambling in the US once it becomes regulated and legalized. That is a move that most likely will start soon. Legislators are duking it out now – trying to come up with reasonable laws and regulations that will make gambling legal and help to bring in huge tax-revenue dollars into various federal, state and local jurisdictions. A sign of how fast gambling as a whole is growing is the new buzz about bringing a gambling channel to US TV and cable networks.

Their is talk of an online gambling television channel in the United States next year. With the growing momentum of Barney Frank’s legislation to legalize online gambling in the US, companies are already developing new ways to offer gambling services to Americans. The UK already has live gambling channels that broadcast roulette and other casino games to viewers, 24 hours a day. UK residents can purchase credits and play the games using their TV remote controls. Once online gambling is legal on a federal level within the United States, you can expect that their will be cable & satellite channels that offer gambling-related shows as well. Even if the United States regulates online gambling, it doesn’t necessarily mean that their would be any regulations that make gambling over the cable wires or via satellite a legal activity, but the new legislation would definitely soften the government up to the idea of gambling television. Much like the Playboy channel or other adult-oriented channels, a gambling channel would only be accessible by adults and it would be something that the subscriber would have to be request to be added to their programming package, and not just given away to all of the subscribers. It is going to be regulated online and kept as safely as possible to the adult market only. This may create some additional safeguards needed to enter the market, but legislators are willing to put the effort into the mix and then take advantage of additional money coming in.

With the declining gaming revenue in Las Vegas, casinos and resorts are exploring all options to expand gaming and generate additional revenue.  Las Vegas Sands Corp. filed a formal application with Pennsylvania gaming regulators to add 80 table games to its casino in Bethlehem, Pa., by early summer of 2010. The decline in Vegas resorts is mirrored by many state budgets at the same time, and these states are exploring ways to generate revenue as well.  Some are doing so with new gaming legislation.  Pennsylvania lawmakers, with the support of the governor, changed state gaming laws to allow the state’s slot machine-only casinos to add table games in exchange for a tax on revenues. Pennsylvania is looking to patch a severe budget deficit.  If approved, the company plans to place games such as blackjack, craps, roulette, poker, and baccarat onto the Sands Bethlehem’s casino floor. Currently the casino is home to over 3,000 slot machines.

“When the first card is dealt, Sands Bethlehem instantly becomes the most convenient gaming location for millions of New York City and northern New Jersey residents,” said casino president Robert DeSalvio.  Las Vegas Sands President Michael Leven said success from table games could allow the company to move forward with other expansion initiatives at the casino, including a hotel and convention space.  It seems the Sands resort and Pennsylvania state government are on the same page with respect to the issue and analysts expect an agreement will be made in the near future, assuming no other fixes to the state budget can be found. “The pending addition of table games has given us a chance to review our overall strategy as it relates to the Sands, and we are optimistic this opportunity will be a positive catalyst for both the balance sheet and the future development of the property,” Leven said.

Pennsylvania lawmakers are hoping for a sure-fire way to gain revenues for the state. All US states are looking hard for ways to overcome their deficits and bring in more money. The recession was difficult on almost every state, city and local government and finding ways of reviving their economies. Gambling is proving to be a viable option if managed properly due to the overwhelming number of tax-revenue dollars it brings to the market. In 2010, gambling is expected to be utilized more and more as the country still revives from the recent recession.