Frank Catania, the former director
of the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement and respected
legal figure in the online casinos world published an article
this week condemning the rush to ban online casinos and internet
gambling in the USA. Catania wrote about online casinos and was
quoted as saying, "Every attempt to regulate activity on the
Internet seemingly raises questions about the proverbial
slippery slope," writes Catania.
"But if regulation of the Internet is a slippery slope, then
surely an outright ban of an Internet activity constitutes
falling off the cliff," he added.
The online casino industry
is a $12 billion dollar a year venture, and with new online
casinos sprouting up very often, online casinos now number in
the thousands. Millions of players have visited online casinos
worldwide. Catania described the current attempts in Congress to
ban as an "over-the-cliff" approach, and he says the proposed
legislation would cut off the ability of Americans to use the
Internet for all forms of gambling, not just online casinos. The
exception is for those who bet on horse racing, which is not
included in the online casinos legislation. In his online
casinos article, Catania writes: "We all know the Internet is
revolutionising the way we obtain information, enjoy leisure
time and connect with others. This prohibition attempt has
little to do with the technology; it's really about some members
of Congress trying to impose their own sense of morality on the
Internet. The fact is that Christian conservatives pushing these
bills are attempting to force their religious beliefs - that
gambling is immoral - on all Americans (except those who bet on
the horses)."
"It's time that Congress
developed a consistent and sensible policy for Internet
gambling. What the bill's supporters fail to understand is that
short of completely banning the Internet or heavily censoring
the Internet as China does, there will always be Internet
gambling available to U.S. players. The Internet sails far
beyond our boundaries or the long arm of U.S. law. More than 70
countries currently regulate Internet gambling, and sites based
in these countries are accessible to U.S. players. A ban on
Internet gambling just doesn't make sense," Catania said.
Pointing out that a ban
on online casinos would not address issues such as preventing
underage gambling or offering assistance to problem gamblers, he
suggests that instead of prohibition, the US politicians should
turn to regulation to deal with these complex issues surrounding
online casinos. "State-of-the-art technology to regulate the
activity, including age verification software and existing
government databases, combined with proper operating procedures
and strict regulation, can prevent minors from gambling online
and offer greater assistance to problem gamblers," Catania
wrote.
Catania says that whether
the gambling is at online casinos or land based ones, consumers
deserve diligent regulators who make sure that online casinos
are honest, games are fair, winning players are paid promptly,
problem gamblers are offered assistance or ultimately barred,
and minors are prohibited. |
