Online Gambling and the Rule of Law
The ease and convenience with which the Internet has enabled countless people from all over the world to communicate with each other has since given rise to other online applications and activities; one of which, of course, is Online Gambling. In comparison to real-world gambling, the experience of playing in an online casino holds much more appeal and advantages for a new generation of gamblers. Among other things, players are free to gamble in complete privacy, within the comfortable environs of their own home and at any time that they so choose.
But it is perhaps important for players to be conscious of the legalities that surround online gambling. The fact of the matter is that many countries don't really have a particular set of laws that specifically deal with the subject of Internet gambling. Usually, the same regulations enforced in a land-based casino, such as players having to be of legal age, are also applied in an online casino. There are some rules, however, that are much easily enforced in the real world than in the virtual world.
One concern is that it is difficult for a player to be completely certain of the honesty and reliability of the online casino that they decide to gamble in. Most countries, such as those in the United States and in Europe, require online casinos to register themselves and submit to a lengthy procedure of evaluation in order to be duly licensed and authorized to commence their operations. There are some casino websites that would attempt to get around the registration process by basing themselves in countries where such regulations do not apply. One should always make sure that the online casino they choose to play in has been given due certification.
The legality of online gambling is subject to change from place to place. In the U.S., for instance, Internet gambling is legal in certain states but still considered illegal in others. The reason for this is that online gambling can be used as a front for money laundering activities, and there are certain banks that prohibit their credit cards from being used in online gambling transactions. European countries, on the other hand, tend to be much more tolerant of online gambling activities. But there are bound to be some steps taken in light of findings that abusive gamblers that have been barred from land-based casinos are looking to online casinos for their gambling fix.
Gambling in general has always had an uneasy relationship with the law, so it should not come as a surprise that online gambling likewise comes under the same scrutiny as its traditional forebear. Not that the prejudices associated with it are altogether unfair and unfounded. Gambling in whatever form can still be abused as a vice or twisted into a crooked means for personal gain. So as severe as some restrictions imposed on online gambling may seem, they are enforced for the best of intentions and for the protection of the online gamblers themselves, to insure that their enjoyment in playing their favorite games is not tainted by foul play.
