Online gambling is any type of gambling conducted via the Internet. This includes sports betting, casinos and virtual poker. The first online gambling site opened to the public, was electronic lottery tickets in October 1994. Since then there have been online gambling sites opening each month, with more sites coming online each year. You can now choose from a variety of online gambling sites offering different types of online gambling. These include casino games, sports betting and poker.
Each state has laws that regulate online gambling transactions and these differ from state to state. In most cases you will find that if you are playing at a licensed casino, your state laws regulating this act cover the activity. The same applies to online poker sites that are licensed to conduct poker games in a specific country, even though the final decision is always at the discretion of the particular site.
When people play at U.S. sites they are usually required to create accounts and bet using credit cards or paypal. As these companies are based outside the U.S. they are subject to various European Union laws that may conflict with U.S. laws in some instances. For example, the Carraras Act regulates how wagers can be made in Spain, and the Betting Act covers how bets can be made by U.S. citizens who are resident in the U.S., while Spain’s laws are generally more liberal. In the case of Online Gambling Casinos both residents and U.S. citizens are covered under the law.
Another aspect of Online Gambling Laws that may confuse U.S. citizens is the fact that it prohibits anyone from traveling to another state to place any type of bet or participate in any gambling business. Although there are no U.S. states that allow Online Gambling Casinos, all European Union member countries do allow them. This is because gambling in EU countries is strictly regulated. The laws cover the procedures, taxes, and payments involved in the gambling business, which runs the gamut from online sports betting to live casino gaming. As a matter of fact, all types of gaming are covered under the EU law.
As you may have guessed, the reason why Online Gambling Laws exists is to prevent people from running fraudulent online gambling sites. Any person who knowingly owns, or operates, any kind of online gambling activity is immediately required to register with the Casino and Online Gambling Control Council. Once a person is registered with an Online Gambling Control Council they cannot run their own gambling site, and if they do it must be licensed by the government. The same goes for land-based casinos. Anyone who owns a land-based casino in the EU can’t operate it for tax purposes unless they get a license.
Some online gambling sites offer both gambling and non-gambling options, which cover a variety of gaming options. A lot of online sites offer a “money back” guarantee in case you are not completely satisfied with the site’s services. This guarantee ensures that the site will not lose money. Many of the sites offer different payment options, such as PayPal, credit card transfers, and wire transfers from one account to another.