Legislation proposed that could make online gaming legal in the United States
A New Jersey senator has introduced legislation that could legalise online casinos and gaming in the United States. If passed, Senator Robert Menendez's proposal could introduce a plan to allow online gaming to be played legally across America.
In 2006, online gaming was made illegal in the United States and despite outcries from online players across the country at the time, the American Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act into law. If successful, Senator Robert Menendez's bill would pave the way for citizens to play legally once again at online casinos.
The 2006 bill, which made banking institutions responsible for the prevention of online gambling, was criticized heavily and banks claimed it would be impossible to monitor any illegal transactions to online casino games such as slots or blackjack and lead to a rise in a number of unregulated and illegal online casinos.
Online casinos have celebrated the Menendez bill, known as The Internet Skill Game Licensing and Control Act of 2008, which lays down framework for online games such as slots and roulette to be played legally. It is hoped that legislation would eventually lead to a nationwide ruling that would allow online casinos in the United States.
A member of a gaming alliance said:
"One of the things that Senator Menendez really gravitated to is the fact that, under the current environment, consumers aren't getting the protection that they deserve and he wanted to introduce a bill that would provide a regulatory framework that protected US consumers from fraud and abuse and also to ensure that children don't get access to the websites."