Online casino tax proposals to be reviewed - could the US legalise internet gambling?
The US has been at the centre of a number of debates regarding the legalities of online gambling in recent weeks. Now, the United States House Committee on Ways and Means is to review its tax proposals this week under the suggestions that there are tax and revenue gains to be made.
Currently, it is illegal for people in the US to play online casino games as well as process any online gambling funds. And, while sports betting has also been outlawed, a recent study indicated that £24bn could be made in the US by 2015 should both be legalised.
It is thought that the Ways and Means committee will focus on the potential upside of legalising online casino play while working with the current Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA), which is set to be implemented on June 1st 2010.
UIGEA woes
However, the UIEGA has been asked for clarification in regards to the act before it comes into play. According to members of the Poker Players Alliance, the phrase "unlawful internet player" - outlawed in the bill - should not cover poker and other online casino games which run on a peer-to-peer system.
Players have set up a petition which states:
"We believe the best way to clarify the regulation is to have the regulation apply only to those two forms of gambling, about which there is some consensus, and to exempt from the scope of the regulation peer-to-peer and pari-mutuel wagering."
One thing's for sure: it's legal wrangling like this that will make Kerching players glad they live in the UK - one of the most liberal parts of the world when it comes to online gambling.