Ever since ‘Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey’ legalized it, online gambling has been growing slowly. All three states missed their initial revenue forecasts.
New Jersey state had estimated to bring in $1 billion in its first year, but the real figures were only 12% of that. Following 2014, their Internet gambling revenue rose by only 17.6%. Delaware made $1.4 million in the first year and $1.8 million in the following, while Nevada completely stopped reporting Internet gambling revenue as a separate item. Apparently, they do not have numbers worth showcasing. The only online gambling brand in Nevada (Online Poker) is just a drop in the bucket of the state’s $11 billion gambling market.
Many states are still waiting in the sidelines hoping for a wave of expansion in this emerging industry.
As predicted by the Gambling Compliance based in San Francisco, California or Pennsylvania may approve Internet gambling this year, followed by New York and Mississippi. In 2016 they predict nine states may consider legalizing it.
The United States has been one of the biggest markets for online gambling, but all of a sudden players became anxious about whether they were playing legally or not. In 2006, Congress passed the legislation “Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act” (UIGEA), which was aimed at curbing money-laundering activities online. What it effectively did was prohibit American online players from engaging in financial transactions with gaming sites.
The biggest side effect of this rule out by UIGEA was that online players were panicking about not being able to get their funds back.
While the UIGEA was meant to make life difficult for online gambling sites, it in fact had a bigger impact on the players. The poker sites which were shut down by the Department of Justice were yet to return funds to players, many of who are still waiting.
It is now taking time for these players and other consumers to consider online gambling completely reliable.
The picture is however different in Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. They have a steady increase in users as more and more people are being made aware of new laws. They seem happy enough about it and the state government are raking in bigger amounts of money. The popularity of online gambling is shifting. It clearly depicts that all 50 US states could launch their gambling sites earlier than 2020 if they wanted to. While it may not happen that soon, it is almost inevitable that it will happen eventually.
The bottom line is that, this is going to take some time.
Where do Presidential Candidates Stand on Online Gambling?
With either Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton seeming likely to head the Republicans or Democrats, online gambling businesses in the US are wondering what the future holds for online gambling.
Donald Trump (Republican) – In 2011, Trump said that Internet gambling “has to happen because many other countries are doing it, and just like usual the U.S. is missing out.” Considering that he has a history of building casinos, Trump would probably take the same position today.
Hillary Clinton (Democrat) – In 2000, Clinton favored the building of a new casino near Niagara Falls. But in 2008, she supported UIGEA (the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act), which was a move towards online gaming regulation. If Hillary makes it to the White House, she is unlikely to back the uncontrolled RAWA (Restoration of America’s Wire Act).
Typical selection of gambling games offered at online casinos
Free Slots – More than 80% of first-time visitors to casinos head for the slots play. It is very easy. You just need to drop a coin into the slot and push the button. This sore of gambling is most suitable for newcomers who find personal interaction with dealers or other players at the tables intimidating.
Video Poker – Video poker is easy to use and also does not require any interaction with a dealer or with other players. You need to have correct card combinations on screen to win the deal. Unlike slot reels that are governed by an automatic number generator, in video poker players have to make decisions that affect the outcome.
Black Jack – The game of blackjack is in between the table games that require skill and the games of chance (like Free Slots). The players at a blackjack table are not playing against each other; they are only playing against the dealer. All the players have to beat the dealer’s hand only.
Some popular casino games online are: Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, Sic bo, Poker, Keno, and Bingo.
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