The Pros and Cons

We are witnessing two parallel situations in the gambling industry today. On one hand, we see how the United States is moving further and further towards a policy of Prohibition when it comes to online gambling.

On the other hand, we see an ease of restrictions that were previously placed on internet gambling activities in areas such as Europe and the United Kingdom. In both systems, you will have people on both sides of the argument for and against the policies. Let’s take a look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of gambling prohibition.

Although the law itself doesn’t target individual gamblers, it does stop U.S. financial institutions from transferring money to gambling companies and online sites. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was meant to curb the steady rise of American customers from gambling online and spending American dollars on offshore gambling activities. This law reeks of Prohibition which is a policy that was also attempted in the 1920’s to outlaw alcohol and came to a sorry end. History proves the Prohibition simply does not work. You can’t just tell someone that they can’t do something because that is going to give them all the more reason to do it behind your back and that is exactly what some people are choosing to do and they are getting caught, those that haven’t got caught yet will, believe me.

Of course, we can understand the reasons why pro-Prohibitions are keen to outlaw online gambling. They feel that this type of gambling lures underage players and problematic gamblers. They feel that there is no regulatory body to oversee this type of gambling and are worried about the affects of this type of gambling on familial values in our society.

However, the United Kingdom has proven that things can be done a little bit differently when it comes to online gambling. This country recognized the fact that no amount of clamping down and prohibition policy would remove the fact that people seek their gambling fun online. That is simply the result of the type of world we live in, a world where people are looking for instant quick fixes in all aspects of life, including gambling. Instead of outlawing gambling altogether, the United Kingdom decided to take a more intelligent approach and regulate the industry. Their basic message was: “OK, the citizens want to gamble? No problem. But it needs to be under strict government supervision or not at all.”

In this way, the government and its various commissions that were set up to monitor the developments of this new policy, have a say in the goings-on regarding all forms of gambling in the United Kingdom. This is a scenario where both the people and the governments win and that are just how it should be. It shouldn’t be that one person wins and the other gets nothing at all. The government is responsible for issuing licenses, ensuring that gambling establishments follow certain criteria and most importantly keep an eye on problems that are associated with gambling such as underage wagering and addiction.

As can be seen, the steps taken by the UK government seem to make more sense than totally banning online gambling and opening up the market to shady and unsavory sites that might fill the vacuum left by reputable online sites. Time will tell whether the lofty plans for a regulated gambling industry made by the UK government will be able to work in practice.

Casino News: The Pros and Cons

The Pros and Cons