Are Online Casinos Legal?

The legality of online casinos and online gambling in general depends upon your location.

In the United States playing games of chance or skill online isn’t necessarily illegal but using the internet to pay a gambling debt is specifically banned by Federal law. This means that it is illegal for online casinos to serve people in the US even if they live in states or areas where casinos are legal.

Online gambling is illegal in a number of other countries including India and Russia but allowed in the United Kingdom and Australia. Before they go online gamblers should check with their government to see if online gambling is legal in their location.

People who live in areas where online gambling is illegal should not pay money to play at online casinos. Legitimate online casino don’t accept bets from players who live where online gambling is illegal. If you live in an area where online gambling is illegal and an internet casino accepts your bet it is breaking the law.

Never send money to an online casino if internet gambling is illegal in your area. There is no way to get your money back, and the online casino has no obligation to pay on a bet. Since the casino is breaking the law there is a good possibility it is a fraud.

Gamblers should also avoid schemes where online casinos ask them to send money by mail or wire. You have no way of knowing whether you are sending money to a casino or a scam artist who is pocketing your cash.

You should also remember that if online gambling is illegal in your area you have no legal protection if you gamble online. If a game is fixed, you get cheated or the casino doesn’t pay you have no legal recourse. Remember, legitimate online casinos don’t do business in areas where online gambling is banned. Any casino willing to take bets from areas where online gambling is illegal is willing to break the law and likely to cheat you.

Americans have another reason not to send money to online casino. The federal government has seized funds being electronically sent to online gamblers. In June, 2009, the US Department of Justice seized $34 million from 27,000 online poker players. This means that even if the casino is honest the government can seize money you send to the casino or your gambling winnings.

Are Online Casinos Legal?

The legality of online casinos and online gambling in general depends upon your location.

In the United States playing games of chance or skill online isn’t necessarily illegal but using the internet to pay a gambling debt is specifically banned by Federal law. This means that it is illegal for online casinos to serve people in the US even if they live in states or areas where casinos are legal.

Online gambling is illegal in a number of other countries including India and Russia but allowed in the United Kingdom and Australia. Before they go online gamblers should check with their government to see if online gambling is legal in their location.

People who live in areas where online gambling is illegal should not pay money to play at online casinos. Legitimate online casino don’t accept bets from players who live where online gambling is illegal. If you live in an area where online gambling is illegal and an internet casino accepts your bet it is breaking the law.

Never send money to an online casino if internet gambling is illegal in your area. There is no way to get your money back, and the online casino has no obligation to pay on a bet. Since the casino is breaking the law there is a good possibility it is a fraud.

Gamblers should also avoid schemes where online casinos ask them to send money by mail or wire. You have no way of knowing whether you are sending money to a casino or a scam artist who is pocketing your cash.

You should also remember that if online gambling is illegal in your area you have no legal protection if you gamble online. If a game is fixed, you get cheated or the casino doesn’t pay you have no legal recourse. Remember, legitimate online casinos don’t do business in areas where online gambling is banned. Any casino willing to take bets from areas where online gambling is illegal is willing to break the law and likely to cheat you.

Americans have another reason not to send money to online casino. The federal government has seized funds being electronically sent to online gamblers. In June, 2009, the US Department of Justice seized $34 million from 27,000 online poker players. This means that even if the casino is honest the government can seize money you send to the casino or your gambling winnings.

Here the author Jeremy Peters writes about Are Online Casinos Legal?. For More information on Casino Spielen, visit http://www.onlinecasinoinfos.com

Americans Can Still Play at Online Casinos

It is still perfectly legal for Americans to play online casino games despite laws against internet gambling.
A federal law called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act bans electronic payments involving gambling it don’t ban gambling itself. Americans can still play casino games online as long as they don’t send the casino any money. Under the UIGEA the federal government will be able to seize gamblers’ winnings and payments to casinos.

Americans will still be able to play all of their favorite casino games online as long as they use the free play sections of online casinos. They just won’t be able to send the online casinos money until the UIGEA is changed or repelled.

Currently a powerful Congressman, Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) is trying to amend the UIGEA to allow games of skill like poker. This means that online poker would be legal but casino games like roulette would still be banned under Frank’s proposal. Casino games would be banned because they are considered games of chance rather than skill.

It’s not clear how much support Frank has but Frank is one of the most powerful members of Congress. He is the chairman of the House’s Financial Service committee which means he has a great deal of influence. Frank’s efforts are being supported by the Poker Players Alliance a group of gamblers that claims to have three million members.

Until Frank’s efforts bear fruit American online gamblers will have to settle for mock casino action and place their real bets at real world casinos. Most of the online casino let visitors play all of their online games without betting. The online casinos are still able to operate because they are based in offshore locations like Antigua and Great Britain. Those nations have laws that allow online casinos.

One thing that American online gamblers should not do is send an online casino a deposit. Since the casinos are outside the country and not supposed to be accepting those deposits there is no guarantee that online players will get their money back.

Playing the free games will give American gamblers plenty of practice for the day that they will be able to play online for real. American players will be able to greatly improve their skill at online games without spending a lot of money. This should make them better players when they are legally able to play their favorite online casino games.