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(U-WIRE) CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- They've tried again and again, but members of Congress just can't tame the wild, wild Web.
For the fourth time, lawmakers are trying to ban Internet gambling and block the use of credit cards for online wagering.
The $1.6 billion industry has gotten to the point where something needs to be done before it gets out of hand, but a ban is the wrong way to go about it.
Currently, online gambling is illegal in the United States, unregulated and untaxed. One representative said legislation was necessary because the industry was sucking billions of dollars out of the country. That's exactly why we should regulate and tax online gambling -- not ban it outright.
If online casinos based in the United States are banned, Americans will still be gambling away billions of dollars -- they'll just be sending it to other countries. If the United States legalizes it, the money can be taxed and end up back in our pockets.
It is nearly impossible to silence the Internet, but it is possible to regulate it. The profits that come out of Nevada casinos are taxed; online profits can be, too. In fact, Nevada voted last month to prepare to be the first state to approve online gambling.
When you think about it, online gambling might be an appealing, and safe, alternative to on-land and riverboat casinos. When casinos move in, towns usually fight it because they fear crime will follow. But all the excess crime that might be associated with casinos is eliminated when it's based on the Internet. Online gambling won't create a "bad side of town."
Gambling isn't always the reckless, addictive activity that most people seem to think it is. It can just be fun for some people. And their fun shouldn't be ruined because some people misuse it, just like alcohol isn't illegal for those older than 21, even though some people abuse it.
Legal online casinos could potentially mean safer gambling and a hefty profit for the United States. Congress should forget about banning Internet gambling and start thinking about how to harness it.
For the fourth time, lawmakers are trying to ban Internet gambling and block the use of credit cards for online wagering.
The $1.6 billion industry has gotten to the point where something needs to be done before it gets out of hand, but a ban is the wrong way to go about it.
Currently, online gambling is illegal in the United States, unregulated and untaxed. One representative said legislation was necessary because the industry was sucking billions of dollars out of the country. That's exactly why we should regulate and tax online gambling -- not ban it outright.
If online casinos based in the United States are banned, Americans will still be gambling away billions of dollars -- they'll just be sending it to other countries. If the United States legalizes it, the money can be taxed and end up back in our pockets.
It is nearly impossible to silence the Internet, but it is possible to regulate it. The profits that come out of Nevada casinos are taxed; online profits can be, too. In fact, Nevada voted last month to prepare to be the first state to approve online gambling.
When you think about it, online gambling might be an appealing, and safe, alternative to on-land and riverboat casinos. When casinos move in, towns usually fight it because they fear crime will follow. But all the excess crime that might be associated with casinos is eliminated when it's based on the Internet. Online gambling won't create a "bad side of town."
Gambling isn't always the reckless, addictive activity that most people seem to think it is. It can just be fun for some people. And their fun shouldn't be ruined because some people misuse it, just like alcohol isn't illegal for those older than 21, even though some people abuse it.
Legal online casinos could potentially mean safer gambling and a hefty profit for the United States. Congress should forget about banning Internet gambling and start thinking about how to harness it.