The U.S. government’s attempt to crack down on Internet gambling is widely seen as a convoluted mess. Yet, more controlled and defined regulation would likely benefit the $41 billion industry and protect consumers alike, finds a new study by Michigan State University business scholars. The study is the first to estimate the costs and benefits of the Unfair Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush in 2006. Despite ongoing uncertainty and confusion stemming from the law, the industry has reacted positively, with the value of publicly traded online gambling firms increasing nearly 3…

A new research review from Southern Cross University indicates there is little evidence to support the fear that online betting may increase the likelihood of gambling problems, although vulnerable gamblers remain most at risk. The review of existing literature was conducted by Dr Sally Gainsbury from the University’s Centre for Gambling Education and Research to provide an overview of significant trends and developments in research relating to problematic online betting. The results were published recently in the paper, Online Gambling Addiction: the Relationship Between Internet Gambling and Disordered Gambling. “Although studies have found higher rates of gambling problems among internet…

If there’s one thing that is hard to ignore in this world, it is sports. Over the past several years especially, sports, and subsequently sports gambling, have become even more popular. It is hard to go anywhere without hearing someone talking about it, or seeing it on the TV. It seems that sports are really starting to hit their peak, with more people interested in it than ever before. But just how popular are sporting events, and what impact are they having on other related industries? The fact that sports are getting more popular each year is hard to argue….

Those of you rooting for the demise of Las Vegas Sands CEO Sheldon Adelson might have finally gotten your wish. On Friday, the Guardian published an article saying that Adelson will soon face graft accusations in a US court of law. If you have no idea what graft is, we’ll let a dictionary fill you in: “practices, especially bribery, used to secure illicit gains in politics or business; corruption.” According to the Guardian, the charges stem from allegedly nefarious actions at Adelson’s all-important casinos in Macau and, if prosecutors are successful, could spell the end of his gaming licenses in…

The regulated online poker industry in the United States has found itself in the unenviable role of being a piñata for Sheldon Adelson, his Coalition to Stop Internet Gaming, and anyone else with a fiscal or moral ax to grind against regulated online gaming. These naysayers usually take their potshots, and aside from columnists and iGaming advocates, the regulated online gaming industry never hits back. One person who threw a few blows recently was Lyle Beckwith, the vice president of government relations for the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS). Beckwith penned an op-ed that graced the cyber pages of…

A judge in Las Vegas has ruled that a lawsuit involving accusations of graft and organised crime ties to casinos owned by the multibillionaire and Republican party funder, Sheldon Adelson, will be heard in the US. The decision raises the prospect of Adelson facing difficult questions about his business practices following allegations by a former chief executive of his highly profitable casinos in the Chinese enclave of Macau that a well-known triad crime figure was used to bring in high-rolling gamblers and of influence peddling with Chinese officials. The case potentially has implications for Adelson’s Las Vegas Sands casinos because…

The European Union will not pursue a common gambling framework for the EU, according to European Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska. The Commissioner for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs reiterated the organizations opposition to a single regulatory approach, despite a seemingly continuous number of disputes between individual nations and the EU over policy. Bieńkowska’s statement came in a letter to Italian Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Mara Bizzotto, who had questioned whether a uniform gambling framework for the EU was preferable following the ban on slot machines voted by the government of the Province of Vienna. Bizzotto highlighted that Vienna…

At a gathering of the nation’s top law enforcement officers today, American Gaming Associations (AGA) President and CEO Geoff Freeman invited attorneys general, police chiefs and other top law enforcement officials to partner with the AGA in its “Stop Illegal Gambling – Play it Safe” initiative to crack down on illegal gambling operations across the country that harm consumers, steal jobs and deprive state and local governments of revenues that pay for vital public services. Freeman spoke at Beau Rivage in Biloxi during the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) Presidential Initiative Summit. “Legal and regulated casino gaming in America is…