Apr 13, 1:29 AM EDT
DC to offer Internet gambling, becomes first in US
WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia is becoming the first U.S. jurisdiction to allow Internet gambling, trying to raise millions of dollars from the habits of online poker buffs and acting ahead of traditional gambling meccas like New Jersey and Nevada.
Permitting the online games was part of the 2011 budget and a 30-day period for Congress to object expired last week, said D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown, who authored the provision. The gaming would be operated by Intralot, a Greece-based company, and would be available only to gamblers within the borders of the district.
Officials were not sure when the gaming would be up and running, though DC lottery officials said they were in talks with their vendor and expect to know more within weeks. Though other states have contemplated legalizing online poker, experts said the district would be the first jurisdiction in the country to do it.
The move to legalize the games comes despite a 2006 federal law that effectively banned Internet gambling. The law basically prohibited banks and credit card companies from processing payments from gambling companies to individuals. But the law is murky, and gambling experts say it created enough grey areas to open the door for a deeper expansion into the multibillion dollar industry.
.............................................................
Here we go boys
DC to offer Internet gambling, becomes first in US
WASHINGTON -- The District of Columbia is becoming the first U.S. jurisdiction to allow Internet gambling, trying to raise millions of dollars from the habits of online poker buffs and acting ahead of traditional gambling meccas like New Jersey and Nevada.
Permitting the online games was part of the 2011 budget and a 30-day period for Congress to object expired last week, said D.C. Council member Michael A. Brown, who authored the provision. The gaming would be operated by Intralot, a Greece-based company, and would be available only to gamblers within the borders of the district.
Officials were not sure when the gaming would be up and running, though DC lottery officials said they were in talks with their vendor and expect to know more within weeks. Though other states have contemplated legalizing online poker, experts said the district would be the first jurisdiction in the country to do it.
The move to legalize the games comes despite a 2006 federal law that effectively banned Internet gambling. The law basically prohibited banks and credit card companies from processing payments from gambling companies to individuals. But the law is murky, and gambling experts say it created enough grey areas to open the door for a deeper expansion into the multibillion dollar industry.
.............................................................
Here we go boys
