Online betting is any type of betting conducted via the internet. This includes online casinos, virtual poker and even sports betting. The first online betting venue opened to the public, was electronic lottery ticketing for the famous Liechtenstein International Poker Tournament in 1994. Today there are hundreds if not thousands of online betting sites. These betting sites are usually operated by a network of individuals or companies that make it easy for people to log on at any time and place to place their bets.
The proliferation of online gambling venues has resulted in an increased interest in online research and background checking. For instance, in April, a number of New Jersey residents were shocked when they discovered that a number of New Jersey casino employees were fired for participating in a sports betting conference that was organized by a local online gambling company. According to the Journal News, “The employees’ union leader said the group was formed to increase access to gambling for non-regular customers.” The association also called for an investigation of the decision to fire the employees.
In another case in April, online gambling was again in the news when it was learned that the wife of professional NBA basketball player Damon Stoudamier had been arrested on suspicion of grand theft auto. The arrest came one day after the arrest of Stoudamier’s teammate, Rashard Lewis. The two players were arrested after a grand theft auto attempt. On a day when the New Jersey Nets were playing against the Dallas Mavericks in New Jersey, the entire team was asked to leave the game due to security reasons.
Also in April, a controversy was sparked when a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association was accused of participating in an online sports betting ring that included several members of the NCAAA. Several members of the NCAAA have now been taken into custody. Earlier this month, the NCAA’s Board of Directors received a report from the law firm of Perkins Coie to investigate whether the sports betting ring was illegal gambling. The supreme court is reviewing the case.
Gambling has been illegal in the UK since May 2005, but it is still possible to legally gamble online. One of the issues with the UK gambling industry is that there are a lot of grey areas. Online gambling is not controlled by the UK gambling commission and there are a lot of people out there that are willing to take advantage of this lack of regulation. This is why the UK gaming laws are so weak. If the online betting industry wants to survive, it needs to be regulated by the UK gambling commission.
There are currently three main article sites that have online gambling in the UK. These are Ladbrokes, William Hill and punters casino. I would encourage all UK residents to read these main articles and learn about the different online gambling options available to you. There is no doubt that online gambling has been a great success and is a place where gamblers from all walks of life can come together. There is plenty of controversy surrounding the online gambling industry, but in the end we need to remember that it is only one small part of the whole UK gambling scene.