Arrested For Online Gambling
Thousands of Americans gamble online. But is online gambling legal? We break it down to show you what you can do, what you can't do, and what's still up in the air.
Individuals who gamble online or via the phone face a fine of up to S$5,000 and six months’ jail, similar to current penalties for illegal gamblers under the Betting Act and the Common Gaming. Police have raided a commercial building in Bangkok and arrested the net idol Sia Po along with 25 Burmese workers. Sia Po, once called the “Gambler King”, had millions of online followers and rose to fame by having inside knowledge of cases like the 2017 karaoke girl murder in Khon Kaen. If you've been charged with gambling online, or want to confirm if a gambling website is legit, you should contact an experienced criminal defense attorney for the best answers. Related Resources: Find Criminal Defense Lawyers Near You (FindLaw's Lawyer Directory) Is Online. . Briton arrested over illegal U.S gambling. With the arrival of new online gaming and gambling companies in recent years the betting industry thought it had found away around the Wire Act. Legal Gambling The Fear Of Being Arrested For Online Gambling. Some people have refrained from gambling online due to the fear of arrest related to online gambling. Some people are afraid that online gambling would turn them into a criminal just for participating in a little bit of online gaming.
by Katherine Butler
updated September 03, 2020 · 2min read
The legality of online gambling is ever-changing. But one thing is constant: it makes a lot of money. Online gambling industry makes an estimated $1 billion dollars annually. This is a huge business, and a lot of people have cashed in on it. But it has led to some ambiguous legal issues, as the legality of online gambling is constantly being challenged.
There are differences in the legality of making bets, taking bets, facilitating payments to casinos, and advertising on websites. And there are constantly new legal challenges. So here is a breakdown of the law on online gambling.
Legal Forms of Gambling
There is no federal law against placing a wager online. So, you can legally place a bet online. However, a wager must not be placed on a site located in the United States. There is a small chance players might run afoul of state law, but there is little chance of prosecution. The only case cited where a person got into trouble with a state was in 2003. Jeffrey Trauman of North Dakota paid a $500 fine on over $100,000 of online sports bet winnings.
Sites that are set up outside of the United States are legal. Therefore, gambling on websites located in areas like Australia, the Caribbean, and Latin America is legal. Just be very clear that the site you are playing on is not based on U.S. soil.
Definitely Not Legal Forms of Gambling
It is never legal to gamble on a website based in the United States. Also, if you are planning to operate an online gambling site, stay outside of the United States. You must also deal only with casino and poker wagers (not sports bets) from people in the US. And you cannot take bets over the phone from people in the United States.
Accepting online gambling advertising is also illegal. If you are a small publisher, you are less likely to be prosecuted, but why risk it? As of early 2009, only large and mid-size publishers had faced prosecution. In 2007, the three big search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft) each paid a fine for accepting online gambling ads, but did not face criminal charges. Other publishers, such as Esquire Magazine, have been warned by the government not to take online gambling advertising.
Facilitating the transfer of funds to online casinos is also a bad idea. As of 2006, it became illegal for American banks to process transactions originating from or directed toward any online gambling operator. Because of this, several sites then refused to take bets from American players. But as the law seems difficult to enforce, it has not turned the tide completely for American players.
Still up in the Air
Advertisers who promote sports books in magazines and on billboards may or may not face prosecution. So far, sports books have never been scrutinized for advertising online. And online casinos, poker rooms, and sports books have never been prosecuted for buying ads.
Online casinos and operators still accept American players. And international financial parties have continued to process their transactions. The legality is always changing and there have been attempts to declare online wagering against the law, but for now, U.S. citizens who simply place bets online are in the clear.
Legal Gambling > The Fear Of Being Arrested For Online Gambling
Some people have refrained from gambling online due to the fear of arrest related to online gambling. Some people are afraid that online gambling would turn them into a criminal just for participating in a little bit of online gaming. The fear is almost entirely unnecessary due to the online gambling laws. The federal law, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or the UIGEA, has only made it criminal to process payments online - for payment processors and banks, not the actual player. Due to this, we can tell you that you should have no fear when it comes to gambling online.
Arrested For Online Gambling
To date, no player has been arrested for gambling online in the United States. This is also unlikely to change due to the nature of the industry. The federal government is not concerned with finding players. They are only attempting to shut down the gambling sites that are operating and based within the United States. Provided you do not attempt to establish your own online gambling site, than you should have nothing to worry about. By simply playing the games, you are not liable for any crimes. We can tell you that the federal government has bigger fish to fry and they are not looking to prosecute any individual.
Online Gambling Casinos
While the federal government has not actually made it a crime to participate in online gambling, states have been empowered to make this decision on their own. The simple truth is that some states have made it a crime to play in online gambling sites, and they may attempt to pursue charges. To date, no one has been arrested, but one state in particular has set out to ban online gambling. Washington gambling laws have recently been changed to outlaw online casino gaming. This is only a problem for players who play in the state - you can leave the state to get into the games. In all reality, it is unlikely that an arrest will ever be made over this stupid law.
Online Gambling For Real Money
We are still hoping that online gambling becomes a regulated industry in the United States, though it is impossible to make sure that this will happen. Several attempts have been made, but nothing has culminated yet. The bill has been mired in bad luck, as the laws have been introduced at the wrong time. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that you will see this change over the next few months, perhaps even the next few years. We suggest you contact your local representatives in order to help the process along.