JM - is this a gamble or what? ;-)
If you can't beat 'em - join 'em!!
If memory serves - I think I saw recently where internet gaming was going to be allowed somewhere - Canada, US, not sure where but I remember saying "WOW" when I heard it a month or two back. Let me do a Google:
Ontario going into Internet gambling business
saultstar.com
First Ontario (=CANADA) then California(=USA)??!!
Ref:
The Ontario government is going into the Internet gambling business.
Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan is announcing Tuesday that the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation will launch the program in 2012 following 18 months of consultation and study.
"OLG will choose from a full range of offerings to be delivered on the Internet, through an online site accessible via personal computers, laptops and other Internet-connected devices," an OLG release says. "The offerings could include lottery ticket sales, e-instant tickets, interactive casino-style games (against the house) and peer-to-peer games like poker."
The OLG says it will "likely" include a full range of casino-style games and online lottery ticket sales at the start.
Ontarians currently spend nearly $400 million a year on unregulated Internet gambling.
An Ontario online site would bring in an estimated $100 million a year or more after the first five years, the OLG estimates.
"Across Canada and around the world, online commerce is part of our everyday lives and OLG is excited to start the consultation process for online gaming and growing its marketplace in the future," OLG Chair Paul Godfrey says in a release. "OLG's Internet gaming program will stress responsible gaming while providing an enjoyable experience for Ontario players."
Gamers may need to register for Internet play, and support tools allow for player self-control, the OLG says.
Players will be asked to set maximum money and time-per-session limits at the start of their online session.
The OLG says it will offer age and identity verification software, as well as security software, to ensure responsible gaming policies are enforced.
Under federal law, only a province or provincial agency can manage a gaming operation but the OLG estimates that Ontarians have 400,000-500,000 accounts with "unregulated grey-market Internet gaming providers."
Opponents of Internet gambling have warned that it is a highly addictive form, but many jurisdictions around the world, including several Canadian provinces, allow it.
Article ID# 2706454 |
