To: Jeffery E. Forrest who wrote (8958 ) 11/11/1997 11:08:00 AM From: Glenn D. Rudolph Respond to
Gamblers stack up chips on Internet
United Press International - November 11, 1997 03:16
%DOMESTIC %US %GAMBLING V%UPI P%UPI
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) - The Internet is growing at an explosive
rate and gamblers are jumping into cyberspace in droves.
They don't have to book a flight to Las Vegas or hop a bus for
Atlantic City. People fond of games of chance are flipping on their
personal computers and logging onto the World Wide Web.
Using a mouse and a credit-card number, gamblers can play poker,
blackjack, keno or the slots.
Industry analysts predict revenues from Internet gambling will climb
to $10 billion by the year 2000.
As the industry grows, so, inevitably, will regulation. Starting
today in Washington, gaming lawyers and Internet gambling industry
executives will gather for the first International Symposium on Gambling
Law & Management.
Helping coordinate the conference is Michael Hurley, who is with
BioConferences. He says regulation will help provide credibility for the
growing Internet gambling industry.
Hurley says, ''I'm sure there will be some regulation. And there
should be. People want to know when they put down a credit card they're
not playing against a stacked house.''
Questions that will emerge as Internet gambling becomes more popular
include whether offshore companies that provide gaming Web sites will be
immune from prosecution and who will be the target of prosecution: the
player or the casino? The answers aren't clear.
In Minnesota, where gambling is illegal, a state court has ruled this
year that the host of a gaming Web site may be tried for violating state
law if someone within the state accesses the site.
--
Copyright 1997 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
--
