Maryland Special Session May Begin And End With Online Casinos
Maryland lawmakers are looking for ways to help build up their young gambling industry, and this week the lawmakers are holding a special session to discuss the future of gambling expansion. One issue that will not be discussed, contrary to recent reports, is online casinos and Internet gambling.
The House will start their special session a couple of days late, and that will give the Senate the chance to consider gambling expansion first. The Senate, however, appears to have no interest in building a debate centered around an issue that has been polarizing in dozens of US states in recent months.
"It just seems to open up a can of worms," said Senator Roger Manno, when speaking about online gambling.
Others were showing their greenness in the Internet gambling debate.
"I don't know how you can control it for individuals under the age of 21," said Senator Verna Jones-Rodwell.
Online gambling is regulated in several foreign countries, and there has been no issue with underage gambling, according to gaming experts.
"Lawmakers in the US are for the most part uneducated when it comes to Internet gambling," said Gaming Analyst Brad Dawkins. "Foreign companies have safeguarded their technology to include protections against underage gambling, as well as protections for problem gamblers. Foreign governments have seen how these online casinos operate, and have licensed companies, so to say there are no safeguards for gamblers under 21 years old is wrong information."
Regardless of the merit surrounding online casino safeguards, the Senators appear to be united in their efforts to keep the discussion for a later date.
Representatives in the House had hoped to include Internet gambling as part of a bill that will add more casinos to Maryland. The legislation has been promoted by lawmakers who believe even with the recent casino expansion in Maryland, other Northeastern states are moving quicker in the race towards dominating one of the up-and-coming industries in the US.