North America Finally Has Regulated Online Gambling Website

North American lawmakers have been discussing the idea of a regulated online gambling industry for several years, and finally on Thursday, the first North American Internet gambling website has been launched. The site comes courtesy of the B.C. Lottery Corp.

The website, PlayNow.com, has been reconstructed with the help of British gaming giant OpenBet. The site has been designed to combat the hundreds of gambling websites that are syphoning millions of dollars out of British Columbia on an annual basis.

The government decided that instead of allowing these sites to run illegally, it was time to offer a site to the public that protects gamblers against the corruptions that exist within the unregulated industry. PlayNow.com has launched seventy-five casino games for customers to play.

One of the main concerns that lawmakers frequently express is how to stop minors from gambling on these sites. A third party verification process is being used, and it all but guarantees that minors and self-excluded gamblers cannot infiltrate the website.

"British Columbia may be the first jurisdiction in North America to offer games," said Housing and Social Development Minister Rich Coleman. Revenue from the online casino will go directly to the province's general fund.

Coleman understands that online gambling regulations may soon become commonplace in North America. In the US, several states have explored the option of regulating online poker. Representative Barney Frank is leading a charge to regulate Internet gambling on a federal level.

In Canada, B.C. may just be the first in a long line of provinces that add online casinos. Quebec has shown interest in an online casino, as has several Atlantic provinces.

July 15, 2010
Posted By April Gardner
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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