Canadian Provinces Beating US States To Online Gambling Market
The US government could be the beneficiary of tax revenue from the biggest online gambling market in the world, but leaders in Congress have moved slowly in their attempt to regulate Internet gambling in the country. Canada, on the other hand, has provinces working overtime to speed up the process.
Already, Quebec and British Columbia have called for the expansion of their lotteries to include remote gambling options. Ontario and several other provinces are considering doing the same, adjusting to the growing number of residents who enjoy online gambling.
In the US states such as New jersey and California have lawmakers that have discussed regulating online poker. There have even been a couple of proposals offered, but as of yet, no state has taken the plunge to become the trendsetter in the nation.
"The rest of the world seems to be a couple of steps ahead of the US when it comes to online gambling," said Gaming Analyst Steve Schwartz. "If the US waits too long, their customer base may have already found online sites in other countries to do business with."
A prime example of what Schwartz is suggesting takes place currently across the US. Online poker sites such as Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars are enjoying the benefits of current US laws. Millions of poker players are on these sites, and the US is receiving none of the revenue generated.
Industry experts have been hired in Canada to help the lotteries identify and keep players that have been a part of other online poker sites in the past. The provinces want to ensure that they offer their residents a safe place to play, where the platform is also big enough to satisfy the poker players.
May 16, 2010
Posted By Terry Goodwin
Staff Editor, CasinoGamblingWeb.com
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