Blackjack, baccarat, craps and other casino games featured in Atlantic City could become available on the Internet.

The state Senate wagering and tourism committee released a bill today that would allow the city’s 11 casinos to create websites for New Jerseyans to bet online. The state would regulate the new gambling sites and reap 20 percent of the new revenue in taxes. (more…)

A hearing on the taxation of Internet gambling was held today. Regulations proposed by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash), some of which include possible deposit taxes, were considered. The proposal also outlines a .25 percent tax on each wager, along with a .2 percent tax on a deposit. Witnesses and members of the committee weigh the pros and cons of the proposal.

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WASHINGTON – Prohibition didn’t work with alcohol and it’s not working with Internet gambling now, say lawmakers pushing Congress to approve long-shot legislation that would legalize and tax online wagering.

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., told his colleagues during a congressional hearing Wednesday that millions of Americans gamble on the Internet each day, despite laws to prevent it. Citing industry analysts, McDermott said they wager nearly $100 billion annually, generating an estimated $5 billion for offshore operators.

He said the money would be put to better use in the U.S. and would create thousands of jobs for people who (more…)

The US House Committee on Ways and Means is reviewing revenue steams generated from Internet gambling and looking into taxing online gaming.

The USA is reviewing tax proposals related to online gambling.

It is currently illegal to knowingly accept payments in connection with internet gambling in the US under the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) and further legislation is being introduced on 1 June to ensure that all financial authorities comply. (more…)

Despite the proposed deadline having come and gone, the Kentucky Supreme Court has still not issued a firm decision on the Internet gambling domain name. The next available day to hand down decisions is in March, otherwise the decision may be delayed again until April or May.

While Kentucky lawmakers debate expanded gambling at state racetracks, there still is a case pending before the Kentucky Supreme Court. The ruling on the Internet gambling domain name case was expected this past Thursday.

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Experts in the fields of online security and consumer safety testified today before the House Committee on Financial Services to address legislation introduced by Chairman Barney Frank (D-MA) that would regulate Internet gambling in the United States. Witness testimonies provided further evidence to Committee members that a regulatory framework for Internet gambling would protect consumers and ensure the integrity of Internet gambling financial transactions. Chairman Frank has previously indicated interest in having the House Financial Services Committee vote on his legislation, the Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2009 (H.R. 2267) as the next step in getting the bill enacted into law during this Congress.

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(Press Release)– An increased focus on the benefits of Internet gambling regulation are expected as the Senate Finance Committee considers a proposal introduced on Saturday to use Internet gambling revenue to offset the costs of health care reform. The amendment offered by Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) would dedicate Internet gambling tax revenue generated through implementation of the currently pending Internet Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act (H.R. 2267) to increase low-income subsidies provided through the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009. A PricewaterhouseCoopers analysis shows that collecting taxes on regulated Internet gambling would allow the U.S. to capture up to $62.7 billion over the next decade. (more…)

(As reported by NBCSports.com) An advocacy group for online poker said Tuesday that the federal government has frozen more than $30 million in the accounts of payment processors that handle the winnings of thousands of online poker players.

The Justice Department long has maintained that Internet gambling is illegal, a view that the poker group challenges.

The Poker Players Alliance told The Associated Press that the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York instructed three banks — Citibank, Goldwater Bank and Alliance Bank of Arizona — to freeze the accounts.

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(As reported on Casinocity.com) –Franklin County Circuit Judge Thomas Wingate will be holding a forfeiture hearing regarding domain names to 141 online gambling sites Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Frankfort, Kentucky. Last week, the Commonwealth of Kentucky was granted an order to seize these domains as part of lawsuit trying force online gambling operators to stop offering services to Kentucky residents. (View the complaint)

“Unlicensed, unregulated, illegal Internet gambling poses a tremendous threat to the citizens of the Commonwealth because of its ease, availability and anonymity,” said Governor Steve Beshear in a statement. “The owners and operators of these illegal sites prey on Kentucky citizens, including our youth, and deprive the Commonwealth of millions of dollars in revenue. It’s an underworld wrought with scams and schemes.”

“By seizing the domain names, Kentucky can require that the illegal casino operators use readily available technology to block their domains from being accessed in the Commonwealth,” the statement said.

Among the sites targeted by Kentucky are PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, Absolute Poker, Bodog and Slotocash.

The list of sites targeted was “developed by attorneys (conducting the investigation) and are sites where people from Kentucky, using Kentucky addresses, were able to place bets,” said Jennifer Brislin, communications director for the Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the government.

The targeted domains are held by a mix of domestic and international registrars, Brislin added.

Kentucky doesn’t have a law that specifically targets Internet gambling. But it does have laws that prohibit possession and use of gambling devices. In the case of this lawsuit, Brislin says domain names are considered gambling devices.

“Our end game is to stop that activity (gambling) within Kentucky,” Brislin said. “We have no interest to shut it down elsewhere in the country or worldwide.”

The lawsuit asks for these sites to use “readily available technology” to deny access to Kentucky residents and to pay for prior damages, Brislin said.

Brislin also said that because they don’t know who the owns these sites, the lawsuit was the only tool they had available to force action.

While the lawsuit has generated plenty of buzz, it’s unlikely that the order will hold up to federal scrutiny, says Buffalo State business law professor Joe Kelly.

“If a state can do this, it would create chaos,” Kelly said. “Can you imagine if some province in South Africa asked for seizure if they didn’t like violence? Here’s an American company putting on a show and allowing South Africans access to it, but because it’s against the province’s law, they’d ask for the same remedy as Kentucky.”

“If the federal government did this, at least it’s the country requesting the action — not a state within a state,” Kelly added. “This is sort of thing that should regulated at the national or international level.”

Kelly also said that the case would not likely hold up under federal scrutiny.

“This could very well violate the Commerce Clause (in the Constitution). If 50 states could do this sort of thing, there would be a negative impact.”

“I can’t predict what Kentucky judge would do,” Kelly added. “But if someone appeals it to a federal judge, the order won’t hold up.”

(Frankfort, KY) - As reported on Courier-Journal.com, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear announced yesterday that he is trying to shut down illegal Internet gambling in Kentucky, though some industry experts say his chances of success aren’t good. This is from a Governor who based his gubernatorial campaign on expanded gambling in Kentucky and failed miserably.

While the ultimate decision lies with the voters of Kentucky, Beshear could not even get the vote for casinos in Kentucky to the House or Senate, much less on the ballot for the voters to decide. In a press conference, Beshear mentioned that online gambling sites “are leeches on our communities” and undermine Kentucky’s horse racing industry.” Really? And what does he think the casinos in Indiana do to the communities of Kentucky and to the race tracks who compete for the entertainment dollars of gamers?

He also stated that “Kentuckians spend “tens of millions of dollars” on illegal Internet gambling sites each year — money that might otherwise go to Kentucky’s horse tracks, charitable events and the state lottery.” Really? Why didn’t he throw in the amount that is sent to the casinos in states that surround Kentucky?

While the measures to ban Internet Gambling in Kentucky might be important, the fact of the matter is that our political leaders need to figure out how to embrace Internet Gambling nationwide rather than ban it in individual states. The casinos in Indiana and surrounding states are to Kentucky what Internet Gambling is to the United States…billions of dollars leaving the economic system. Once gaming is expanded in Kentucky, the state will receive a windfall of gaming tax dollars from those who currently spend their gambling entertainment dollars beyond state borders. On a much larger scale, once the United States figures out how to embrace this thing called the Internet and finds a system to legalize, regulate and tax gambling, an immediate windfall of tax dollars from the sites will be seen.

The silver lining in all of this is that it keeps expanded gambling in the forefront of Americans, Kentuckians and all of those who are interested in legally playing cards on the Internet or gambling within their own state.

So what can you do? For starters, join the Poker Players Alliance.

Click here to send Gov. Beshear a letter voicing your concern on his efforts.

Click here to send Kentucky State Representatives a letter voicing your concern on their efforts.

Also, comment below on your stance on expanded gambling in states that currently do not allow is and embracing Internet Gambling in the United States.

To read the full article on Courier-Journal, Click Here!