should gambling be legalized pros and cons

Californians, for example, can't gamble on Nevada casino's online sites. Or, a state could sign a reciprocal agreement with a casino - even if that casino is in another state. They could turn online poker over to the tribal casinos. Minnesota, for instance, has tribal casinos. It may make more sense for a state to allow casinos to open online poker rooms.

If states did it online, a state lottery corporation could run a poker room and take a portion of the pot. The percent varies from 2 to 5 percent of each pot. , the casino takes a rake, or small percentage of each pot. Since it's a game that people play against each other - as opposed to black jack or roulette, which they play against the house - how would states make money from it? If you could monetize that and move from social poker to playing for money online, that would be lucrative for states. It's not a huge moneymaker for casinos, but it's a very popular, social game. Poker is 1 percent of all gaming revenue in Nevada. What about online poker? Will it be the revenue boon some states think it will be? But Iowa released a study in December that found that its state intake would be far less than private companies had estimated, only $3 million to $13 million a year. Supporters of legalizing online poker in California came up with an estimate that would indeed be golden to the Golden State: It would net $100 million to $250 million a year from online poker. The American Gaming Association, in testimony before a congressional subcommittee, estimated that legalizing online poker would generate roughly $2 billion a year in new tax revenues. That gives state legislators permission to pass Internet gaming laws. More specifically, the opinion assured states that so long as the gambling operator and the customer are within the same state and the betting activity does not include sporting events, a state's own laws apply. The DOJ ruled that neither the 1961 Wire Act (a law that many believed precluded Internet gambling) nor the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (which makes it illegal for financial institutions to process payments for online wagers) applies to lottery sales over the Internet. Department of Justice (DOJ) to clarify whether they could sell lottery tickets over the Internet.

States got the official go-ahead to consider online gambling late last year - two days before Christmas. At least a dozen states are looking at Internet gambling as the latest means to replenish their coffers. Nevada is the first state to make it legal for state residents to play poker online.

Should gambling be legalized pros and cons