Among the federal criminal statutes implicated by illegal internet gambling is the Wire Act. It prohibits unlawful gambling on sporting events. It also prohibits the use of wires, electronic communications devices, or similar devices to transmit any information between two or more persons over any telephone lines, or similar communications systems. In addition, it prohibits the conduct of gambling on interstate or foreign commerce.
There is also a lesser known statute, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA. The UIGEA prohibits Internet poker operators from allowing players to use financial instruments to place illegal bets on the Internet. Despite the name, the statute is not limited to Internet poker, but also prohibits any financial transaction provider from participating in an illegal Internet bet.
There are also state laws that address the legality of gambling. In California, for instance, the law prohibits all forms of gambling, including pool-selling, lotteries, and tarot card games. Other states are equally restrictive. Some states, such as New York, also have laws that prohibit certain forms of home gambling. Regardless, these are difficult laws to enforce.
Another federal statute, the Travel Act, prohibits unlawful gambling on interstate or foreign commerce. However, the statute doesn’t go very far in protecting the consumer. In the end, the law was repealed in 2010. The new statute, however, did not prohibit online gambling, only land-based casinos. Some state officials have complained that the Internet could be used to bring illegal gambling into their jurisdictions.
The first online gambling venue for the general public was the Liechtenstein International Lottery. The site had a modest number of games and a plethora of software to facilitate their operation. One example was the online poker variant, which worked much like the old fashioned game. The site’s software automatically processed the data from a player’s hand and declared the winner.
The same software could also be used to enter contests and place bets. There are several types of online gambling sites, including casinos, sports betting, virtual poker, and virtual bingo. Some of these sites are only compatible with Windows PCs, while others are compatible with smartphones and other mobile devices. To use one of these sites, users must download the software and create an account. The site may also require that a user’s computer and/or laptop be hooked up to the Internet.
The most important piece of software is probably the jackpot wheel, which allows a player to make a large jackpot bet. A number of online casinos also offer daily fantasy sports sites, which allow players to draft teams, enter contests, and place bets on upcoming sporting events. These sites often also feature a virtual casino where a player can play games in an online web browser.
In addition to the UIGEA, there are several other federal criminal statutes that are relevant to illegal online gambling. These include the Illegal Gambling Business Act, the Wire Act, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.