tailieunhanh - INTERNET GAMBLING: An Overview of the Issues

The global legal framework for Internet gambling is a complicated mix of laws and regulations. In the United States, both federal and state statutes apply. Gambling is generally regulated at the state level, with federal law supporting state laws and regulations to ensure that interstate and foreign commerce do not circumvent them. The Wire Act, which prohibits gambling businesses from using interstate or international telecommunications wires to knowingly transmit or receive bets, is the main federal statute used to prosecute such activity. Foreign countries and jurisdictions have taken a variety of approaches to regulating on-line gaming, including legalizing some forms, seeking effective regulatory approaches, and prohibiting it entirely. The major. | United States General Accounting Office GAO Report to Congressional Requesters December 2002 INTERNET GAMBLING An Overview of the Issues GAO-03-89 December 2002 Accountability-Integrity Reliability Highlights INTERNET GAMBLING Highlights of GAO-03-89 a report to the House Committee on Financial Services and Subcommittees on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit and Oversight and Investigations AN OVERVIEW OF THE ISSUES Why GAO Did This Study Internet gambling is a fast-growing industry with estimated 2003 revenues of more than 4 billion. However concerns have been raised about its social and economic impacts. In light of recent recommendations by a Congressionally appointed commission which advocated restricting Internet gambling within the United States GAO was asked to examine the . payments system particularly credit cards as it relates to interactive on-line gaming. We examined 1 the legal framework for Internet gambling domestically and abroad 2 the credit card industry s policies regarding the use of credit cards to pay for Internet gambling and actions taken to restrict such usage and 3 the views of law enforcement banking regulators and the credit card and gaming industries on the vulnerability of Internet gambling to money laundering. We issued an interim report on these issues in September 2002. GAO makes no recommendations in this report. What GAO Found The global legal framework for Internet gambling is a complicated mix of laws and regulations. In the United States both federal and state statutes apply. Gambling is generally regulated at the state level with federal law supporting state laws and regulations to ensure that interstate and foreign commerce do not circumvent them. The Wire Act which prohibits gambling businesses from using interstate or international telecommunications wires to knowingly transmit or receive bets is the main federal statute used to prosecute such activity. Foreign countries and jurisdictions have taken a variety of