America loves sports, but a new debate has shown that people don’t just like watching football on their T.V.’s, a lot of people also like to bet on it. Whether it’s a hockey game, soccer match, or track race, people like to wager their money on a particular player or team and see whether or not they profit from the bet. Internet sport’s gambling is a new trend that has risen in the convenience of the online era. It’s now easy to visit a website and bet on a team for a particular sport, using your credit card for an electronic transaction. In these internet gambling ventures, the winners get money deposited into their account, while the losers often lose their payment. A new debate in Illinois has held this activity up to the lens of the Constitution, as the state government tries to determine whether or not they should legalize the practice.

Right now, the United States government likes to argue against internet sports gambling by citing the Interstate Wire Act. This act was passed to prohibit sports gambling between states using a telephone or any other wire-containing mechanism. The act was passed before the Internet was invented, so legal experts have constantly gone over the statute to see whether or not it should include this new mode of communication. In 2002 the 5^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals also sought to determine whether or not any betting of any kind could be done on the Internet. In Louisiana, the court dismissed a lawsuit that was brought by two Internet gamblers against their credit companies after they ran up debts playing casinos games and placing bets online.

Even though the case was dismissed, the United States Department of Justice determined otherwise. They said that all forms of Internet gambling are illegal on the federal level, and shut down some casino sites online. In 2006, Congress passed the SAFE Port Act, which essentially was written to increase the security of the Internet by outlawing gambling. The SAFE Port Act was in conjunction with the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which barred all internet transactions for gambling. In 2007, restrictions changed when the Internet Gambling Regulation and Enforcement Act sought to legalize online wagering.

Though the government often still regards internet sports gambling as illegal, the truth is that because of the controversies it is loosely regulated. To this day, no arrests have been made in the U.S. for sports gambling online. Right now, a sport gambling venture overseas is causing concerns among political activists. In New Jersey, 13 members and associates of the Genovese organized crime family were charged with using an overseas sports betting website to start the operation in the U.S. 46 states were participating in the betting. If the states start to legalize sports venturing, some think that it may help America more than it would hurt it.

Currently, thousands of Americans already participate in this practice. If states legalized the practice, then it would move from offshore and overseas companies to a mainstream American method. The legalization would open up jobs and create new economic opportunities for Americans and failing sports companies. One analyst says that legalizing sports betting in the U.S. could generate as much as $1.3 billion in gross revenues and about $120 million for the state of New Jersey alone. However, professional sports teams seem to think that sports betting would jeopardize the integrity of the games that these athletes are playing. If you have more questions about sports betting or have been charged with this crime, then contact a criminal defense attorney. You will want professional help to combat your controversial charges.