Online gambling is any type of betting conducted via the Internet. This includes casinos, live casinos and online sports betting. The very first online gambling site opened to the public, was electronic ticketing for the World Professional Billiards Championship in September 1994. Since that time there has been no looking back. Today online gambling is one of the most widely spread illegal activities on the planet.
There are many reasons as to why online gamblers prefer to play at casinos or sports betting sites rather than traditional gambling houses. One reason is that it is much easier to gain access to these gambling sites. Traditional gamblers often have to travel to different casinos and it can be a cumbersome task. Most traditional gamblers also have to deal with brokers and sales people as well as waiting their turn to play a particular slot machine. With online gambling sites the only thing that is required is a personal computer.
Before anyone can start making gambling transactions over the internet, it is necessary that they abide by the local, state laws. It is illegal to operate an online gambling site if the site is based in a state that does not permit gambling. Even in states where gambling is legalized online sites cannot be operated from computers that are located within the state lines. Therefore before any online gambling transactions take place the individual must seek the permission of the relevant state. It is also possible that state laws may prohibit online gaming as well.
In some cases the state government will crack down on a particular online gambling site due to complaints from citizens. These government departments have the ability to request the closure of the site and ban all transactions from taking place from within the state. However, if the owner of the casino has a bankruptcy lawyer on retainer they can often work out some kind of arrangement with the state government. In some instances the state government will allow the individual to keep his online gambling operation going while he works out an amicable settlement with them.
A person wishing to make online gambling transactions must use a credit card. Although this seems like an obvious requirement, it is important to be aware of the potential risks involved with credit cards when one makes online gambling transactions. Anyone who is a victim of identity theft can easily steal credit card numbers and use them for personal use. Once this happens, the victim could lose all of their funds and be unable to get them back. Similarly, if a person’s credit card information falls into the wrong hands they could end up having charges on their credit cards that they cannot afford.
Online casinos need to follow the same guidelines that apply to real-world online casinos. They must treat their credit cards the same way they would credit cards and they cannot transfer money from their accounts to theirs. The only exception to this policy is if a person pays with a debit/credit card or an electronic check. This is usually done in the case of online gambling where the funds required cannot be immediate deposited.