Will US iGaming continue to grow or quickly fade?
One of the most important things talked about during these last couple of weeks in worldwide casino news is the Nevada-based online poker room. Called Ultimate Poker, the site and the tables went live on March 30th and while there are still some problems with the actual software, it is very hard to ignore the meaning behind this achievement.
Online Gambling in the US
Ever since 2006, when UIEGA passed, online gambling operators have been having a very hard time accessing the US market and offering players the option to enjoy their freedom over the internet. Of course, some sites managed to fight the odds, such as the popular Superbet Palace, but the big battle looked lost until not too long ago.
The fact that Ultimate Poker is now live (and it only took it 3 days to deal 100,000 hands) means that the iGaming sector in the US still has a chance at becoming what it is in most European countries. The interesting thing is that despite the great response in Nevada and a high demand across the country, it still takes a very long time to get regulated gaming; we can also add the need to raise money that all state governments share as an extra incentive on the list.
However, it is important not to get ahead of ourselves since there are still many bumps along the way. Given Nevada’s gambling regulations, most people would say that it was only normal for it to be the first state to have regulated online poker. Things aren’t really that simple since it took a lot of effort to get to this point and the opposition continues to increase.
[geocode id=1]Decrease in online gambling lobbying
Having the first online poker room based in the US is certainly nice and it gives hope to other operators but the decrease in lobbying will most likely stop the growth right in its track. Comparing the numbers from 2012 with the ones from the first quarter of 2013, we can see a decrease in the amount spent on internet gambling lobbying. This means that bills will be far less likely to pass and that the opposition will be heard much clearer this year, which puts online gaming at risk.
While Nevada has managed to be the first to put one on the board, New Jersey is also not far away and the bigger population of the state combined with the better gambling regulations will attract a lot of attention. It is hard to ignore the potential that online gambling has and other states are also looking to get on board.
The Pennsylvania Gambling Bill was recently presented and many think that it has a very good chance at making it through the hoops and be turned into law. In fact, there are 19 online gaming bills across the United States right now and while not all of them will make it through, it does show that there is a very good chance of widespread online gambling regulation.
The real problem is that the general population is quite indifferent to online poker and other casino games despite the financial benefits it can bring to the state and the enthusiastic arguments offered by those that want internet freedom.
Players that want to enjoy casino games right now and not have to wait for their state to pass the law can just opt for an online casino based in another location, but one that caters to the US market. The Jackpot Grand FREE casino games are a great place to turn since the list includes some of the best looking titles on the internet. There are also some great promotions to be had with every deposit.