President Barack Obama won the United States Presidential election in November with a platform built on change. Many online gamblers believe now is the opportune time for the new President to back up his promises. As the economy continues to flounder, new funding sources must be established to ease the trillion dollar debt incurred due to the financial collapse of institutions and markets world wide.

In the fall of 2006, the United States Congress passed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to ostensibly protect U.S. players from the pitfalls of gambling addiction.  The legislation forbids American players from participating in online gambling on sites not controlled by U.S. authority.

Because there are no online casino sites operating under US authority, U.S. players have no online casino in which they can participate.   Actually, the law had less to do with “protection” of the American people than it did in its inability to collect its share of taxes on the winnings of its citizens. 

US Gambling Law Hurt but Did Not Cripple Online Casinos
Before the UIGEA took effect, almost half of the world’s online gambling involved Americans. While there was a perceptible drop-off in traffic subsequent to the US gambling legislation, the online casino websites abided by the ruling.  These casinos made management decisions that attracted new customers from other parts of the world, and their businesses recovered.

There were some online casinos that still accepted US players, without consequence.  So, for all intents and purposes, the U.S. has an online gambling law handcuffing U.S.online gamblers, but it has been unenforceable up to this point.  So why have it at all?

Time to Repeal the UIGEA?
The UIGEA has been a bone of contention since its inception.  American gambling fans have boycotted State Governments—Kentucky Governor, Steve Beshear, was the target of a recent phone campaign that pitted Kentucky residents and fair gaming proponents against his upholding of anti-online gambling law—and the pressure on elected officials to strike down the UIGEA is mounting.  Many gamblers and online casino insiders claim the law is merely an attempt by US politicians to forbid a business that the Internal Revenue Service has yet to figure how to tax.  In light of the US Government’s need for new funding sources, it would seem propitious that President Barack Obama repeal the UIGEA.

The U.S. government may look at countries that have online casinos within their jurisdiction for guidance.  Arguably, a regulated online gambling business wherein players could participate without legal redress and the government could claim its fair portion of the revenues would benefit all involved. 

Thus, online gambling patrons are looking to President Barack Obama for support.  The repeal of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 would mean legal play for U.S. gamblers as well as a chance at recovering much-needed tax money for an ailing economy.