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Internet Gambling
Is online gambling legal?

In many countries, yes. For example, Antigua allows online gambling and
has issued licenses to online casinos, as have Panama and Costa Rica.
Kahnawake, a Mohawk Territory in Canada, also licenses online casinos.
More recently the UK has opened the Isle of Man to casino licensing  as
has the Philippines in Cagayan.

The situation in the United States continues to be more complicated.
Some states have passed anti internet-gaming legislation while many
others have proposed related bills. At the Federal level there continues
to be a number of such initiatives. No definitive legislation has emerged
as a front-runner. Many of the US efforts are aimed at outright bans on
internet gaming but remain mired in the seemingly endless political
jockeying that has long characterized this issue in the US.

In response to the situation in the US many online casinos no longer
accept wagers from United States residents. Even so, some estimates
indicate that as much as 90% of online gamblers are in the US. At the
time of this writing no internet casino is known to have it's servers
located within US borders.

For more information on the legal issues concerning online gambling, see
the article Gambling and the Law®: Status of Gambling Laws and visit
Gambling-Law-US.com.
GAMING VS GAMBLING

While some people assume the word gaming was created as a way to
"re-invent" the casino industry, history tells a different story. The word
"gaming" - defined as the action or habit of playing at games of chance
for stakes - actually dates back to 1510, predating use of the word
"gambling" by 265 years. The words "gambler," "gambling" and "gamble"
all were considered slang when they came into use in the 18th century,
implying that the activity involved unduly high stakes. The word
"gamble" was essentially considered a term of reproach, according to
The Oxford English Dictionary, and would only be used by those who
"condemn playing for money altogether."

In 1891, even The Anti-Gambling Association referred to the activity as
"gaming" in a publication: "Before the third crusade, there was no check
upon the gaming vice, and no limit to the stakes. … During subsequent
reigns gaming, although generally condemned, was vigorously pursued."

Casinos in Nevada have been referred to as part of the "gaming"
industry ever since they were legalized there in 1931. As the industry
expanded outside of Nevada, it continued to carry that name. As
opposed to the business term "gaming," the word "gamble" is now
commonly used to refer to the actual activity. A 1987 reference
dictionary uses the two terms interchangeably, defining gaming as "the
playing of games of chance for stakes; gambling."

Sources: The Oxford English Dictionary, 1989;
Fools of Fortune by James Philip Quinn, Chicago, 1891;
Dictionary of Gambling and Gaming, by Thomas L. Clark, 1987 9/99