Washington DC is usually the first to pass laws, and considers themselves to be a trailblazer when it comes to regulating certain industries, so what is the hold up with online gambling?
The “cash-strapped” US government could use any extra income they could get their hands on, right? According to an article I read in The Washington Post, the District has made plenty of attempts to get online wagering regulated, but it just hasn’t happened yet. Apparently they were supposed to start offering bingo, poker and fantasy sports online for fun in July of 2011 and for wagering in September of 2012.
Why hasn’t this happened yet? The only explanation is it just isn’t an important enough issue. Congress is focused on together important issues like Health Care, the failing economy and unemployment. But this also makes one wonder why The Post had a job listing for an Online Bingo Chat Moderator just a short while ago.
What it ultimately comes down to is the fact that the supporters of this regulation are greatly outnumbered by the advocates against such regulation. The facts are there though. Online Poker alone would produce upwards of 40 billion dollars in tax money in just 10 short years. Although it would make a huge dent in the 1.2 trillion dollar deficit the US government has endured, it would certainly help.
Hopefully a decision will be made soon. It is said that the online gambling industry is the only industry in the world that is actually vying for the government to intervene.
