In July of this year DC was supposed to start offering online slots, poker, bingo and fantasy sports sites for fun, and then for wagering in September. The Washington Post even posted an employment ad for an online bingo chat room moderator.
So why is it taking so long you may be asking? The article I read at washingtonpost.com claims that legislators cannot make up their minds about regulating online gambling. The District is usually the trailblazer when it comes to states passing bills, but this one just can’t seem to be passed. There is no Federal Law prohibiting online gambling, but there are also no strict guidelines so it makes gamblers, along with websites apprehensive about what wagers they choose to accept.
There are plenty of supporters for moderating the online gambling industry. They make the argument that it could do wonders for our “cash-strapped” government; also the added employment, money for charities, and tax money. In fact, taxing online poker alone would produce 40 billion dollars in 10 years.
But for all of the people supporting the regulation of online gambling, there are plenty more actively against it. States such as New Jersey and Utah are very much against it. While State such as California and Florida are the closest to getting the ball rolling, so to speak.