Land based gambling and online gambling are essentially the same. It’s either you win or lose, and these two possibilities should be clear because it’s not all about winning. The game principles employed in them are basically the same, since online venues have adapted the features of the real casinos. But there is a difference in terms of convenience, and herein lies the argument 159.223.122.31. Obviously, there are qualities where one wins against the other.
People who go to gambling sites look for convenience aside from pure thrill. People go to casinos to have fun (for instance, in playing roulette and other gambling games) and not to suffer the inconvenience. It is just reasonable that players would want to experience confidence because they are expending money when playing. But it is quite difficult to see complete convenience at brick and mortar casinos, and a lot of these casinos don’t have the same services and facilities that casinos in Las vegas have. Casinos are also so distributed across the nation that the one nearest your place can be hundreds of miles away. This is why many people would rather go online to see what online gambling has to offer. In many instances, online players find convenience in this mode of playing because the games are quite accessible. If you have a computer and fast internet speed, then your options for online gaming are endless.
The greatest advantage of land based casinos is not their accessibility but their realness, as there is no other way of telling this straight. No amount of computer generated simulation can fully imitate the realness of true casinos. When you are inside the real venue, you could be greeted by the sheer enthusiasm of the place that seems contagious. It changes your mood right away and gives you that sort of wonderful feeling. Moreover, you get to touch everything-the cards, roulette table, and buttons-and you get to see your opponents face to face-you can even shake hands with them. You can play slots and poker online but online casinos will never be able to duplicate the sheer experience in land based venues.
In both land based gambling and online gambling, there is an issue regarding safety and security. If you are unlucky, you can stumble upon a crazy gambling website with an unreliable banking option. Online casino sites can also be subject to network problems that can disrupt your playing or render your data vulnerable to hackers (in case when their firewall isn’t that good enough). In land based casinos, the real threat is the presence of notorious gamblers who display odd behavior. The lobbying efforts to get Online poker legalized in the country are only getting stronger. Poker lobbyists are backed by the multi-million dollar offshore gambling companies which are based in Antigua, Malta and other foreign sanctuaries. The lobbying efforts have been successful to some extent with the Obama administration agreeing to delay the implementation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) til June 2010. This has given some reprieve to online gaming operators who argue that if gaming is regularized in the united states it could generate billions of dollars of tax for the Administration. However not all are convinced. Opponents argue that online gambling would increase crime rate, threaten children and increase the overall percentage of Americans addicted to gambling. Some of the major opponents are National Football League, Focus on the family and Republican Senators like Jon Kyl from Arizona.
The primary support for legalizing online gambling are from Rep. Barney Frank (Mass. ) and other Democrats who are leaving no stone unturned to legalize online gambling in the united states. Till this time online gaming lobbyists have spent more than $4 million in lobbying efforts to convince lawmakers that prohibition of online gaming is not a great idea. Other supporters include former Republican senator Alfonse M. D’Amato (N. Y. ), chairman of the Poker Players Alliance who is the Chairman of the Poker Players Alliance. The Poker Players Alliance has 1. 2 million members and funded by the Interactive Gaming Council, a Canada-based trade group for offshore gambling firms. John Papas, Executive Director of the Poker Players Alliance feels that prohibition is not going to succeed in any of the objectives for which it is intended. Another strong supporter of online gambling is Richard A. Gephardt whose firm is lobbying for PokerStars, a large poker gambling firm based in the Isle of Man.
The opposition to online gaming is also very vociferous and strong. It includes the four major US sports leagues, religious groups and some casinos. Their argument states that online gambling and poker will take gambling right into the living rooms of Americans which is a dangerous proposition. It is fair as long as gambling is confined to ‘brick and mortar’ casinos or a lottery store. In US online gambling is illegal under a 1961 law which was focused on bookies using telephone lines for taking bets. The UIGEA is aimed to iron out any ambiguities that are present with Internet gambling. The new law will prevent banks from accepting credit card payments, checks or any other form of electronic payment related to online gambling. However, the hard lobbying by Poker Alliance and even the financial institutions has put it on hold til June ’10. Though the Obama administration is officially neutral on the issue, it needs to be seen which direction the boat sails after June.