The Legality and Location of Online Casinos

Online casinos have certainly attracted their fair share of controversy in recent times, with revelations that some are freely allowing and encouraging underage players to bet and wager, and others are taking in peoples money and refusing to let them withdraw it. Additionally, a number of online casino policies have generated immense amounts of discussion on forums and casino boards across the internet, especially in the area of player bonuses, game offerings and variations, and affiliate programs. All of this conversation can surely only mean one thing - there are no doubt a few dodgy things going on out there.

This is definitely a true statement. Even though a large number of genuine, trustworthy casinos exist, there will always be the ones out there which disappoint and ruin the reputation of the industry. When I think back, I remember a certain online casino based in China, which collected over $4 million of deposits from users, and then just disappeared overnight, leaving it’s users out in the cold, and it’s founders with a heft bank balance. Things like this really do act to diminish the true intention of online casinos - to have a bit of fun from home every now and then, and possibly come away with a few extra dollars in the process.

For American users, this possibility was taken away from them a few years back, as the Bush administration enacted a ban on online casinos based in America. However, as with any law preventing people from doing things they like to do, these people quickly found replacement casino’s elsewhere. Mostly, casinos based and licensed in places like Malta, the Isle of Man, and such other places with relatively relaxed casino licensing restrictions - have experienced a surge in users and acquisition rates since the ban. This is an interesting occurrence, and one which is surely not a coincidence.