Regulation is the Only Way to Protect Consumers and Require Safety Standards

“The graphical and interactive structure of the internet provides an opportunity to create informed consumers with access to a variety of information designed to encourage safe choices and discourage unsafe behavior.”

— Keith Whyte, The National Council on Problem Gambling, the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families

“The establishment of a well-regulated industry under U.S. jurisdiction would offer far better protection against online gambling’s potential social harms than outright prohibition. Combining a thoughtful regulatory scheme with education, technology tools, and support appears to be the most effective means of handling the realities and risks of online gambling in the United States.”

— Malcolm K. Sparrow, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, from the study, “Can Internet Gambling Be Effectively Regulated? Managing the Risks”

Despite many of the largest Internet poker operators being forced to leave the U.S. market and attempts by Congress to prohibit some forms of Internet gambling (while creating an exemption for online wagers on horse racing and fantasy sports), many Americans continue to find a way to gamble online.

Rather than leave consumers completely vulnerable, Congress should adopt legislation that mandates:

• Responsible gambling initiatives that require licensed operators to implement strict compulsive gambling controls
• Modern technological solutions to help combat underage gambling and effective verify customers
• Protections against money laundering and fraud that employ technological safeguards and promote license transparency
• An open competitive marketplace of qualified providers that have gone through a rigorous licensing process and who have met strict standards of honesty, integrity and expertise