Internet gambling

Internet gambling is an essentially borderless activity that poses regulatory and enforcement challenges. The legal framework for regulating it in the United States and overseas is complex. U.S. law as it applies to Internet gambling involves both state and federal statutes.

In general, gambling is regulated at the state level, with each state determining whether individuals can gamble within its borders and whether gaming businesses can legally operate there. Five states (Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, Oregon, and South Dakota) have enacted laws that specifically prohibit certain aspects of Internet gambling, but laws in other states that prohibit some types of gambling activities generally apply to Internet gaming as well.

Federal law recognizes that state laws vary and seeks to ensure that neither interstate nor foreign commerce is used to circumvent them. [1]