BetOnSports - Americans should have the right to gamble on line - Consumers will benefit?

BetOnSports operators of Bet on Sports.Com a internet sports betting and wagering website has been on the internet newswires a lot recently due to the launch of their Costa Rica-based VIP Club, and their alternative wagering options such as celebrity marriages, elections and the outcomes of court cases . However most mainstream attention has been attracted by their 'National Public Policy Initiative' called Proposition 1: To Regulate or Prohibit Online Gambling.

Their argument is an interesting one - regulate online gambling to ensure that their are responsible gambling measures in place or be ineffectual in trying to prevent gamblers from betting online.

It is possible for highly tailored responsible gambling and harm minimisation measures to be put in place for online gambling. It is also true that most current operators do not provide these measures unless forced to do so.

It is beneficial to have the debate, however the debate needs to be balanced and reasoned and consider all options. It is not clear whether this is possible, especially when BetOnSports are also advertising a "Right to Wager" campaign on television and in the press in the US.

As one of the world's largest online gambling providers, which receives most of its income from the US, BetOnSports has much to gain from becoming legal in the US. However it should also be noted that sportsbetting is illegal in every US state except Nevada so there is no political foundation for introducing it online.

Will consumers benefit? Possibly as in terms of responsible gambling, more measures can be put in place to attempt to prevent harm. However when you are comparing the harm of having access compared to no access - no access potentially has less harm - but only if properly enforced.

The main issue in the US is if they want to ban internet gambling, they should bite the bullet and like in Australia pass an act to ban it. Until they do everyone has problems - operators, governments and gamblers.

What's your view - should internet gambling be legalised in its current form, legalised but heavily regulated or banned completely?

GG