More and more industry experts are skeptical that the US legislation will stop punters from gambling online. The Wall Street Journal said the wager is bettors will find a way around the online gambling ban.
“Trying to stop Internet gambling is akin to trying to hold a wave on the sand and stop the ocean from sending any more,” said Alan Feldman, spokesman for Las Vegas-based casino MGM Mirage.
Frank Fahrenkopf, President of the American Gaming Association, said there may be a temporary halt in online gambling activity as some sites will stop taking bets from Americans, but he added that “new companies will pop up.”
“I guarantee you that there will be some supply to meet that demand,” said Keith Furlong, deputy director of the Interactive Gaming Council. “That\’s just how the economy works.”
Peter Wilson, a specialist in the areas of gambling and licensing with law firm Tarlo Lyons in London, said that even if all or most of the reputable and well funded operators and payment providers will pull out of the US market, others will move in to fill it.
“Others who are prepared to operate below the wire, to use less transparent and reliable ways to acquire and hold customer deposits and that may not be so concerned about public reputation, social responsibility and financial accountability,” said Wilson.
“Certainly, U.S. players will find it somewhat more difficult to wager online, in the short term. But as smaller operators flock to the space opened up by the exiting of larger companies, the void will be filled,” commented Lawrence Walters, partner with Weston Garrou, DeWitt & Walters.
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