Online gambling is a controversial issue with many proponents, both pro and con. However, the issue has not yet been settled in many states, because ôwhile the popularity of Internet gambling is skyrocketing, ambiguity surrounds its legalityö (Lessani). Many states allow some form of gambling activities, but even states that do often prohibit online gambling, arguing that it has greater inherent dangers than ordinary gambling (Lessani). There are groups that regularly fight against the legalization of online gambling within states, such as church, community, and addiction recovery groups; there are also groups that argue in favor of legalized online gambling, such as public schools and other organizations that would receive funding from gambling proceeds. Strong arguments both pro and con have been put forth, but the legalization of online gambling needs to be fully assessed and settled once and for all; it should be prohibited by federal law.
Advocates of legalized online gambling point primarily to the intended benefits. In states that funnel the proceeds to schools, scholarship funds, and other benevolent causes, proponents argue that gambling benefits society and relieves economic constraints on educational and humanitarian organizations. These types of causes can provide strong pressure to legalize online gambling (Bell). It has also been argued that online gambling will encourage the private sector to develop innovative and appealing graphics and more sophisticated interfaces, thus resulting in ôbroader bandwidth and better software for all sorts of Internet applicationsö (Bell). Since gamers can get around Internet technology to gamble online whether it is legal or not, prohibiting online gambling is futile anyway (Bell).
Some people believe that Internet gambling is less likely to promote addiction than gambling in casinos, because the casino environment, with alcoholic beverages,
...