Las Vegas In The Sky - Airlines To Offer Online Casino Games
Jet Blue Airlines has come to an agreement to allow limited access to online casino games on some of their flights with Yahoo and Rim, and will utilize the services of DirectTV. Access will be given to those wishing to place wagers on sporting events while in the air, other forms of gambling are being discussed also.
Jet Blue joins a growing number of European airlines to offer this service. There is much speculation as to how this will be viewed by the DOJ as they have just settled a case with Yahoo on advertising Internet wagering in the U.S., which is viewed by the DOJ as a violation of domestic gambling law.
Now Yahoo seems to be pushing the envelope. Clearly, the 1961 Wire Act makes gambling on sports illegal, and this is the specific activity that will be introduced with telecasts provided by ESPN in-flight.
To further complicate this venture, the UIGEA which was enacted into law last year, prohibits Americans from transferring money to foreign gambling establishments, so it is not clear how Americans will be able to utilize this service. It also raises questions of the federal government denying Americans a right to partake in an activity that is viewed by many countries to be perfectly legal, and is sanctioned by many of our trading partners. This is outright discrimination of Americans by their government.
Other airlines that offer in-flight gambling include British Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airlines and RyanAir.
American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America are also planning to offer in-flight gambling in the near future.
