Illinois to License Online Gambling Operators Tuesday
Online gambling in Illinois will likely receive the state's blessings tomorrow, with actual gaming probably starting the very next day. According to reports by the Decatur Herald and Review, as many as three applicants will receive licenses to conduct Internet wagering when the Illinois Racing Board meets Tuesday.
"“They’re ready to go," the paper quoted board spokesman Mickey Ezzo as saying. "The infrastructure is all in place.”
The online gambling will consist of betting on horse racing. Illinois has not addressed the issue of players from out of state attempting to use the Internet gaming system.
Just as offshore online casinos consider bets to be placed at the location of their servers, so too will Illinois apparently worry about regulating its own territory, leaving other states unsure as to whether Illinois gaming will drain untaxed revenues.
The US Department of Justice insists all online gambling is illegal, but has allowed several domestic companies to take Internet wagers without interference. Foreign online casinos have faced US investigations and prosecutions.
No comment was available from US Attorney General Eric Holder or his representatives.
