Online gambling is any type of gambling conducted online. This includes casinos, virtual poker and online sports betting among other types. The first online gambling site to open to the public, was ticketing in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1994.
While Las Vegas has remained the most popular online gambling destination, many other jurisdictions have followed suit. A recent survey showed that there are more than 20 offshore gambling sites available from which people can choose. The majority of these offshore gambling sites allow American residents to register and participate in online gambling. In some cases, American residents may be required to obtain a license or registration to participate in certain types of online gambling. In addition, most of the online betting sites require members to create a user name and password through the use of their email address. However, many online gambling sites now accept virtual payment options such as credit cards, PayPal and direct deposit.
While it is true that online gambling is legal in many jurisdictions, there are still laws against online gambling in the United States. Many U.S. states have enacted financial fraud and gambling laws that are considered to be even more restrictive than the laws against online gambling in the United States. In some cases, U.S. citizens who travel to other countries to engage in online gambling can be prosecuted for crimes that they may not have knowledge of at the time of the visit. For this reason, it is important to be aware of all of the laws surrounding online gambling at all times.