Using the Internet for illegal gambling is illegal under several federal statutes. It includes the Wire Act, the Illegal Gambling Business Act, and the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provisions.
The Wire Act is a federal statute that prohibits illegal gambling on contests and sporting events. It also prohibits the use of the Internet to transmit bets and wagers. There are several other federal criminal statutes that are implicated in illegal Internet gambling.
The Illegal Gambling Business Act makes it illegal for a business to operate an illegal gambling operation. The owners or operators of such an operation must have gross revenue of at least two thousand dollars in a single day. If the owner or operator fails to meet these requirements, he can be fined up to five years in prison.
Section 1956 of the Federal Criminal Code prohibits money laundering of illegal gambling proceeds. The law also makes it illegal to use an Internet gambling operation to disguise the identity of a person or to promote illegal activity. These provisions are designed to combat money laundering, but they also raise constitutional issues. The Commerce Clause has also been challenged.
There are several states that allow the operation of legal online gambling. These include Illinois and Michigan. The latter state is expected to legalize online casinos in 2023. Indiana might also legalize online casinos in the future. In May, Governor Laura Kelly signed legislation into law.
Illinois allows residents to wager on sports and other events, but residents cannot bet on college games or non-sports events. The state’s sportsbook registration requirement will expire in 2022.