Representative Barney Frank announced to 1,700 players at the World Series of Poker that he is 100 percent confident that online casinos could be legalized in the United States by the end of the year.  That news was of course received well.   Most of the gamblers play online constantly when they are not testing their luck and skill at the biggest gambling tournament in the world.

However, attendee Phil Hellmuth made an excellent point.  He mentioned that regardless of how the United States chooses to proceed with the legal status of online casinos the rest of the world will has already accepted it as a legitimate form of gambling and the industry will continue to grow overseas.

Hellmuth is a gambling authority if there ever was one.  He has one the gold bracelet 11 times.  20 years ago he walked away with the title and the big win.

Online casinos are no longer regulated in small island nations alone.  Many western countries, many of the United States trade allies, have long regulated online casinos.  The United Kingdom was among the first countries to legalize and regulate online casinos.  There are many online gambling operators that are publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange.

When it comes to attempting to block citizens from playing at online casinos, the United States is almost on par with countries like China and Australia.  There are countries that are willing to compromise the value of the Internet just for the sake of banning ‘undesirable’ sites.