On August 20th the North Gauteng high court reached this controversial decision. They’ve imposed a heavy fine of R10 million ($1.354 million) and imprisonment of up to 10 years, or both, as punishments for breaking this new law. Also advertising an online casino or poker room in the media is prohibited. The players, online gaming room, and even Internet service provider may all be held responsible in an illegal online gaming case.

South Africa’s land-based casinos may have pushed this move. However, there are some gaming companies in South Africa that operate both brick & mortar and online casinos. Additionally, the new law makes no distinction between local and foreign providers of online gaming. This means South African casino companies, such as South Africa’s Piggs Peak, that hold brick & mortar and online entities are especially in jeopardy by this new law. Lew Saul Koor, Piggs Peak Operations Director, has gone on record to say: “Until the appeal has been heard and the outcome determined, our business will continue as usual as agreed with the Gambling Boards.”

As poker organizations around the world go for newer, more updated laws from their governments, South Africa seems to have taken a step in the wrong direction. Hopefully the appeal overturns this strict law and allows players to continue enjoying their favorite online poker games.

The bill now goes to the full House ,and Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) will have to schedule a vote.

The proposal will legalize online poker and other non-sports betting, creating an estimated multibillion-dollar U.S. market for Internet wagering and generating up to $4 billion a year in taxes and regulatory fees for the U.S. government if it becomes law.

It also would take the place of an earlier Congressional ban on U.S. banks using financial instruments, like credit cards, to pay American Internet gaming operations. That law was passed in 2006, but only took effect this year. The ban has prompted millions of Americans to wager with offshore Internet casinos.

Frank’s bill would require licensed operators to adopt safeguards to protect against underage and problem gambling. It would also require the Treasury Department to license and regulate Internet casinos.

A companion bill, the Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act of 2010 (H.R. 4976), introduced by Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA), would empower the IRS to tax online casinos. Individual players would be required to pay taxes on winnings.

The committee’s minority leader, Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), warned that the bill would put virtual casinos on every iPhone and every laptop. Frank defended his bill as a matter of individual rights to privacy and adults’ rights to any form of entertainment that does not harm others.

It is estimated that Romanians now wager up to €500 million at virtual casinos, a large increase compared to the €120 million spent in 2008. The current regulations in Romania don’t explicitly ban or promote online casinos operating in the country; but the laws ban Romanian companies from entering the market.

The government in Moldova announced a project to amend the country’s gambling laws and regulate the online casino industry. Currently betting at virtual casinos is outlawed in the country but many residents are playing at various online casinos and poker rooms such as Pokerstars and PartyGaming. The demand for virtual gaming in Moldova is huge at the moment. The government are keen to tap into the money and filter the money into the countries public services.

The news of the increase is particularly promising after several weeks of declines. For the first time ever, year-to-date gains recently dipped into the single digits, with most sites actually losing traffic as PokerStars and Full Tilt Poker buoy the market.

The fact that traffic increased when so many high-volume players were busy playing at the WSOP is a cause for optimism. Even though the increase was low, the fact that it wasn’t a decrease during the biggest live event of the year pleased analysts.

Six of the top ten sites saw increases for the week. PartyPoker managed to hold its lead over the iPoker Network, although the difference between the two online poker giants is a mere half a percent.

The Cereus Network has overcome its bad publicity of the past month, as it regained the sixth spot, pushing IPN back into seventh place. The Merge Gaming Network also continued its climb, moving past Betfair to take the 15th spot.

The market is up 8 percent for the year, with Merge, PokerStars and Full Tilt leading the way with large gains. The Ipoker, PacificPoker, Cake Poker Network, Svenska, and PartyPoker have all posted double-digit losses, but each looks to rebound as the poker industry tries to recover its momentum.

California is need of a different source of revenue , therefore the bill has been given urgency status. By being granted this status , the bill only needs the signature of the governor in order for it to come into effect. Any bill not granted this status should wait until the beginning of 2011 to come into effect.

California certainly needs the revenue. The latest numbers show that the state’s budget deficit has grown to $19 billion, and with higher costs and greater rates of unemployment, this will only rise.

Ironically, the federal level Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act is set to kick in June 1st the very same day the bill will appear before California legislators.

Senator Rod Wright amended bill will have the Department of Justice award a total of three contracts, each for 5 years, for operators to run online poker sites. Under the conditions that these sites are ran by Californian based companies and that California residents can only play at them.

The state believes that by introducing a safe and regulated option for Californians, money will land in state coffers and poker fans will be able to make a calculated choice about their gaming options. Even though online poker experts fear that the fact that the poker sites will limit uses to state residents only could mean a small player pool and true poker fans will still seek the services off offshore sites.

D’Amato said, He did not understand “why it is ok for a group of friends to sit around the kitchen table and play a friendly game of poker, but not ok for people to play over their computers. D’Amato stated that the basic structure of online poker does not in anyway violate the current federal laws. The Interstate Wire Act of 1961, which relates to sports betting, and not poker as those opposed to the notion have said.

D’Amato and Poker Players Alliance Director John Pappas have now joined forces to support a bill that would legalize the industry.

Pappas said that banks are discouraged to do business with online poker companies, in securing no illegal activity is occurring. “There a safe harbor already embedded in the law, so that any bank that does want to transact with an online poker business simply needs a reasoned legal opinion that their client is not involved in restricted transactions.

Since 2006 online gambling has been outlawed in the United States, but a new bill sent to the floor considered and then passed, would be a huge victory for USA Online Casinos. Revenue could potentially leap to high levels.

Virginia’s Bob Goodlatte who opposes the legalization , whom the Seattle Times says, he believes “legalizing Internet Gambling would pave a path to addiction and financial ruins”.

The Seattle Weekly has said, Goodlatte’s rejections of legalization of online gambling would also lead him to band church bingo nights. . In any event, McDermott’s bill allows states to opt out of legalization if they’d like, so Virginia’s foster care system would be safe from gambling profits.

Now the European Gaming and Betting Association have published the statement of the French Constitutional Council, which has been viewed as a setback to this legalization process. The Council stated that it is not competent to assess whether the proposed laws are compliant with European law and requirements. It is possible that the President can go ahead and sign the bill into law. It apparently does not violate the French Constitution and that is critical. However all the shortcomings of the bill have once again begun to surface and the European Gaming and Betting Association is at the forefront.

The requirements in the bill will force the long established European online gambling operators entering the French market to unnecessarily duplicate controls and guarantees, but this is only the beginning of the problem. The real issue is the discriminatory restrictions that are being imposed in terms of limits on the maximum returns that bettors will be allowed. This is to discourage gambling but its alleged real intent is to protect the state owned gambling companies that presently are monopolies. European Gaming and Betting Association Secretary General Sigrid Ligne said that if European gambling operators still enter the French market they will be taken risks of legal and business uncertainty. But the online operators , members mainly from European Gaming and Betting Association do not seem to mind taking these risks, knowing that ultimately the French bettor who will pay for the faults of the legislators.

If this bill comes into law it is important to know that it will only legalize online poker and online sport betting. Online casino wagering will remain illegal.

Marcel Black, the Democratic Representative that has been sponsoring the House version of the Bill, reported that he would be unable to receive the votes required to pass the legislation into law.

The gambling situation in Alabama is similar to that of the online gambling issue on a federal level. The bingo halls in Alabama are not currently regulated by the state, even though they are able to continue operating , provided the bingo machines are extremely different from slot games.

The online gambling issue, on the federal level, has essentially made it so Internet gambling is not technically illegal, and players may engage in the activity provided the gambling sites are from outside of the United States. Players can still enjoy the games.

Another similarity between the Alabama gambling, nationwide online gambling issue is that of the federal probes that have been investigating the respective issues. The FBI had been looking into the Alabama issue over the possibility of corruption, as well as some of the USA online gambling websites.

The Alabama gambling issue is unlikely to pick back up before the end of the year. Online gambling could, however, be pushed through the committees before June 1st – the date of the incorporation of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.

The $80million dollar incentive has been luring Iowa to the table. State officials and financial experts have been examining what online poker can do for the state of Iowa. They have come to the conclusion that Iowa would benefit by about $80 million.

There are of course many things for officials to consider there like how they would implement the safety procedures and that raises concerns for some of the state officials. But many are saying that the citizens of Iowa that are playing online poker now are doing so illegally can that can’t be safe. So the race is on which state will be the first to legalize online poker and reap the benefits.