By Michael Waxman, Safe and Secure Internet Gambling Initiative (www.safeandsecureig.org)
Up to $48 billion in new revenue would be generated over the next decade by regulating and taxing Internet gambling, according a PriceWaterhouse-Coopers analysis. Whether you support or oppose the idea of giving Americans the freedom to gamble online, the activity is flourishing in an uncontrolled marketplace, sending billions in revenue out of the U.S. economy, overseas and underground.
Despite attempts to prohibit the activity, Americans continue to wager online more than $100 billion annually.
It’s time for Congress to end a failed prohibition and replace it with a regulatory environment where consumers are protected and billions in new revenue can finally be dedicated to better serve our country.