In the late 1990s, the Internet began to gain popularity, and within a year, there were more than two hundred internet gambling sites. In 1998, a Frost & Sullivan report indicated that online gambling revenues exceeded $830 million. During this period, the first online poker rooms appeared. The US Senate introduced the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, which would have prohibited online gambling for U.S. citizens. The popularity of online gambling exploded, and by 2001, the first multiplayer gambling sites were introduced.
The UIGEA, or Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, is an act of Congress to restrict the growth of online gambling. Many states have laws against online gambling, and some have enacted laws banning it. These laws aim to limit harmful gambling practices and create a safer online environment. A few examples of these laws are: (1) the federal UIGEA; (2) the Pennsylvania law; and (3) the New Jersey statute.
Although many states and nations restrict online gambling, a few countries have passed legislation to prohibit it. In the United States, some state and provincial governments have approved the practice. In the EU, online gambling is legal in most countries, including those in the European Union. A number of Caribbean nations have also passed legislation regulating online gambling. Most states require online gambling service providers to obtain a license before they can begin operating. In the United Kingdom, for example, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board must license internet gambling services before they can be offered.