Whether online gambling is legal or illegal has become an important issue in the United States. Since the advent of the Internet, more and more Americans are able to gamble at their favorite casinos and play poker online. The laws on online gambling in the United States vary from state to state. There are several federal criminal statutes that are implicated by illegal Internet gambling.
One of these is the Wire Act, which prohibits illegal gambling on sporting events. It also covers the prohibition of money laundering. The other is the Travel Act, which limits the sale of goods or services that can be used to finance unlawful gambling.
Section 1956 of the law makes it a crime to launder money from unlawful gambling. It also includes laundering to conceal, disguise, or evade taxes. It also prohibits the spending of more than $10,000 from illegal gambling proceeds at one time. This provision can be problematic, since it encumbers free speech objections.
Nevertheless, it has become apparent that many of the statutory requirements for operating an illegal gambling business are not particularly demanding. In fact, the commercial nature of the business seems to satisfy Commerce Clause doubts.
An illegal gambling business can be operated by five or more individuals. It must also be operated for at least two consecutive days and have gross revenues of at least $2,000 per day. It may also be operated by a person who directs or supervises the operation.