US Industry Group Pushing for Legal Online Gambling Due to the Coronavirus Outbreak

U.S. online gaming advocacy group iDevelopment & Economic Association (iDEA) is urging the country’s states to allow gambling enthusiasts to gamble online. As the majority of the U.S. enters the second official week of semi-quarantine, due to the COVID-19 outbreak, most casino employees are now out of work.

THE FASTEST WAY TO ONLINE GAMBLING LEGALIZATION
iDEA considers that restrictions on online betting should be abolished, as most brick and mortar casinos are failing to produce significant revenue growth, due to the closure of their establishments. The Wall Street Journal reported that iDEA addressed the country’s states option of gubernatorial emergency powers to legalize online gambling as soon as possible. This measure will help casinos go online and start offering their gambling services, in order to make up for lost revenue.

DOUBTS SURROUNDING ONLINE GAMBLING  
According to Yaniv Sherman, 888 Holdings’ head of commercial developments, the leading casino operators on the market have been skeptical about online gambling, but the new economic context will change their minds soon, as the pandemic is going to impact the gaming industry for ever. In addition,  problem gambling groups doubt the swift legalization of online gambling as well.

The executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, Keith Whyte, said that using emergency powers for legalizing gambling, which causes harm to its users, will be an “incredibly bad policy.”

Whyte suggests that gambling products should be legalized only after the lawmakers will be debating the issue, as well as going through the regular legislative process. He believes iDEA’s plan will provide people easier access to gambling products, which could be more harmful considering that the majority of people are spending most of their time at home.