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Utah is not exactly for online casinos but it is certainly against the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act.  Although most forms of gambling in the state have been outlawed, state legislators do not like the idea that the federal government has any say in their relationship to gambling after all, states like Nevada and New Jersey have adopted gambling as a center piece of their economy.  It seems unfair that an option like online casinos should be completely of the table.

Utah State Representative Sheryl Allen intends to introduce House Resolution 1.  The bill asserts that states should have absolute decision making power with regards to adopting gambling. Allen does acknowledge, “Computers made it much easier to gamble.”

Joe Brennan, chairman of Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association, also known as iMEGA, is now sure how affective Allen’s bill will be and recognizes it may just be a symbolic gesture.

“You already have a group of state Attorney Generals sending letters to Congress and the Administration saying that they disagree with any laws regarding gaming that would take away the rights of the states,” said Brennan.

Journalist Cathy McKitrick offers more skepticism about the Allen bill.  In a recent article she questioned, “How can you reign in something like the internet? Would a resolution like Allen’s have any kind of legal impact?”

Online casinos continue to be a sensitive issue in the United States.  Gambling is not legal in every state in the Union, but in a country with Las Vegas and Atlantic City, it is outrageous for online casinos to be outlawed on a Federal level.

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