Several laws, including the Illegal Gambling Business Act and the Wire Act, prohibit illegal Internet gambling. A number of federal criminal statutes also implicate the problem of illegal Internet gambling. In addition, state officials have expressed concern that the Internet can be used to facilitate illegal gambling.
Under the law, owners of illegal gambling businesses can be fined under this title. In addition, they may be jailed for up to five years. In the meantime, they are prohibited from accepting payment for illegal Internet gambling.
The Travel Act also prohibits the promotion and facilitation of illegal gambling. The Act can be applied to shipments of goods, including gambling services, within interstate or foreign commerce. It can also be applied to the distribution of gambling proceeds.
The Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) provisions prohibit illegal gambling business activities. These provisions can be applied to a wide variety of activities, including bookmaking, lotteries, pool-selling, poker, and roulette.
Section 1956 creates several unique crimes. It prohibits the laundering of money obtained from illegal gambling, including money laundering for international purposes and money laundering with the intent to promote illicit activity. It also prohibits the spending of more than $10,000 in one transaction from illegal gambling proceeds.
Other statutes implicated by illegal Internet gambling include the Wire Act, the Illegal Gambling Business Act, the Travel Act, and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act. Each of these statutes is aimed at different aspects of the problem.