US Gambling Announcement Could Affect Canadian Market

 The US Department of Justice’s surprise announcement that it was making a radical about-turn on its opinion regarding the interpretation of the 1961 Wire Act could affect the Canadian online gambling market in the long run.

 Until now, the DOJ interpreted the Wire Act to cover all forms of gambling, and ruled time after time that it meant that players could not gamble ‘remotely’ on everything from sports betting to poker.  However, on the day before Christmas Eve, the department clarified that the Wire Act referred to sports betting only.

This declaration has opened doors to the re-interpretation of gambling as we know it in the US and could see states beginning to offer licenses to poker and casino operators for intrastate gambling.  It is only a matter of time that changes will need to be made on a federal level as well.

Canada’s online gambling market has experienced an exceptional year, with many US online poker players even migrating across the border so that they could continue playing un-hassled by authorities. Canadian-friendly online casinos are emerging as some of the most popular in the industry and the mobile industry is growing at an incredible pace.

 More liberal US laws, however, will place greater pressure on Canadian sites as there will be tougher competition to contend with. Bonuses and promotions will have to be made more attractive for gamblers, and incentives will need to be exceptionally good to get players to return to the sites.

In the long run, a legalized, regulated US online gambling industry is a good thing for the entire region, and players will have the most to gain from these changes.