Dear Editor

I am compelled to correct your editorial, “Online gambling is a very bad bet.” It’s true that only a few years ago, technologies did not exist to protect minors and help problem gamblers control their behavior online. Today, however, that is no longer the case.

Proven technologies can now effectively address these risks, and online poker in the U.S. can and should be regulated so Americans players are no longer thrust into a shady online environment. The effectiveness of these technologies, as part of a tight regulatory framework, has been demonstrated in many of the countries that currently have regulated online gaming including the United Kingdom, France and Italy as well as some provinces in Canada.

The American Gaming Association (AGA) supports federal legislation that would allow states to license and regulate online poker, holding online operators to the same stringent regulations and standards that have proven effective in governing brick-and-mortar casinos.

And we’ve introduced a Code of Conduct with measures we think are necessary to institute an effective regulatory system, including mandatory identification systems to keep minors from playing and responsible gaming protections to provide problem gamblers easy access to tools to help control their behavior.

Sincerely,

Frank J. Fahrenkopf, Jr.

President and CEO

American Gaming Association