Internet Poker Owner Sentenced 14-Month Prison Term: Outlaw Online Gambling?

The United States has taken a tough stance to enforce the federal laws regulating online gambling. The government wanted to make that point clear in a recent case against Brent Beckley, 32, who worked for Costa Rica-based Absolute Poker. U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan handed Mr. Beckley a 14-month prison term. Judge Kaplan said, "the sentence has to make clear that the government of the United States means business in these types of cases." The judge handed down the prison term despite Mr. Beckley's cooperation and pleading guilty to charges of conspiracy, wire fraud and bank fraud.

Federal prosecutors have gone after the biggest names in online gambling including Absolute Poker, Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars. Prosecutors and law enforcement have to enforce the laws passed by government. But should government do more to legalize and regulate online gambling instead of force companies offshore?

New Jersey passed a bill to legalize online gambling. New Jersey passed the law to capture some of the offshore, online gambling money the casinos would have otherwise lost. NJ made the switch to legalize online gambling before any other state. FoxNews.com reported this in December 2011: Under the bill, New Jersey casinos could see profits of more than $300 million a year, while the state would collect an estimated $28 million.

States and the federal government could increase tax revenues by legalizing online gambling. Cooperating with the large casinos would help regulate and bring integrity to the industry. However, some argue than online gambling only exacerbates the problems with gambling. Anonymity, electronic fraud and easy access to gambling would make it easier for organized crime and worse for gambling addicts.

REUTERS.COM reports:
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An owner of Absolute Poker, one of the three largest Internet poker companies, was sentenced to 14 months in prison on Monday after admitting to deceiving banks over the processing