Gambling on smartphones, tablets, laptops? Within reach of kids?

Feb 11, 2014 | 0 comments

In an alarming trend, three states have legalized some form of Internet gambling, including New Jersey and Delaware on our own border.We are asking for your help to spread the word about this threat.

This week, Pennsylvania State Rep. Mario Scavello (R-Monroe) introduced legislation that would ensure that Pennsylvania does not become next on the list of states that have put casinos on every iPad, smartphone, and laptop in the state.

It doesn’t take an expert to know that putting real-money gambling on every Internet-connected device throughout Pennsylvania is a bad idea. Ask any mother or father whose 10 year old has ordered something from Amazon or spent money in a game like Candy Crush without first asking permission – it’s just not possible to prevent a curious kid or a determined teenager from losing money that they don’t have.

It is common sense that allowing every Internet-connected device in Pennsylvania to become a virtual casino is a bad idea, particularly for the young and for those who can least afford to lose money. But even the experts have weighed in about the dangers of permitting this kind of activity to occur.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in a letter to Congress, warned that it will be nearly impossible to prevent minors from gambling online. The FBI raised serious doubts about whether the technology exists to verify age or location since “both can be spoofed.” That means that students with access to credit and debit cards will have free reign to spend at will.
The FBI warned in a separate letter that “online casinos are vulnerable to a wide array of criminal schemes,” including identity theft and money laundering by “transnational organized crime.”

What can you do? Stay up to date by visiting www.StopInternetGambling.com and signing up for updates, and by following the Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling on Facebook and Twitter. Working together, we can stop the spread of Internet gambling and prevent it from taking hold here in Pennsylvania.