Since December of 2011, the US seems to have been making steps which could lead to some forms of online gambling becoming legal. Congress appears to be easing the laws of internet gambling after passing legislation that could mean the re-emergence of the USA as a secure and regulated online gambling zone.

As soon as the majority of states follow in the footsteps of places such as Nevada (therefore having a relaxed approach towards online gambling in general), it will hopefully pave the way for a completely regulated gambling environment that offers players the services and security that they have long been pursuing.

America is certainly beginning to open her doors to online gambling by making some games legal. If all forms of online gambling are to eventually become legal across the nation, it could see games such as poker becoming available almost overnight at a large number of innovative gambling sites which already offer their services to players from around the world.

It will mean that businesses could legally base their operations from within the US, as opposed to having an offshore HQ. It also means that players would no longer have to search for the offshore operators that accept US players. Many of these portals are quite often unregulated and do very little to offer their registered members any decent form of player protection.

Online gambling will grow at a phenomenal rate as soon as the floodgates are opened. This will allow operators to get back on track and it will once again mean that online players in the US will have plenty of secure sites to choose from. Punters will soon be able to play on their favourite casino game or place a wager on one of many different sporting events from around the world.

Lobbyists continue to campaign for the complete legislation of online gambling and over the past few months, representatives have been bombarding Congress with endless correspondence (such as emails, telephone calls, written letters and even tweets) in an attempt to push for legalising online gambling in its many different forms.

New Jersey looks like it could become the third individual state to recognise online gambling and actually allow punters to place real cash wagers, along with the previously mentioned Nevada and also Delaware. As recently as December 2011, consumers witnessed a major victory towards online gambling, in particular for poker (which is often seen as a game of skill and not chance).

The Obama administration announced a move that could indeed prove positive for the future of online gambling in the US. The US government’s stance on internet gambling seems to be budging in favour of both the player and the operator.

The issue of gambling in an online environment still needs to be debated and it is mainly opposed by the US Indian tribes who believe it will have a major impact on their annual $28billion (£17.7b) land based gaming industry. Keep watching this space as we will keep you informed of any changes that occur which involve this hotly debated topic.