Carruthers Calls For Strong Regulation In USA
Published: Saturday, February 11, 2006 Online-Casinos.com
CARRUTHERS CALLS FOR STRONG REGULATION IN USA
Editorial aimed at American legislators at a sensitive time
With increasing reports of a strong Leach-Kyl alliance to take down online gambling through new legislation, this weekend's news that Bet On Sports CEO David Carruthers is showcasing an industry view is welcome.
Carruthers was voicing his opinion in the influential Washington paper "The Hill" (Thehill.org) in an op ed piece clearly targeted on U.S. legislators.
Calling recent proposals to ban Internet gaming "...wasted efforts" the high profile executive urged legislators to regulate the industry rather than prohibit it.
"Instead of more rhetoric about the dangers of Internet gambling and more empty legislative exercises to prohibit global Internet businesses from operating in the United States, let’s really do something to address the concerns about Internet gambling," he wrote. "Let’s develop strong regulations that would create consistent and enforceable standards for the industry to uphold."
Commenting that online gambling executives shared concerns about gambling abuse and have been seeking support from governments to devise systematic ways to protect vulnerable populations, Carruthers said that thus far American politicians have not wanted to help.
"As a $12 billion industry consisting of more than 2,000 companies, our business is a thriving reality that requires regulation. While many companies in this industry are operating with high standards of ethics, we need consistent standards enforced across the board so that all operators will conduct business responsibly," Carruthers opined.
"We need specific guidelines and protocols to protect those who are vulnerable to gambling. We need partnerships with consumers, watchdog agencies, regulators and the general public to ensure that we are responding to people’s fears about the industry. We want to work with regulators to ensure that best practices of the industry can be extended to all companies and new ways to prevent abuse can be explored and implemented."
Carruthers went on to discuss various areas where critical areas were already being addressed, including identifying and enforcing best practices to prevent underage gambling, emphasising that regulation makes these more enforceably and extends their reach.
First, identifying and enforcing best practices to prevent underage gambling can be implemented. Online gambling companies have a number of safeguards to prevent underage gambling. We do not advertise to the age group. We have clear rules on our sites, we double-check credit-card information and we can provide links to filtering systems so that parents can put on restrictions. He outlined measures to contain compulsive gambling and ways in which regulation could strengthen these measures, and he underlined the benefits to transparency and good governance that legality and control could bring.
The moves towards regulation and control of online gaming in Britain were recommended as an alternative to U.S. politicians wasting time and resources on futile legislative efforts to prohibit online gaming from doing business.
"Legislation to ban Internet gambling has been submitted at least seven times in Congress, and each time the effort has failed. One of the reasons is that even the sponsors of the bills cannot agree on what type of online gambling to prohibit; some are in favor or horse betting online; others support lotteries online. Clearly the issue of what to oppose is even confusing for our critics," Carruthers wrote, concluding that this energy would be better spent on developing effective ways to protect consumers.
The Bet On Sports CEO concluded with a telling statement: "There are very few businesses in this world that say to governments: 'Regulate us and then tax us.' But that is exactly what we are requesting. I bet it would be a step in the right direction for all concerned."
