As thousands of gamblers spend significant money on the World Cup this month, teams of lobbyists representing casinos and anti-gambling coalitions alike are battling on Capitol Hill over how to deal
with the proliferation of online wagering. Congress is currently looking over several bills that would impose stricter laws on those who engage in online betting, which is illegal. Even so, Internet
betting is an estimated $12 billion-a-year business worldwide, with more than half of spending estimated to have come out of the United States. National sports leagues like Major League Baseball want
to make sure that stricter measures don't affect fantasy sports games, which the MLB in particular credits for a resurgence in its popularity. For their part, Las Vegas casinos have remained neutral
over online betting, embracing a proposal from the House to establish a study commission. But convenience stores that sell lottery tickets, the horse racing industry, dog tracks, and others who stand
to lose from online gambling's popularity are pushing for bills to enhance enforcement of online gambling law. Meanwhile, nearly everyone involved in legislation talks agrees that online gambling is
virtually impossible to stop because of the reach of the Web. Said one of the analysts involved in the study produced by the American Gambling Association: "Money, like water, will find its way. And I
really think that applies to this. The money will find a way to get to the offshore sites."
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