BetFair head says at least five years before US gambling

[The Buzz]

BetFair has recently entered the US market after acquiring the TV Games Network. However, the European betting giant still does not take action on the many sports wagers it offers. BetFair co-founder Edward Wray was interviewed by Real Business and doesn't believe taking a gamble on the States is worth it at the moment:

“We’re not interested in going into grey areas,” he says. “We have 25 people in our legal team and we get professional, detailed opinions on every country that we operate in. As a rule, however, I don't believe in prohibition; it’s futile. People will find a way to gamble online, regardless of whether you tell them not to do it.”

He also says this about President Obama's administration:

“I’m delighted that he won but, let’s face it, gambling legislation isn’t going to be on the first or second page of Obama’s to-do list,” says Wray, sipping his tea. “I think the country will move to regulation but it may take five years, it may take ten years.

“We’ve had the luxury of growing at our own pace over the past decade and we’ve spend tens of millions of pounds on technology. Our website won’t fall over. When the US does open up, we’ll be ready."

[shaz]

Not too encouraging for those of us who live in the US and well recall the good old days when gambling was legal everywhere, no banned states.. our country truly was free for awhile.

True that gambling isn't the first on Obama's "to do list", unfortunately.. there's too many other things that undoubtedly are higher up on the list.

The laws here are so murky, that it's difficult to tell what exactly is legal in online gambling and what isn't unless one is an attorney; maybe not even then.

[pgaming]

But then again doesn't Obama strongly believe in upholding the U.S constitution. If so, the Patriot Act stripped many Americans of there First Amendment Rights.

One would think he would replace it with something else. If this act goes so does UIGEA?

greek39