Our gambling news this week focuses on the return of Net Neutrality rules, and that means the exit of FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. The return of Net Neutrality will ensure a better internet for online casinos, poker, and sports betting. Also, as another state prepares to launch sports betting, we look at how large the industry could grow over the next few years.
Well, here we are barely two weeks into the brand new year and already things are just as bad crazy as they were last year! We’ve got people storming the Capitol building! We’ve got a President that’s about to be impeached! And on top of that the McRib sandwich will soon be gone again! It’s madness I tell you! Madness!
This week’s big story is not that Donald Trump will soon be leaving office, but what happens when he does. Significantly, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commissions has also announced that he will be stepping down. And that’s good news for online gambling… and really anyone who likes the internet. You may remember that FCC chairman Ajit Pai killed Net Neutrality back in 2018 despite objections from the public, government officials, and even some of his own FCC employees. But now that a new administration is taking over, Mr. Pai has voluntarily stepped down before they throw him out on his ass.
You see, Net Neutrality forces Internet Service Providers to treat all traffic on the web equally, and it prevents them from slowing down or throttling your service just to force you to pay more. And with the explosion of online gambling, poker, and sports betting that can only be a good thing for players. Ever since Mr. Pai killed Net Neutrality, ISP’s have been raising their rates but not their level of service… which is exactly what many experts predicted would happen. But hey, you can’t really blame Mr. Pai. After all, he used to work for the ISP’s and was basically just a corporate shill while he was heading up the FCC.
Now however, with a new FCC chairperson moving in and Ajit Pai-hole moving out, the Net Neutrality rules are expected to be reinstated… and that’s great news, not just for online gambling, but for streaming services and virtual reality and life in general. So who knows? Maybe there is still some hope for 2021.
On our last show we spoke about the continued expansion of sports betting in America… and now it looks like the state of Virginia will be able to start accepting wagers before the Super Bowl. And with so many states now regulating the activity some are wondering just how big can this get.
Expectations are that betting on sports in this country could generate up to $3 billion just in 2021. Not bad for an industry that didn’t even exist outside of Nevada just three short years ago! Plus, expectations are that up to 14 more states could regulate the activity this year, and that by 2026 the business could be generating over $10 billion a year!
And finally this week, the United States isn’t the only country allowing expanded sports betting. The Philippines just announced that they, too, will allow the activity to be regulated… permitting online horse racing and cockfighting! Now I’m not one to judge another culture, but cockfighting? Well, let’s just say I was relieved to learn they were talking about chickens! And hey, I enjoy a bucket of KFC as much as the next guy!
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