For any online gambler, it’s hard not to notice the complex transformation that has been going on in the online gambling industry. Your favorite online sportsbook may have changed its bonus structure, payment and funding options or even pulled out of the United States or North American markets.

In the fall of 2006, the U.S. government attached the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act to the Port Act (UIGEA) in a half-ass attempt to curb internet gambling in the U.S. All this act did was to complicate the manner in which we fund our accounts and collect our winnings. However, that was enough to drive the passive players and lazy gamblers away. This may not sound like much, but this would be equivalent to shutting down all flights in and out of Las Vegas.

There will always be those of us willing to fly into another airport and rent a car, but not every casino would survive. Some casinos would have to lock the doors while others would pack up and move their operations somewhere else. VIP and Pinnacle are only two of the online sportsbooks that have recently faded out of the North American market since the passing of the UIGEA, and there is an infinite prospect of others that could decide to follow at anytime.

There are a few sportsbooks, like Bookmaker, that have decided to hold on and swing like a boxer in the 12th round. After all, this is the world’s biggest market for online gambling.

Bookmaker.com recognizes the value of its players and treats the $50 a game player and the $500 player the same. They are also currently offering a special bonus structure for a select few that are in the know. By using the bonus code “SIG” when you register your account, you are entitled to the following bonus structure by emailing, or calling customer service after you make you deposit:

• Bonus for $100 and up (instead of $300)
• Pager for a $500 deposit or more (instead of $2,000)
• Reloads are 20% (instead of 10%)

For the gambling enthusiast, the transformation has only been a minor bump in the road in the form of an extra step while funding our account or a slight delay for payouts.

The industry is truly venturing through some rough waters. As a country, we have already learned that prohibition is not the final solution when such a large population condones and participates in the pastime that is in question. This would essentially make the U.S. look like China by censoring the content of the internet and drive gambling further underground.

It is just simply too much for me to believe that online gambling is going anywhere anytime soon. Every year new states are opening up slot parlors or are adding poker tables to their casinos and tourism in Las Vegas and Atlantic City are at record highs. The U.S. Government may complicate the process and limit our options by changing the rules of the game. Congress already knows what a monumental, and quite possible unconstitutional, task eradicating gambling would be. That is why they attached the UIGEA to a must past bill.

At some point, not in the foreseeable future, our representatives will drop this witch-hunt and focus on issues that directly affect our nation as a whole. The Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association, iMega, is a not-for-profit corporation headquartered in Washington DC that is fighting for your right to gamble online. iMEGA is focusing on the unconstitutionality of the UIGEA, and has submitted several legal motions.

Founded in 2007, iMEGA is seeking a constructive engagement with the government at both the Federal and State levels fighting for their members that include companies that are responsible for constructing the Internet into the powerful influence on society it has become.

With sportsbooks like BookMaker around, and groups like iMEGA, online gambling isn’t going anywhere. Just hold on while the industry rides this out because online gambling isn’t dying; it’s only being re-born.