You hear a lot about unsafe online casinos and that people should stay away from unlicensed online casinos. That is definitely true. However, what a lot of people don’t realize is that there are a lot of good licensed online casinos on the Internet that are perfectly safe.

Some people portray the online gambling industry as a lawless Wild Wild West. Putting aside the fact that the old west wasn’t actually all that wild or lawless, the comment still isn’t accurate. Opponents of online gambling say that land casinos, such as those in Las Vegas, are safe because they are tightly regulated by the government, but online casinos are not. That is untrue. The United States does not regulate online gambling and neither do several other major jurisdictions, such as the UK. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not regulated.

As is indicated on http://onlinecasinosuite.com/online-casinos/, there are many good online casinos that are tightly regulated by the governments of Gibraltar, Costa Rica, Malta, Curacao, and more. The online gambling companies tend to be based in places with the lowest tax rates, regardless of the population size, since the Internet aspect of the business makes physical location irrelevant to the customers.

Online casino regulators test the casino software, usually designed by a third party, to ensure that the games are fair and pay out at appropriate rates. They also make sure the casinos pay out upon withdrawal requests, that the casino is safe from fraud and hackers, and more. There are no guarantees in life, but if you play at an online casino that is licensed by a respected regulator and uses software that is reputable and considered safe, your money is as safe as when you play at a Vegas casino.

A Massachusetts Native American tribe wants a casino. The Wampanoag Aquinnah have put in a formal request to William Flanagan, mayor of Fall River. In the request, they ask the Fall River government to schedule a referendum for a tribal casino in the city. The city’s residents would then vote on the matter.

Earlier this week, the same tribe announced plans to build a casino in Taunton, Massachusetts. The Wampanoag Aquinnah tribe is a federally recognized tribe. That is important, because there is only one casino license up for grabs in southeastern Massachusetts. State law gives first preference for that license to federally recognized tribes. That gives the Wampanoag Aquinnah an edge over others who want to operate a casino in the area. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs website, bia.gov, the tribe has until July 1 to get a referendum passed and negotiate a compact with the state of Massachusetts.

Mayor Flanagan has said that, as of yet, the tribe has not yet provided an exact location for the casino. Such details would need to be a part of any proposal from the tribe. Other details are also needed before any referendum can be scheduled.

Even without the brick and mortar casinos, there are still gambling options for residents of the Bay State. Massachusetts does not have any law banning online gambling, which means residents can legally play at any overseas online casino that allows American customers. A list of the best online casinos available to American citizens can be found at internet-casinoonline.com.

Did you ever lose time from work or school due to gambling? Has gambling ever made your home life unhappy? Did gambling affect your reputation? Have you ever felt remorse after gambling? Did you ever gamble to get money with which to pay debts or otherwise solve financial difficulties?

Those are the first four of 20 important questions posed by Gamblers Anonymous on their website, GamblersAnonymous.org. If you are a gambler, we recommend that you read those 20 questions, even if you are certain that you don’t have a gambling problem. If you’re right, you’ll answer no to all 20 questions and your belief will be confirmed. If you answer yes to any of them, it’s time to look a little further.

Once you recognize that you have a gambling problem, you can start getting help. Gamblers Anonymous uses a support system of others who are struggling with the same problems, along with counselors, to help you with gambling addiction. The Gamblers Anonymous website can help you find a support group near you. If you are not yet ready to meet with others in person, Gamblers Anonymous can still help you. They have a hotline where you can call and speak with a trained counselor. You can also use the Web chat feature to chat with a counselor online.

Gamblers Anonymous can help people with the whole spectrum of problems. Whether you simply occasionally gamble too much or whether you compulsively gamble to the point that you have lost your house and job, they can help. The first step is visiting the website and answering a few questions.

For most players, online gambling is a fun hobby and a way to wager some money with the hopes of turning it into more money. For responsible gamblers, the activity is no more dangerous than any other hobby that costs money. However, the sad truth is that there are some who do not gamble responsibly. There are a small percentage of gamblers who have difficulty keeping their habit under control. From people with poor money management to full-on gambling addicts, problem gamblers have it tough.

For those struggling with problem gambling, it is recommended that they seek help with Gamblers Anonymous. The group is “a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from a gambling problem.”

Gamblers Anonymous, sometimes identified simply as GA, has local meetings and other ways for people to communicate and get help. There is a number that you can call, 1-888-GA-HELPS, to talk to a trained counselor. You can also get useful information or chat with a professional on the Gamblers Anonymous website. The website can also be used to find a meeting near you.

The first fellowship of Gamblers Anonymous was started in 1957 between two men struggling with gambling compulsions. Since then, GA has helped thousands of problem gamblers get help with their addictions and compulsions.

If you are suffering from gambling problems, it is important to know that you’re not alone. There is treatment and there are others who can help you through the process. Gamblers Anonymous is one way to get help.

On Tuesday, a lobbying group representing Atlantic City’s casinos urged voters to approve sports betting. The Casino Association of New Jersey issued a statement supporting a November referendum that would allow sports betting within the state.

The trade group, which represents each of the eleven casinos, says that sports betting in New Jersey would provide a much-needed boost to the local economy and help the casinos and the city get back on track. Bob Griffin, president of the Casino Association of New Jersey, said that sports betting would “attract more tourists to visit our city and enjoy our world-class entertainment, thriving restaurant industry, brand-name retail shopping and famous Boardwalk.”

There is a problem, though. Even if New Jersey voters approved of sports betting on the November ballot, it would take time for casinos to be able to offer betting, if it ever happened. Currently the state is barred by federal law from allowing sports betting. The federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 outlawed sports betting in all of the United States, with exemptions for jurisdictions where it was already legally taking place. For that reason, Nevada, Delaware, Montana and Oregon are allowed to offer sports betting, but any new state would be in violation of the law.

Proponents of the New Jersey referendum say that it is an important step toward repealing the federal ban on sports betting. Others say that it is a key states’ rights battle and if the sports betting was confined to within New Jersey’s borders, the federal government has no right to interfere.

The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians are seeking a casino in North Carolina, but one lawmaker predicts that no deal will happen. The current legislative session ends next week, so the clock is ticking on the negotiations between the tribe and lawmakers. According to Senator Tom Apodaca, chairman of the rules committee, that simply doesn’t leave enough time.

The Cherokee are the only federally recognized tribe in the state of North Carolina. They currently operate slot casinos, but want to expand to include live dealer games, such as blackjack. The tribe is currently negotiating a deal with Governor Beverly Perdue to amend their gaming compact, but there are several unresolved issues at this point. If the compact isn’t revised next week, it can’t be taken up again until the next legislative session begins in May.

Reaching an agreement by the end of the next week seems unlikely. According to a spokesperson for Perdue, there are “key issues remaining to be resolved.” One of the issues is said to be revenue-sharing, with the tribe and the government not able to agree on the amount that should be shared with the state. That money would be used in part to fund education. Another issue, according to tribal lawyer Anette Tarnawsky, is the federal government. The Interior Department would have to approve of the amended gaming compact. According to Tarnawsky, getting federal approval “may prove to be more complicated than originally envisioned.” The Cherokee say that their requested changes to the gaming compact, allowing table games and other non-machine gaming, would create hundreds of new jobs at the casino.

The Atlantic City casino industry is eyeing the Labor Day weekend, thinking it is the key to a post-Irene recovery. A shutdown of the city’s casinos last weekend cost a lot of money, and that is money that can’t be recouped. A big holiday weekend could go a long way toward facilitating a recovery, though.

Last weekend, Hurricane Irene battered the northeast United States. Though it was only a tropical storm when it hit the state of New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie decided to err on the side of caution and ordered the mandatory evacuation of the coastal part of the state. That includes Atlantic City and as a result, all eleven of the casinos had to shut down. It was only the third time in history that all of the casinos closed at the same time.

On Monday the casinos reopened but the damage was done. It was estimated that the loss of business over the weekend cost the casino industry up to $45 million in gambling revenue. Dennis Gomes, the CEO of Resorts Casino, said it was a “major hit financially” and they are simply hoping that the rest of the year can make up for it.

The Atlantic City casinos were already struggling. Christie’s attempts to revitalize the economy have had little effect on the casinos thus far. Losing a weekend of business was the last thing they needed. That makes Labor Day weekend that much more important. For companies that are seeing red, they need to see a lot more green this weekend.

Gambling is illegal in the state of New York, with a few exceptions. There are some tribal casinos in upstate New York. There are a few racetracks as well and a state lottery. Other than that, all gambling is banned by law. Now Governor Andrew Cuomo says the state should consider allowing non-Indian casinos.

Nearby states, such as Pennsylvania and Connecticut, already have full casinos. Massachusetts is also pushing for some casinos. With that in mind, New York doesn’t want to get left behind and watch its residents cross the border to play at casinos in other states.

The current racetrack casinos in New York want to be allowed to add table games and convert into full casinos. Governor Cuomo thinks all casino expansion should be considered. The biggest obstacle for that, though, is that the state constitution would have to be amended. In New York, amending the constitution isn’t easy. It requires the bill to pass the legislature during two consecutive sessions and then be approved by voters in a public referendum.

At various times a bill to allow non-tribal casinos has made it part of the way through those steps but was unable to get all the way through. With next year being a big election year, supporting a controversial measure like this could be even more unlikely.

Still, with the economy struggling, allowing casinos could give New York a much-needed boost. Aside from injecting more spending into the local economy, the government would also benefit from the tax revenue. There is currently a bill in the legislature to allow casino gambling, but it is not known how much support the bill has.

For years, the common belief was that there was a direct correlation between access to casinos and problem gambling. The thinking is that the more casinos there are, the more people are able to play. The more people play, more will develop gambling problems. A recent study, however, indicates that is not the case.

A Harvard University study by Professors Howard Shaffer and Ryan Martin found that although there has been a great deal of casino expansion in the last 35 years, problem gambling has declined. Though the actual number of problem gamblers has increased (as has total population) it has decreased as a percentage, from 0.7% to 0.6%.

Those people who make up the small percentage of gambling addicts have something in common. They are likely addicted to something else as well. The study says that 75% of those people who have an addiction to gambling also have a chemical addiction to another substance, either drugs, alcohol or smoking. That suggests that in almost all cases, a person who does not already suffer from addiction, suggesting a predisposition to addiction, is safe from becoming addicted to gambling.

It is not known what has caused problem gambling to decline over the last 35 years. Some people believe that it is due to increased awareness of the problem. Some feel that it is because the casinos, including online casinos, do a much better job of helping people get treatment than they did in the past. Some believe that legislation like the creation of self-exclusion list and lifetime bans deserves the credit. In any case, it is good news that the increased availability of casinos has not resulted in an increase in problem gambling.

Right now, the people of Mississippi will take any good news. They will be happy about any sign of things getting better. One positive sign is that a casino in Tunica County is set to reopen today. Two others casinos may reopen on Thursday. In a state that has seen virtually unprecedented flood damage, any business opening its doors is a good thing.

Earlier this month, 17 of the 19 casinos in Mississippi closed due to flooding. As the Mississippi River crested at 47.87 feet, just short of the record of 48.7 feet, businesses and homes were evacuated. Eventually, the Army Corps of Engineers had to blow levies and take other drastic measures to ease the flooding.

Now the Gold Strike Casino is scheduled to reopen today, as the nearby river is starting to recede. The Horseshoe Casino and Roadhouse Casino may also reopen tomorrow. The three casinos, due to their location, fared better than most of the state.

Casinos reopening might not seem to matter when the state has been hit by such tragedy, but it does matter. Not only is it a symbol of returning to a degree of normalcy, but it also has a huge economic impact. The state and local governments make $13 million per month on casino taxes. Mississippi was already struggling worse than the average state from the economic recession. The flood hurt things even more, so the sooner they can get casinos up and running, the better the state will be. Regulators will perform a variety of tests, such as making sure the gambling machines and surveillance systems are functioning, before reopening the casino.