Online gambling is a term that includes many forms of betting, including sports betting, casinos, lotteries, and virtual poker. Whether the activity is legal or illegal varies depending on the country in which the person is located. Those in the United States are governed by federal criminal statutes.

Internet casinos are a common form of online gambling. Several states are more permissive in their approach to online gambling. This includes the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Others are more restrictive.

The Commerce Clause of the Constitution has raised the question of whether the federal government can regulate the activities of a business. However, it is hard to justify the need for the federal government to take action against a lawful business based on the First Amendment right to free speech.

Although federal criminal statutes have been implicated in cases of illegal Internet gambling, the risk of prosecution depends on the nature of the offense. For example, Internet poker operations are charged with violating the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) under 18 U.S.C. 1955.

In addition to federal criminal statutes, state laws have also been implicated in these cases. These laws include the Travel Act, which is intended to prevent individuals from using interstate facilities to engage in prohibited gambling.

In order to avoid potential legal ramifications, it is important to understand the legality of online gambling. While many countries ban the activity, others have no specific laws that prohibit it.