The legality of betting online is generally dependent on the legislation provided in your country of residence. Many bookmakers move offshore not because of the difficulty in obtaining an Internet betting licence, but to avoid having the pay general betting duty tax. Since bookmakers are able to take bets via the telephone, it is generally accepted that they are allowed to take bets online as well.

Gambling, in the broader sense, is not as legal; for example, it is illegal to set up online casino, bingo and machine gaming sites in Great Britain. Operators licensed by the Gaming Board must offer casino gaming, bingo and gaming machines solely on registered and licensed premises. There is a workaround, however; British residents can easily access a UK-registered site and be redirected to an online casino in a country where they are legal. A conservative estimate puts the number of online casinos in the Caribbean at 1500; it is impossible to keep track of the precise number, however, as these casinos do not have to be registered.

The legal issues surrounding betting online have not halted the proliferation of UK online betting sites, however; the major three are Ladbrokes, William Hill and Coral, while the betting exchange Betfair has expanded to become an international betting shop, ruffling a few feathers in the process with its service posing a great threat to on track betting and bookmakers.

The demographics of those that bet online are varied, but there is a general trend indicating the growth of the industry. Only a small percentage of people have gambled online – this figure is estimated to be 0.5% in Great Britain, while other studies have showed 0.6% of Australian adults and 5% of the United States’ 90 million Web users have placed bets online. The data also indicated that the majority of those that had participated in online sport betting were male, no doubt keeping the testosterone and adrenalin levels pumping.

There have been varying suggestions of the growth of the online gambling industry, but a general upward trend has been noted since a turnover of US$1.167bn. in 1999 to US$6.346bn. in 2003 (source: Christiansen Capital). These figures are only slight in comparison to betting office turnover and telephone betting, but Internet betting is beginning to increase in popularity and will inevitably close the gap between it and the other two methods.

There is little doubt that betting online is an industry that is booming and, with time, and the constant reassurance of credit card safety and further developments of technology, may supersede on-track and telephone betting. Just see what the sites below are offering and you will see why.