The US State of Minnesota Wants to Stop Online Gambling by Censoring the Internet

Even thought there are currently laws in place in the US that try to stop online gambling, players have no problem finding ways around them. There are still plenty of online gambling websites hosted overseas that accept US players, and these overseas sites are beyond the reach of US laws. The state of Minnesota wants to stop players from using those overseas sites, and has decided that they will take the matter into their own hands.

Minnesota has issued an order to 11 Internet Service Providers (ISPs) telling them to filter the internet. The ISPs are expected to block more than 200 online gambling websites, preventing players in Minnesota from accessing them. They cite a 50 year old law to justify their demands. The state is already making moves to warn the public about their plans, even though the filters are not yet in place.

There are already legal experts questioning this move, saying that the 50 year old law cannot apply to internet service providers since it was made long before the internet existed. If this does go through, however, it opens up a big can of worms as far as US online gambling is concerned, and other states will surely try the same tactics.

Some countries around the world have tried this sort of web filtering to control online gambling, but it never lasts for long. People find ways around the filters, and they find sites to play at which are not included in the filter list.

In the meantime, players in Minnesota and throughout the US still have plenty of options. There are dozens of top, trusted online casinos offering real-money blackjack and other exciting casino games. Even if Minnesota succeeds in applying the web filters, they won’t catch all the sites, and players in Minnesota will still find ways to gamble online.