Re: What will happen next?
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Online gambling may be legalized, but it will only happen when the online casinos strike a deal with politicians to share the money with the government.
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I like the rest of your post, but given what I know, the online casinos and poker rooms would gladly offer the US federal government a share of the money (ie., would gladly submit to US federal government taxation and oversight) for un-threatened and 'legitimate' access to the US market. I believe TruePoker's CEO has claimed that very thing more than a few times on this forum.
Even if the off-shore online gaming interests with US facing operations (current or former) like Stars, FT, 888.com, Pinnacle, etc. refused to capitulate to the demands of federal regulators, there are undoubtedly numerous American interests (think American B&M casino interests like Harrah's and MGM) who would happily submit to the federal government's demands for taxation/regulation if it meant internet gaming were decriminalized and the stigma of illegality were removed from the industry.
In other words, I'm not quite sure that the federal government's only interest here is in taxing and regulating. That goal could have easily been achieved now, had it been the end they're after.
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You misread my post. I didn't say that it would happen when the online sites were willing, they're obviously willing, I said it would happen when a deal was struck.
You are correct that taxes aren't the only interest of the federal government, but those interests can be overcome in the same way that interests in prohibiting land based casinos have been overcome.
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