Online Gambling is the process of playing games of chance, such as sports betting and virtual poker, for money. It is an increasingly popular activity, with online revenues reaching $21 billion in 2008.

The Internet has made it possible to participate in gambling at a time and place that suits you. In addition to providing convenience, the Internet offers a wide variety of bonuses and promotions.

However, there are some legal risks associated with using the Internet to gamble. One of the most important is that your personal information may be accessible to criminals and scammers. For example, you could be subject to identity theft if you provide your bank account or credit card details to an online gambling site.

In the United States, illegal Internet gambling is defined as placing bets, receiving bets, or transmitting bets over the Internet. Whether or not the act of entering a bet constitutes gambling in New York State depends on the facts of the case.

Another question that arises in these cases is whether a state can prosecute a person who conducts an illegal Internet bet from its jurisdiction. Some state officials have expressed concern that the Internet will enable illegal gambling to enter their jurisdictions.

However, these concerns are generally not applicable in state-run operations. These are businesses that raise funds for government programs. If the facilities are provided by the Federal Communications Commission, the FCC may be required to discontinue the lease of facilities.