The recent changes in the United States’ political arena may be the start of something positive for the country’s online casino industry. The president of the American Gaming Association, Frank Fahrenkopf, in an interview to the press, produced this sentiment. Fahrenkopf was cautiously optimistic that new key figures have replaced the traditionally anti online gambling characters who dominated the political stage until now. He was hopeful that these changes would bring about an upswing in the online casino market, which has been at an all-time low since President Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Prohibition Act.

Pro-gambling Democrat politicians – including those who favor online casino gambling – will take up key leadership positions in the United States. These include Senator Harry Reid who was a former casino regulator and who will take over as US Senate leader. Even the Senate’s new Republican leader – Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell – might bring good tidings for the online casino industry. Kentucky is considered a gambling state and its representative are traditionally pro-gambling, although it remains to be seen what his clear position on online gambling is.

While the Internet Prohibition Act was signed in the hope of protecting US gamblers against the ‘evils’ of online casino gambling, the opposite has actually happened. Good, regulated online casino companies have been forced out of the industry, while shady and unregulated sites flourish in a very open market.