In the same month that President George Bush signed the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act which is a law designed to stop online gambling in the USA, into law internet sites recorded a drop in visitors.
In much the same way as they measure viewers for television shows they are able to monitor traffic to internet sites. In October of 2006 they measured a drop in unique hits from the USA to all of the 10 web sites they track by as much as 56%.
Net Ratings who is the company that monitors these trends said that the drop in traffic comes at the end of a year of steady growth. They also said that there was still growth of more then 19% compared to the same time last year.
On October 13, 2006 President Bush signed a bill to increase port security and attached to this bill was a rider used to clarify laws already in existence. These laws make it illegal to use phone lines to place bets across state lines, the new bill also made it illegal for online gamblers to use credit cards, checks or money transfers to transfer money to the casinos for the purpose of placing wagers.
On Oct. 13, Bush signed a port-security bill that included the online gambling provision, which seeks to clarify existing laws that had addressed gambling by phone. It also creates new criminal penalties and prohibits Internet gamblers from using credit cards, checks and electronic fund transfers to settle their wagers.
Most experts predicted that most American online gamblers would get around the law by using third party overseas payment services who for now are out of reach of the American laws, but many online casinos and gambling sits have agreed to not take bets from Americans, for fear of repercussions from the American Justice System.
