Online Gambling is a form of gambling conducted over the internet. Online gambling sites allow players to place wagers on sports events, games of chance and skill, as well as casino games like poker and roulette. In the United States, online gambling is regulated by state law. Players must be 21 or older to gamble on these sites. Players must also submit documentation to prove their identity when they sign up for an account. This information may be scanned or photographed and verified by the online gambling website. If a player doesn’t provide valid documents, they will be banned from the site.

Licensed online casinos must have SSL encryption on their websites and be governed by a recognized gambling authority. Players can check an online casino’s legitimacy by examining their license, checking for a secure lock icon in the browser bar, or looking for a web address that begins with https. Online casinos that do not have these security measures are likely to be unlicensed or run by scammers.

The first online gambling websites appeared in the late 1990s. By 1996, there were 15 gambling websites. In 1998, a number of US legislators, including Bob Goodlatte and Jon Kyl, introduced legislation to curb online gambling activities except for horse and dog races and state lotteries. This legislation did not pass. Online gambling has become a major industry that continues to grow rapidly. Many people have found that it provides an exciting way to relax and enjoy themselves.