ABSTRACT
While it may come as a surprise to many of those who participate, gaming in the virtual world is subject to an array of laws. As with offline gambling, states maintain the most control over determining which activities constitute illegal gambling online. While prediction markets have some elements of gambling, they are permitted to operate in the US via a legal loophole. The Internet boom in the 1990s transformed fantasy sports into a popular mainstream activity. For both Internet gambling and fantasy sports, the businesses that offer such activities face far more legal risks than do the individuals who participate in the games. The possible link between violence in computer games and the rising trend of antisocial behavior in society has prompted calls for regulation of the video game industry. E-sports — the playing and watching of competitive video games as a spectator sport — is growing fast.
