Internet sites offering gambling have proliferated, fueling a debate over the suitability of regulations and laws that are meant to govern it here in the United States. The following Q & A offers a brief guide to the legal maze surrounding this controversial new form of gambling:

1. How large is the Internet gambling industry?
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2. About how many gambling Web sites are online?
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3. What are the laws which govern Internet gambling?
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4. Is Internet wagering illegal?
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5. What are the exceptions to the current laws?
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6. What about offshore Internet gambling sites?
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7. What about Indian gambling operations?
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8. Have there been any charges brought against Internet gambling sites?
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9. Is there any online gambling legislation pending?
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10. Would any kind of betting be allowed under the proposed prohibition act?
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11. If prohibited, what would be the penalty for online gambling?
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12. Have any states banned Internet gambling?
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13. How could children be prohibited from gambling online?
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Sources: "Gambling and the Law," by I. Nelson Rose; Internet Gambling Prohibition Act of 1997; Staff research