Online gambling, for better or for worse, has become one of the biggest markets on the Internet. In the U.S, this has become a huge topic of controversey, with people being able to gamble in states and cities where it is outlawed. The courts are reaching for straws trying to find ways to block or ban people from doing it, and most recently a federal judge requested British-based BetOnSports to cease accepting wagers from U.S. customers and return wagers from after summer of this year.
On top of that, it appears the courts are trying to get BetOnSports to abandon their trademarks in the U.S., and cease advertising as well, at least positive advertising. Further in the article, it seems the company is being forced to post a negative ad for themselves declaring online gambling to be illegal:
The company must also place prominent markers on its sites to alert potential gamblers that "it is a violation of U.S. law to transmit sports wagers or betting information" on international telephone lines. In addition, it must take out a full-page ad broadcasting a similar statement in a U.S. newspaper with national circulation.
While the courts can certainly impose restrictions on a companies actions in the U.S., will they really be able to stop or even slow down something that has become so popular?