Nigel Payne is a name to know in the online betting industry...and the man himself is not afraid to let people know that.  Payne, who is the CEO for the highly popular online betting site, SportingBet, was the first to offer his help and time when the American Gaming Association (AGA) just recently announced their recommendation of undertaking a one-year Congressional study on the effects of online casino gambling in the U.S.

After the AGA made the announcement that a study is warranted before putting an outright ban on internet gambling, Payne and his publicity team announced that he would be available for interviews and discussions regarding how and why regulated online casino gambling will be a benefit to the American economy, why and how it would help to better the industry itself, and how online gambling companies use technology to insure safe practices that protect against underage and problem gambling.

With the online casino gambling industry surpassing yearly revenues of $12 billion, some U.S. Congressmen like Representative John Connors have been urging for a study on the effects of internet betting to see how regulating it could be a better alternative than trying to fight what could otherwise be considered an unending battle not worth fighting.

As for Payne and SportingBet, the move to regulate online casino gambling is the best option.  The U.S. government has already missed out on billions of dollars in tax money, if only they had adopted strict regulations on the online casinos and gaming sites who are banking millions each year from American bettors making stakes on poker, online casino games and sporting events. 

Like SportingBet themselves, who now have over 2.7 million registered users worldwide (mainly in Europe) and nearly doubled their size of business between 2004 and 2005, online casino gaming sites who operate in heavily regulated jurisdictions like the U.K. are still doing well for themselves, despite increased taxes and restrictions.