Report: U.S. could make $52B by lifting online gambling ban

A study by accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers just released says that the United States could take in about $52 billion in revenue by lifting the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act and regulating and taxing online gambling and poker.

The study comes as U.S. Congressman Barney Frank is planning to introduce a bill that would repeal the UIGEA.

According to a story by Reuters:

But PricewaterhouseCoopers’ latest estimate of how much the United States could raise from regulating and taxing Internet gambling is about 22 percent higher than it was in 2007 because U.S. online gambling has grown despite the ban, Sandman said.

Gambling advocates hope the U.S. government’s need for new revenue in the aftermath of huge bailout and stimulus packages will boost chances for Congress to replace the ban with new measures to regulate and tax online gambling.

Whole thing here.

According to the story, PricewaterhouseCoopers did the study for an online payment service. Obviously that service and others like would stand to gain for legalization and regulation of poker in the U.S. market.