…And according to the American Gaming Association, online gambling, with more than 2000 Web sites, has grown from zero in 1995 to a more than $6 billion industry today. And that is expected to grow to more than $16 billion by 2009.

"Internet gambling has become a substantial phenomenon in the gaming industry space," said Las Vegas attorney Anthony Cabot, a specialist in gaming law.

Online gambling sites, he said, "show the power of the Internet to both create and carry a gaming trend."

But the laws on this form of gambling in the United States are still somewhat murky.

"Internet gambling on horse racing is legal; sports wagering on the Internet is probably illegal; and the rest of it: There's no federal law that addresses it," said Cabot.

Cabot said even if there is state or federal legislation aimed at restricting or controlling online wagering, it will continue to grow.

"There are always going to be workarounds," he said. "Legislators will have a hard time ever stopping online gaming. In fact, it will probably be impossible to stop online gaming."

The Internet is fast becoming the medium of choice for sports fans with up-to-the-second sports news scores, information, equipment and paraphernalia. Millions of die-hard and casual sports enthusiasts crowd the virtual bleachers of cyberspace every season, driving Internet sales figures skyward in a market estimated to reach $8.2 million in 2004, according to US Bancorp Piper Jaffray.

And who exactly are these fans? Not surprisingly, a recent study from Copernicus reveals a huge, passionate and still-growing audience consisting primarily of men. The study which looked at "wired young men" 18-34 who access the internet for personal reasons several times a month or more, found that sports information was the primary reason for going online. Additionally, Copernicus found that 21% of men start their web sessions with a visit to a sports site compared to 12% who log onto news and search sites first.

Aptly nicknamed "SportsCentered" by Copernicus, these men tend to be affluent and physically and socially active with an average household income of $64,000. 78% of men had purchased products online prior to the study. Interestingly, the internet just barely beats TV as the preferred medium for gathering news and information.

Like travel, online sports is a winning game for web retailers. Even in a down market, sports enthusiasts exhibit a repeat, habitual dynamic that other content producers would love to emulate. They also have more money, a fact that runs across gender lines...

For web investors looking for a bright spot in the new economy, sports may just be the ticket.

With the proven ability to of Web Sites to increase brand awareness, we offer a host of opportunities to market your producer, service, or site to a proven segmented strata of Internet traffic.

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