FBI Investigates Second Life

You might have heard of it, or even visited this "world" yourself. It's something as rare as a brand new "country" that has grown with over 5 million inhabitants in a very short period of time.

Of course I'm talking about the virtual world Second Life, where people from all over the world can create their own characters, buy land and participate in many different activities to say the least. Second Life offers casinos where players use Second Life's own currency Linden Dollars when playing slots, blackjack and poker.

Some people actually make their living from activities in Second Life, which has drawn FBI's attention to this "game". FBI is evaluating the legality of Second Life's gambling facilities, and if the creators, Linden Labs, can be held responsible for the online casinos in their virtual world.

It's not crystal clear that a 3D casino in Second Life is the same thing as a regular online casino. These casinos are set up by individual players who receive the profits form the casinos, whereas Linden Labs doesn't earn any money from the actual games.

FBI is investigating if Linden Labs could face criminal charges under the Illegal Gambling Business Act or the Unlawful Gambling Enforcement Act.

Real money is wagered, we all know that much. But who is responsible for Second Life casinos - Linden Labs or the casino operators?