Technology is reaching the industry of online gambling. This is evident because at the US Open, players are being put on notice to watch what they Twitter.  The signs posted say: “Important. Player Notice. Twitter Warning.”  The fear is that a tennis player Twitters some “inside information” that would help gamblers by tipping them off.  The US Open is the first major sporting event to post signs of this nature, or be concerned about security breaches for the purpose of sports betting.

Twitter is a micro-blogging technology that allows users to communicate. They answer the phrase: “What are you doing?” and have to provide an update in 140 characters or less. The website has become increasingly more popular over the years and boasts millions of online participants. People use it as a way of communicating their feelings, promoting themselves, their businesses and social networking in general.  It began in 2006, but three short years have been enough for it to gain worldwide notoriety.  Twitter is ranked as one of the 50 most popular websites worldwide.

Gambling gets involved in the Twitter machine when people at live sporting events are able to post to Twitter, or tweet, via their cell phones.  Companies are worried that inside information of any type can be tweeted to the nation and tip off gamblers as to which teams are winning.  This will help sway their bets and give them a better shot of cashing in. Although predictions are hard to rely on, if a team has a clear edge, chances are they will be the winning team at the end.

Gail Dorsey, community activist for fair gaming, stated, “We want to make sure that everyone is equal when it comes to betting and that no one has the advantage. With today’s technology, it’s easy to get one simple Tweet out there that spills the beans.”  Dorsey is among many activists trying to get a handle on the relationship between gambling and technology.  Especially since both are growing at exponential rates within our society.  The internet has brought a global interest in every communication and gambling needs to protect itself from ill-conceived messages that could harm the betting outcome.