New York - The FBI has visited casinos within the virtual world "Second Life," but authorities have not yet clarified whether the online gambling for virtual currency runs afoul of the U.S. ban on Internet gambling, Reuters reported.

"We have invited the FBI several times to take a look around in Second Life and raise any concerns they would like, and we know of at least one instance that federal agents did look around in a virtual casino," Ginsu Yoon, vice president for business affairs at Second Life parent Linden Lab, told Reuters.

"It's not always clear to us whether a 3D simulation of a casino is the same thing as a casino, legally speaking, and it's not clear to the law enforcement authorities we have asked."

The FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office for Northern California declined to comment for Reuters.

It's possible that Linden Lab is in violation of the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which prohibits payment services from enabling online gambling.

The company's Lindex allows Second Life inhabitants to exchange real-world currency for "Linden dollars."

Linden's Yoon added that the company would have no way to monitor or prevent gambling in the virtual world.

Related Links:
http://tinyurl.com/yugqoj (Reuters)

http://secondlife.com