LAS VEGAS -- Despite the legal uncertainties it looks like it's full steam ahead for Internet gambling. This year's gaming convention in Las Vegas featured a growing list of companies jumping on the Internet gambling bandwagon.

A number of new players are looking to make an impact on the no-download, JAVA casino market while the current leaders in downloadable casino software continue to develop and improve their products.

For downloadable casino games, multiplayer is the word of the day. For those new to online gaming, "multiplayer" means playing "live" with other players at the same time.

Boss Media unveiled their impressive multiplayer entry at the expo -- including the world's first multiplayer slots. These multiplayer slots will allow players to "sit beside" other players, chat, and see how each other are doing. Expect these games to debut at Boss Media's Gold Club Casino in the next month or two.

Software leader Cryptologic has already rolled out impressive multiplayer games at InterCasino and Omni Casino.

Plenty of vendors were showcasing their no-download HTML or JAVA games, including GamblingSoftware.com, Externet World, and GoldPlay Gaming Systems.

Galaxiworld continues to lead the way in no-download games with dozens of WebTV-compatible games. Galaxiworld's deep resources and affiliation with Playboy virtually guarantee them a large piece of the Internet casino action for some time to come.

For horseracing fans, You Bet continues to enhance and expand their live horseracing product, improving video quality and adding more tracks to their list. It still remains to be seen how well You Bet will be accepted by online gamblers.

On the legal front, the experts I spoke to generally agree that the Kyl bill is unlikely to pass this year and online gambling will continue its present course for the time being. Meanwhile, several Australian territories plan to licence additional online casinos and sportsbooks consolidating Australia's lead in online gaming regulation.