Senators argued that unless cyber-betting was stopped now, it would become a multi-billion dollar operation with so-called virtual casinos accessible to millions of children.

The move is an extension of the current ban on telephone gambling in the United States.

The bill - pased by 90 votes to ten - also bans the development of new gambling outlets using satellite and fibre-optics technology

One of the bill's sponsors, the Republican senator from Arizona John Kyl said that the number of Internet gambling sites had more than doubled since last year.

His co-sponsor the Democrat senator Richard Bryan from Nevada, warned: "By the year 2000, 15 million kids will have access to the Internet. If Internet gambling is allowed to flourish, every one of these kids will have access to gambling,"

Senators rejected Native American groups' appeal that they be exempted from the Internet ban because casinos and gambling operations on their tribal lands are sanctioned under a separate federal law.