Although online poker is a favorite pastime in America, many Americans are still unsure if it is legal. Although I’m not an attorney, I have done extensive research and come up with my own conclusions.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, or UIGEA, was passed by the United States in 2006. This bill was attached to The Safe Ports Act, and was unanimously passed into law. Two US Senators were responsible for this bill, who wanted to ban online gambling in America.
Since its passage, the UIGEA was controversial. The law makes it illegal for banks and other joker388 deposit pulsa tanpa potongan financial institutions in the United States to know or process gambling payments from residents. The Act did not apply to lotteries or fantasy sports, nor games of skill. It was initially thought that the bill would not affect online poker, as many considered poker a skill game. The Department of Justice was not happy with poker gambling. They enforced the law by indicting the owners of large online poker sites that accepted Americans. Poker sites like Full Tilt and Poker Stars, Absolute Poker, Ultimate Poker, and Poker Stars were among the first to go down. Several other online poker rooms were also indicted, and some others left the US market.
All that being said, is the UIGEA making online poker illegal? The short answer is no. Only online poker rooms and banks are covered by the law. The law doesn’t state that anyone playing online poker is breaking any law. It does not state that withdrawing money from poker sites is illegal. It is up to the banks and the poker sites to follow the law.
How can some poker sites accept players from the USA? Many poker sites believe that they can accept players from the USA because they are licensed in other countries and do not have to adhere to the UIGEA. They continue to welcome new and existing players from the USA. Although this is an area that is still very much “unclear”, it is possible to see online poker fully regulated in the United States in the near future. Some states have already passed laws allowing online poker within the borders of their states. We are hopeful that poker regulation at the national level will soon be possible because of these advances.