11 bad states to live in for online poker?

All online gambling sites -- including online poker sites -- used Friday, October 13, 2006 as a day to re-evaluate their position in the United States market. It was on this day that President Bush signed into law the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006.

Prior to the signing of the Act, IL, IN, LA, MI, NJ, NV, NY, OR, SD, WA, WI all had state laws that specifically banned all forms of online gambling, including online poker. These laws remain intact and are wholly unaffected by the Act.

The Act does NOT prohibit the playing of online real money poker games for Americans. Instead, the Act places restrictions on the financial transactions that occur in connection with online gambling; it restricts electronic fund transfers and the use of credit cards in connection with such wagering. This means that players can no longer make wagers or collect winnings using electronic fund transfers, credit or debit cards, or some other online payment systems.

In any event, online gambling sites have done one of three things with respect to US-based real-money players:

1) Closed their site to all US-based real-money players

2) Continue to accept US-based real-money players from all states

3) Accept US-based real-money players from states other than the states in which online gambling is specifically outlawed (meaning no players from the states listed above)

Thus, the reason that some poker sites refuse to accept players from these 11 states is that they and their legal teams believe that the state laws in those states could be used to bring litigation against them.

My thinking is this: There are many other sites that continue to operate in these 11 states. Presumably these site's legal teams are just as qualified as those that exited these states. So, there is obviously room for wide interpretation of the state laws.... and laws with a wide room for interpretation are either extensively litigated or remove from the books when challenged.

I doubt that any sites or any players will be successfully prosecuted under any state laws.

Best of luck!

Robert

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It is not illegal to gamble in those states (I just went to the casino in Wisconsin this last weekend), but the websites are locking people out due to pending legislation in the state and local governments. The poker sites are being what they think is proactive, but really they are just turning away good money. Some sites have banned all US players (Regardless of state)from depositing or withdrawing funds while others have done nothing and still allow US players to come and go at will, and still others seem to be blocking out the states whos' legislation they seem to be taking more seriously.

It's illegal to gamblin in those states. Pretty soon all of the U.S.A should be illegal to gamble online. It's a bad habit and it ruins families. Personal experiences

it illegal to play poker in there :)