Online Poker Ban? Get Real!
Let me preface this page by saying
that I am not an attorney and you should certainly not take my words
as legal advice. However, I have extensively researched this
subject, received advice from those who are attorneys, and
have followed this legislation's progress every step of the way.
Here is what you need to know:
"Is the recent US legislation a
ban of online poker?"
Very simply put, "NO!!!". Where
did the misguided suggestion that the Unlawful Internet Gambling
Enforcement Act is in any shape or form an "online poker ban" come
from? Most likely, it is the result of the mainstream media doing a
horrendous job of covering the story.
The entire legislative process
for this bill has been a disgrace to our government and should have
received nationwide outrage and extensive media coverage. Instead,
newspapers and cable news channels glossed over the subject with
headlines like, "Online Gambling Made Illegal" or "Senate Decides to
Outlaw Online Gaming".
The preceding headlines are an
embarrassment to honest reporting and are fundamentally wrong in
their language. Online gambling has not been outlawed despite the
media's inaccuracies. I'd like you to keep in mind a few important
points about this bill as a poker player. It would be nice if the
media outlets would do the same:
1. FALSE: The UIGEA bans
online poker. In fact, the bill never even mentions
online poker. It doesn't single out poker, blackjack, roulette, or
any other skill or casino game. Many organizations, including the
Poker Players Alliance, are lobbying in Washington to gain an
exemption for poker from the bill.
Those sensible enough to
listen will realize that poker is a skill game and couldn't be more
different than casino games played against the house or sports
betting firms acting as quasi-legal bookies.
2. FALSE: The bill makes it a crime
to play poker or any other casino game online. Read that last
point again: it isn't illegal to play online poker. The legislation
passed never targets the individual player and was never intended
to. The US government doesn't care enough to throw people in
prison for playing $5 Sit 'n Goes.
The bill doesn't outline any
penalty for players or ban gameplay and it never will. In fact, in
the words of 25-year legal analyst and Cardplayer columnist Allyn
Jaffrey Shulman, "the legal landscape of online gaming has not
changed...the new bill does not make online gaming illegal."
What does the bill actually do? Read on.
3. TRUE: This legislation bans US
banks from working with international gambling sites, something that
has already been voluntary practice for years. That's what this
legislation is about - banking. It aims to decrease online gambling
by making it unlawful for US banks to send money directly to online
gambling operations.
What is so ridiculous about all this is that
almost all domestic credit cards and banks voluntarily stopped doing
business with gambling sites years ago! Have you ever tried to
deposit money at a poker site using your credit card? Most likely
the transaction was promptly blocked by your card-issuing bank.
Thus, your next option is to utilize
third-party payment services that are used by the poker room.
Amazingly, online poker has already come a long way since the UIGEA
was enacted. Several poker rooms now accept direct checking account
and even credit card deposits through their built-in cashiers. Check
our
eChecks and
US credit card poker pages for poker rooms that support these
simple methods of deposit.
4. TRUE: US Courts have ruled that
the Wire Act of 1961 does not apply to poker or online gambling.
The Department of Justice would like to believe that the antiquated
Wire Act still applies today, making all forms of betting illegal
online. In fact, district courts have ruled the opposite as recently
as 2001 when a group of US bettors brought a lawsuit against a
major credit company. They refused to pay their bills for gambling
transactions and cited the Wire Act as their reasoning, claiming
that they should not be held liable since the online gambling sites
were committing a crime.
The judge emphatically ruled against the
bettors, citing the irrelevance of a 40-year old law that only
applies to accepting interstate telephone sports bets. Perhaps most
pleasing was the judge's statement that the spirit of the Wire Act
does not apply to modern-day internet gambling. Another fact to
consider is that there has never been a single arrest in this
country based simply on gambling online.
5.
TRUE: The motivation of this legislation was not based on morals.
Corrupt Senators like Bill Frist and John Kyl would like you to
believe that they forced this legislation through to protect us from
ourselves - already a massive destruction of civil liberties. They
make quotes comparing online gambling to crack. "Click the mouse and
lose your house," was one such quote of rhetorical nonsense. They'd
love for you to believe that they're simply restricting our choices
because, left to our own devices, we're unprincipled and sinful.
Unfortunately, even that "noble" cause wasn't their motivation.
It's all about money. International
gambling sites pay no US taxes and have no reason to. Our
government doesn't receive a slice of the pie so they decided to
just try to stop the money flow altogether. Instead of legalizing
and taxing online gambling like forward thinking countries in
Europe, a few special interests have thrust us our country into
another tailspin.
Do you think that I'm just biased?
Consider this: the bill carves out special exemptions for online bets
placed on horse racing and state lotteries. Yes, you read that
right: gambling that is taxed is completely legal. Is
throwing away your money on horse racing or quick picks less wrong
than playing online poker? Apparently, to people like Bill Frist
morality has a price.
"What should I take away from
all this?"
The most important concept of this
article is that online poker is still not a crime. The
Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, passed in late September
2006, is not an online poker ban. The bill is entirely a
banking transaction and has nothing to do with the individual
player. Going even further, it doesn't even change the murky legal
status of online gambling. It does not set punishments for placing
bets and it doesn't target poker players. You can still play poker
online and that still isn't illegal for all the reasons I outlined
above.
"Why are poker sites shutting
down?"
Unfortunately, all of the publicly
traded online poker rooms have shut their doors to U.S. players.
Again, this has less to do with the actual legislation and more to
do with money. Companies like 888, PartyGaming, and Sportingbet have
stockholders to answer to. Investors will be extremely leery to do
business with a company that appears to be doing something risky on
the surface. The move is intended to cover their butts at the next
Board meeting. Consider that the majority of privately owned online
poker sites have stuck around whereas every publicly traded company
has bowed out of the US market.
"Where can I find more resources?"
We will continue to update this page
with news about this legislation. You can also visit our list of
US
online poker reviews, our quick roundup of
where to play poker from the US, easy
NETeller Alternatives, a list of
legal
poker sites, information on
USA
online poker, a guide to
online poker in the United States, and all
deposit methods or
withdrawal methods.
"Where can I still play poker
online?"
Below is a list of several online poker
rooms that still accept deposits from US players and have no plans
of changing that policy. By going through our site, you're entitled
to increased deposit bonuses and promotions.
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Sportsbook Poker certainly doesn't have the name
recognition of the larger rooms but has really impressed me
in a number of important aspects. One of their largest draws comes in
their ability to process US credit cards directly from their
cashier without being blocked by your originating bank. Unlike
virtually every other poker room accepting credit cards,
Sportsbook Poker has a near-100% acceptance rate and
doesn't require a third-party e-wallet signup. This is, by
far, the easiest poker room in terms of deposits for the US
and Canadian market.
The sizable traffic at
Sportsbook Poker is also surprising given its lack of
marketing and age. Players should expect to find at least
10-20 active ring games at limits up to $1/2 and $2/4 NL.
Beyond that, there are still a few active tables up to the
$5/10 NL level.
Sportsbook Poker also earned our top Fish Rating due to
its awful player base. Both flop percentage and average pot
numbers far exceed the more popular sites.
Finally, new US
players signing up through our site are eligible for a 100%
bonus with an extra 10% as instant cash. The poor players,
credit card deposits, and large bonus currently make
Sportsbook Poker our top site remaining in the US market
after the "online poker ban".
All US credit cards are accepted.
Our Bonus:
100%
up to $1,000 + 10% instantly
Visit Sportsbook Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Full Tilt
Poker has really thrived since they decided to continue US
operations. Once relegated to the second tier in terms of
popularity,
Full Tilt
Poker is now one of the largest online poker rooms. Such massive
traffic actually largely benefits players with tens of
active cash games at every limit and at least 10-15
tournaments per hour drawing thousands of players.
Full Tilt
Poker is also one of the few online sites where the sponsored
pros can actually be found at the tables regularly.
US players looking for easy
deposits after the so-called online poker ban shouldn't
overlook the
Full Tilt
Poker eCheck service. eChecks offer one of the most hassle-free
options as they work with any US checking account and have a
100% acceptance rate. Checking account deposits are made
directly through the cashier without requiring prying
personal information.
The poker-only stance of
Full Tilt
Poker allows them to
work with a larger number of payment processors and
separates them from the legal wrath incurred by online sportsbooks.
With the 100% bonus given to our new players this is one of
the most well-rounded poker rooms online.
 US
checking account deposits are accepted.
Our Bonus:
100%
good up to $600
Visit Full
Tilt Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Now the largest poker site in the world,
PokerStars hasn't been affected in the slightest at the online
poker ban legislation. In fact, they've benefited immensely
by continuing to accept US players. While
PokerStars certainly promotes themselves a great deal they're
one of the few icons that actually lives up to their
reputation.
PokerStars is the go-to poker room for so many players because
of the unmatchable cash game traffic, the largest
tournaments online, one of the most seamless software
packages, and an overall professional feel.
Behind the scenes, the
PokerStars banking system should be extremely appealing to US
players. On the depositing end, all new and existing US
players are able to deposit directly using their checking
accounts. Players simply enter their banking information
directly into the cashier and the funds are immediately
available for gameplay.
PokerStars is one of the very few poker rooms that supports this
eCheck service.
As for cashing out,
PokerStars never takes any fees and supports both paper check
payouts with 3-5 day delivery times and wire transfers for
larger amounts. While the $50 bonus may not be much, it is
very easy to clear and
PokerStars has such excellent performance in every other facet
that bonuses are merely the cherry on top.
US
checking account deposits are accepted.
Our Bonus:
100% good
up to $50
Visit PokerStars
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Players
Only Poker is another new poker room with their sights
firmly planted on the US online poker market. As this site
has opened up past the UIGEA online poker ban legislation, one can clearly
see their intentions to stay open to US players
indefinitely.
Players
Only Poker is also one of only 2 poker rooms on this
list that accepts US credit cards at a near-100% rate.
No additional personal information is required for credit
card deposits and the cashier processes the entire
transaction within a couple of minutes. If your only deposit
option is a credit card and you've faced the typical blocks
at other poker rooms
Players
Only Poker is certainly a strong consideration.
Besides banking,
Players
Only Poker has a healthy traffic level that seems to be
growing as more players learn of the site. The biggest
obstacle of any new poker room is traffic and, fortunately,
you'll typically find at least 5-10 active 9-handed cash
games up to the $1/2 level. Also, while the bonus numbers
look substantial what's more important is the fact that it's
actually earnable. Our new players receive a 100% bonus in
addition to 10% cash that's automatically added onto the
initial deposit.
All US credit cards are accepted.
Our Bonus:
100% up
to $1,000 + 10% instantly
Visit
Players Only Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Bodog has
always been one of my top destinations for beatable cash
games and unique software so I've kept my eyes on them over
the years. While they've certainly had their ups and downs
since the online poker ban legislation they're definitely on
the upswing again.
Bodog has
been most famous for being the
home of the instant cash bonus and a fearless attitude when it comes
to the US government.
Bodog has
always had one of the loosest player bases online and that
continues to be the case. Despite poker worldwide becoming
increasingly tighter as the economy worsens and players
become more learned,
Bodog always
features a number of aggressive young players that let their
ego do the betting. The software is also one of the more
unique online with customizable colors, players graphics,
and excellent game speed.
The
Bodog bonus
for our new players is also one of the biggest reasons to
play here. Besides the 10% instant cash available for
immediate play on any first deposit, players also receive a
100% play-through bonus, good up to $500. Larger bankrolls
should also consider taking advantage of the only large
monthly reload bonus available. Every month our
Bodog players
are eligible to get another 100% bonus up to $500.
Our Bonus:
100% up
to $500 + 10% instantly
Visit
Bodog
(Visit
site | Read full review)
Despite taking a hit to its
reputation because of past security flaws,
Absolute Poker
has since seemed to rebound with substantial player growth.
US players will like that
Absolute Poker
has been one of the biggest names to claim that the
hypocritical online poker ban legislation doesn't apply to
them. The best features of this poker room include the
above-average player traffic, a large deposit bonus, and the
ability to accept all US checking accounts directly for
deposits.
Absolute Poker
features one of the more extensive cashier of any poker room
remaining in the US market. The best option is the eCheck
method, which allows you to use your existing checking
account directly in the cashier. Checking accounts are
accepted at a 100% rate and will be immediately available
for gameplay. Deposit limits also increase after the first
successful transaction. I also appreciate that
Absolute Poker
doesn't require players to send in sensitive documentation
prior to depositing.
In terms of promotions, our new
Absolute Poker
players receive a 150% bonus, good up to $500. This is one
of the larger bonuses offered online and middle-stakes and
higher players should earn this at a quick rate. This
network has a large loyal following so cash games can be
found up to the $5/10 NL level during the day and several
full $2/4 NL games can be found overnight.
Absolute Poker
is a solid above-average poker room overall with a great
cashier and a strong initial bonus.
US
checking account deposits are accepted.
Our Bonus:
100%
up to $500
Visit Absolute
Poker
(Visit
site | Read full review)
PDC
Poker is another newer site that claims it will continue to serve US players
indefinitely despite the "online poker ban". While
PDC
Poker mostly exists in the shadows of their larger
brethren I feel this is a vastly underrated poker room. In
terms of playability this is actually one of my favorite
software packages online because of all the unique features.
The other main draws at
PDC
Poker include weak competition, an excellent loyalty
program, and an extensive US cashier.
As I eluded to above,
PDC
Poker really does feature several software features that
should become standard in the industry. To name a few,
you'll be able to see all-in winning percentages,
rabbit-hunt for the remaining community cards, use animated
smilies, and show only one card after the hand. Each of
these features may be small but it contributes to an overall
friendlier experience with more interaction. The cashier
also supports the best US e-wallets in UseMyWallet,
eWalletXpress, and PIC-Club.
PDC
Poker had initially suffered from very poor traffic but
has really grown since the online poker ban placed a premium
on US poker rooms. You can usually find at least 3 or 4 full
10-handed NL tables up to the $1/2 limits with scattered
high-limit tables regularly filled. The
PDC
Poker loyalty program is also one of the most extensive
online with tiers that enable hundreds of freerolls, premium
customer service, and free merchandise.
PDC
Poker likely won't compete with the big boys anytime
soon but is a well-rounded choice for US players looking for
a different experience.
Our Bonus:
200% up
to $600
Visit PDC
Poker
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