The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (or UIGEA) was signed into law by President George Bush on October 13th, 2006. Despite the law, IT IS STILL LEGAL TO PLAY ONLINE IN THE US. The Act simply makes it illegal for financial institutions to procees payments to and from online pokerroom, casinos and sportsbooks.

How does this affect you, the US Internet Poker Player? Because the Unlawful Gambling Bill does not make it unlawful for United States citizens to play online poker, US citizens are free to play provided they can find an online casino and a money transfer service that will serve them.

"The most important thing for online poker players to know is that nothing has changed. What it doesn’t do is make it a crime to play poker on the Internet. It doesn’t directly restrict players from sending or receiving money. It doesn’t spell out what forms of gambling are “unlawful.” Specifically, it does not do what the federal Department of Justice (“DOJ”) wanted, which was to “clarify” that the Wire Act covers Internet casinos, lotteries and poker." - Professor I. Nelson Rose, the highly respected online gambling legal expert.

So where can you play? There are still many sites available for the casual or professional American online poker player. This page lists those sites which belong to the Internet Texas Holdem family of online poker sites.

If you live in the US, where the unlawful internet poker legislation goes against International Law, then we suggest you check out the three Poker Rooms below. These US Friendly Poker Rooms are all part of the Free Poker Gift Offer. This means that on top of the great bonuses these sites offer, you will recieve free poker gifts from Internet Texas Holdem when you signup at the poker room using our links and Bonus Codes. If you already have accounts at these poker rooms, check out the list of US freindly Poker Rooms on the right hand side, and read their reviews to choose a new poker room to play at.

Internet Poker Players Guide to US Unlawful Online Gambling Bill

In an act that seems more like extending US economic colonialism into cyberspace than eliminating the country’s moral turpitude, the US Congress succeeded in confusing the heck out of a lot of online poker players in the US. Let’s examine how and why this recent legislation affects a US citizen’s right to play Online Poker.

With the recent explosion of Texas Holdem Poker it would seem that awareness and education about the sport would increase, thus fostering acceptance. How then did the US Congress pass The Unlawful Online Gambling Bill?

The Unlawful Online Gambling Bill – was attached as “pork” to the Safe Port Act (remember the Dubai Port Security Rights uproar?) at the last minute of a late night congress session.
Bush is expected to sign the Port Security Bill, and thus the Unlawful Online Gambling Bill which is actually an amendment to the Wire Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1084.

The bill does not make it unlawful for US citizens to play online poker. Rather, it makes it illegal for banks and credit card companies to pay foreign gambling sites.

There are international payment methods which circumvent this problem. US citizens are free to play provided they can find an online casino and a money transfer service that will serve them.

Even so, some poker rooms such as Party Poker and Empire Poker, both owned by UK based Party Gaming, announced they will no longer accept U.S. players for the time being. It is estimated that US players account for 60% of Party Poker’s revenue. Party Poker operates as any public corporation must, (or should) with a responsibility to shareholders. This puts Party Poker in the same situation as the US banks and credit card companies regarding integrity and corporate responsibility.

The US government publicly states morality as the reason for the bill although there has been virtually no demand for the legislation on a moral basis. The only group whom it would appease is the religious right, who had in many cases, withdrawn support in the upcoming election for the current administration and congress which they helped to put into office.

There is a lot more to the behind the legislation than the means used to pass and enforce it. Every internet poker player should be aware of these facts related to the Unlawful Online Gambling Bill:

• It is estimated that there are 50 million poker players in the US

• Chris Moneymaker's 2003 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Victory is credited with igniting the Internet Poker and Texas Holdem explosion

• Moneymaker bought into an inexpensive online poker tournament and played all the way to win the WSOP, this ideal is one reason for the popularity of online poker

• The huge increase and interest in televised texas holdem tournaments is expected to wane as the number of players who can qualify for the tournaments drops

• Large numbers of internet poker tournaments have provided inexpensive entries into live tournaments and new talent to fill the seats

• The US is the gambling hub in the world. In 2001, spending in US Brick and Mortar Casinos (B & M) reached nearly $26 billion and has continued to grow

• The American Gaming Association has expressed clear interest to operate online gambling sites for US citizens

• Some US Casinos did so, but without being able to sell to US customers, they were not profitable & shut down their online operation

• US Casino numbers are on the rise and there is no bill in Congress to close them on any moral basis

• Jon Porter (Rep Nevada) introduced a bill in 4/05 to study the possibility for regulation of online gambling sites if they were US owned

• The study above was paid for by US Casino Lobbyists

• The National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA) has historically spent lavish amounts of money on Lobbyists when compared to other types of racing such as auto racing

• This bill (The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) amends the Wire Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1084

• Betting on horses (online & offline) is explicitly permitted in the existing wire act as well as the new amendment

• Legal bets on the internet specified in the amendment include: US horse racing, US internet lotteries, games of skill, and US fantasy sports

• Illegal Bets on the internet specified in the amendment include all "games of chance" like poker, blackjack, backgammon, bingo, and other such casino games

• The publicly stated reason for the bill is negated and irrelevant as the amendment allows:

(1) Online Gambling on horse racing under the Interstate Horseracing Act (IHA),

(2) Gambling that takes place on a Indian reservation or between two reservations

(3) Internet gambling that occurs solely within a state’s own borders, referred to as Intra-state gambling.

• Quote from Virginia Congressman Bob Goodlatte (the bill would stop) "$6 billion from being sucked out of the economy" (annually)

• The proposed amendment violates the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). In GATS, the US agrees to provide market access and national treatment to the cross-border supply of foreign services (which includes gambling and betting services)

• The government of Antigua, home to a large number of offshore gaming companies, has successfully challenged the US on the trade issue in the past. They are reportedly considering taking the US to the World Trade Organization, (WTO) on the grounds that the purpose of the new law equates to protectionism for the US gambling industry rather than the stated moral purpose

Now, how does this affect you, the US Internet Poker Player? The Unlawful Gambling Bill does not make it unlawful for United States citizens to play online poker. However, repeal of this law would certainly grow online poker as more sites would enter the US and market their companies. New players would surely being to play and online poker would grow once again. US citizens are free to play provided they can find an online casino and a money transfer service that will serve them. We encourage everyone to write your Congressman or Senator to voice your opinion:

E-mail your Congressman http://www.house.gov/writerep/

E-mail your Senator http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

For the best Poker Rooms which accept US players, see the tabs on this page.