Online Poker Is Not Illegal in the United States

While a great deal of ignorance and misinformation makes its way around the Internet, one statement needs to be made: online poker is NOT going to be illegal in the US on June 1st.

:dirol

Thats great news but, is that a way for the government to tax our winnings now?

Despite the mounting fears that the UIGEA legislation that was passed in 2006 will go into effect at the June 1st deadline, the implications for online poker players in the United States is not as bad as it seems.

First and foremost, it will not be a crime to play online poker. The UIGEA only makes processing poker payments illegal and subject to fines and prosecution. So fear not poker players, you will still be able to play online poker without fear of consequence.

The government seems to be hoping that a little misinformation, and using the word illegal, will scare many potential online poker players into thinking they are breaking the law, when in fact you are still perfectly within your rights to participate in online poker. Keep in mind that there has never been a person arrested or charged with playing online poker in the United States.

Secondly, many payment processors and banks have already eliminated online poker payments. So, the UIGEA legislation will add to this list, but there will always be overseas payment processors ready to step in and fill this void.

So, while UIGEA implementation is a definite step back for online poker, it is not the end-game some are purporting it to be.

:dirol

If knowledge is truly power, poker players need to be powerful when it comes to this subject. The opponents of poker will continue to fight, but poker isn’t illegal in the US; and the UIGEA is unlikely to be anything more than an annoyance until legislation to license and regulate online poker has been passed.