How can u.s. players play online poker for money if its illegal in the u.s.?

Question

if internet gambling (i.e online poker) is illegal in the u.s. as of 2006 how are companies like bodog.com and others able to accept and process payment from u.s. players?

i've looked and found no clear and concise answers on the web, can anyone help me with a clear answer to this question? id like to know before i start doing it myself.

Answer 1

If you want to know if you'll get in trouble NO! you won't, I do it and so do about 3-6 million americans everyday. Pokerstars, bodog, fulltilt, absolutepoker ,doylesroom  ,ultimatebet, just to name a few all accept u.s. players. This all started because a congressmen's son couldn't control his gambling, sucked at poker and lost a bunch of money.

Answer 2

I will explain it quite simple so you dont have to read a lot. First you sign at poker site that accepts USA customers like http://bettingwise.hit.bg/FulltiltPoker....

2nd you will need to deposit with epassporte which is something like paypal. Then you deposit with epassporte into the site and withdraw in the same way. Everything is absolutely legal. Online poker in USA is legal, just the banks dont let you deposit straight into the poker site so you use epassporte. GL

Answer 3

There is a lot of dispute as to the status of online gambling in the US.  In fact the law change in 2006 in many ways did more to muddy to waters rather than clear things up.

The law was an eleventh hour addition to an unrelated port security act.  Ultra conservative Bill Frist added the anti-gambling measure after proclaiming that gambling was a attack on American families and hurt society.  Ironically, and perhaps due to some bribery the anti-gambling bill completely legalized online horse betting.  Americans can now bet horse races online completely legally in most states.  In inconsistency that has seen America losing legal battles internationally involving out breach of contract with the WTO.

But anyway, the law change does not make it illegal for Americans to play poker online.  What it does is make it harder for Americans to send and receive money to online gambling sites (unless it is given special treatment like the horse racing industry).  So other than a slight inconvenience with the money transfer, the bill does nothing to outlaw the act of playing online.  Although a handful of states have passed laws making it technically illegal to gamble online.

Thanks to this illegal change to the law, America has been successfully sued by some small countries that rely on gambling for an income.  And also some companies have banned American players, because they don't want the hassle.

Anyway, I've found you a decent overview of the law to read in the link.  With any luck once this useless administration is booted out of office, the law will be updated to reflect the fact that Americans want to play poker online and in a free country there should be no laws preventing it. or attempting to.

Answer 4

It's not illegal to bet online with an online poker room! There is NO federal law that makes the act of wagering online illegal. The only federal law that addresses gambling is the wire act from the 1960's which makes it illegal to place wagers via the telephone. The US government passed a port security law and tacked on provisions (UIGEA) that make it illegal for BANKS, not players, to fund or accept payment from gaming sources. The only problem (for the govt) is that there are dozens of third party methods available for funding and no way to trace ACH credits. In other words, the new provisions are only for show and the end result is a waste of ink. I still use my VISA check card and epassporte on my favorite sites. Online gaming will be impossible to completely eliminate from the US. The best they can do is make it inconvenient. Eventually I see the industry being regulated and taxed...heavily!

The only states with laws directed towards online wagering are Michigan, Illinois, Louisiana, Oregon, Wisconsin, Washington, Indiana, Nevada, New York, New Jersey and South Dakota. Although these states do have specific laws pertaining to online gaming, there has not been any charges laid.

Some sites have decided, on their own, to no longer accept American players. These are the publicly traded companies and most have returned to private ownership. There are still many highly reputable sites that welcome and cater to American clients.

I have wagered online for years and make good money betting on sports and playing poker. You can get free poker tips from the pros, articles, and reviews of only highly reputable poker rooms at http://GamblingReviewsSite.com

The recommended sites all offer top customer service, security, and fast/free payouts. They also cater to American clients with great bonuses and other promotions.

Answer 5

I agree with ZCT's point, and the law will do nothing to stop gambling addicts.

Since most of the games and websites like bodog.com technically hosted overseas, the law is more to ban the banks, credit card and other processors to do the transactions for online gambling.

The companies like bodog.com are likely to find alternatives such as moving the money through the banks/processors offshore.

Answer 6

it i llegal to play for money in u.s

Answer 7

No, there are few online poker room who accept USA player.

If you want to find out who accept USA poker player simply check out this site to find more info: http://www.pokerdeal.org/