Understanding US Online Poker and its governing laws
While the US is a front runner in technology and its application in daily life, this lead has not been translated in certain areas, particularly online gambling, chose the best at butchthegambler.com site. Thus, legal US online poker is pretty much still unheard of, at least on a federal level. Some states have legalized it, such as Nevada, Delaware and New Jersey. Still some more, as California, Connecticut, Michigan and Pennsylvania, are currently in the exploratory stage, which may mean that legalization is not far behind.
Though this spells good news to online players, it still brings forth some problems, not least of which is that state laws only apply within the boundaries of said state who believes in gambling superstitions. Thus, creating the market to make online poker engaging and worthwhile may be constrained in some areas like Delaware with its population of less than a million people, though the same will likely not be encountered in California, should it choose to go that route, with its 38 million population. This is not insurmountable though, as the less populated areas may form compacts among themselves to enlarge their player pool. Again, this may give rise to logistical concerns though there will always be a solution to these issues.
One may wonder why US online poker is still not legal, given that live poker and casino games already are in most states. It cannot be an issue of player protection as the odds in most casino games seem stacked against the player. And there is the multi-state Powerball lottery where the winner is determined more by chance than skill, which is what some may argue is the case in poker and play with good luck symbols. Further, the promise of tax revenues from what has been estimated to be a two to three billion dollar industry seems too tempting to pass up. So what gives?
Unsurprisingly, the answer seems to go back to two fundamentals: money and politics. It would seem that brick and mortar casinos are holding back their support with no deposit bonus. After all, legal US online poker is expected to eat into their revenues - why drive all the way to a casino when you can play in the comfort of your own home? And since the live casino industry is a $35 billion dollar industry, its voice is definitely loud enough for lawmakers to heed.
The online poker industry though is starting to raise its own voice so developments on this side may not be far behind. Check your state laws if you can legally play online poker.