What specifically makes online poker illegal? I thought the popular interpretation of the Wire Act was that it only made the facilitation of gambling as a business enforcably illegal, and the more recent 2006 bill similarly did not apply to individual players.
I agree that the intent of the US government is to make individual gambling illegal, but that doesn’t seem to be what legal precedent has actually established. And under the Obama administration the intent is less clear to me.
Hopefully the WTO gives the USA the slap it deserves in the next five years or so.
Federal authorities say online gambling is illegal, but Internet-gambling advocates say it is a gray legal area. In 2006, Congress passed a law making it illegal for banks to processing (sic) payments for unlawful Internet gambling. Critics say the law is unclear.
So, basically, the government insists it is illegal. They just don’t usually bother to interfere. Although under Obama, the feds have started seizing accounts.
What specifically makes online poker illegal? I thought the popular interpretation of the Wire Act was that it only made the facilitation of gambling as a business enforcably illegal, and the more recent 2006 bill similarly did not apply to individual players.
I agree that the intent of the US government is to make individual gambling illegal, but that doesn’t seem to be what legal precedent has actually established. And under the Obama administration the intent is less clear to me.
Hopefully the WTO gives the USA the slap it deserves in the next five years or so.
According to WSJ:
So, basically, the government insists it is illegal. They just don’t usually bother to interfere. Although under Obama, the feds have started seizing accounts.