Are American Online Poker Controversy over whether theUSAshould allowonline poker sitesto operate have centered largely on the validity of whether poker sites are rigorously monitored and indeed whether they are rigged.
Are American Online Poker
The truth is that allowing online poker to operate in the United States would not be in the national interest. It is well accepted that online poker is a worthy substitute for a visit to the poker room and it is not hard to comprehend why. Literally thousands of poker players from around the world swap the thrill of playing poker in an actual poker room and the daily bonus of playing poker games online in an online poker site. Combine this with the ability to play poker games twenty four hours a day and the proposition that maybe no individual in the history of poker will have achieved as high a bonus as that achieved by the greatest poker player of all time, and you can start to see why poker in the United States would be a worthy substitute for a visit to the poker room.
Yet, it seems that not everyone in Washington, DC is fully aware of the game and the problem that is associated with it. The drum beat of the Stop Internet Gambling bill, and its imminent cancellation by a Trump administration that may not be that crazy, or that little crazy, but just crazy enough, does not appear to be quiet.
The drum beat coming from members of both major political parties in the United States is enough to make most people in the United States think that online gambling is something that should be stopped, at least if they are American. While perhaps this is true when taking in context of the opinion of the vast number of Americans who play online poker (and many others do too, including those who play Blackjack and other games that are not in the scope of this article), the fact that three House members introduced a Notice of proposed rulemaking to the Government and the SEC, suggests that there is more than a Touch of suspicion involved when it comes to the proposal to ban online gambling in the United States.
It is hard to tell exactly what the status of the bill is at this point, (H.R. 4423) but the timing, months before the next Congress, could be telling. It could also be telling as to whether or not Rep. Goodlatte and others are truly interested in this bill, or are they just trying to score a political touchdown on the issue.
If you believe that the bill will not pass, the timing of the bill could also indicate that whether or not online poker will be banned, will not be decided during the current Congress. It could be that Rep. Goodlatte hopes to break the logjam on the issue, so that it can be brought up for a vote during the ordinary session of Congress, June, 12th, June, 19th, July and 27th. Anytime a bill is brought to the floor for a vote, approximately when Congress is in session, there is a good chance that the proposed legislation actually will not pass. It is also possible that during such turmoil in the regular session of Congress, that members of Congress will have more pressing matters on which to attend, such as deciding the funding of the government and raising the debt ceiling.
Whatever the outcome of the proposed legislation, it is to the benefit of the online poker industry that such a bill, designed to promote Internet gambling, did not become law. Such kinds of laws have a tendency to be easilyiscovered and opposed by the gambling and online gaming industries, and it was no surprise to see opponents of online gaming regulation rally around the proposed legislation. Still, given the recent activities of the government and its agencies, including the FBI, it is likely that a bill allowing online gaming to be regulated will be considered by Congress in the upcoming session.
Of course, the regulars who play poker or who frequent casino tournaments know that nothing is certain in Washington, and that legislation can be passed either way. It is hard to say what will happen with the bill, but given the fact that half of the Congress and the majority of the appointees to the House and Senate are poker players, one can only hope that casino interests will be represented in the Congress in the upcoming session.
Whatever legislation is passed, it is important for players to know that Internet casinos are in increasingly Regulatory environments. With the recent passing of the UIGEA, the law has made it more difficult for poker rooms to process deposits and withdrawals of funds. Also, credit card companies are blocking transactions from U.S. players tohematically circumvent the UIGEA law. It is difficult to predict what effects this will have on the larger Gambling industry, but players hope that large casino operators and their powerful political lobbies will be able to trips the restrictions and not permanently block U.S. players from participating in Internet gambling.
The effect of the UIGEA on the Gambling industry was unexpected and did not provide much clarity.Are American Online Poker
