Is Online Poker in the US About to Grind to a Halt?
Online Poker in the US just might be put on the backburner, as of December 1st the Unlawful Internet Gambling Act will be enforced. Although it’s a bill that was initially passed in 2006, it’s taken some time to figure out how this is a bill that will be enforced. Officially, as of December 1st American banks will no longer be able to process any transactions that might have a relationship to an online gambling website which certainly makes playing for money a bigger challenge.
Clearly, this news has not slowed down the world of Poker lately. With the end of the WSOP and WPT recently, a lot of the action has moved online with one of the biggest jackpots in online Poker history being won online by Patrik Antonius this week for a pot of more than $3 million.
The Poker Player’s Alliance has been attempting to put delay on this legislation, and has petitioned Timothy Guthier for that purpose. Online Poker players, from professionals to casual players, have all been asked to participate in “tweet for poker” a project acting like an online petition.
Studies have also been conducted over recent months to demonstrate the potential revenue in taxes that online Poker regulation, virus an outright ban could bring in for the US government, which means that over the next couple of months, some big decisions might be taking place that could be life or death for the world of online poker.
In the meantime, players are continuing to follow the pace set by Patrik Antonius in the hopes of hitting it big, before online Poker might come to an end. We can play hard, play fast, and wait to exhale until we know for sure what’ in store for the future of online gambling in the United States.