For US poker enthusiasts, things are bound to change for the better on March 21. About 4yrs ago, the spirit of poker lovers in the US was dampened from what came to be known as Black Friday. The date was April 15, 2011 when many online poker players were shocked to find that they could not play on their favorite sites. Three of the major online poker sites were closed – PokerStars; Cereus Poker Network; and also Full Tilt Poker. Cereus Poker Network comprised Absolute Poker as well as Ultimate Bet.
A good number of online poker players instantly lost their source of livelihood. High stake poker players were particularly devastated by the high level of risk this move portended for their funds.
What Exactly Happened On Black Friday?
The three online poker sites cited above were closed without prior warning to regular online visitors, courtesy of the Department of Justice. It was alleged that the sites may have been facilitating criminal activity and baiting unsuspecting online poker players. What followed was a suit at the federal court, U.S. v. Scheinberg et al, and as the case dragged on, only PokerStars managed to pay its US poker players quickly and in total.
The other two poker sites did not hasten to pay up, but word has it that Full Tilt Poker finally paid up a good number of their players. However, poker players on Absolute Poker and Ultimate Bet were not as lucky. Apparently, their funds are still unpaid to-date. Incidentally, when it comes to funds deposited as well as unpaid earnings, such sites owe online poker players millions of dollars in their hundreds.
Light at the End of the Poker Tunnel
On March 21st, New Jersey will mark the comeback of PokerStars to the US market. It is the place where the world famous poker hosting site will open its first poker room in the country since the infamous Black Friday. According to ABC News, on re-entry into the local market, PokerStar’s activities are going to be well regulated.
The announcement of PokerStar’s comeback has caused a big stir within the poker fraternity as well as on the corridors of the US treasury. Poker fans and other concerned parties are curious to see what impact the poker hosting site is going to have, particularly in the state of New Jersey, where it is set to open its doors in just a couple of days.
Lingering questions include:
What impact is the re-entry of PokerStars into the market going to have on the state’s overall revenue collection?
Will the site be a free for all?
As per now, New Jersey earns around $2 million dollars from online poker every month on a consistent basis. So, very likely, the opening of the site on March 21st will have the impact of raising the revenue level for the state. Also considering that PokerStars is globally the most popular online poker operator, and that it has continued its operations in other parts of the world despite closing shop in the US for the last four years, it is likely that the operator will begin business in New Jersey on a high note.
As for who is going to have access to New Jersey’s new site, stringent measures have been taken to ensure that the volume of activity at the site is built by residents of New Jersey alone. This move will ensure that no money is lost to outsiders by residents of New Jersey. As it is now, PokerStars is relying on its two partners for funding support – Borgata and also bwin.party. These two partners hold 50% shares. The rest of the shareholding belongs to Caesar’s and 888, another online operator.
The controversy surrounding the legality of online poker in the US is unusual considering that the free market system is a major cornerstone of the American way of life, especially when poker is more commonly referred to as ‘America’s card game’. To expert players and the general public, poker is a sport and that’s the reason it’s now a televised event on TV. Contrary to what some people may think, there’s no federal law in the US that specifically outlaws playing poker online. However, state laws may or may not forbid online poker depending on the state you are in.
The Federal Wire Act, also known as Interstate Wire Act, which was passed in 1961, prohibited the operation of all betting businesses. This, position was however reversed in 2011 by the Justice Department, which stated that the Federal Wire Act only applied to sports betting.
Passed in 2006as part of the Safe Ports act, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”][UIGEA] criminalized accepting payments from illegal online gambling. As a practical matter, “illegal online gambling” was not defined and because the Wire Act solelyapplied to sports betting, online poker was not prohibited. Although UIGEA did not render online poker as illegalunless state laws indicated otherwise, it made life harder such that many online poker rooms stopped accepting US players.
Poker Player’s Alliance
Founded in Washington in 2005, the political advocacy group Poker Player’s Alliance [PPA] was formed to protect USpoker players’rights. Their brief includes reversing UIGEA plus fighting to legalize online poker. Multiple congressional bills have been tabled to amend UIGEA and make an exception for online poker but none have passed so far.
Black Friday
On April 15, 2011, the DOJ [Department of Justice] shut down the three poker sites with the most traffic [the Cereus Network, Full Tilt Poker and Poker Stars] on charges of fraud and money laundering which violated UIGEA.In July, 2012, the U.S. government dismissed the suit “with prejudice” though a criminal charge against the three still held. Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars would eventually settle without admitting guilt. The Black Friday events didn’t criminalize online poker although they affected actual play from which the industry has yet to recover.
New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware
The states of New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have passed laws that explicitly legalize and regulating gambling on the internet.To legally gamble in any of these states, a player must operate their playing device within the state and be of gambling age. The three states aren’t the only ones where the game is legal but they’re the only jurisdictions that have specific laws legalizing and regulating online poker. In the US, unless a law prohibits it, an activity is legal which means the lack of laws in some states does translate to committing of a felony.
Conclusion
The big question then becomes, can US residents play real money poker legally on the internet? The short answer is; state laws vary. The general state gambling laws have made online poker illegal in most cases. While only New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have legalized and regulated online poker, the only state which has a law explicitly forbidding playing poker for real money is Washington DC. Washington State passed a law in 2006 made playing online poker a serious crime.
Currently, there are at least nine other states which have proposals to legalize and regulate online poker. And as far as we can tell, no one within the US has been convicted or indicted for a crime that’s related to playing online poker for real money, so far anyway. This, however, could change in the blink of an eye and players are therefore advised to only play online poker if it is legal where they live.
Whether playing for cash, bragging rights or just for the thrill of it, you’re sure to find a number of first-rate online poker sites in Canada. Whatever pulls you in, you’re not alone. Not surprising too, considering among the greatest poker players in the world are Canadian, such as former WSOP Champion Jonathan Duhameland Daniel Negreanu, the current record holder for highest lifetime earnings.
However, internet gambling has always been a grey area within Canadian law as the country was strictly anti-gambling before the criminal code was amended to legalize certain gambling activities in the 1970s. A decade and a half later, provinces and territories were given the right to decide if they should allow gambling in their domains and as result, some areas started hosting lotteries while others constructed casinos.
It’s debatable though, if that edict gives the right for online casinos, online gambling or online poker. But beyond the provincial domains, Canadians thus far enjoy online poker without hassle. Millions of Canadians are currently wagering online, most hoping to win millions, of course, while others are in it simply to compete for a few dollars in tournaments amongst friends. Whether an online poker master or a weekend warrior, this guide serves to expound more on the Canadian online poker scene.
Online Poker In Canada
For those who have never played online poker, it can be a little hard for them to identify the best poker sites in Canada since there are literally hundreds of poker sites which will be glad to welcome real money players. However, only a handful will offer players the experience they deserve. While lesser real money online poker sites in Canada will attempt to lure new players with clever ad campaigns or huge bonuses, the best poker rooms are those which excel in every category. Players can even play on their mobile devices on the best Canadian poker sites.
What gamers need to look for in an online poker site is solid software, steady traffic during peak times plus great bonuses. All these make for a great real money poker room. More importantly, players should opt for Canadian poker sites that employ the best software platform since it ultimately determines every aspect; from connection quality to login time, to the clarity of the graphics to hand speed, and more.
Range of Games
Before setting off for a game of online poker, it’s important to know that Canadian poker rooms have a range of different variations of poker. Naturally, there’s Texas Hold’em, in addition to the traditional variants such as Omaha and Stud just to name a few. Players also have a choice of Limit, No Limit plus Pot Limit. Many of the best Canadian poker sites provide players with quick tutorials to ensure they know the game type they’ll be playing before shuffling up and double clicking on a table or tournament.
All Canadian poker sites offer real money games and tournaments. For real money poker, players bring as much cash as they want to the table but mostly up to a healthy maximum. Players are free to come and go as they please. The games runs continuously meaning there’s never quite an end but should a player feel they’ve won enough, they’re free to walk away.
Tournaments on the other hand work a little differently; rather than bring cash to the table then getting an equivalent stack of chips, players buy in for a set price. Each player will pay a similar entry fee and receive the same stack of chips. The winner of the tournament is the last man standing, although there are prizes for the next few spots too, depending on the number of entrants. In short, the bigger the tournament, the more players will win.
South Africa has had a vibrant gambling arena for many years. Unfortunately, some people have been known to abuse the free gaming atmosphere to the detriment of genuine poker lovers and other sincere gaming enthusiasts. To curb this abuse, the country decided to accommodate gambling within the state laws so that authorities could have legal basis to monitor activities in casinos and other gambling venues.
For centuries before, gambling and associated betting sports like poker were greatly restricted – as far back as 1673. Then came 1965 and a substantive gambling act was passed where gambling activity was banned in its entirety, save for betting in horse racing where horse racing was classified as a sports activity. In short, whoever engaged in playing poker or any other betting activity in South Africa did it illegally from 1965 on wards. Yet, gambling continued in the country, escalating in the ‘70s, with around 2000 illegal casinos coming up in the poor neighborhoods of the country.
Crime under Gambling
Unfortunately, banning gambling and not effectively controlling it on the ground leaves much room for illegal activity. For one, in the case of South Africa, a lot of gambling went on for many years without the government benefiting from its due share of revenues in an area where massive monies changed hands. Without relevant state laws in place to legalize an activity, a country cannot levy taxes on it.
Another danger that was posed by the underground gambling was money laundering. People played poker and other betting games with reckless abandon. In the meantime, other people went on a crime committing spree under the guise of innocent gambling, whereas they were actually laundering money without being traced. Other gambling related crimes were also committed within the country just because there was no poker law or any other gambling law helping to control the size of stakes and overall amount spent by an individual within set timelines and venues. So, heavy indebtedness created a very unhealthy gambling environment.
The Gambling Law As It Is
Effectively in 1996, South Africa passed the National Gambling Act which legalized brick and mortar casinos; a national lottery; and singled out betting in horse racing as a legal gambling activity. So today, not only do the state laws facilitate revenue collection through taxation from gambling, they also give room for the authorities to monitor betting activities with a view to curbing crime. Needless to say, money laundering is not just dangerous to the economy; it is also risky in terms of channeling funding for terrorist activities.
As far as online gambling is concerned, there is a bill in the pipeline, which proposes the minimum gambling age to be 18 years. It also seeks to protect gamblers from addiction by closely monitoring the gambling scene. South Africa seems to be coming up with tighter state laws on gambling than many other countries. The current bill even proposes that a gambler registers officially with a licensed provider of online poker or whatever other online gambling activity it is. When this bill is finally signed into law, even those gaming enthusiasts who have been playing online poker on illegal sites will now have to play on licensed sites only, and their use of credit cards will be restricted.
Needless to say, the exchequer will benefit more from the gambling activities as it is now easy to levy taxes on revenues earned through gambling. And there is, of course, the advantage that poker players and other gamblers with ill intent like money laundering will reconsider their attempts and the risks involved and abandon the idea of laundering money through South Africa’s online gambling sites altogether.
Mississippi has an interesting history as far as gambling goes. There was a time when residents of Mississippi and visitors alike gambled on almost everything and did it almost everywhere. That was the 17th century era when Mississippi was not actually a formal state. Then, people could bet on races and participate in Lotteries just as easily as they played poker and other betting games. Gambling became so rampant in the area that as years passed it became a national concern. For that reason, when there was room to control it, the authorities clamped on it as if it was a menace.
For many years, Mississippi residents had no casinos to visit and play poker or partake in any other betting activity; and they had no lottery to speak of. And considering that online gambling is a relatively new development, one that has come with advanced technology, it means that people in the state could not play online poker either when the brick and mortar casinos were closed down.
Gambling Was Tainted In Early Centuries
The reason Mississippi frowned upon gambling for many years is that it created a bad image in the early centuries when the place was known for its vibrant trading activity. People from many parts of the state and beyond would come to this trading hub and take time off to enjoy gambling that was rife within the many riverboat casinos. Steamboats also provided gambling facilities and people would cruise and play poker and other betting games to spice up their leisure along the famous River Mississippi. Obviously, there were many people who went home richer than they had come, above their trading profits, but others, definitely had horrifying stories to tell. Without regulation, the gambling activities took place within a jungle-like environment and for that reason, cheating was prevalent. Some poker players were unscrupulous and victims spoke of card-sharps in many of the boats.
Poker enthusiasts were, however, not deterred from partaking in their favorite pastime, and so they learn to survive and enjoy their games. But the vibrancy along the Mississippi was rudely cut short by the civil war that broke out in the 1860s. After the war, life in Mississippi did not return to normal. Trading was affected and, of course, playing poker and the rest of the gambling could not resume as before. Soon, as state laws were put in place, gambling was prohibited. It meant that poker enthusiasts could only play clandestinely. For almost a century there was not much gambling one could speak of in the state of Mississippi; at least not legally.
1990 saw the change of the gaming environment in Mississippi. The state passed the Gaming Control Act and people could now play poker and such other games without restrictions. Investors could now run casinos legally. In fact, many casinos came up along the coast and within the counties bordering River Mississippi, but that had to happen in concurrence with the local residents. Today, residents and visitors are happy to board boats sailing in the Mississippi and enjoy their poker and the breeze at the same time; or relax in the casinos on land while gambling.
Some Betting Still Prohibited
Still, the state laws in Mississippi have not liberalized gambling in its entirety. For instance, betting in horse racing is prohibited. The state does not also provide for a lottery. And residents of Mississippi are not allowed to engage in social gambling. This goes to show how keen the authorities are to keep gambling under control. Gladly, bingo games and raffles are allowed for charitable causes. It’s odd, though, that the state laws permit betting on dog fights. However, that permission is not of much consequence today as animal rights activists have ensured that the fights are almost non-existent.
