Home / Poker News November 2014 / Sheldon Adelson and the State of Legal Online Poker in the US
Sheldon Adelson and the State of Legal Online Poker in the US
Posted by: Jo Martin - Thu, 2014-11-27 11:11
Ever since the 2006 UIGEA left the desk of President G.W. Bush signed into law,
the state of online poker in the US has been steadily degrading. In December 2011, the US DoJ put out a clarification in regards to the 1962 Wire Act, the law which had been at the basis of all prohibitory actions against the game according to the UIGEA, specifying that the Wire Act did not in fact cover online poker and online gambling. While this move gave great hope to the supporters of legalization and regulation, opening the way for individual states to tax and legalize online poker and gambling within their jurisdictions, in the grand scheme of things, it turned out to be but a flash in the pan, at last for now…
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Despite the newly opened opportunities, few states chose to go down the path of online poker regulation. Thus far, only Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware have taken steps in this respect, with California and Pennsylvania pondering their moves. By every measure, the legalization drive failed to impress in every way thus far. Even within the above said three states, the results have been underwhelming to say the least, as proper player liquidity doesn’t seem to be there. On the upside, several of the biggest online poker operators, like
PartyPoker and 888poker, have returned to the US, even as PokerStars are still on the outside looking in, despite their best efforts.
Billionaire and live casino mogul Sheldon Adelson has made it his goal to turn his online competitors into criminals by sponsoring anti-gambling efforts that have taken the shape of a bill: HR 4301, the Restoration of America’s Wire Act bill, which has thus far fortunately struggled to get a hearing and co-sponsors.
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