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Is Internet Poker Legal?
By Itay Paz
There are online poker sites based in many countries all
over the world. The Internet reaches many places and
some have access to things that might not be legal to
them, and Internet poker is one of those things. There
are some places, like the UK, where it is legal, and
some of the best casino and poker sites are based there.
If you life in the US, things are a little trickier. The
laws about online gambling and poker games are not
clear, and there seems to be some question about
allowing US players to sign up for sites that have
monetary betting. In fact, when someone from the US
searches through sites, they may notice many do not
accept US players.
Some countries are very clear about their rules and laws
for playing online poker. Others, like the US, are
unclear. Though many think it is illegal, there don’t
seem to be any arrests in connection with playing for US
residents. The government discourages it because for
those with gambling problems, these sites are a
temptation that can lead to huge debt. The US seems to
be more concerned with those who operate the sites
rather than the ones that like to play Internet poker.
Finding a site that accepts US players might be hard,
and if they do, they may only be able to play games
where money is not exchanged.
The answer about legal Internet poker is a tricky
one, and it does depend on where a player lives. There
may be ways to work around laws in some areas, but when
it comes to owning a casino or Internet poker room, it
is a good idea to be very careful. Though players seem
to have no problems, many who own them in the US have
been arrested. When a site does allow US players, they
may have the problem of not being able to wager. Many
credit card companies now refuse to fund these
transactions, and many banks are taking the same stance
on debit transactions. Options for depositing money are
becoming slim. The laws might not be clear, but if a
player can’t get in or get money, the laws are kind of
irrelevant.
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