Online Poker – Does it Live Up to Expectations
Online poker is simply the game of internet poker played over the Internet with real cash or using third party payment accounts. Poker has been growing in popularity ever since its inception. It was partially responsible for the rise in the amount of poker players all over the world. Today, online poker has developed so much that it is now offered by many websites, as well as being one of the most common forms of gambling there is.
Most online poker sites are based either in the US or in a few other countries around the world. Although some are based only in the US, many have international offices and are willing to ship to other countries, especially if you meet the minimum age requirements for playing poker in that country. A lot of online poker rooms now offer tournaments where the top prize money can reach millions of dollars. The sheer number of prize money won in online poker tournaments is now so high that the best players in the world tend to play in these tournaments, which also attracts more new players.
In recent years, the UIGEA (Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act) has been implemented in order to implement some controls on online poker. The reason for this was the concern raised by state and federal laws against internet gambling in general. Since the online gambling industry is a multi-billion dollar business, any attempt by state and federal laws to limit this activity would severely damage the profitability of online poker websites. Because many states in the US have already implemented some form of ban on online gambling, the only way online poker companies can truly protect themselves from government intervention is to move as quickly as possible from their current location to a location that does not have any laws related to gambling.
Opponents of online gambling generally feel that the ban by the Federal Trade Commission is an unfair application of existing law. They argue that the ban goes against the free speech rights of online poker players and against the freedom of association that Americans believe are inherent in their free speech and privacy protection under the first amendment. However, the opponents of online gambling do not really have a strong case against the practice. It is true that Congress could step in if it felt the online gambling industry wasn’t playing by the rules and was therefore unfair. However, it is also true that there are strong arguments on both sides of the argument, which means that the actual ruling will be different, and therefore the decision will ultimately be up to the US Congress.
The final area of contention in relation to online poker and the Wire Act is the Wire Act itself. The Wire Act makes it illegal to transfer money or “including any real property”. It makes it illegal to run a gambling website if you are based in the US. It makes it illegal to operate an unlicensed gambling site, and makes it illegal to knowingly perform acts that go against the laws of the country. Despite all this, there is no indication that the government plans to enforce the law against online poker. This could be because the government would like to see online poker regulated, but they also want to make sure the sites offering gambling to US residents do so within the confines of the law, which is why the Wire Act exists in the first place.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that online poker will continue to grow as an industry. Some opponents of regulated online gambling feel that it will lead to the end of free-market thinking, and that individuals will lose their moral and ethical standards when playing online. Others see it as an avenue for people who don’t have time to play traditional poker games and for those who don’t want to put in the time to build up a bankroll, but still want to participate in the same great games that everybody else is playing. It is up to you to decide what you want out of your online poker experience. No matter what, it is important that everyone plays according to the rules and that everyone follows the laws of the land so that our legal system can continue to function properly and so that we can all have the same opportunities online that we do offline.