Online poker is one of the world’s most beloved casino games, attracting countless fans around the world to its virtual tables. As more people start to participate, new gambling laws may affect this industry in several ways; changes may affect who plays, how much people win/lose and the kinds of casino games available; however it should be remembered that while any new laws might have an overall effect, individual players might still feel its effects differently.
State legislation governs gambling law in the US. With few partial bans such as the UIGEA and PASPA in effect, most states allow some form of regulated online gambling – making it hard to predict how new laws might impact the industry as a whole. But good news exists – with the US Department of Justice opinion on the Wire Act opening the way for states to legalize and regulate online casinos and poker sites in all 50 states.
While the new gambling law may not directly impact online poker players, it should have an immediate and significant effect on its growth over the coming years. A newly issued DOJ opinion allows states to legalize sports betting without infringing upon federal law and release millions in tax revenue that could fund regulated online gambling – meaning more states may introduce some form of legal sports gambling soon enough.
The new gambling law also means that more states will be able to offer sports betting via mobile devices, enabling more people to place bets on their favorite teams and events – sparking more action at online poker rooms and other regulated gambling sites. Furthermore, states could combine efforts at legalizing sports betting with legislation legalizing online poker as well.
Few states are making progress when it comes to passing online gambling legislation, with New York lawmakers in particular showing little enthusiasm in passing such regulations; instead, their focus has been primarily focused on sports betting regulations.
Louisiana presents a complex picture of online gaming. Its current gambling laws contain a broad definition of gaming that makes legalization efforts for it challenging, as does Seminole Tribe of Florida having state-sanctioned monopoly over most forms of gambling – including poker – in the state. Therefore, chances for passing any sort of legislation related to poker online gaming in Louisiana at this point appear slim indeed.