The current issue affecting the world of online poker is the presence of different legal restrictions among different countries concerning online gambling. While the laws concerning this issue are relaxed throughout Europe, the United States takes the opposite stance. Some European countries have attempted individually to place regulations on online gambling, but the majority of these have been overruled when it comes to enforcement within the European Union itself. The U.S. federal government has taken several steps in the past to attempt a complete ban on online gambling, but individual states have been left with the duties of enforcing the laws. Depending on different jurisdictions, activities such as playing poker online may be legal in some areas and within certain parameters while remaining illegal within others.
Several large companies outside of the U.S. operate popular and lucrative online poker sites, and large portions of their profits have come from the memberships of U.S.-based players. Due to recent legislation aimed at blocking online poker players from collecting their winnings from offshore online poker sites, many of these sites have in turn blocked membership from within the United States. Reasons for the mentality against online gambling in the U.S. are varied, though several states that have legal casinos claim that prohibitive legislation against it is necessary to protect the traditional brick-and-mortar gambling centers within these states. This is particularly true in the ones where tourist money spent in casinos is a large part of the state economy.
The recent economic downturn has actually caused the U.S. to reevaluate its use of online gambling. The realization seems to have dawned on some of those in power that this is an area that can possibly bring in needed revenue during a recession. As of the summer of 2010, a new bill has been introduced in Congress that would effectively legalize it. However, the bill’s movement towards the President’s desk for signing has been slow. Proponents of this new legislation use the characteristics of online poker as part of their arguments. Poker is a game of skill rather than purely chance, so the practice of playing poker online should reasonably be viewed and treated differently than other games such as online casino slots or similar. Only time will tell if United States-based online poker players will be able to deal their virtual hands without the gray-area legality in the future.