Pulse

Hold’Em or Fold’Em: Where is US Online Poker at in 2013?

From the early days of the online poker boom, through to the devastating Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), and on to the events of Black Friday, US online poker players have been waiting for the realization of their dream of seeing online poker being properly regulated and legalized in the country.

The Green Shoots of Legal Online Poker

A boa notícia é que há sinais definitivos de que os jogadores de pôquer nos EUA deveriam - assim que recuperarem seus fundos após os ataques do DoJ na Black Friday ao Full Tilt, PokerStars e outros - ser capazes de desfrutar dos mesmos jogos que os jogadores de pôquer de todo o mundo. : os mesmos jogos a dinheiro, torneios e 2-7 Limit Triple Draw Blood Wild River (OK, talvez não esse último, mas eventualmente você pode apostar o seu último dólar, alguém, em algum lugar, irá oferecer isso).
“We are already seeing individual states legislate for online poker,” Nicholas Kisberg, founder and CEO of CardsChat.com says. “While there will certainly be states that will never legislate in favor of any form of online gambling, we expect US poker players to have some great new choices in the next few years. This is an industry that grows rapidly. Once acceptance comes in some of these fledgling sites could grow to be truly huge.”

O Estado dos Estados

In 2011 the Wire Act – an antiquated law regarding bets on the phone – was amended to specifically ban betting on sporting events, but not online poker. The US Justice Department issued a ruling making online gambling legal, so long as it is permitted on the state level; that was a green light to some states that have been busy forging ahead with intra-state online gambling or poker. Some others, meanwhile, are playing a wait-and-see game and others flat-out banning it altogether.

Let’s take a closer look at some of moves the individual states are making at the legal disco in 2013 as they shimmy nervously up to that girl called ‘poker’ to ask for a dance – and those who are shunning her altogether.

Sin City Leads the Way

Enquanto estados como Oregon e Illinois ficam em cima do muro, aguardando esclarecimentos do DoJ sobre as novas implicações do Wire Act, Nevada está avançando com seus próprios planos de pôquer online.

A nova legislação de Nevada foi testada em 2013 na primeira sala online legal do estado, o Ultimate Poker, com os visitantes da World Series of Poker de 2013 realizando seu primeiro teste. As próprias WSOP poderiam muito bem ter um site de pôquer online totalmente funcional para jogadores americanos, instalado e funcionando até a Série 2014.

Delaware and New Jersey

Delaware and New Jersey are finalizing their own intra-state plans, with New Jersey’s system slated to launch in late November 2013. Meanwhile, Maryland and West Virginia look like moving in the right direction with their own bills. West Virginia has long been rumored as a potential online poker partner for Delaware, and is certainly one to add to the list of ‘maybes’.

The problem with most States is that, in this toughest of recessions, they’re flat broke. They’re not willing to risk money to make money. However, with West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey not in the same predicament as others financially, online poker legislation could prove to be a win-win for them.

“Generating revenues from online gambling could be a great lifeline for some of the US states that are in financial difficulty. US states are in a position to make themselves attractive to this industry. They should be looking at other nations around the world and seeing the financial benefits they have reaped, and copying those models,” Nicholas says.

California Dreaming… of Online Poker

The question is probably when California will regulate online poker, rather than if. The state is considered to be the most promising market for online poker, and the amount of money at stake almost ensures that regulation will take place at some point.

So what’s stopping them? Simply put, there are several competing players involved who all want to share equally in the risk and reward. 2014 has been mooted as the year when online poker “maybe” appears in California, but that maybe could well turn into a “not at all”.

On the Fence – or Well Off It

Do outro lado da moeda, porém, estão alguns estados, como Washington, que transformaram o pôquer online em crime de Classe C. Montana, Nebraska e Indiana estão entre os estados com leis arcaicas em torno dos jogos de azar em geral, sendo proibido jogar qualquer jogo de azar online.

What about the Spiritual Home of Hold’Em?

Finalmente, vamos dar uma olhada no Texas, o lar espiritual do Texas Hold'em e dos lendários jogadores de rua que fizeram as primeiras viagens a Las Vegas, como Benny Binion e Doyle Brunson. Embora o pôquer já tenha governado o estado, os legisladores deixaram claro que o jogo não é mais bem-vindo. Mas isso ainda pode mudar.

Poker fanatic, and Texas Representative, Joe Barton has reintroduced his online poker legislation to the House of Representatives, joining another bill for consideration by the body. HR 2666, the “Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013,” is Barton’s second attempt at passing legislation for industry regulation, and with HR 2666 joining New York Congressman Peter King’s bill, HR 2282, the “Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013,” there are two tracks that online poker regulation can take. Peter King’s bill is fairly far-reaching, intending to include ALL online gaming – not just poker. It would allow states like Nevada to opt out and go it alone, but so far it looks like the most ambitious project so far.

Is a Federal Bill Dead in the Water?

Outro democrata, Harry Reid (Nevada), tem estado ocupado formulando um projeto de lei federal legalizando seu próprio pôquer online, e seu plano faria com que outras formas de jogos de azar online fossem deixadas de lado. Reid's Bill poderia ver Nevada e Nova Jersey no topo da fila na corrida para oferecer pôquer online regulamentado, permitindo parcerias entre os gigantes dos cassinos terrestres dos respectivos estados.

O projeto de lei federal favorável aos cassinos proposto poderia muito bem invocar a ira da Califórnia (o medo de Reid é que os jogadores californianos que visitam Las Vegas fiquem em casa se a Califórnia oferecer sua própria solução de pôquer online) e certamente obterá oposição de outros estados que preferem um sistema intra-jogo mais básico. sistema estadual.

Legal US Online Poker: When, Not If

Há uma esperança geral de que, à medida que mais estados aprovem legislação intra-estadual e estabeleçam um modelo que outros possam seguir, os estados se unam para aumentar os prémios, o número de jogadores e as receitas globais. Eventualmente, isso poderia atingir uma massa crítica e abrir os portões novamente. E as marcas globais de jogos – especialmente as que foram forçadas a sair dos EUA após a UIGEA – estarão a observar atentamente a situação em busca de sinais de lucrar num mercado lucrativo e rejuvenescido.

“All of us in the industry are closely watching what is happening in the US to see how things will pan out. Certainly it is a hot topic on our forums, and one that is hotly discussed. After all, many American poker players want to know if “the land of the free” is going to give its people more freedom to play online poker,” Nicholas says.

The regulation of online poker is surely inevitable in the USA. It might take a few more states to go it alone to start off with – Texas and New Jersey seem likely to be next – before anything countrywide appears. By the time anything federal happens, however, we may be grinding Sit ‘n’ Gos high above the Earth in our space capsules. Watch this space.