This is the page that one currently sees when trying to log onto Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars or Absolute Poker. Online poker sites have been a big pain in the neck for federal prosecutors, for the past several years. It's been a big cat and mouse game, but by seizing the domain name prosecutors have been able to put these sites out of commission, at least temporarily.
The crackdown on online poker sites is controversial. Proponents of online gambling argue that the federal law prohibiting sports betting does not clearly prohibit online gambling, such as online poker. There are many other issues that we can expect to be argued in federal courts for the next few years.
What is the future of online poker?
History shows that just because an activity is prohibited by law it doesn't mean people won't do it. My guess is online poker will continue, as long as there are enough people willing to put down a wager. Operators will just adjust to the new climate, and if it won't be the old operators new one will show up soon. That's just human nature.
I've often been ridiculed for saying that online poker is a big scam. The usual argument against my point of view is that online sites have nothing to gain by cheating their customers. I say that the only thing they stand to gain is money. But I guess money has never really been a good incentive to cheat, historically speaking. Anyway, I could argue that issue until I'm blue in the face, and since this is not really what this blog post is about I'll leave it at that. But if you are an online poker player you might want to seize this as an opportunity to focus on other things in life.
One thing I can't quite understand is why poker sites became such an issue, legally speaking. All that the lawmakers really need to do is to find a way to tax and regulate the sites. After all, licensed gambling is not illegal in the US. So, why can't they just figure out how to legally extend the existing gaming licenses to the internet, in the era of the internet? After all, if it's legal to gamble, what difference does it make if you wager your money at an actual casino table or through a licensed gambling site? Lawmakers could just impose a few simple requirements, such as, the online poker room must be based in the US, must have a gaming license, must keep records in order, must pay taxes, etc. I understand that some people would still try to set up off shore poker rooms, to evade US taxes, or whatnot, but I don't think that would be too much of a problem. First of all, lawmakers could pass a law that prohibits US residents from playing poker on any online poker sites other than the licensed ones, or they face criminal charges. But if you wanted to play online poker and you had a choice between a fully licensed and regulated US based poker site, or an unregulated off shore site, which one would you pick? To make it easier to make up your mind, there is a chance you might end up in jail of you play in the off shore joint.
Perhaps one day online poker rooms will be regulated and all this will be over. That's all it really takes to end this cat and mouse game.
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