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Most online casinos today operate servers outside of the U.S. because they do not want to abide by the strict regulations that the federal government imposes on gambling. Some of the casino networks do not even allow U.S. players to join because the Safe Port Act passed into law in 2006 included a provision called the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that makes it more difficult for U.S. players to use online gaming sites.

How the UIGEA Makes it Difficult for Casino Networks to Accept U.S. Players

The UIGEA makes it difficult for rooms to accept U.S. players by regulating the way payments are made. The law prevents banks from sending or receiving monies to online gambling organizations. Removing the incentive to gamble should prevent the casinos from continuing to operate in the U.S. market and force U.S. players to find a legal way to engage in games.

How Some Casino Networks Still Allow U.S. Players

The UIGEA convinced some of the rooms to leave the U.S. market. Player accounts were suspended and the gaming sites no longer accepted subscriptions from players in the U.S. Other casino networks, however, continued allowing U.S. players. They could do this because they interpreted the law differently. The UIGEA, for instance, does not necessarily regulate games of skill when the house does not have the opportunity to win a bet. This means it could still be perfectly legal for U.S. banks to transfer funds to casinos when players have participated in games like poker.

The Legalities of Casino Networks Accepting U.S. Players

Since there are different ways to interpret the UIGEA, many networks continue to accept U.S. players, send them money when they win and collect funds when they lose. No one is certain that the law prevents casinos and U.S. players from participating in real money games because several lawsuits are still making their ways through the U.S. court system to define the details of the UIGEA more clearly. Until the courts specifically state that the UIGEA forbids banks from transferring funds to and from casino networks that allow real money games of skill, though, it seems likely that many organizations outside of the U.S. will continue to offer players their services.