Unlike some countries, online gambling in the United States is quite limited. US players were once able to register at and participate in online casinos within the USA and from other countries. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006, informally known as UIGEA, put an end to betting and winning actual money on a variety of games at favorite internet casinos. Software manufacturers wisely cater to friendly markets and bid adieu to the disgruntled players, companies, and government agencies involved with sorting out gaming enforcement.
Confiscated equipment, software, and money affected everyone involved with internet gaming in the US at that time. Large internet casinos from other countries closed their doors on formerly welcome US residents. Players with credit card accounts set up at the virtual casinos were no longer able to deposit funds to use on slot machines, roulette, poker, and other games. That also ended withdrawals from players who hit big and wanted money sent to their US account.
The Supreme Court ruled in December 2011 that the UIGEA applied to sports books, but not online casinos. That reopened the door to US online gaming with deposits from major credit cards like MasterCard and VISA. Actual players are responsible for verifying they comply with their local and state gaming laws including age regulations (i.e., 18 or 21 years of age) and bans on certain types of gaming.
Federal policy allows intrastate online gambling. Both horse racing and fantasy sport wagers are allowed to cross state lines. All types of gambling are illegal in Hawaii and Utah. The following states have passed legislation prohibiting certain forms of Internet gambling: Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington.
US players who played online prior to UIGEA can now join Bovada, a US-friendly brand that split from Bodog. Lucky Red Casino is a full service casino using software from Real Time Gaming (RTG) that focuses on US players. Swift payouts and a simple deposit process via credit cards like MasterCard and VISA are available to United States players 18 and over. Planet 7, another RTG online casino, accepts credit card deposits from US players 21 and over.
A surprising feature of the latest online gambling in the United States is the 3 states offering licensed, regulated intrastate online gaming: Delaware, Nevada, and New Jersey. Each state has a reputation for being gambler-friendly to travelers from around the world; now residents are welcomed to the virtual casinos operating in their state. Nevada currently offers poker only, while the other two states have virtual casinos that include slots, roulette and video poker.
The future of online gambling in the US continues to be influenced by the political environment. Keeping informed about county, state and national regulations and being conservative in deposits to online gaming enterprises are ways for citizens to guard against difficulties in the event of government closures.