Why is online poker banned in the US?

OzExorcist · Jul 23, 2017

I'm not 100% sure any of the above answers are completely correct?

The short answer is this: poker is gambling, and gambling is banned in most places in America.

There are exemptions for certain places and certain kinds of gambling, yes. But the above is, broadly speaking, the lay of the land and poker hasn't managed to carve out a nationwide exception for itself yet.

BriceNice · Jul 23, 2017

because politicians havent figured out how to get their cut and still get reelected.

theblizzardofoz · Jul 23, 2017

Grateful to be Canadian once again! If you are going to win the lottery do it in canada and enjoy your prize tax free!! Woot!

pokerpie · Jul 25, 2017

full tilt

yea pretty sure after the full tilt scandal everything went downhill for online poker in the states.

OzExorcist · Jul 25, 2017

pokerpie said:
yea pretty sure after the full tilt scandal everything went downhill for online poker in the states.

While that's very true, it's important to remember that online poker wasn't banned because of Full Tilt, or Black Friday, or the Ultimate Bet cheating scandal, or anything like that. Online poker was already banned before they even came along.

MikeD123 · Jul 27, 2017

Corruption

XXPXXP · Jul 30, 2017

here

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_v._Scheinberg

Reprise · Jul 30, 2017

jordabb said:
To do with tax, etc.

At least you Americans can play live poker. Live poker is illegal in Northern Ireland.

Horrible... Guess you need to find home games or can you get arrested for that?

Reprise · Jul 30, 2017

Counting the days poker is legalized online. Was hoping NY would get it done but apparently stalled. Moving to NJ where online poker is legalized in a few months. One of the reasons I convinced her to move to NJ... don't tell her that lol.

pokgirl · Jul 31, 2017

Through a lot of poker rooms, money was not laundered by good people.

Fastone2 · Jul 31, 2017

I think the government will make it legal to play poker when they can tax the game. And after they figure out a way to run a game without any form of fraud or cheating...

FIERROS · Jul 31, 2017

Because the Government doesn't get any profit from it.

dr doom · Aug 3, 2017

jordabb said:
To do with tax, etc.

At least you Americans can play live poker. Live poker is illegal in Northern Ireland.

Once Conor McGregor gets done boxing, he will start playing poker, then it will become your national sport.

smpolak · Aug 7, 2017

The US has its issues with on line gambling. I think it has to do with the Las Vegas lobby of congress. They worry that on line gambling would suck money from their casinos. Which is true. I lost my net worth in on line casinos. So I no long can afford to go to Vegas.

Odysseus101 · Aug 7, 2017

1. Money was being deposited to overseas accounts and moved around internationally through poker sites, which aren't financial institutions, and thus unregulated.
2. Monies won and coming into the US from pokersites was hard to trace and tax so IRS wanted it shut down.
3. The domestic gambling industry in the form of casinos and lotteries lobbied hard to kill online gambling in order to preserve their profits and maintain market share.
4. Most people who play, they lose. So lots of US$ was leaving the US for no reason or return.
5. In the early days, online poker site owners and operators were primarily from the US but by registering their sites and incorporating overseas they avoided the taxman too.

It has nothing to do with fair. It's all about following the money.

CHAVIKI · Aug 7, 2017

From outside

I don't want to go deeply in this matter but it seems it's all about money, when someone asks for money and you don't want to pay there are consequences, everything is about money.

Hope US people can play online poker again, will be my pleasure to play against you gays, some states allow you to play and i've seen many people from the states, glad to play with you......

Cromel · Aug 7, 2017

I think it's mostly about the taxes not paid by the online poker companies and also by the citizens playing and winning from those online poker platforms . In my country they drafted a law that went into effect somewhere in 2016 (officially to get in line with EU laws-not sure here if true or not) that fined both the companies and the players unless the site was on an approved list( read the company registered with the government and pays taxes).Now we have this blacklist http://onjn.gov.ro/lista-neagra/. If you play, win and cash out, you can be sure you will be fined, the site too if it's possible.

Edit: So it's legal now as long as you do it on an approved site.

fordman427 · Aug 7, 2017

Politications realized how much money they were missing out on and not can't figure out exactly how to regulate it

dj11 · Aug 7, 2017

fordman427 said:
Politications realized how much money they were missing out on and not can't figure out exactly how to regulate it

Here's the thing though; If there is too much taxation it will kill the gaming. There is not enough money in the game to do much more than providing adequate regulation. There is no cash cow here.

BlackJesus · Aug 8, 2017

One version could be that it is for the benefit of the citizens.
After all, playing poker is a negative sum game, because of the rake that every poker room takes. 5%-10% is no small deal.
Looking at statistics, it is obvious that vast majority of players lose money at poker tables. So all in all, taken AVERAGE players interests into account, it is a sane proposition to ban poker rooms and casinos.

PogHuk · Aug 12, 2017

In Russia, too, began a struggle with online poker, Internet service providers begin to block the content associated with poker. The games live have been banned long ago, only in 2 casinos, Sochi and the basics.

dominiq · Aug 12, 2017

PogHuk said:
In Russia, too, began a struggle with online poker, Internet service providers begin to block the content associated with poker. The games live have been banned long ago, only in 2 casinos, Sochi and the basics.

So, how it is possbile that there are so many players from Russia on the poker sites?

Davydave · Aug 12, 2017

Exactly. Like every government, they're ONLY good at one thing, collecting their $hare. They want a taste.

MrDunga · Dec 20, 2018

Pokerstars

Why is pokerstars banned in US

KristaK · Dec 20, 2018

Odysseus101 said:
1. Money was being deposited to overseas accounts and moved around internationally through poker sites, which aren't financial institutions, and thus unregulated.
2. Monies won and coming into the US from pokersites was hard to trace and tax so IRS wanted it shut down.
3. The domestic gambling industry in the form of casinos and lotteries lobbied hard to kill online gambling in order to preserve their profits and maintain market share.
4. Most people who play, they lose. So lots of US$ was leaving the US for no reason or return.
5. In the early days, online poker site owners and operators were primarily from the US but by registering their sites and incorporating overseas they avoided the taxman too.

It has nothing to do with fair. It's all about following the money.

This is a comprehensive and clear explanation.. thank you very much
(happy I am in Canada and can play anywhere lol)

Why is online poker banned in the US?

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