The Legality of Online Poker Games

Anyone who has played poker in real casinos or anyone with friends who play poker may have heard of online poker games. The rules in an online poker game and in real casinos are actually very similar (even wagering money when it is allowed) however, there are a few differences here and there. Despite this, online poker is actually a flourishing market and a proof to this is the rising number of sites that offer the online poker game.

However, bear in mind that it is not legal for all to wager money in an online poker game. The laws governing online poker games and other games for that matter are difficult to understand and have remained unclear even through the years especially if one lives in the United States. In the US, laws governing such activities are tricky. The only clear law with regards to online poker games and other games is the law passed forbidding financial institutions from funding such activities online for US residents. This forced a handful to stop from playing online while some managed to find an alternative, albeit slower way to deposit money into their gaming accounts. Because of this, many sites have stopped accepting players from the United States. Playing poker online for fun, however, has always been allowed in all states. In other countries, the legality of online poker games is clear-cut. In fact in UK, this is a legal activity. A testament to this is the presence of the best casinos and poker sites in the UK.

Despite the lack of clarity with laws governing online poker games, many are still into online gambling. Though seemingly illegal, many US residents are still into online poker games as there doesn't seem to be any arrest taking place because of online gambling. However, the US government is active in cracking down gambling sites operating within the US. It appears that the government only wishes to discourage US citizens from online gambling to keep them from accruing a huge debt due to online games.

Because poker has been around for many years, it does make sense that the game will eventually find its way online. The problem however lies in the fact that the legality of some online activities appear to vary from one place to another. Nevertheless, we see through the growing number of gambling sites that the online poker game and similar games will continue to stay.