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Hold’Em or Fold’Em: Where is US Online Poker at in 2013?

From the early days of the online poker boom, through to the devastating Unlawful Internet Gaming Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA), and on to the events of Black Friday, US online poker players have been waiting for the realization of their dream of seeing online poker being properly regulated and legalized in the country.

The Green Shoots of Legal Online Poker

La bona notícia és que hi ha indicis clars que els jugadors de pòquer als EUA haurien de poder gaudir dels mateixos jocs que els jugadors de pòquer d'arreu del món, un cop recuperin els diners després de les incursions del DoJ del Black Friday de Full Tilt, PokerStars et al. : els mateixos jocs d'efectiu, tornejos i 2-7 Limit Triple Draw Blood Wild River (d'acord, potser no l'últim, però eventualment podeu apostar el vostre dòlar més baix que algú l'oferirà en algun lloc).
“We are already seeing individual states legislate for online poker,” Nicholas Kisberg, founder and CEO of CardsChat.com says. “While there will certainly be states that will never legislate in favor of any form of online gambling, we expect US poker players to have some great new choices in the next few years. This is an industry that grows rapidly. Once acceptance comes in some of these fledgling sites could grow to be truly huge.”

L'Estat dels Estats

In 2011 the Wire Act – an antiquated law regarding bets on the phone – was amended to specifically ban betting on sporting events, but not online poker. The US Justice Department issued a ruling making online gambling legal, so long as it is permitted on the state level; that was a green light to some states that have been busy forging ahead with intra-state online gambling or poker. Some others, meanwhile, are playing a wait-and-see game and others flat-out banning it altogether.

Let’s take a closer look at some of moves the individual states are making at the legal disco in 2013 as they shimmy nervously up to that girl called ‘poker’ to ask for a dance – and those who are shunning her altogether.

Sin City Leads the Way

Mentre estats com Oregon i Illinois s'asseuen a la tanca, a l'espera d'un aclariment del DoJ sobre les noves implicacions de la Llei Wire, Nevada està avançant amb els seus propis plans de pòquer en línia.

La nova legislació de Nevada es va provar el 2013 a la primera sala legal en línia de l'estat, Ultimate Poker, amb els visitants de la World Series of Poker de 2013 que li van fer la seva primera prova. Les mateixes WSOP podrien disposar d'un lloc de pòquer en línia totalment funcional per als jugadors nord-americans a la Sèrie 2014.

Delaware and New Jersey

Delaware and New Jersey are finalizing their own intra-state plans, with New Jersey’s system slated to launch in late November 2013. Meanwhile, Maryland and West Virginia look like moving in the right direction with their own bills. West Virginia has long been rumored as a potential online poker partner for Delaware, and is certainly one to add to the list of ‘maybes’.

The problem with most States is that, in this toughest of recessions, they’re flat broke. They’re not willing to risk money to make money. However, with West Virginia, Maryland and New Jersey not in the same predicament as others financially, online poker legislation could prove to be a win-win for them.

“Generating revenues from online gambling could be a great lifeline for some of the US states that are in financial difficulty. US states are in a position to make themselves attractive to this industry. They should be looking at other nations around the world and seeing the financial benefits they have reaped, and copying those models,” Nicholas says.

California Dreaming… of Online Poker

The question is probably when California will regulate online poker, rather than if. The state is considered to be the most promising market for online poker, and the amount of money at stake almost ensures that regulation will take place at some point.

So what’s stopping them? Simply put, there are several competing players involved who all want to share equally in the risk and reward. 2014 has been mooted as the year when online poker “maybe” appears in California, but that maybe could well turn into a “not at all”.

On the Fence – or Well Off It

A l'altra cara de la moneda, però, hi ha alguns estats, com Washington, que han fet del pòquer en línia un delicte de classe C. Montana, Nebraska i Indiana es troben entre els estats amb lleis arcaiques que envolten els jocs d'atzar en general, amb la prohibició de jugar a qualsevol joc d'apostes en línia.

What about the Spiritual Home of Hold’Em?

Finalment, fem una ullada a Texas, la llar espiritual del Texas Hold'em i dels llegendaris jugadors de carretera que van fer els primers viatges a Las Vegas com Benny Binion i Doyle Brunson. Tot i que el pòquer va governar l'estat, fins ara els legisladors han deixat clar que el joc ja no és benvingut. Però això encara pot canviar.

Poker fanatic, and Texas Representative, Joe Barton has reintroduced his online poker legislation to the House of Representatives, joining another bill for consideration by the body. HR 2666, the “Internet Poker Freedom Act of 2013,” is Barton’s second attempt at passing legislation for industry regulation, and with HR 2666 joining New York Congressman Peter King’s bill, HR 2282, the “Internet Gambling Regulation, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Act of 2013,” there are two tracks that online poker regulation can take. Peter King’s bill is fairly far-reaching, intending to include ALL online gaming – not just poker. It would allow states like Nevada to opt out and go it alone, but so far it looks like the most ambitious project so far.

Is a Federal Bill Dead in the Water?

Un altre demòcrata, Harry Reid (Nevada), ha estat ocupat formulant un projecte de llei federal que legalitzi el pòquer en línia, i el seu pla deixaria de banda altres formes de joc en línia. Reid's Bill podria veure Nevada i Nova Jersey al capdavant de la cua en la cursa per oferir pòquer en línia regulat, permetent associacions entre els gegants de casinos terrestres dels respectius estats.

La proposta de llei federal favorable als casinos podria invocar la ira de Califòrnia (el temor de Reid és que els jugadors californians que visiten Las Vegas es quedin a casa si Califòrnia ofereix la seva pròpia solució de pòquer en línia) i sens dubte rebrà l'oposició d'altres estats que prefereixen una solució intra- sistema estatal.

Legal US Online Poker: When, Not If

Hi ha l'esperança general que a mesura que més estats aprovin legislació intraestatal i estableixin un model que altres puguin seguir, els estats s'ajuntin per augmentar els premis, el nombre de jugadors i els ingressos generals. Finalment, això podria arribar a una massa crítica i obrir les portes de nou. I les marques globals de jocs, especialment les que han estat forçades a sortir dels EUA després d'UIGEA, estaran observant la situació amb atenció per trobar signes d'aprofitar-se en un mercat lucratiu i rejovenit.

“All of us in the industry are closely watching what is happening in the US to see how things will pan out. Certainly it is a hot topic on our forums, and one that is hotly discussed. After all, many American poker players want to know if “the land of the free” is going to give its people more freedom to play online poker,” Nicholas says.

The regulation of online poker is surely inevitable in the USA. It might take a few more states to go it alone to start off with – Texas and New Jersey seem likely to be next – before anything countrywide appears. By the time anything federal happens, however, we may be grinding Sit ‘n’ Gos high above the Earth in our space capsules. Watch this space.