Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006

If you are an online poker or online casino player in the United States then it is important for you to understand the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) that was passed by the Bush administration in 2006.

Attached at the last minute to the SAFE Port Act, the UIGEA is an act that puts limits on Internet gambling. Contrary to popular belief online gambling is not outlawed in most of the United States. However, the UIGEA did put restrictions and regulations on financial institutions and online gambling sites when it comes to making deposits at online casinos and poker sites. As a result, many online gambling sites have left the US market.

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act states that financial institutions, such as credit card companies, may not transfer funds to “unlawful” online gambling sites. It is still perfectly legal for these institutions to transfer funds to “lawful” online gambling sites. The reason, however, that many sites have withdrawn from the US market completely is that they do not want to risk breaking the laws that are in place due to the UIGEA.

If you are living in the United States and want to gamble online you don’t have to be discouraged. There are still a large number of online casinos and online poker sites that are open to US players. These gambling websites are regulated and legal and accept a variety of payment methods including credit cards, ewallets, cash and bank transfers and more.