Online Gambling

Due to online poker‘s Black Friday in April of 2011, the number of online casinos that continue to accept real money players from the United States is shrinking every day. Often, this decision is made not by the online casino operator itself, but rather by the online casino software vendor. Rival Gaming is a recent example of an online casino software vendor that has recently informed its licensees that they are no longer permitted to accept players from the United States.

In the wake of the recent FBI indictment of several prominent online poker room owners / principles, some online casinos (primarily some Rival online casinos) have elected to leave the US market, similar to what happened in response to the passage of the UIGEA in 2006.

I’ve recently been in contact with the owners of several 5-star rated Real Time Gaming (RTG) online casinos, who assured me that their doors remain open to US-based real-money players. Of of these sites — Intertops — has served US players uninterrupted since 1996.

So, if you’ve been locked out of your favorite online casino, why not give these a try? You won’t be disappointed.

Slots of Vegas
$100 FREE + 300% bonus on initial deposits between $30 and $100!
Slots of Vegas, with over 80 online slot games, is the premier source of slot games for real or fun money. Slots of Vegas offers the loosest online slots, from the traditional three reel slots to the adventure packed five reel slots.

Silver Oak Casino
$50 FREE + 250% bonus on initial deposits between $25 and $100!
Bonus codes: FREE50SILVER and 250WELCOME. Silver Oak Casino has the most dedicated customer service staff in the industry. Our knowledgeable and friendly representatives are available round the clock to assist you with any concerns you have.

Intertops RED Casino
100% bonus on initial deposits between $20 and $100!
No-download version available!
Bonus code: SIGNUP100. This RTG casino from Intertops is open to ALL US players and delivers all the fun and excitement that you would expect from an RTG casino and combines it with the trust, security, and outstanding banking

The FBI has shut down Full Tilt Poker, PokerStars, UltimateBet, and Absolute Poker. Visitors are shown a message saying, “This domain name has been seized by the F.B.I. pursuant to an Arrest Warrant.”. (Read the full article at the LA Times.)

Until all of this gets sorted out, here is a list of  the top 5 online poker sites that accept US players. (In case you are interested, here is the full list of all online poker sites that accept US players.)

Bodog Poker: 110% bonus
Create an account and download Bodog Poker for free with our Getting Started Guide. Play free online poker on our play money tables or head straight to the real money tables and earn Bodog Poker Points.

Sports Interaction Poker: 110% bonus
Bonus code: signup110. You can play for free, or at our 24/7 cash games and enter any of the tournaments of your choice. All you have to do is download, register, and play.

Poker4Ever: 100% bonus
POKER4EVER.com is a fast-growing cardroom offering your favorite poker games: Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi, Omaha Hi/Lo, and 7 Card Stud. POKER4EVER.com also offers the ultimate tournament experience with its multi-table tournaments

BetUS Poker: 110% bonus
We have an amazing new first time deposit bonus for all our new players. We offer you 110% bonus up to a fantastic $1000. Simply make a deposit, in the poker room click rewards, deposit bonus and enter the code POKER1000.

Doyles Room Poker: 100% bonus

You won’t be able to find another poker room where you can participate in tournaments, ring games and heads up matches with Doyle Brunson — author of SUPER SYSTEM (the bible of poker), winner of 10 WSOP Bracelets and player in every single WSOP.

As reported in yesterday’s The Wall Street Journal, the House Financial Services Committee voted 41-22 to approve legislation that would regulate many forms of online gambling, including poker and bingo, while specifically banning betting on major US sports leagues like the MLB, NFL, NBA, and others.

Other news articles point out that the legislation also would deny licenses to any online site that has allowed, or currently does allow, US players to gamble online. Looking ahead, this would appear to effect PokerStars, FullTilt, and other online poker rooms that have continued to serve US players despite the UIGEA of 2006.

Other key elements of the legislation include player loss limits, rigorous age verification systems and frequent testing thereof, and allowing states to opt out of this legislation and ban its citizens from online gambling.

And the legislation that was passed does not cover how the industry is to be taxed — that’s covered in a separate bill that hasn’t made it out of the House Ways and Means Committee.

It is unlikely that this legislation will be voted on before the current Congressional Session expires in September. The scheduling is simply too tight. If it is not voted on, the process will need to start again next session. Perhaps it will be attached to some other legislation, as was the UIGEA of 2006. Even so, if the legislation is approved, it still would need to be signed by Obama.

We are still years away from any comprehensive online gambling policy in the United States. Need proof? The UIGEA of 2006 took nearly 4 years before it actually went into effect this past June 1 — and there are still plenty of loopholes in that legislation that allow US players to fund and withdraw money from their online gambling accounts… or so I’ve heard.