UIGEA

The scourge of all online gambling operators attempting to provide players in the United States with the ability go gamble is the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement, also known as the UIGEA. The UIGEA is what caused the large rift of confusion in the online gambling industry. This law had made it so a slim number of online gambling providers were forced out of the market, leaving American gamblers with only a few types of casino software and even less sportsbooks and poker rooms. Some of the largest gambling sites online have been forced out of the United States market, though the damage was kept relatively under control by the fact that the UIGEA has become relatively ineffective due to the writing of the law.

What The UIGEA Does & How It Came Into Existence

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was written as a part of the SAFE Port Act. The UIGEA is a law that made it illegal for banks and financial institutions to process payments that are known to be for the purposes of online gambling. As such, credit card companies and banks have been forced to make it a point to prevent these transactions from occurring. This is why e-wallets and prepaid cards have become as important as ever. Some banks are more diligent about blocking these transactions than others, and the largest of the online gambling sites have experienced the most difficult deposits. The UIGEA has, otherwise, been a total failure. Due to the payment processors used by the online gambling sites, these payments are not specifically labeled to be for online gambling, and are as such hard to track.

What The UIGEA Is In Reality

In theory, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 has proven to be more of a posture by the government rather than an actual display of strength. The limitations imposed have ended with a few payment processors being prosecuted, though no player will ever be charged with a crime due to their gambling online - at least, not on a federal level. Fortunately for the player, there is no federal law making it illegal to play online - rather, it is illegal for an entity to provide an online gambling website. The UIGEA went into effect on July 1st, 2010, and has thus far failed to be anything other than an inconvenience.

UIGEA's Impact On The Future Of Online Gambling In The United States

While the UIGEA has complicated the legalization, or rather regulation of online gambling on a federal level, or there has been some strides in the overall advancement of the industry. The UIGEA has been battled in court, which led to a judicial determination that the states have the right to make the decision over whether or not online gambling sites would be allowed to operate with within their borders. New Jersey, Florida, California, and Texas (supposedly) have all been considering the addition of online gambling entities into their states. Conversely, Washington, Kentucky and a few other states have expressly prohibited online gambling within their borders.

Perception Of Online Gambling As A Result Of The UIGEA

Unfortunately, popular belief is an overwhelmingly powerful thing. When so many people have it in their mind that something is illegal, the national consciousness takes over. As such, it is widely believed that online gambling is illegal and unlawful in the United States. This is simply not the truth, though many will have you believe this to be the case. The UIGEA is more of a symbol than anything else, a symbol that the United States government is not going to freely allow online gambling. With estimates showing that 70 billion dollars in tax revenue could be generated from online gambling over a period of 10 years, the day may soon come that online gambling is a regulated industry in the United States.

Do I Have To Worry About Prosecution Due To The UIGEA?

Though the UIGEA seems to be big, bad and scary, there is nothing to worry about on the individual level as it pertains to the UIGEA. So, to answer the question... No, there is nothing to worry about should you choose to play at an online casino, wager on sports or play poker online. Since it's inception in 2006, no single casino, sportsbook, poker user has ever been charged in accordance to the UIGEA. In fact, the only thing the UIGEA has ever done is slow down the deposit process for American online gamblers. For this reason, we have a huge section dedicated solely to deposit methods. You can learn which casinos accept a particular deposit method, or you can visit the casino review and see if that casino accepts the method of your choice. Either way, there is definitely help available to assist you in your gambling endeavors.

Online Casinos	USA Ok?	Software	Bonus %	Max	Bonus Codes	Play Now
WinPalace Casino			400%	$4,000	4000FREE	Play Now
Slots Jungle Casino			100%	$1,000 (10x)	JUNGLEWELCOME	Play Now
Casino Titan			400%	$1,000	ELECTRIC400	Play Now
Las Vegas USA			125%	$125	None Needed	Play Now
Cherry Red Casino			400%	$2,400	CHERRYREELS	Play Now
Mayflower Casino			250%	$1,000 (2x)	None Needed	Play Now
Rushmore Casino			400%	$2,000	SLOTS400	Play Now
Slots Oasis Casino			400%	$4,000	4000FREE	Play Now
Golden Cherry Casino			300%	$3,000	CHERRYSLOTS	Play Now
Crazy Slots Casino			Varies	$12,500	First Bonus Automatic	Play Now
Intertops Casino			100%	$200	FREEDAY	Play Now
Lucky Red Casino			400%	$4,000	LUCKYRED400	Play Now
Aladdin's Gold			200%	$2,000	None Needed	Play Now
Online Vegas			Varies	$5,000	First Bonus Automatic	Play Now
Go Casino			Varies	$20,000	First Bonus Automatic	Play Now
Superior Casino			400%	$2,000	Exclusive: None Needed	Play Now
Bodog Casino			10%	Unlimited	None Needed	Play Now
Sloto Cash Casino			300%	$1,500	Exclusive: None Needed	Play Now

**All of casinos above will allow American players to join and play their casino games. The only casinos that have been scared out of the market by the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act are Microgaming and Playtech casino software brands.