The UIGEA

The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was a piece of US legislation that was passed during the midnight hours of October 13, 2006. The bill did not attempt to outlaw internet gambling and poker but it instead attacked payment processors for such companies.

The bill’s biggest supporters were Jim Leach, Robert Goodlatte, Bill Frist and Jon Kyl. They were able to get the bill through the senate and attached to the completely unrelated SAFE Port Act.

In order to get the controversial bill passed, the bill was attached as a rider to the SAFE Port Act, which was designed to improve security at US ports. What was even dirtier was that this all occurred 15 minutes before the close of the 2006 congressional session. And to top it all off, there was no way anyone could vote against an act that made the nation safer right before elections. It was an underhanded move but it worked and the bill was signed into law on that fateful October night.

Nobody who voted on the SAFE Port Act even got a chance to read the language of the UIGEA because it was attached at the last second. The system shouldn’t even have allowed this in the first place but Senator Jim Leach certainly didn’t mind taking advantage of it. He was promptly voted out of office after that whole ordeal.

How does the UIGEA affect me?

The UIGEA does not directly affect poker players. The UIGEA was passed in order to make it more difficult for poker players to get their money online. As is par for the US government, the UIGEA was a complete failure in that regard.

It did manage to cause several payment processors (like NETeller) and poker sites to leave the US market but that’s about it. Poker players from the US can still play poker just fine with credit card deposits, e-wallets and e-checks.

The UIGEA did not make it illegal to play poker on the internet. Many casual poker players, upon hearing the news, mistakenly thought that online poker had suddenly become illegal in the United States and spread the misinformation on to their friends.

Fighting Back

Several prominent politicians have taken up the cause to overturn the UIGEA and instead regulate and tax internet gambling and online poker. The most notable person championing this cause is Congressman Barney Frank.

He has worked hard to get things turned around in the United States but it’s a slow process. The good news is that his arguments make sense, people are starting to listen to him and the future of online poker looks promising.

His arguments against the UIGEA are basically as follows:

1. Prohibitions never work. They only make it possible for small, unregulated entities to take up the cause.

2. Many of the safe, well-known gambling and poker sites have been forced to leave the US market.

3. Poker players will still find a way to play poker. Besides, it’s not the government’s job to impose religious beliefs upon its citizens.

4. The US is missing out on billions of dollars of tax revenue that it would receive if it instead regulated and taxed gambling and online poker.

The Poker Player’s Alliance – PPA

The Poker Player’s Alliance (PPA) was formed in response to all the ridiculous pieces of anti-poker legislation that have been passed by the government in recent years. It’s a collection of poker players that promote the game and protect the right to play it in the United States.

The PPA works for poker players’ rights in Washington DC and across the country by joining forces with key lawmakers, poker professionals and casual players to help create a saner legal environment for the game.

I urge everyone out there to join the PPA. As an advocate for online poker, you’ll be kept up to date on the legal situation and be given the necessary tools to help make a difference. One of the ways in which PPA members make a difference is by sending form e-mails to their elected officials that explain why poker is a game of skill and should be treated as such.

Every little bit helps and it only takes a few seconds.

The PPA website.