According to H2 Gambling Capital, US players spent $2.6 billion on online poker last year, despite the fact the games is legally available in three states only.
Even though 15 April, 2011, or the Black Friday of online poker brought an end to the game in the United States in theory, a survey conducted by H2 Gambling Capital reveals that US players still make up a significant percentage of the global gaming field. According to the study, US citizens spent $2.6 billion on online poker last year, which is only a 7% drop compared to 2011. 8% of the global market is currently constituted by US players.
“Americans account for nearly 10% of the global online gaming marketplace at a time when the business is illegal in all but three American states. It is past time for policymakers to put necessary safeguards in place,” American Gaming Association head Geoff Freeman stated.
The three legal markets are Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. In Nevada, two rooms have already launched, while New Jersey kicks off the first in November and Delaware in December. Still, most US players play in the .com rooms, despite the ban.
The FBI seizure of the domains of the biggest online poker rooms was justified by the UIGEA and the Interstate Wire Act of 1961. Later, the US Department of Justice revised its stance on the Wire Act; previously, all forms of online gambling were considered illegal in the USA but the new ruling, asked for by several lottery companies, stated that only sports betting falls under the illegal category. This opened the way for an interstate online poker market among states that themselves legalize online poker within their borders. Participation in the .com market remains illegal for the time being.
