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The recent enactment of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) in the United States certainly caught many poker enthusiasts by surprise. Although the entire online gambling industry has long since been in a kind of a gray area in terms of its legality, the vast majority of its members never saw the ban coming their way. Who could have ever thought that the American legislators would seek to eliminate such a profitable business? A thriving business that brought the country so much money in taxes...
Interestingly enough, the fog surrounding online poker play remains intact even after the implementation of the ban. Ironically enough, the UIGEA prohibits only the processing of gambling-related financial transactions, and not the online gambling entertainment itself. It's not that the American citizens are prohibited to play poker and casino games over the Internet, they are now simply disallowed to fund their gaming accounts and withdraw whatever potential winnings.
Cruising through the most recent poker player response blogs discussing America's ban on online gaming destinations, one may come across quite a selection of ridiculing and sarcastic postings targeting the gaming industry's members. For instance:
"[...] the online poker operators are finally doing what they should have done five years ago, which is throw some money at their legal problems. I don't know why they raked in billions and sat idly by as politicians rallied against their industry."
It seems that some players believe that, for years, online poker operators have chosen to ignore repetitious warnings regarding potential danger to their livelihood. However, we humbly believe that the quoted blogger is not seeing the picture as it actually is. It's not that the operators of Internet poker rooms deliberately brushed off the unfavorable forecasts, it's just that the blow was brutally sudden. In fact, so unexpected was the blow that some poker websites still continue to accept wagers from U.S. players denying any violation of the law.
Additionally, the Poker Player Alliance (PPA) has been lobbying for the industry virtually since its very inception. Being a grassroots organization comprised of poker fans from all across the United States, the PPA officially states that it is its mission to "educate [..] lawmakers, fight prohibitory legislation, and DEMAND the protections necessary to guarantee [...] freedom to enjoy poker at the tables and online." Therefore, dear blogger, do your homework before you claim that the gaming industry is only now willing to fight back against its opponents!