Legal US Online Gambling Goes Live In Nevada
1st May 2013
Nevada wins the race to become the very first of the 50 United States of America to allow its residents to legally engage in online gambling for real money since the practice was outlawed back in 2006 by the UIGEA.
Online poker is the game that was officially made legal in February, although no websites were live until today, when UltimatePoker.com being the first to open its doors to what could amount to a barrage of new customers eager to sign up and start playing. By issuing a 30 day licence allowing gaming websites to attract customers, the State of Nevada Gaming Control Board has finally opened the floodgates to what poker loving American players have been waiting for.
But how far reaching and accessible is this new venture?
Right now, it's only Nevadans allowed to this particular party. But what a party it's turning out to be! Run by Ultimate Gaming, the new poker website freely accepts wagers from all citizens legally resident in the state who sign up to become members of the site and then deposit money into their accounts.
Long Awaited Windfall
The operator is bracing itself for a jamboree as player money is expected to pour into their coffers like a river flowing into the ocean. Online gambling already generates billions of pounds for the industry in Europe and other parts of the world where it's legal.
Irritatingly for US based operators, the industry also generates billions of US dollars for illegal offshore operators that have been syphoning their profits out of the country tax free for years. The Nevada based operator and other waiting to go live in the next few weeks are aiming to cash in on what they see as a law that was a long time coming.
Regulated
It means that residents of the state can now legally play poker for real money online while enjoying the protection of a regulated sector of the industry that will be putting a percentage of their profits back into the state in the form of legitimate taxes. They will no longer be at the mercy of illegal, unregulated sites that represented a significant risk to the safety of they money and the more serious risk of getting caught by the authorities.
Players must be 21 years of age or older under the terms of the licence and can prove they reside in the state. Those living outside Nevada will not be permitted to play on the site, although other states are preparing their own online gambling legislation as federal rules are being relaxed.
