USA Casinos and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)
Online casino gamblers in the United States should be aware of the laws about online gambling in the US. In 2006 the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) was passed under the Bush administration. Many online gamers are under the impression that this act bans online casino gaming in the United States. However, although the UIGEA puts restrictions on financial institutions when it comes to funding online casino play, online casinos are still quite legal in the United States.
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act was attached at the last minute to the SAFE Port Act that was passed in 2006. The objective of this act was to cut down on unlawful online casinos by placing restrictions on financial institutions. The act states that banks, credit cards and other financial institutions may not allow the transferring of funds to unlawful Internet gambling websites. As a result of this law, many online gambling sites closed their doors to United States online gamblers in order to avoid infractions with the law. However, it is important to note that online gambling is not illegal in the United States and there are online casinos that allow US players to take part in real money casino gambling.
There is currently a lot of lobbying against the UIGEA going on as well as a number of bills currently making their way through Congress to ease up on online casino sites. However, until these bills are passed players can still find a number of great online casinos that accept US players. Accepted payment methods include everything from credit cards to e-wallets, bank and cash transfers and more.