Internet Poker Is Sort of Legal!
Ah, the holidays. If you’re a poker player, the Justice Department has given you a pretty nifty gift in the way of this little-noticed legal memorandum made public Friday.
In a nutshell, the department’s Office of Legal Counsel has determined that the Federal Wire Act, the 1961 law that had been interpreted to outlaw all forms of gambling across state lines, actually only applies to “a sporting event or contest.”
Well, what does this mean? It means that Internet poker isn’t barred by any federal statute.